Ish-bosheth Murdered

1 When Ish-bosheth, Saul’s son, heard that Abner had died at Hebron, ^fhis courage failed, and all Israel was dismayed. 2 Now Saul’s son had two men who were captains of raiding bands; the name of the one was Baanah, and the name of the other Rechab, sons of Rimmon a man of Benjamin from Beeroth (^gfor Beeroth also is counted part of Benjamin; 3 ^hthe Beerothites fled ⁱto Gittaim and have been sojourners there to this day).

4 ^jJonathan, the son of Saul, had a son who was crippled in his feet. He was five years old when the news about Saul and Jonathan ^kcame from Jezreel, and his nurse took him up and fled, and as she fled in her haste, he fell and became lame. And his name was Mephibosheth.

5 Now the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah, set out, and about the heat of the day they came to the house of Ish-bosheth as he was taking his noonday rest. 6 And they came into the midst of the house as if to get wheat, and they stabbed him ^lin the stomach. Then Rechab and Baanah his brother escaped.¹ 7 When they came into the house, as he lay on his bed in his bedroom, they struck him and put him to death and beheaded him. They took his head and went by the way of ^mthe Arabah all night, 8 and brought the head of Ish-bosheth to David at Hebron. And they said to the king, “Here is the head of Ish-bosheth, the son of Saul, your enemy, ⁿwho sought your life. The Lord has avenged my lord the king this day on Saul and on his offspring.” 9 But David answered Rechab and Baanah his brother, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, ^o“As the Lord lives, ^pwho has redeemed my life out of every adversity, 10 ^qwhen one told me, ‘Behold, Saul is dead,’ and thought he was bringing good news, ^rI seized him and killed him at Ziklag, which was the reward I gave him for his news. 11 How much more, when wicked men have killed a righteous man in his own house on his bed, shall I not now ^srequire his blood at your hand and destroy you from the earth?” 12 And David commanded his young men, and they killed them and cut off their hands and feet and hanged them beside the pool at Hebron. But they took the head of Ish-bosheth and buried it ^tin the tomb of Abner at Hebron.

David Anointed King of Israel

1 Then all the tribes of Israel ^ucame to David at Hebron and said, “Behold, ^vwe are your bone and flesh. 2 In times past, when Saul was king over us, ^wit was you who led out and brought in Israel. And the Lord said to you, ^x‘You shall be shepherd of my people Israel, and you shall be prince² over Israel.’” 3 So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, ^yand King David made a covenant with them at Hebron ^zbefore the Lord, and they anointed David king over Israel. 4 David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and ^ahe reigned forty years. 5 ^aAt Hebron he reigned over Judah ^bseven years and six months, and at Jerusalem he reigned over all Israel and Judah thirty-three years.³

6 ^cAnd the king and his men went to Jerusalem ^dagainst the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, who said to David, “You will not come in here, but the blind and the lame will ward you off”—thinking, “David cannot come in here.” 7 Nevertheless, David took the stronghold of Zion, ^ethat is, the city of David. 8 And David said on that day, “Whoever would strike the Jebusites, let him get up the water shaft to attack ‘the lame and the blind,’ who are hated by David’s soul.” Therefore it is said, “The blind and the lame shall not come into the house.” 9 And David lived in the stronghold and called it ^ethe city of David. And David built the city all around from the ^fMillo inward. 10 And David became greater and greater, for the Lord, the God of hosts, was with him.

11 ^gAnd ^hHiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, and cedar trees, also carpenters and masons who built David a house. 12 And David knew that the Lord had established him king over Israel, and that he had exalted his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel.

13 And David took more ⁱconcubines and wives from Jerusalem, after he came from Hebron, and more sons and daughters were born to David. 14 ^jAnd these are the names of those who were born to him in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, 15 Ibhar, Elishua, Nepheg, Japhia, 16 Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet.

David Defeats the Philistines

17 When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over Israel, all the Philistines went up to search for David. But David heard of it and went down ^kto the stronghold. 18 Now the Philistines had come and spread out in ^lthe Valley of Rephaim. 19 And David ^minquired of the Lord, “Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will you give them into my hand?” And the Lord said to David, “Go up, for I will certainly give the Philistines into your hand.” 20 And David came to Baal-perazim, and David defeated them there. And he said, “The Lord has broken through my enemies before me like a breaking flood.” ⁿTherefore the name of that place is called Baal-perazim.⁴ 21 And the Philistines left their idols there, and David and his men carried them away.

22 And the Philistines came up yet again ^oand spread out in the Valley of Rephaim. 23 ^pAnd when David inquired of the Lord, he said, “You shall not go up; go around to their rear, and come against them opposite the balsam trees. 24 And ^qwhen you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, then rouse yourself, ^rfor then the Lord has gone out before you to strike down the army of the Philistines.” 25 And David did as the Lord commanded him, and struck down the Philistines from Geba ^sto Gezer.

The Ark Brought to Jerusalem

1 ^tDavid again gathered all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand. 2 And David arose and went with all the people who were with him from ^uBaale-judah ^vto bring up from there the ark of God, which is called by the name of the Lord of hosts ^wwho sits enthroned on the cherubim. 3 And they carried the ark of God ^xon a new cart and brought it ^yout of the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill. And Uzzah and Ahio,⁵ the sons of Abinadab, were driving the new cart, 4 with the ark of God,⁶ and Ahio went before the ark.

Uzzah and the Ark

5 And David and all the house of Israel were celebrating before the Lord, with ^zsongs⁷ and lyres and harps and tambourines and castanets and cymbals. 6 And when they came to the threshing floor of ^aNacon, Uzzah ^bput out his hand to the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen stumbled. 7 And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah, and ^cGod struck him down there because of his error, and he died there beside the ark of God. 8 And David was angry because the Lord had broken out against Uzzah. And that place is called Perez-uzzah⁸ to this day. 9 And David was afraid of the Lord that day, and he said, “How can the ark of the Lord come to me?” 10 So David was not willing to take the ark of the Lord into the city of David. But David took it aside ^dto the house of Obed-edom the Gittite. 11 And the ark of the Lord remained in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite three months, ^eand the Lord blessed Obed-edom and all his household.

12 And it was told King David, “The Lord has blessed the household of Obed-edom and all that belongs to him, because of the ark of God.” ^fSo David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-edom ^gto the city of David with rejoicing. 13 And when ^hthose who bore the ark of the Lord had gone six steps, ⁱhe sacrificed an ox and a fattened animal. 14 And David ^jdanced before the Lord with all his might. And David was ^kwearing a linen ephod. 15 So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with shouting and with the sound of the horn.

David and Michal

16 As the ark of the Lord came into the city of David, Michal the daughter of Saul looked out of the window and saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, and she despised him in her heart. 17 And they brought in the ark of the Lord and set it ^lin its place, inside the tent that David had pitched for it. ^mAnd David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord. 18 And when David had finished offering the burnt offerings and the peace offerings, ⁿhe blessed the people in the name of the Lord of hosts 19 and distributed among all the people, the whole multitude of Israel, both men and women, a cake of bread, a portion of meat,⁹ and a cake of raisins to each one. ^oThen all the people departed, each to his house.

20 And David returned to bless his household. But Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David and said, “How the king of Israel honored himself today, ^puncovering himself today before the eyes of his servants’ female servants, as one of the ^qvulgar fellows shamelessly uncovers himself!” 21 And David said to Michal, “It was before the Lord, ^rwho chose me above your father and above all his house, to appoint me as prince¹⁰ over Israel, the people of the Lord—and I will celebrate before the Lord. 22 I will make myself yet more contemptible than this, and I will be abased in your¹¹ eyes. But by the female servants of whom you have spoken, by them I shall be held in honor.” 23 And Michal the daughter of Saul had no child to the day of her death.

God Who Judges the Earth

To the choirmaster: according to ^hDo Not Destroy. A ⁱMiktam¹ of David.