1 Chronicles 18-20

1Some time later, David defeated the Philistines, subdued them, and took Gath and its villages from the hand of the Philistines.

2David also defeated the Moabites, and they became subject to David and brought him tribute.

3As far as Hamath, David also defeated King Hadadezer of Zobah, who had marched out to establish his dominion along the Euphrates River.

4David captured from him a thousand chariots, seven thousand charioteers, and twenty thousand foot soldiers, and he hamstrung all the horses except a hundred he kept for the chariots.

5When the Arameans of Damascus came to help King Hadadezer of Zobah, David struck down twenty-two thousand of their men.

6Then he placed garrisons in Aram of Damascus, and the Arameans became subject to David and brought him tribute. So the LORD made David victorious wherever he went.

7And David took the gold shields that belonged to the officers of Hadadezer and brought them to Jerusalem.

8And from Tibhath and Cun, cities of Hadadezer, David took a large amount of bronze, with which Solomon made the bronze Sea, the pillars, and various bronze articles.

9When King Tou of Hamath heard that David had defeated the entire army of Hadadezer king of Zobah,

10he sent his son Hadoram to greet King David and bless him for fighting and defeating Hadadezer, who had been at war with Tou. Hadoram brought all kinds of articles of gold and silver and bronze,

11and King David dedicated these to the LORD, along with the silver and gold he had carried off from all these nations—from Edom and Moab, and from the Ammonites, Philistines, and Amalekites.

12Moreover, Abishai son of Zeruiah struck down eighteen thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt.

13He placed garrisons in Edom, and all the Edomites were subject to David. So the LORD made David victorious wherever he went.

14Thus David reigned over all Israel and administered justice and righteousness for all his people:

15Joab son of Zeruiah was over the army; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was the recorder;

16Zadok son of Ahitub and Ahimelech son of Abiathar were priests; Shavsha was the scribe;

17Benaiah son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and Pelethites; and David’s sons were chief officials at the king’s side.

1Some time later, Nahash king of the Ammonites died and was succeeded by his son.

2And David said, “I will show kindness to Hanun son of Nahash, because his father showed kindness to me.” So David sent messengers to console Hanun concerning his father. But when David’s servants arrived in the land of the Ammonites to console him,

3the princes of the Ammonites said to Hanun, “Just because David has sent you comforters, do you really believe he is showing respect for your father? Have not his servants come to you to explore the land, spy it out, and overthrow it?”

4So Hanun took David’s servants, shaved their beards, cut off their garments at the hips, and sent them away.

5When someone came and told David about his men, he sent messengers to meet them, since the men had been thoroughly humiliated. The king told them, “Stay in Jericho until your beards have grown back, and then return.”

6When the Ammonites realized that they had become a stench to David, Hanun and the Ammonites sent a thousand talents of silver to hire for themselves chariots and horsemen from Aram-naharaim, Aram-maacah, and Zobah.

7So they hired for themselves thirty-two thousand chariots, as well as the king of Maacah with his troops, who came and camped near Medeba while the Ammonites were mustered from their cities and marched out for battle.

8On hearing this, David sent Joab and the entire army of mighty men.

9The Ammonites marched out and arrayed themselves for battle at the entrance to the city, while the kings who had come stayed by themselves in the open country.

10When Joab saw the battle lines before him and behind him, he selected some of the best men of Israel and arrayed them against the Arameans.

11And he placed the rest of the troops under the command of his brother Abishai, who arrayed them against the Ammonites.

12“If the Arameans are too strong for me,” said Joab, “then you will come to my rescue. And if the Ammonites are too strong for you, then I will come to your rescue.

13Be strong and let us fight bravely for our people and for the cities of our God. May the LORD do what is good in His sight.”

14So Joab and his troops advanced to fight the Arameans, who fled before him.

15When the Ammonites saw that the Arameans had fled, they too fled before Joab’s brother Abishai, and they entered the city. So Joab went back to Jerusalem.

16When the Arameans saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they sent messengers to bring more Arameans from beyond the Euphrates, with Shophach the commander of Hadadezer’s army leading them.

17When this was reported to David, he gathered all Israel, crossed the Jordan, advanced toward the Arameans, and arrayed for battle against them. When David lined up to engage them in battle, they fought against him.

18But the Arameans fled before Israel, and David killed seven thousand of their charioteers and forty thousand foot soldiers. He also killed Shophach the commander of their army.

19When Hadadezer’s subjects saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they made peace with David and became subject to him. So the Arameans were unwilling to help the Ammonites anymore.

1In the spring, at the time when kings march out to war, Joab led out the army and ravaged the land of the Ammonites. He came to Rabbah and besieged it, but David remained in Jerusalem. And Joab attacked Rabbah and demolished it.

2Then David took the crown from the head of their king. It was found to weigh a talent of gold and was set with precious stones, and it was placed on David’s head. And David took a great amount of plunder from the city.

3David brought out the people who were there and put them to work with saws, iron picks, and axes. And he did the same to all the Ammonite cities. Then David and all his troops returned to Jerusalem.

4Some time later, war broke out with the Philistines at Gezer. At that time Sibbecai the Hushathite killed Sippai, a descendant of the Rephaim, and the Philistines were subdued.

5Once again there was a battle with the Philistines, and Elhanan son of Jair killed Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the shaft of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam.

6And there was also a battle at Gath, where there was a man of great stature with six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot—twenty-four in all. He too was descended from Rapha,

7and when he taunted Israel, Jonathan the son of David’s brother Shimei killed him.

8So these descendants of Rapha in Gath fell at the hands of David and his servants.