2 Samuel 5; 2 Samuel 6

1 All the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron. "We are your own flesh and blood," they said.

2 "Even in the past when Saul ruled us, you were the one who led Israel in battle. The LORD has said to you, 'You will be shepherd of my people Israel, the leader of Israel.'"

3 All the leaders of Israel had come to Hebron. King David made an agreement with them at Hebron in front of the LORD. So they anointed David king of Israel.

4 David was 30 years old when he became king, and he ruled for 40 years.

5 In Hebron he ruled Judah for seven years and six months. In Jerusalem he ruled for 33 years over all Israel and Judah.

6 The king and his men went to Jerusalem to attack the Jebusites, who lived in that region. The Jebusites told David, "You will never get in here. Even the blind and the lame could turn you away" (meaning that David could never get in there).

7 But David captured the fortress Zion (that is, the City of David).

8 That day David said, "Whoever wants to defeat the Jebusites must reach the lame and the blind who hate me by using the water shaft." So there is a saying, "The blind and the lame will not get into the palace."

9 David lived in the fortress and called it the City of David. He built the city [of Jerusalem] around it from the Millo to the palace.

10 David continued to grow more powerful because the LORD God of Armies was with him.

11 Then King Hiram of Tyre sent messengers to David, along with cedarwood, carpenters, and stonemasons. They built a palace for David.

12 So David realized that the LORD had established him as king of Israel and made his kingship famous for the sake of Israel, the LORD's people.

13 David married more concubines and wives from Jerusalem after he had come there from Hebron, and he fathered more sons and daughters.

14 These are the names of the children born to him in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon,

15 Ibhar, Elishua, Nepheg, Japhia,

16 Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet.

17 When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king of Israel, all of them came to attack David. But David heard about it and went to the fortress.

18 The Philistines had come and overrun the valley of Rephaim.

19 David asked the LORD, "Should I attack the Philistines? Will you hand them over to me?" The LORD answered David, "Attack! I will certainly hand the Philistines over to you."

20 So David went to Baal Perazim and defeated the Philistines there. He said, "The LORD has overwhelmed my enemies in front of me like an overwhelming flood." That is why that place is called Baal Perazim [The Lord Overwhelms].

21 The Philistines left their idols there, so David and his men carried the idols away.

22 The Philistines again attacked and overran the valley of Rephaim.

23 David asked the LORD, and he answered, "Don't attack now, but circle around behind them, and come at them in front of the balsam trees.

24 When you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, act immediately because the LORD has gone ahead of you to defeat the Philistine army."

25 David did as the LORD ordered him and defeated the Philistines from Geba to Gezer.

1 David again assembled all the best soldiers in Israel, 30,000 men.

2 He and all the people with him left Baalah in Judah to bring God's ark [to Jerusalem]. (The ark is called by the name of the LORD of Armies, who is enthroned over the angels. )

3 David and his men put God's ark on a new cart and brought it from Abinadab's home on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio, Abinadab's sons, were guiding the new cart.

4 They brought it from Abinadab's home, with Ahio walking ahead of the ark.

5 David and the entire nation of Israel were celebrating in the LORD's presence with all kinds of instruments made from cypress wood and with lyres, harps, tambourines, sistrums, and cymbals.

6 But when they came to Nacon's threshing floor, the oxen stumbled. So Uzzah reached out for the ark of God and grabbed it.

7 The LORD became angry with Uzzah, so God killed him there for his lack of respect. He died beside the ark of God.

8 David was angry because the LORD had struck Uzzah so violently. (That place is still called Perez Uzzah [The Striking of Uzzah] today.)

9 David was afraid of the LORD that day. "How can the ark of the LORD come to my [city]?" he asked.

10 So David wouldn't bring the ark of the LORD with him to the City of David. Instead, he rerouted it to the home of Obed Edom, who was from Gath.

11 The ark of the LORD stayed at the home of Obed Edom from Gath for three months, and the LORD blessed Obed Edom and his whole family.

12 King David was told, "The LORD has blessed Obed Edom's home and everything he owns because of the ark of God." Then David joyfully went to get the ark of God from Obed Edom's house and bring it to the City of David.

13 When those who carried the ark of the LORD had gone six steps, David sacrificed a bull and a fattened calf.

14 Wearing a linen ephod, David danced in the LORD's presence with all his might.

15 He and the entire nation of Israel brought the ark of the LORD with shouts of joy and the sounding of rams' horns.

16 When the ark of the LORD came to the City of David, Saul's daughter Michal looked out of a window and saw King David leaping and dancing in the LORD's presence, so she despised him.

17 The men carrying the ark set it in its place inside the tent David had put up for it. David sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings in the LORD's presence.

18 When David had finished sacrificing the burnt offerings and the fellowship offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD of Armies.

19 He also distributed to all the people--to the whole crowd of Israelites, both men and women--one loaf of bread, one date cake, and one raisin cake. Then all the people went home.

20 When David returned to bless his family, Saul's daughter Michal came out to meet him. "How dignified Israel's king was today! He was exposing himself before the eyes of the slave girls of his palace staff--like a mindless fool might expose himself!"

21 David answered Michal, "[I didn't dance in front of the slave girls but] in front of the LORD. He chose me rather than your father or anyone in your father's house, and he appointed me leader of Israel, the LORD's people. I will celebrate in the LORD's presence,

22 and I will degrade myself even more than this. Even if I am humiliated in your eyes, I will be honored by these slave girls you speak about."

23 So Saul's daughter Michal was childless her entire life.