- And the king and his men went to Jerusalem, unto the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, who spoke unto David, saying, Except you take away the blind and the lame, you shall not come in here — thinking, David cannot come in here. Nevertheless, David took the stronghold of Zion; the same is the city of David. And David said on that day, Whoever gets up to the gutter and smites the Jebusites, and the lame and the blind that are hated of David’s soul, he shall be chief and captain. Wherefore they said, The blind and the lame shall not come into the house.
- So David dwelled in the fort and called it the city of David. And David built round about, from Millo and inward. And David went on and grew great, and the Lord God of Hosts was with him. And Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, and cedar trees, and carpenters, and masons; and they built David a house. And David perceived that the Lord had established him king over Israel, and that he had exalted his kingdom for his people Israel’s sake.
- And David took himself more concubines and wives out of Jerusalem after he had come from Hebron. And there were yet sons and daughters born to David. And these are the names of those that were born unto him in Jerusalem: Shammua, and Shobab, and Nathan, and Solomon, Ibhar also, and Elishua, and Nepheg, and Japhia, and Elishama, and Eliada, and Eliphelet.
- But when the Philistines heard that they had anointed David king over Israel, all the Philistines came up to seek David. And David heard of it, and went down to the hold. The Philistines also came and spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim. And David inquired of the Lord, saying, Shall I go up to the Philistines? Will you deliver them into my hand? And the Lord said unto David, Go up, for I will doubtless deliver the Philistines into your hand.
- And David came to Baal-Perazim and David smote them there, and said, The Lord has broken forth upon my enemies before me, as the breach of waters. Therefore, he called the name of that place Baal-Perazim. And there they left their images, and David and his men burned them.
- And the Philistines came up yet again, and spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim. And when David inquired of the Lord, he said, You shall not go up, but circle around behind them, and come upon them in front of the mulberry trees. And let it be when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the mulberry trees that then you shall bestir yourself, for then shall the Lord go out before you to smite the host of the Philistines. And David did so, as the Lord had commanded him, and smote the Philistines from Geba until you come to Gezer.
- Again, David gathered together all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand. And David arose and went with all the people that were with him from Baale of Judah, to bring up from there the ark of God, whose name is called by the name of the Lord of Hosts that dwells between the cherubim. And they set the ark of God upon a new cart and brought it out of the house of Abinadab that was in Gibeah; and Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, drove the new cart. And they brought it out of the house of Abinadab which was at Gibeah, accompanying the ark of God; and Ahio went before the ark. And David and all the house of Israel played before the Lord on all manner of instruments made of fir wood — even on harps, and on psalteries, and on tambourines, and on sistrums, and on cymbals.
- And when they came to Nachon’s threshing floor, Uzzah put forth his hand to the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen shook it. And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah, and God smote him there for his error, and there he died by the ark of God. And David was displeased because the Lord had made a breach upon Uzzah, and he called the name of the place Perez-Uzzah to this day. And David was afraid of the Lord that day, and said, How shall the ark of the Lord come to me?
- So David would not remove the ark of the Lord unto him, into the city of David, but David carried it aside into the house of Obededom the Gittite. And the ark of the Lord continued in the house of Obededom the Gittite three months. And the Lord blessed Obededom, and all his household.
- And it was told to king David, saying, The Lord has blessed the house of Obededom, and all that pertains unto him, because of the ark of God. So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obededom into the city of David with gladness. And it was so, that when they that bore the ark of the Lord had gone six paces, he sacrificed oxen and fatlings. And David danced before the Lord with all his might; and David was girded with a linen ephod. So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with shouting and with the sound of the trumpet.
- And as the ark of the Lord came into the city of David, Michal, Saul’s daughter, looked through a window and saw king David leaping and dancing before the Lord, and she despised him in her heart.
- And they brought in the ark of the Lord and set it in his place, in the heart of the tabernacle that David had pitched for it. And David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord. And as soon as David had made an end of offering burnt offerings and peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord of Hosts. And he dealt among all the people, even among the whole multitude of Israel, as well to the women as men, to everyone a cake of bread, and a good piece of flesh, and a flagon of wine. So all the people departed, everyone to his house.
- Then 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, who uncovered himself today in the eyes of the handmaids, of his servants, as one of the vain men shamelessly uncovers himself! And David said unto Michal, It was before the Lord, who chose me before your father, and before all his house, to appoint me ruler over the people of the Lord, over Israel; therefore will I play before the Lord. And I will yet be more vile than thus, and will be base in my own sight. And of the maidservants whom you have spoken of, of them shall I be had in honor. Therefore, Michal the daughter of Saul had no child unto the day of her death.
- And it came to pass, when the king sat in his house and the Lord had given him rest round about from all his enemies, that the king said unto Nathan the prophet, See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells within curtains. And Nathan said to the king, Go, do all that is in your heart, for the Lord is with you.
- And it came to pass that night that the word of the Lord came unto Nathan, saying, Go and tell my servant David, Thus says the Lord: Shall you build me a house for me to dwell in? Whereas I have not dwelled in any house since the time that I brought up the children of Israel out of Egypt even to this day, but have walked in a tent and in a tabernacle. In all the places wherein I have walked with all the children of Israel, did I speak a word with any of the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded to feed my people Israel, saying, Why do you not build me a house of cedar?
- Now, therefore, so shall you say unto my servant David: Thus says the Lord of Hosts: I took you from the sheep enclosure, from following the sheep, to be ruler over my people, over Israel. And I was with you wherever you went, and have cut off all your enemies out of your sight, and have made you a great name, like unto the name of the great men that are in the earth.
- Moreover, I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, that they may dwell in a place of their own and move no more; neither shall the children of wickedness afflict them anymore, as before, and as since the time that I commanded judges to be over my people Israel, and have caused you to rest from all your enemies.
- Also, the Lord tells you that he will make you a house. And when your days be fulfilled and you shall sleep with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you, which shall proceed out of your own body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom for ever. I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the stripes of the children of men. But my mercy shall not depart away from him as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before you. And your house and your kingdom shall be established for ever before you, your throne shall be established for ever. According to all these words, and according to all this vision, so did Nathan speak unto David.
- Then king David went in and sat before the Lord, and he said, Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that you have brought me hitherto? And this was yet a small thing in your sight, O Lord God. But you have spoken also of your servant’s house for a great while to come. And is this the manner of man, O Lord God? And what can David say more unto you? For you, Lord God, know your servant. For your word’s sake, and according to your own heart, have you done all these great things, to make your servant know them.
- Wherefore, you are great, O Lord God, for there is none like you, neither is there any God beside you, according to all that we have heard with our ears. And what one nation in the earth is like your people, even like Israel, whom God went to redeem for a people to himself, and to make himself a name, and to do for you great things and terrible for your land, before your people whom you redeemed to you from Egypt, from the nations and their gods? For you have confirmed to yourself your people Israel to be a people unto you for ever. And you, Lord, have become their God.
- And now, O Lord God, the word that you have spoken concerning your servant and concerning his house, establish it for ever and do as you have said. And let your name be magnified for ever, saying, The Lord of Hosts is the God over Israel, and let the house of your servant David be established before you. For you, O Lord of Hosts, God of Israel, have revealed to your servant, saying, I will build you a house; therefore has your servant found in his heart to pray this prayer unto you. And now, O Lord God, you are that God and your words are true, and you have promised this goodness unto your servant. Therefore, now let it please you to bless the house of your servant, that it may continue for ever before you. For you, O Lord God, have spoken it, and with your blessing let the house of your servant be blessed for ever.
- And after this, it came to pass that David smote the Philistines and subdued them, and David took Metheg-Ammah out of the hand of the Philistines. And he smote Moab, and measured them with a line — casting them down to the ground, even with two lines measured he to put to death, and with one full line to keep alive. And so the Moabites became David’s servants and brought gifts.
- David also smote Hadadezer the son of Rehob, king of Zobah, as he went to recover his border at the river Euphrates. And David took from him a thousand chariots, and seven hundred horsemen, and twenty thousand foot soldiers. And David hamstrung all the chariot horses, but reserved of them for a hundred chariots. And when the Syrians of Damascus came to succor Hadadezer king of Zobah, David slew of the Syrians twenty-two thousand men. Then David put garrisons in Syria of Damascus, and the Syrians became servants to David and brought gifts. And the Lord preserved David wherever he went.
- And David took the shields of gold that were on the servants of Hadadezer and brought them to Jerusalem. And from Betah and from Berothai, cities of Hadadezer, king David took exceedingly much brass.
- When Toi king of Hamath heard that David had smitten all the host of Hadadezer, then Toi sent Joram his son unto king David, to salute him and to bless him because he had fought against Hadadezer and smitten him; for Hadadezer had wars with Toi. And Joram brought with him vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and vessels of brass, which also king David did dedicate unto the Lord with the silver and gold that he had dedicated of all nations which he subdued — of Syria, and of Moab, and of the children of Ammon, and of the Philistines, and of Amalek, and of the spoil of Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah.
- And David got himself a name when he returned from smiting of the Syrians in the valley of salt, being eighteen thousand men. And he put garrisons in Edom; throughout all Edom put he garrisons, and all they of Edom became David’s servants. And the Lord preserved David wherever he went.
- And David reigned over all Israel, and David executed judgment and justice unto all his people. And Joab the son of Zeruiah was over the host, and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder. And Zadok the son of Ahitub, and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar were the priests, and Seraiah was the scribe. And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over both the Cherethites and the Pelethites, and David’s sons were chief rulers.
Chapter 2