2 Samuel 5:7-9

Easy-to-Read Version

⁷But David did take the fort of Zion. This fort became the City of David.)

⁸That day David said to his men, “Whenever you strike at the Jebusites, aim for the throat and kill them.”^[a] David said this because he hates to have people left who are crippled and blind. That is why people now say, “The lame and blind are not allowed in the temple.^[b]”

⁹David lived in the fort and called it “The City of David.” David built up the city from the Millo^[c] inward.^[d]

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Footnotes

2 Samuel 5:8 Whenever … kill them Or “Whoever wants to attack the Jebusites must go through the shaft.” This might refer to a tunnel or shaft leading up into the city through Gihon Spring, which was outside the city walls.
2 Samuel 5:8 temple Or “the king’s palace.”
2 Samuel 5:9 Millo This is probably the stone foundation walls that were built on the steep slopes on the east side of the City of David.
2 Samuel 5:9 inward Or “toward the Temple.”