18 aSometime afterward, David attacked the Philistines and subdued them; and David took Gath and its dependencies from the Philistines. 2He also defeated the Moabites; the Moabites became tributary vassals of David.
3David defeated Hadadezer, king of Zobah-hamath, who was on his way to set up his monument at the Euphrates River. 4David captured 1,000 chariots and 7,000 horsemen and 20,000 foot soldiers of his force; and David hamstrung all the chariot horses except for 100, which he retained. 5And when the Arameans of Damascus came to the aid of King Hadadezer of Zobah-hamath, David struck down 22,000 of the Arameans. 6David stationed [garrisons] in Aram of Damascus, and the Arameans became tributary vassals of David. The LORD gave David victory wherever he went. 7David took the gold shieldsb carried by Hadadezer’s retinue and brought them to Jerusalem; 8and from Tibbath and Cun, towns of Hadadezer, David took a vast amount of copper, from which Solomon made the bronze tank, the columns, and the bronze vessels.
9When King Tou of Hamath heard that David had defeated the entire army of King Hadadezer of Zobah, 10he sent his son Hadoram to King David to greet him and to congratulate him on his military victory over Hadadezer—for Hadadezer had been at war with Tou; [he brought with him] all manner of gold, silver, and copper objects. 11King David dedicated these to the LORD, along with the other silver and gold that he had taken from all the nations: from Edom, Moab, and Ammon; from the Philistines and the Amalekites.
12Abshai son of Zeruiah struck down Edom in the Valley of Salt, 18,000 in all. 13He stationed garrisons in Edom, and all the Edomites became vassals of David. The LORD gave David victory wherever he went.
14David reigned over all Israel, and David executed true justice among all his people. 15Joab son of Zeruiah was commander of the army; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was recorder; 16Zadok son of Ahitub and Abimelech son of Abiathar were priests; Shavsha was scribe; 17Benaiah son of Jehoiada was commander of the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and David’s sons were first ministers of the king.
19 aSometime afterward, Nahash the king of the Ammonites died, and his son succeeded him as king. 2David said, “I will keep faith with Hanun son of Nahash, since his father kept faith with me.” David sent messengers with condolences to him over his father. But when David’s courtiers came to the land of Ammon to Hanun, with condolences, 3the Ammonite officials said to Hanun, “Do you think David is really honoring your father just because he sent you men with condolences? Why, it is to explore, to subvert, and to spy out the land that his courtiers have come to you.” 4So Hanun seized David’s courtiers, shaved them, and cut away half of their garments up to the buttocks, and sent them off. 5When David was told about the men, he dispatched others to meet them, for the men were greatly embarrassed. And the king gave orders, “Stay in Jericho until your beards grow back; then you can return.”
6The Ammonites realized that they had incurred the wrath of David; so Hanun and the Ammonites sent 1,000 silver talents to hire chariots and horsemen from Aram-naharaim, Aram-maacah, and Zobah. 7They hired 32,000 chariots, the king of Maacah, and his army, who came and encamped before Medeba. The Ammonites were mobilized from their cities and came to do battle.
8On learning this, David sent out Joab and the whole army, [including] the professional fighters. 9The Ammonites marched out and took up their battle position at the entrance of the city, while the kings who came [took their stand] separately in the open. 10Joab saw that there was a battle line against him both front and rear. So he made a selection from all the picked men of Israel and arrayed them against the Arameans, 11and the rest of the troops he put under the command of his brother Abishai and arrayed them against the Ammonites. 12Joab said, “If the Arameans prove too strong for me, you come to my aid; and if the Ammonites prove too strong for you, I will come to your aid. 13Let us be strong and resolute for the sake of our people and the towns of our God; and the LORD will do what He deems right.”
14Joab and the troops with him marched into battle against the Arameans, who fled before him. 15And when the Ammonites saw that the Arameans had fled, they too fled before his brother Abishai, and withdrew into the city. So Joab went to Jerusalem.
16When the Arameans saw that they had been routed by Israel, they sent messengers to bring out the Arameans from across the Euphrates; Shophach, Hadadezer’s army commander, led them. 17David was informed of it; he assembled all Israel, crossed the Jordan, and came and took up positions against them. David drew up his forces against Aram; and they fought with him. 18But the Arameans were put to flight by Israel. David killed 7,000 Aramean charioteers and 40,000 footmen; he also killed Shophach, the army commander. 19And when all the vassals of Hadadezer saw that they had been routed by Israel, they submitted to David and became his vassals. And the Arameans would not help the Ammonites anymore.
20 aAt the turn of the year, the season when kings go out [to battle], Joab led out the army force and devastated the land of Ammon, and then besieged Rabbah, while David remained in Jerusalem; Joab reduced Rabbah and left it in ruins. 2David took the crown from the head of their king; he found that it weighed a talent of gold, and in it were precious stones. It was placed on David’s head. He also carried off a vast amount of booty from the city. 3He led out the people who lived there and b-he hacked them-b with saws and iron threshing boards and axes;c David did thus to all the towns of Ammon. Then David and all the troops returned to Jerusalem. 4After this, fighting broke out with the Philistines at Gezer; that was when Sibbecai the Hushathite killed Sippai, a descendant of the Rephaim, and they were humbled.
5Again there was fighting with the Philistines, and Elhanan son of Jair killed Lahmi, the brother of Goliath the Gittite; his spear had a shaft like a weaver’s beam. 6Once again there was fighting at Gath. There was a giant of a man who had twenty-four fingers [and toes], six [on each hand] and six [on each foot]; he too was descended from the Raphah. 7When he taunted Israel, Jonathan son of David’s brother Shimea killed him. 8These were descended from the Raphah in Gath, and they fell by the hands of David and his men.
21 aSatan arose against Israel and incited David to number Israel. 2David said to Joab and to the commanders of the army, “Go and count Israel from Beer-sheba to Dan and bring me information as to their number.” 3Joab answered, “May the LORD increase His people a hundredfold; my lord king, are they not all subjects of my lord? Why should my lord require this? Why should it be a cause of guilt for Israel?”
4However, the king’s command to Joab remained firm, so Joab set out and traversed all Israel; he then came to Jerusalem. 5Joab reported to David the number of the people that had been recorded. All Israel comprised 1,100,000 ready to draw the sword, while in Judah there were 470,000 men ready to draw the sword. 6He did not record among them Levi and Benjamin, because the king’s command had become repugnant to Joab. 7God was displeased about this matter and He struck Israel.
8David said to God, “I have sinned grievously in having done this thing; please remit the guilt of Your servant, for I have acted foolishly.” 9The LORD ordered Gad, David’s seer: 10“Go and tell David: Thus said the LORD: I offer you three things; choose one of them and I will bring it upon you.” 11Gad came to David and told him, “Thus said the LORD: Select for yourself 12a three-year famine; or that you be swept away three months before your adversaries with the sword of your enemies overtaking you; or three days of the sword of the LORD, pestilence in the land, the angel of the LORD wreaking destruction throughout the territory of Israel. Now consider what reply I shall take back to Him who sent me.” 13David said to Gad, “I am in great distress. Let me fall into the hands of the LORD, for His compassion is very great; and let me not fall into the hands of men.”
14The LORD sent a pestilence upon Israel, and 70,000 men fell in Israel. 15God sent an angel to Jerusalem to destroy it, but as he was about to wreak destruction, the LORD saw and renounced further punishment and said to the destroying angel,
