5After this, all of the tribes of Israel assembled with David at Hebron and declared, "Look, we're your own flesh and blood!H935H7626H3478H1732H2275H559H559H6106H13202Even back when Saul was our king, it was you who kept on leading Israel out to battle and bringing them back again. The Lord said to you, 'You yourself will shepherd my people Israel and serve as commander-in-chief over Israel.'"H865H8032H7586H4428H3318H935H3478H3068H559H7462H5971H3478H5057H34783So all the elders of Israel approached the king at Hebron, where King David entered into a covenant with them in the presence of the Lord. Then they anointed David to be king over Israel.H2205H3478H935H4428H2275H4428H1732H3772H1285H2275H6440H3068H4886H1732H4428H34784David began to reign when he was 30 years old, and he reigned 40 years.H1732H7970H8141H1121H4427H4427H705H81415He reigned over Judah for seven years and six months in Hebron, and he reigned over all of Israel including Judah for 33 years in Jerusalem.H2275H4427H3063H7651H8141H8337H2320H3389H4427H7970H7969H8141H3478H30636Later, the king and his army marched on Jerusalem against the Jebusites, who were inhabiting the territory at that time and who had told David, "You're not coming in here! Even the blind and the lame could turn you away!" because they were thinking "David can't come here."H4428H582H3212H3389H2983H3427H776H559H1732H559H5493H5787H6455H935H559H1732H9357Even so, David captured the stronghold of Zion, which is now known as the City of David.H1732H3920H4686H6726H5892H17328At that time, David had said, "Whoever intends to attack the Jebusites will have to climb up the water shaft to attack the lame and blind, who hate David." Therefore they say, "The blind and lame shall never come into the house."H1732H559H3117H5060H6794H5221H2983H6455H5787H8130H1732H5315H559H5787H6455H935H10049David occupied the fortress, naming it the City of David. He built up the surroundings from the terrace ramparts inward.H1732H3427H4686H7121H5892H1732H1732H1129H5439H4407H100410David became more and more esteemed because the Lord God of the Heavenly Armies was with him.H1732H3212H1980H1419H3068H430H663511Later, King Hiram of Tyre sent a delegation to David, accompanied by cedar logs, carpenters, and stone masons. They built a palace for David.H2438H4428H6865H7971H4397H1732H730H6086H2796H7023H68H1129H1732H100412So David concluded that the Lord had established him as king over Israel and that he had exalted his kingdom in order to benefit his people Israel.H1732H3045H3068H3559H4428H3478H5375H4467H5971H347813But after arriving in Jerusalem after leaving Hebron, David took more wives and mistresses, and more sons and daughters were born to David.H1732H3947H6370H802H3389H310H935H2275H1121H1323H3205H173214These are the names of those who were born to him in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon,H8034H3209H3389H8051H7727H5416H801015Ibhar, Elishua, Nepheg, Japhia,H2984H474H5298H330916Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet.H476H450H46717When the Philistines eventually learned that Israel had anointed David to be king over Israel, they marched out in search of him. But David heard about it and retreated to his stronghold.H6430H8085H4886H1732H4428H3478H6430H5927H1245H1732H1732H8085H3381H468618Meanwhile, the Philistines arrived and encamped in the Rephaim Valley,H6430H935H5203H6010H749719so David asked the Lord, "Am I to go attack the Philistines?Will you give me victory over them?" "Go get them," the Lord replied to David, "because I'm going to put the Philistines right into your hand!"H1732H7592H3068H559H5927H6430H5414H3027H3068H559H1732H5927H5414H5414H6430H302720So David went to Baal-perazim and defeated them there. He called the place Baal-perazim, because he said, "Like a bursting flood, the Lord has jumped out in front of me to fight my enemies."H1732H935H1188H1732H5221H559H3068H6555H341H6440H6556H4325H7121H8034H4725H118821The Philistines abandoned their idols there, and David and his army carried them off.520H5800H6091H1732H582H537522Later, the Philistines once again marched out and encamped in the Rephaim Valley.H6430H5927H3254H5203H6010H749723When David asked the Lord about it, he said, "Don't attack them directly. Instead, go around to the rear and attack them opposite those balsam trees.H1732H7592H3068H559H5927H5437H310H935H4136H105724When you hear the sound of marching coming from the tops of the balsam trees, then be sure to act quickly, since the Lord will have gone out ahead of you to cut down the Philistine army."H8085H6963H6807H7218H1057H2782H3068H3318H6440H5221H4264H643025So David did exactly what the Lord ordered him to do, and he struck down the Philistines from Geba to Gezer.524H1732H6213H3068H6680H5221H6430H1387H935H1507
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