The Wars of David
1 Chronicles 18 – 20
1 Chronicles 18 – 20
CHAPTER 18
1 And after this it came to pass that David smote the Philistines, and subdued them, and took Gath and its towns out of the hand of the Philistines. 2 And he smote the Moabites; and the Moabites became David’s servants, and brought gifts. 3 And David smote Hadarezer king of Zobah, at Hamath, as he went to establish his dominion by the river Euphrates. 4 And David took from him a thousand chariots, and seven thousand horsemen, and twenty thousand footmen; and David houghed all the chariot horses, but reserved of them for a hundred chariots. 5 And the Syrians of Damascus came to help Hadarezer king of Zobah, and David smote of the Syrians twenty-two thousand men. 6 And David put garrisons in Syria of Damascus; and the Syrians became servants to David, and brought gifts. And Jehovah preserved David whithersoever he went. 7 And David took the shields of gold that were on the servants of Hadarezer, and brought them to Jerusalem. 8 And from Tibhath, and from Chun, cities of Hadarezer, David took very much brass, of which Solomon made the brazen sea, and the pillars, and the vessels of brass. 9 And Tou king of Hamath heard that David had smitten all the forces of Hadarezer king of Zobah; 10 and he sent Hadoram his son to king David to inquire of his welfare, and to congratulate him, because he had fought against Hadarezer and smitten him; for Hadarezer was continually at war with Tou; he sent also all manner of vessels of gold and silver and bronze. 11 Them also king David dedicated to Jehovah, with the silver and the gold that he had brought from all the nations: from the Edomites, and from the Moabites, and from the children of Ammon, and from the Philistines, and from the Amalekites. 12 And Abishai the son of Zeruiah smote of the Edomites in the valley of salt eighteen thousand. 13 And he put garrisons in Edom; and all they of Edom became servants to David. And Jehovah preserved David whithersoever he went. 14 And David reigned over all Israel, and executed judgment and justice to all his people. 15 And Joab the son of Zeruiah was over the host; and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was chronicler; 16 and Zadok the son of Ahitub, and Abimelech the son of Abiathar, were the priests; and Shavsha was scribe; 17 and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and the sons of David were the first at the king’s hand.
CHAPTER 19
1 And it came to pass after this that Nahash king of the children of Ammon died, and his son reigned in his stead. 2 And David said, I will shew kindness to Hanun the son of Nahash, because his father shewed kindness to me. And David sent messengers to comfort him concerning his father. And David’s servants came into the land of the children of Ammon to Hanun, to comfort him. 3 And the princes of the children of Ammon said to Hanun, Is it, in thine eyes, to honour thy father that David has sent comforters to thee? Is it not to search and overthrow, and to spy out the land that his servants are come to thee? 4 And Hanun took David’s servants, and had them shaved, and their raiment cut off in the midst, as far as the hip, and sent them away. 5 And certain went and told David concerning the men; and he sent to meet them, for the men were greatly ashamed. And the king said, Abide at Jericho until your beards be grown, and then return. 6 And the children of Ammon saw that they had made themselves odious to David; and Hanun and the children of Ammon sent a thousand talents of silver to hire them chariots and horsemen out of Mesopotamia, and from the Syrians of Maacah, and from Zobah. 7 And they hired thirty-two thousand chariots, and the king of Maacah and his people; and they came and encamped before Medeba. And the children of Ammon gathered together from their cities, and came to battle. 8 And David heard of it, and he sent Joab, and all the host, the mighty men. 9 And the children of Ammon came out, and put the battle in array at the entrance of the city; and the kings that had come were by themselves on the field. 10 And Joab saw that the front of the battle was against him before and behind; and he chose out of all the choice men of Israel, and put them in array against the Syrians; 11 and the rest of the people he gave into the hand of Abishai his brother, and they set themselves in array against the children of Ammon. 12 And he said, If the Syrians be too strong for me, then thou shalt help me; and if the children of Ammon be too strong for thee, then I will help thee. 13 Be strong, and let us shew ourselves valiant for our people, and for the cities of our God; and Jehovah will do what is good in his sight. 14 And Joab and the people that were with him drew near in front of the Syrians to the battle; and they fled before him. 15 And when the children of Ammon saw that the Syrians fled, they likewise fled before Abishai his brother, and entered into the city. And Joab came to Jerusalem. 16 And when the Syrians saw that they were routed before Israel, they sent messengers, and drew forth the Syrians that were beyond the river; and Shophach the captain of the host of Hadarezer went before them. 17 And it was told David; and he gathered all Israel, and passed over the Jordan, and came upon them, and set the battle in array against them. And David put the battle in array against the Syrians, and they fought with him. 18 And the Syrians fled from before Israel; and David slew of the Syrians seven thousand in chariots, and forty thousand footmen, and slew Shophach the captain of the host. 19 And the servants of Hadarezer saw that they were routed before Israel, and they made peace with David, and became his servants. And the Syrians would no more help the children of Ammon.
CHAPTER 20
1 And it came to pass at the time of the return of the year, at the time when kings go forth, that Joab led forth the power of the army, and laid waste the land of the children of Ammon, and came and besieged Rabbah. But David abode at Jerusalem. And Joab smote Rabbah, and overthrew it. 2 And David took the crown of their king from off his head, and found it to weigh a talent of gold, and there were precious stones in it; and it was set upon David’s head: and he brought forth the spoil of the city in great abundance. 3 And he brought out the people that were in it, and cut them with the saw, and with harrows of iron, and with saws. And so David did to all the cities of the children of Ammon. And David and all the people returned to Jerusalem. 4 And it came to pass after this, that there arose war at Gezer with the Philistines; then Sibbechai the Hushathite smote Sippai, one of the children of Rapha; and they were subdued. 5 And there was again a battle with the Philistines; and Elhanan the son of Jair smote Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite; now the shaft of his spear was like a weaver’s beam. 6 And there was again a battle, at Gath; and there was a man there of great stature, whose fingers and toes were four and twenty, six on each hand, and six on each foot; and he also was born to Rapha. 7 And he defied Israel; but Jonathan the son of Shimea David’s brother smote him. 8 These were born to Rapha in Gath; and they fell by the hand of David, and by the hand of his servants.