TORAH
FIVE BOOKS OF MOSES
NEVI'IM
PROPHETS
KETUVIM
WRITINGS

II - Chapter 5

Listen to this chapter in Hebrew:

1All the tribes of Yisrael came to David at Chevron and said, “We are your own flesh and blood.

אוַיָּבֹאוּ כָּל־שִׁבְטֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶל־דָּוִד חֶבְרוֹנָה וַיֹּאמְרוּ לֵאמֹר הִנְנוּ עַצְמְךָ וּבְשָׂרְךָ אֲנָחְנוּ׃

2Long before now, when Shaul was king over us, it was you who led Yisrael in war; and Hashem said to you: You shall shepherd My people Yisrael; you shall be ruler of Yisrael.”

בגַּם־אֶתְמוֹל גַּם־שִׁלְשׁוֹם בִּהְיוֹת שָׁאוּל מֶלֶךְ עָלֵינוּ אַתָּה הייתה [הָיִיתָ] מוציא [הַמּוֹצִיא] והמבי [וְהַמֵּבִיא] אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיֹּאמֶר יְהֹוָה לְךָ אַתָּה תִרְעֶה אֶת־עַמִּי אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאַתָּה תִּהְיֶה לְנָגִיד עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵל׃

3All the elders of Yisrael came to the king at Chevron, and King David made a pact with them in Chevron before Hashem. And they anointed David king over Yisrael.

גוַיָּבֹאוּ כָּל־זִקְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶל־הַמֶּלֶךְ חֶבְרוֹנָה וַיִּכְרֹת לָהֶם הַמֶּלֶךְ דָּוִד בְּרִית בְּחֶבְרוֹן לִפְנֵי יְהֹוָה וַיִּמְשְׁחוּ אֶת־דָּוִד לְמֶלֶךְ עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵל׃

4David was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned forty years.

דבֶּן־שְׁלֹשִׁים שָׁנָה דָּוִד בְּמָלְכוֹ אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה מָלָךְ׃

5In Chevron he reigned over Yehuda seven years and six months, and in Yerushalayim he reigned over all Yisrael and Yehuda thirty-three years.

הבְּחֶבְרוֹן מָלַךְ עַל־יְהוּדָה שֶׁבַע שָׁנִים וְשִׁשָּׁה חֳדָשִׁים וּבִירוּשָׁלִַם מָלַךְ שְׁלֹשִׁים וְשָׁלֹשׁ שָׁנָה עַל כָּל־יִשְׂרָאֵל וִיהוּדָה׃

6The king and his men set out for Yerushalayim against the Jebusites who inhabited the region. David was told, “You will never get in here! Even the blind and the lame will turn you back.” (They meant: David will never enter here.)

ווַיֵּלֶךְ הַמֶּלֶךְ וַאֲנָשָׁיו יְרוּשָׁלִַם אֶל־הַיְבֻסִי יוֹשֵׁב הָאָרֶץ וַיֹּאמֶר לְדָוִד לֵאמֹר לֹא־תָבוֹא הֵנָּה כִּי אִם־הֱסִירְךָ הַעִוְרִים וְהַפִּסְחִים לֵאמֹר לֹא־יָבוֹא דָוִד הֵנָּה׃

7But David captured the stronghold of Tzion; it is now the City of David.

va-yil-KOD da-VID AYT m'-tzu-DAT tzi-YON HEE EER da-VID

זוַיִּלְכֹּד דָּוִד אֵת מְצֻדַת צִיּוֹן הִיא עִיר דָּוִד׃

 5:7   David captured the stronghold of Tzion

Once the entire Nation of Israel unites behind King David, he is able to conquer the holy city of Yerushalayim from the pagan Jebusites, and to rule there for thirty-three years. His palace is located in the City of David, just outside the present walls of the Old City of Yerushalayim. After fifteen years of archaeological excavations at this site, a Canaanite fortress dating back to the eighteenth century BCE was uncovered. This impressive structure is the largest fortress to have been discovered in Israel from before the time of King Herod. It protects the Gichon spring where Shlomo is anointed king (I Kings 1:38), making it possible to access the spring only from within the city of Yerushalayim. As this verse describes, when King David enters the city he conquers the “stronghold of Tzion” from the Jebusites, quite possibly referring to this very fortress discovered thousands of years later. Visitors to modern day Yerushalayim can visit this site and be inspired by seeing first hand evidence of the truth of the Bible.

The City of David, Jerusalem.

Archeological excavations in the City of David

8On that occasion David said, “Those who attack the Jebusites shall reach the water channel and [strike down] the lame and the blind, who are hateful to David.” That is why they say: “No one who is blind or lame may enter the House.”

חוַיֹּאמֶר דָּוִד בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא כָּל־מַכֵּה יְבֻסִי וְיִגַּע בַּצִּנּוֹר וְאֶת־הַפִּסְחִים וְאֶת־הַעִוְרִים שנאו [שְׂנֻאֵי] נֶפֶשׁ דָּוִד עַל־כֵּן יֹאמְרוּ עִוֵּר וּפִסֵּחַ לֹא יָבוֹא אֶל־הַבָּיִת׃

9David occupied the stronghold and renamed it the City of David; David also fortified the surrounding area, from the Millo inward.

טוַיֵּשֶׁב דָּוִד בַּמְּצֻדָה וַיִּקְרָא־לָהּ עִיר דָּוִד וַיִּבֶן דָּוִד סָבִיב מִן־הַמִּלּוֹא וָבָיְתָה׃

10David kept growing stronger, for Hashem, the God of Hosts, was with him.

יוַיֵּלֶךְ דָּוִד הָלוֹךְ וְגָדוֹל וַיהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵי צְבָאוֹת עִמּוֹ׃

11King Hiram of Tyre sent envoys to David with cedar logs, carpenters, and stonemasons; and they built a palace for David.

יאוַיִּשְׁלַח חִירָם מֶלֶךְ־צֹר מַלְאָכִים אֶל־דָּוִד וַעֲצֵי אֲרָזִים וְחָרָשֵׁי עֵץ וְחָרָשֵׁי אֶבֶן קִיר וַיִּבְנוּ־בַיִת לְדָוִד׃

12Thus David knew that Hashem had established him as king over Yisrael and had exalted his kingship for the sake of His people Yisrael.

יבוַיֵּדַע דָּוִד כִּי־הֱכִינוֹ יְהֹוָה לְמֶלֶךְ עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵל וְכִי נִשֵּׂא מַמְלַכְתּוֹ בַּעֲבוּר עַמּוֹ יִשְׂרָאֵל׃

13After he left Chevron, David took more concubines and wives in Yerushalayim, and more sons and daughters were born to David.

יגוַיִּקַּח דָּוִד עוֹד פִּלַגְשִׁים וְנָשִׁים מִירוּשָׁלִַם אַחֲרֵי בֹּאוֹ מֵחֶבְרוֹן וַיִּוָּלְדוּ עוֹד לְדָוִד בָּנִים וּבָנוֹת׃

14These are the names of the children born to him in Yerushalayim: Shammua, Shobab, Natan, and Shlomo;

ידוְאֵלֶּה שְׁמוֹת הַיִּלֹּדִים לוֹ בִּירוּשָׁלִָם שַׁמּוּעַ וְשׁוֹבָב וְנָתָן וּשְׁלֹמֹה׃

15Ibhar, Elishua, Nepheg, and Japhia;

טווְיִבְחָר וֶאֱלִישׁוּעַ וְנֶפֶג וְיָפִיעַ׃

16Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet.

טזוֶאֱלִישָׁמָע וְאֶלְיָדָע וֶאֱלִיפָלֶט׃

17When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over Yisrael, the Philistines marched up in search of David; but David heard of it, and he went down to the fastness.

יזוַיִּשְׁמְעוּ פְלִשְׁתִּים כִּי־מָשְׁחוּ אֶת־דָּוִד לְמֶלֶךְ עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיַּעֲלוּ כָל־פְּלִשְׁתִּים לְבַקֵּשׁ אֶת־דָּוִד וַיִּשְׁמַע דָּוִד וַיֵּרֶד אֶל־הַמְּצוּדָה׃

18The Philistines came and spread out over the Valley of Rephaim.

יחוּפְלִשְׁתִּים בָּאוּ וַיִּנָּטְשׁוּ בְּעֵמֶק רְפָאִים׃

19David inquired of Hashem, “Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will You deliver them into my hands?” And Hashem answered David, “Go up, and I will deliver the Philistines into your hands.”

יטוַיִּשְׁאַל דָּוִד בַּיהֹוָה לֵאמֹר הַאֶעֱלֶה אֶל־פְּלִשְׁתִּים הֲתִתְּנֵם בְּיָדִי וַיֹּאמֶר יְהֹוָה אֶל־דָּוִד עֲלֵה כִּי־נָתֹן אֶתֵּן אֶת־הַפְּלִשְׁתִּים בְּיָדֶךָ׃

20Thereupon David marched to Baal-perazim, and David defeated them there. And he said, “Hashem has broken through my enemies before me as waters break through [a dam].” That is why that place was named Baal-perazim.

כוַיָּבֹא דָוִד בְּבַעַל־פְּרָצִים וַיַּכֵּם שָׁם דָּוִד וַיֹּאמֶר פָּרַץ יְהֹוָה אֶת־אֹיְבַי לְפָנַי כְּפֶרֶץ מָיִם עַל־כֵּן קָרָא שֵׁם־הַמָּקוֹם הַהוּא בַּעַל פְּרָצִים׃

21The Philistines abandoned their idols there, and David and his men carried them off.

כאוַיַּעַזְבוּ־שָׁם אֶת־עֲצַבֵּיהֶם וַיִּשָּׂאֵם דָּוִד וַאֲנָשָׁיו׃

22Once again the Philistines marched up and spread out over the Valley of Rephaim.

כבוַיֹּסִפוּ עוֹד פְּלִשְׁתִּים לַעֲלוֹת וַיִּנָּטְשׁוּ בְּעֵמֶק רְפָאִים׃

23David inquired of Hashem, and He answered, “Do not go up, but circle around behind them and confront them at the baca trees.

כגוַיִּשְׁאַל דָּוִד בַּיהֹוָה וַיֹּאמֶר לֹא תַעֲלֶה הָסֵב אֶל־אַחֲרֵיהֶם וּבָאתָ לָהֶם מִמּוּל בְּכָאִים׃

24And when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the baca trees, then go into action, for Hashem will be going in front of you to attack the Philistine forces.”

כדוִיהִי בשמעך [כְּשָׁמְעֲךָ] אֶת־קוֹל צְעָדָה בְּרָאשֵׁי הַבְּכָאִים אָז תֶּחֱרָץ כִּי אָז יָצָא יְהֹוָה לְפָנֶיךָ לְהַכּוֹת בְּמַחֲנֵה פְלִשְׁתִּים׃

25David did as Hashem had commanded him; and he routed the Philistines from Geba all the way to Gezer.

כהוַיַּעַשׂ דָּוִד כֵּן כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּהוּ יְהֹוָה וַיַּךְ אֶת־פְּלִשְׁתִּים מִגֶּבַע עַד־בֹּאֲךָ גָזֶר׃