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Chapter 4
Ish-Bosheth Murdered
1When Ish-Bosheth son of Saul heard that Abner had died in Hebron, he lost courage, and all Israel became alarmed.
2Now Saul's son had two men who were leaders of raiding bands. One was named Baanah and the other Recab; they were sons of Rimmon the Beerothite from the tribe of Benjamin—Beeroth is considered part of Benjamin,
3because the people of Beeroth fled to Gittaim and have lived there as aliens to this day.
4(Jonathan son of Saul had a son who was lame in both feet. He was five years old when the news about Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel. His nurse picked him up and fled, but as she hurried to leave, he fell and became crippled. His name was Mephibosheth.)
5Now Recab and Baanah, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, set out for the house of Ish-Bosheth, and they arrived there in the heat of the day while he was taking his noonday rest.
6They went into the inner part of the house as if to get some wheat, and they stabbed him in the stomach. Then Recab and his brother Baanah slipped away.
7They had gone into the house while he was lying on the bed in his bedroom. After they stabbed and killed him, they cut off his head. Taking it with them, they traveled all night by way of the Arabah.
8They brought the head of Ish-Bosheth to David at Hebron and said to the king, “Here is the head of Ish-Bosheth son of Saul, your enemy, who tried to take your life. This day the LORD has avenged my lord the king against Saul and his offspring.”
9David answered Recab and his brother Baanah, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, “As surely as the LORD lives, who has delivered me out of all trouble,
10when a man told me, ‘Saul is dead,’ and thought he was bringing good news, I seized him and put him to death in Ziklag. That was the reward I gave him for his news!
11How much more—when wicked men have killed an innocent man in his own house and on his own bed—should I not now demand his blood from your hand and rid the earth of you!”
12So David gave an order to his men, and they killed them. They cut off their hands and feet and hung the bodies by the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ish-Bosheth and buried it in Abner's tomb at Hebron.
Chapter 5
David Becomes King Over Israel
1All the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and said, “We are your own flesh and blood.
2In the past, while Saul was king over us, you were the one who led Israel on their military campaigns. And the LORD said to you, ‘You will shepherd my people Israel, and you will become their ruler.’”
3When all the elders of Israel had come to King David at Hebron, the king made a compact with them at Hebron before the LORD, and they anointed David king over Israel.
4David was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned forty years.
5In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem he reigned over all Israel and Judah thirty-three years.
David Conquers Jerusalem
6The king and his men marched to Jerusalem to attack the Jebusites, who lived there. The Jebusites said to David, “You will not get in here; even the blind and the lame can ward you off.” They thought, “David cannot get in here.”
7Nevertheless, David captured the fortress of Zion, the City of David.
8On that day, David said, “Anyone who conquers the Jebusites will have to use the water shaftOr use scaling hooks to reach those ‘lame and blind’ who are David's enemies.Or are hated by David” That is why they say, “The ‘blind and lame’ will not enter the palace.”
9David then took up residence in the fortress and called it the City of David. He built up the area around it, from the supporting terracesOr the Millo inward.
10And he became more and more powerful, because the LORD God Almighty was with him.
11Now Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, along with cedar logs and carpenters and stonemasons, and they built a palace for David.
12And David knew that the LORD had established him as king over Israel and had exalted his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel.
13After he left Hebron, David took more concubines and wives in Jerusalem, and more sons and daughters were born to him.
14These are the names of the children born to him there: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon,
15Ibhar, Elishua, Nepheg, Japhia,
16Elishama, Eliada and Eliphelet.
David Defeats the Philistines
17When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over Israel, they went up in full force to search for him, but David heard about it and went down to the stronghold.
18Now the Philistines had come and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim;
19so David inquired of the LORD, “Shall I go and attack the Philistines? Will you hand them over to me?”
The LORD answered him, “Go, for I will surely hand the Philistines over to you.”
20So David went to Baal Perazim, and there he defeated them. He said, “As waters break out, the LORD has broken out against my enemies before me.” So that place was called Baal Perazim.Baal Perazim means the lord who breaks out.
21The Philistines abandoned their idols there, and David and his men carried them off.
22Once more the Philistines came up and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim;
23so David inquired of the LORD, and he answered, “Do not go straight up, but circle around behind them and attack them in front of the balsam trees.
24As soon as you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, move quickly, because that will mean the LORD has gone out in front of you to strike the Philistine army.”
25So David did as the LORD commanded him, and he struck down the Philistines all the way from GibeonSeptuagint (see also 1 Chron. 14:16); Hebrew Geba to Gezer.
Chapter 6
The Ark Brought to Jerusalem
1David again brought together out of Israel chosen men, thirty thousand in all.
2He and all his men set out from Baalah of JudahThat is, Kiriath Jearim; Hebrew Baale Judah, a variant of Baalah of Judah to bring up from there the ark of God, which is called by the Name,Hebrew; Septuagint and Vulgate do not have the Name. the name of the LORD Almighty, who is enthroned between the cherubim that are on the ark.
3They set the ark of God on a new cart and brought it from the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio, sons of Abinadab, were guiding the new cart
4with the ark of God on it,Dead Sea Scrolls and some Septuagint manuscripts; Masoretic Text cart 4 and they brought it with the ark of God from the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill and Ahio was walking in front of it.
5David and the whole house of Israel were celebrating with all their might before the LORD, with songsSee Dead Sea Scrolls, Septuagint and 1 Chronicles 13:8; Masoretic Text celebrating before the LORD with all kinds of instruments made of pine. and with harps, lyres, tambourines, sistrums and cymbals.
6When they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah reached out and took hold of the ark of God, because the oxen stumbled.
7The LORD's anger burned against Uzzah because of his irreverent act; therefore God struck him down and he died there beside the ark of God.
8Then David was angry because the LORD's wrath had broken out against Uzzah, and to this day that place is called Perez Uzzah.Perez Uzzah means outbreak against Uzzah.
9David was afraid of the LORD that day and said, “How can the ark of the LORD ever come to me?”
10He was not willing to take the ark of the LORD to be with him in the City of David. Instead, he took it aside to the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite.
11The ark of the LORD remained in the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite for three months, and the LORD blessed him and his entire household.
12Now King David was told, “The LORD has blessed the household of Obed-Edom and everything he has, because of the ark of God.” So David went down and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-Edom to the City of David with rejoicing.
13When those who were carrying the ark of the LORD had taken six steps, he sacrificed a bull and a fattened calf.
14David, wearing a linen ephod, danced before the LORD with all his might,
15while he and the entire house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD with shouts and the sound of trumpets.
16As the ark of the LORD was entering the City of David, Michal daughter of Saul watched from a window. And when she saw King David leaping and dancing before the LORD, she despised him in her heart.
17They brought the ark of the LORD and set it in its place inside the tent that David had pitched for it, and David sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offeringsTraditionally peace offerings; also in verse 18 before the LORD.
18After he had finished sacrificing the burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD Almighty.
19Then he gave a loaf of bread, a cake of dates and a cake of raisins to each person in the whole crowd of Israelites, both men and women. And all the people went to their homes.
20When David returned home to bless his household, Michal daughter of Saul came out to meet him and said, “How the king of Israel has distinguished himself today, disrobing in the sight of the slave girls of his servants as any vulgar fellow would!”
21David said to Michal, “It was before the LORD, who chose me rather than your father or anyone from his house when he appointed me ruler over the LORD's people Israel—I will celebrate before the LORD.
22I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes. But by these slave girls you spoke of, I will be held in honor.”
23And Michal daughter of Saul had no children to the day of her death.

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