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.
Who Shall Dwell on Your Holy Hill?
A Psalm of David.
1 O Lord, uwho shall sojourn in your vtent?
Who shall dwell on your wholy hill?
2 He who xwalks blamelessly and ydoes what is right
and zspeaks truth in his heart;
3 who adoes not slander with his tongue
and does no evil to his neighbor,
nor btakes up a reproach against his friend;
4 cin whose eyes a vile person is despised,
but who honors those who fear the Lord;
who dswears to his own hurt and does not change;
5 who edoes not put out his money at interest
and fdoes not take a bribe against the innocent.
He who does these things shall never be gmoved.
The King of Glory
A Psalm of David.
1 vThe earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof,1
the world and those who dwell therein,
2 for he has wfounded it upon xthe seas
and established it upon the rivers.
3 yWho shall ascend the hill of the Lord?
And who shall stand in his zholy place?
4 aHe who has bclean hands and ca pure heart,
who does not dlift up his soul to ewhat is false
and does not swear deceitfully.
5 He will receive fblessing from the Lord
and grighteousness from hthe God of his salvation.
6 Such is ithe generation of those who seek him,
7 kLift up your heads, O gates!
And be lifted up, O ancient doors,
that lthe King of glory may come in.
8 Who is this King of glory?
The Lord, strong and mighty,
the Lord, mmighty in battle!
9 Lift up your heads, O gates!
And lift them up, O ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
10 Who is this King of glory?
nThe Lord of hosts,
he is the King of glory! Selah
Ascribe to the Lord Glory
A Psalm of David.
1 Ascribe to the Lord, O heavenly beings,1
cascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
2 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
3 The voice of the Lord is over ethe waters;
the God of glory fthunders,
the Lord, over many waters.
4 The voice of the Lord is gpowerful;
the voice of the Lord is full of majesty.
5 The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars;
the Lord breaks hthe cedars of Lebanon.
6 He makes Lebanon to iskip like a calf,
7 The voice of the Lord flashes forth flames of fire.
8 The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness;
the Lord shakes the wilderness of lKadesh.
9 The voice of the Lord makes mthe deer give birth3
and strips the forests bare,
and in his temple all cry, “Glory!”
10 The Lord sits enthroned over nthe flood;
the Lord sits enthroned oas king forever.
11 May the Lord give pstrength to his people!
Joy Comes with the Morning
A Psalm of David. A song at the dedication of rthe temple.
1 I will sextol you, O Lord, for you have drawn me up
and have not let my foes trejoice over me.
2 O Lord my God, I ucried to you for help,
and you have vhealed me.
3 O Lord, you have brought up my soul from wSheol;
you restored me to life from among those who xgo down to the pit.5
4 Sing praises to the Lord, O you yhis saints,
and zgive thanks to his holy name.6
5 aFor his anger is but for a moment,
and bhis favor is for a lifetime.7
cWeeping may tarry for the night,
but djoy comes with the morning.
6 As for me, I said in my eprosperity,
“I shall never be fmoved.”
7 By your favor, O Lord,
you made my gmountain stand strong;
you hhid your face;
I was idismayed.
8 To you, O Lord, I cry,
and jto the Lord I plead for mercy:
9 “What profit is there in my death,8
if I go down to the pit?9
Will kthe dust praise you?
Will it tell of your faithfulness?
10 lHear, O Lord, and be merciful to me!
O Lord, be my helper!”
11 You have turned for me my mourning into mdancing;
you have loosed my sackcloth
and clothed me with gladness,
12 that my nglory may sing your praise and not be silent.
O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever!
I Will Walk with Integrity
A Psalm of David.
1 I will sing of csteadfast love and justice;
to you, O Lord, I will make music.
2 I will dponder the way ethat is blameless.
Oh when will you fcome to me?
I will gwalk with hintegrity of heart
within my house;
3 I will not set before my eyes
anything ithat is worthless.
I hate the work of those who jfall away;
it shall not cling to me.
4 kA perverse heart shall be far from me;
I will lknow nothing of evil.
5 Whoever slanders his neighbor msecretly
I will ndestroy.
Whoever has a ohaughty look and an parrogant heart
I will not endure.
6 I will look with favor on the faithful in the land,
that they may dwell with me;
he who walks in qthe way that is blameless
shall minister to me.
7 No one who rpractices deceit
shall dwell in my house;
no one who utters lies
shall scontinue before my eyes.
8 tMorning by morning I will destroy
all the wicked in the land,
ucutting off all vthe evildoers
from wthe city of the Lord.
When Brothers Dwell in Unity
A Song of mAscents. Of David.
1 Behold, how good and pleasant it is
when ebrothers dwell in unity!1
2 It is like the precious foil on gthe head,
running down on the beard,
on the beard of Aaron,
running down on hthe collar of his robes!
3 It is like ithe dew of jHermon,
which falls on kthe mountains of Zion!
For there the Lord lhas commanded the blessing,
life forevermore.
My Rock and My Fortress
Of David.
1 Blessed be the Lord, my grock,
hwho trains my hands for war,
and my fingers for battle;
2 he is my isteadfast love and my jfortress,
my kstronghold and my deliverer,
my lshield and he in whom I take refuge,
3 O Lord, nwhat is man that you oregard him,
or the son of man that you think of him?
4 pMan is like a breath;
5 sBow your heavens, O Lord, and come down!
tTouch the mountains so that they smoke!
6 uFlash forth the lightning and scatter them;
usend out your arrows and rout them!
7 vStretch out your hand from on high;
wrescue me and deliver me from the many waters,
from the hand xof foreigners,
8 whose mouths speak ylies
and whose right hand is za right hand of falsehood.
9 I will sing aa new song to you, O God;
upon aa ten-stringed harp I will play to you,
10 who gives victory to kings,
who brescues David his servant from the cruel sword.
11 Rescue me and deliver me
from the hand xof foreigners,
whose mouths speak ylies
and whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood.
12 May our sons in their youth
be like cplants full grown,
our daughters like dcorner pillars
cut for the structure of a palace;
13 emay our granaries be full,
fproviding all kinds of produce;
may our sheep bring forth thousands
and ten thousands in our fields;
14 may our cattle be heavy with young,
suffering no mishap or failure in bearing;2
may there be no gcry of distress in our streets!
15 hBlessed are the people to whom such blessings fall!
iBlessed are the people whose God is the Lord!
