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¹ Then all the tribes of Israel came to David to Hebron, and spoke, saying, Look, we are your bone and your flesh.² In times past, when Saul was king over us, it was you that led out and brought in Israel: and Yahweh said to you, You shall be shepherd of my people Israel, and you shall be leader over Israel.³ So all the elders of Israel came to the king to Hebron; and king David made a covenant with them in Hebron before Yahweh: and they anointed David king over Israel.⁴ David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years.⁵ In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months; and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty and three years over all Israel and Judah.

⁶ And the king and his men went to Jerusalem against the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, who spoke to David, saying, Except you take away the blind and the lame, you shall not come in here; thinking, David can't come in here.⁷ Nevertheless David took the stronghold of Zion; the same is the city of David.⁸ And David said on that day, Whoever smites the Jebusites, let him reach the watershaft and the lame and the blind, who hated David's soul. Therefore they say, The blind and the lame shall not come into the house.⁹ And David dwelt in the stronghold, and called it the city of David. And David built round about from Millo and inward.¹⁰ And David waxed greater and greater; for Yahweh, the God of hosts, was with him.

¹¹ And Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, and cedar-trees, and carpenters, and masons; and they built David a house.¹² And David perceived that Yahweh had established him king over Israel, and that he had exalted his kingdom for his people Israel's sake.¹³ And David took more concubines and wives out of Jerusalem, after he came from Hebron; and there were yet sons and daughters born to David.¹⁴ And these are the names of those that were born to him in Jerusalem: Shammua, and Shobab, and Nathan, and Solomon,¹⁵ and Ibhar, and Elishua, and Nepheg, and Japhia,¹⁶ and Elishama, and Eliada, and Eliphelet.

¹⁷ And when the Philistines heard that they had anointed David king over Israel, all the Philistines went up to seek David; and David heard of it, and went down to the stronghold.¹⁸ Now the Philistines had come and spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim.¹⁹ And David inquired of Yahweh, saying, Shall I go up against the Philistines? will you deliver them into my hand? And Yahweh said to David, Go up; for I will certainly deliver the Philistines into your hand.²⁰ And David came to Baal-perazim, and David smote them there; and he said, Yahweh has broken my enemies before me, like the breach of waters. Therefore he called the name of that place Baal-perazim.²¹ And they left their images there; and David and his men took them away.²² And the Philistines came up yet again, and spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim.²³ And when David inquired of Yahweh, he said, You shall not go up: make a circuit behind them, and come on them across from the mulberry-trees.²⁴ And it shall be, when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the mulberry-trees, that then you shall bestir yourself; for then Yahweh has gone out before you to smite the host of the Philistines.²⁵ And David did so, as Yahweh commanded him, and smote the Philistines from Geba until you come to Gezer.