David Becomes King of All Israel

1Then all the tribes of Israel went to David at Hebron and told him, “We are your own flesh and blood. 2In the past,a when Saul was our king, you were the one who really led the forces of Israel. And the LORD told you, ‘You will be the shepherd of my people Israel. You will be Israel’s leader.’”

3So there at Hebron, King David made a covenant before the LORD with all the elders of Israel. And they anointed him king of Israel.

4David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years in all. 5He had reigned over Judah from Hebron for seven years and six months, and from Jerusalem he reigned over all Israel and Judah for thirty-three years.

David Captures Jerusalem

6David then led his men to Jerusalem to fight against the Jebusites, the original inhabitants of the land who were living there. The Jebusites taunted David, saying, “You’ll never get in here! Even the blind and lame could keep you out!” For the Jebusites thought they were safe. 7But David captured the fortress of Zion, which is now called the City of David.

8On the day of the attack, David said to his troops, “I hate those ‘lame’ and ‘blind’ Jebusites.b Whoever attacks them should strike by going into the city through the water tunnel.c” That is the origin of the saying, “The blind and the lame may not enter the house.”d

9So David made the fortress his home, and he called it the City of David. He extended the city, starting at the supporting terracese and working inward. 10And David became more and more powerful, because the LORD God of Heaven’s Armies was with him.

11Then King Hiram of Tyre sent messengers to David, along with cedar timber and carpenters and stonemasons, and they built David a palace. 12And David realized that the LORD had confirmed him as king over Israel and had blessed his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel.

13After moving from Hebron to Jerusalem, David married more concubines and wives, and they had more sons and daughters. 14These are the names of David’s sons who were born in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, 15Ibhar, Elishua, Nepheg, Japhia, 16Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet.

David Conquers the Philistines

17When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king of Israel, they mobilized all their forces to capture him. But David was told they were coming, so he went into the stronghold. 18The Philistines arrived and spread out across the valley of Rephaim. 19So David asked the LORD, “Should I go out to fight the Philistines? Will you hand them over to me?”

The LORD replied to David, “Yes, go ahead. I will certainly hand them over to you.”

20So David went to Baal-perazim and defeated the Philistines there. “The LORD did it!” David exclaimed. “He burst through my enemies like a raging flood!” So he named that place Baal-perazim (which means “the Lord who bursts through”). 21The Philistines had abandoned their idols there, so David and his men confiscated them.

22But after a while the Philistines returned and again spread out across the valley of Rephaim. 23And again David asked the LORD what to do. “Do not attack them straight on,” the LORD replied. “Instead, circle around behind and attack them near the poplarf trees. 24When you hear a sound like marching feet in the tops of the poplar trees, be on the alert! That will be the signal that the LORD is moving ahead of you to strike down the Philistine army.” 25So David did what the LORD commanded, and he struck down the Philistines all the way from Gibeong to Gezer.