Ishbosheth is Murdered

4 When Saul’s 1son heard that Abner had died in Hebron, ahe 2lost heart, and all Israel was btroubled. 2 Now Saul’s son had two men who were captains of troops. The name of one was Baanah and the name of the other Rechab, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, of the children of Benjamin. (For cBeeroth also was 3part of Benjamin, 3 because the Beerothites fled to dGittaim and have been sojourners there until this day.)

4 eJonathan, Saul’s son, had a son who was lame in his feet. He was five years old when the news about Saul and Jonathan came ffrom Jezreel; and his nurse took him up and fled. And it happened, as she made haste to flee, that he fell and became lame. His name was gMephibosheth. 4

5 Then the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah, set out and came at about the heat of the day to the hhouse of Ishbosheth, who was lying on his bed at noon. 6 And they came there, all the way into the house, as though to get wheat, and they 5stabbed him iin the stomach. Then Rechab and Baanah his brother escaped. 7 For when they came into the house, he was lying on his bed in his bedroom; then they struck him and killed him, beheaded him and took his head, and were all night escaping through the plain. 8 And they brought the head of Ishbosheth to David at Hebron, and said to the king, “Here is the head of Ishbosheth, the son of Saul your enemy, jwho sought your life; and the Lord has avenged my lord the king this day of Saul and his descendants.”

9 But David answered Rechab and Baanah his brother, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, and said to them, “As the Lord lives, kwho has redeemed my life from all adversity, 10 when lsomeone told me, saying, ‘Look, Saul is dead,’ thinking to have brought good news, I arrested him and had him executed in Ziklag—the one who thought I would give him a reward for his news. 11 How much more, when wicked men have killed a righteous person in his own house on his bed? Therefore, shall I not now mrequire his 6blood at your hand and 7remove you from the earth?” 12 So David ncommanded his young men, and they executed them, cut off their hands and feet, and hanged them by the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ishbosheth and buried it in the otomb of Abner in Hebron.

David Reigns Over All Israel

5 Then all the tribes of Israel acame to David at Hebron and spoke, saying, “Indeed bwe are your bone and your flesh. 2 Also, in time past, when Saul was king over us, cyou were the one who led Israel out and brought them in; and the Lord said to you, d‘You shall shepherd My people Israel, and be ruler over Israel.’ ” 3 eTherefore all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, fand King David made a covenant with them at Hebron gbefore the Lord. And they anointed David king over Israel. 4 David was hthirty years old when he began to reign, and ihe reigned forty years. 5 In Hebron he reigned over Judah jseven years and six months, and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty-three years over all Israel and Judah.

The Conquest of Jerusalem

6 kAnd the king and his men went to Jerusalem against lthe Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, who spoke to David, saying, “You shall not come in here; but the blind and the lame will repel you,” thinking, “David cannot come in here.” 7 Nevertheless David took the stronghold of Zion m(that is, the City of David).

8 Now David said on that day, “Whoever climbs up by way of the water shaft and defeats the Jebusites (the lame and the blind, who are hated by David’s soul), nhe shall be chief and captain.” Therefore they say, “The blind and the lame shall not come into the house.”

9 Then David dwelt in the stronghold, and called it othe City of David. And David built all around from 1the Millo and inward. 10 So David went on and became great, and pthe Lord God of hosts was with qhim.

11 Then rHiram sking of Tyre sent messengers to David, and cedar trees, and carpenters and masons. And they built David a house. 12 So David knew that the Lord had established him as king over Israel, and that He had texalted His kingdom ufor the sake of His people Israel.

13 And vDavid took more concubines and wives from Jerusalem, after he had come from Hebron. Also more sons and daughters were born to David. 14 Now wthese are the names of those who were born to him in Jerusalem: 2Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, xSolomon, 15 Ibhar, 3Elishua, Nepheg, Japhia, 16 Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet.

The Philistines Defeated

17 yNow when the Philistines heard that they had anointed David king over Israel, all the Philistines went up to search for David. And David heard of it zand went down to the stronghold. 18 The Philistines also went and deployed themselves in athe Valley of Rephaim. 19 So David binquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will You deliver them into my hand?”

And the Lord said to David, “Go up, for I will doubtless deliver the Philistines into your hand.”

20 So David went to cBaal Perazim, and David defeated them there; and he said, “The Lord has broken through my enemies before me, like a breakthrough of water.” Therefore he called the name of that place 4Baal Perazim. 21 And they left their 5images there, and David and his men dcarried them away.

22 eThen the Philistines went up once again and deployed themselves in the Valley of Rephaim. 23 Therefore fDavid inquired of the Lord, and He said, “You shall not go up; circle around behind them, and come upon them in front of the mulberry trees. 24 And it shall be, when you ghear the sound of marching in the tops of the mulberry trees, then you shall advance quickly. For then hthe Lord will go out before you to strike the camp of the Philistines.” 25 And David did so, as the Lord commanded him; and he drove back the Philistines from iGeba 6as far as jGezer.

The Ark Brought to Jerusalem

6 Again David gathered all the choice men of Israel, thirty thousand. 2 And aDavid arose and went with all the people who were with him from 1Baale Judah to bring up from there the ark of God, whose name is called 2by the Name, the Lord of Hosts, bwho dwells between the cherubim. 3 So they set the ark of God on a new cart, and brought it out of the house of Abinadab, which was on cthe hill; and Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, drove the new 3cart. 4 And they brought it out of dthe house of Abinadab, which was on the hill, accompanying the ark of God; and Ahio went before the ark. 5 Then David and all the house of Israel eplayed music before the Lord on all kinds of instruments of fir wood, on harps, on stringed instruments, on tambourines, on sistrums, and on cymbals.

6 And when they came to fNachon’s threshing floor, Uzzah put out his ghand to the ark of God and 4took hold of it, for the oxen stumbled. 7 Then the anger of the Lord was aroused against Uzzah, and God struck him there for his 5error; and he died there by the ark of God. 8 And David became angry because of the Lord’s outbreak against Uzzah; and he called the name of the place 6Perez Uzzah to this day.

9 hDavid was afraid of the Lord that day; and he said, “How can the ark of the Lord come to me?” 10 So David would not move the ark of the Lord with him into the iCity of David; but David took it aside into the house of Obed-Edom the jGittite. 11 kThe ark of the Lord remained in the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite three months. And the Lord lblessed Obed-Edom and all his household.

12 Now it was told King David, saying, “The Lord has blessed the house of Obed-Edom and all that belongs to him, because of the ark of God.” mSo David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-Edom to the City of David with gladness. 13 And so it was, when nthose bearing the ark of the Lord had gone six paces, that he sacrificed ooxen and fatted sheep. 14 Then David pdanced 7before the Lord with all his might; and David was wearing qa linen ephod. 15 rSo David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with shouting and with the sound of the trumpet.

16 Now as the ark of the Lord came into the City of David, sMichal, Saul’s daughter, looked through a window and saw King David leaping and whirling before the Lord; and she despised him in her heart. 17 So tthey brought the ark of the Lord, and set it in uits place in the midst of the tabernacle that David had erected for it. Then David voffered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord. 18 And when David had finished offering burnt offerings and peace offerings, whe blessed the people in the name of the Lord of hosts. 19 xThen he distributed among all the people, among the whole multitude of Israel, both the women and the men, to everyone a loaf of bread, a piece of meat, and a cake of raisins. So all the people departed, everyone to his house.

20 yThen David returned to bless his household. And Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David, and said, “How glorious was the king of Israel today, zuncovering himself today in the eyes of the maids of his servants, as one of the abase fellows 8shamelessly uncovers himself!”

21 So David said to Michal, “It was before the Lord, bwho chose me instead of your father and all his house, to appoint me ruler over the cpeople of the Lord, over Israel. Therefore I will play music before the Lord. 22 And I will be even more undignified than this, and will be humble in my own sight. But as for the maidservants of whom you have spoken, by them I will be held in honor.”

23 Therefore Michal the daughter of Saul had no children dto the day of her death.

God’s Covenant with David

7 Now it came to pass awhen the king was dwelling in his house, and the Lord had given him rest from all his enemies all around, 2 that the king said to Nathan the prophet, “See now, I dwell in ba house of cedar, cbut the ark of God dwells inside tent dcurtains.”

3 Then Nathan said to the king, “Go, do all that is in your eheart, for the Lord is with you.”

4 But it happened that night that the word of the Lord came to Nathan, saying, 5 “Go and tell My servant David, ‘Thus says the