David’s Victories
1In the course of time, David defeated the Philistines and subdued them, and he took Metheg Ammah from the control of the Philistines.
2David also defeated the Moabites. He made them lie down on the ground and measured them off with a length of cord. Every two lengths of them were put to death, and the third length was allowed to live. So the Moabites became subject to David and brought him tribute.
3Moreover, David defeated Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah, when he went to restore his monument ata the Euphrates River.4David captured a thousand of his chariots, seven thousand charioteersb and twenty thousand foot soldiers. He hamstrung all but a hundred of the chariot horses.
5When the Arameans of Damascus came to help Hadadezer king of Zobah, David struck down twenty-two thousand of them.6He put garrisons in the Aramean kingdom of Damascus, and the Arameans became subject to him and brought tribute. TheLord gave David victory wherever he went.
7David took the gold shields that belonged to the officers of Hadadezer and brought them to Jerusalem.8From Tebahc and Berothai, towns that belonged to Hadadezer, King David took a great quantity of bronze.
9When Toud king of Hamath heard that David had defeated the entire army of Hadadezer,10he sent his son Jorame to King David to greet him and congratulate him on his victory in battle over Hadadezer, who had been at war with Tou. Joram brought with him articles of silver, of gold and of bronze.
11King David dedicated these articles to theLord, as he had done with the silver and gold from all the nations he had subdued:12Edomf and Moab, the Ammonites and the Philistines, and Amalek. He also dedicated the plunder taken from Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah.
13And David became famous after he returned from striking down eighteen thousand Edomitesg in the Valley of Salt.
14He put garrisons throughout Edom, and all the Edomites became subject to David. TheLord gave David victory wherever he went.
David’s Officials
15David reigned over all Israel, doing what was just and right for all his people.16Joab son of Zeruiah was over the army; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was recorder;17Zadok son of Ahitub and Ahimelek son of Abiathar were priests; Seraiah was secretary;18Benaiah son of Jehoiada was over the Kerethites and Pelethites; and David’s sons were priests.h
Footnotes:
a3Orhis control along
b4Septuagint (see also Dead Sea Scrolls and 1 Chron. 18:4); Masoretic Textcaptured seventeen hundred of his charioteers
c8See some Septuagint manuscripts (see also 1 Chron. 18:8); HebrewBetah.
d9HebrewToi, a variant ofTou; also in verse 10
e10A variant ofHadoram
f12Some Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint and Syriac (see also 1 Chron. 18:11); most Hebrew manuscriptsAram
g13A few Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint and Syriac (see also 1 Chron. 18:12); most Hebrew manuscriptsAram (that is, Arameans)
h18Orwere chief officials (see Septuagint and Targum; see also 1 Chron. 18:17)
