David’s Victories^(A)

18 In the course of time, David defeated the Philistines and subdued them, and he took Gath and its surrounding villages from the control of the Philistines.

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

³ Moreover, David defeated Hadadezer king of Zobah,^(C) in the vicinity of Hamath, when he went to set up his monument at^[a] the Euphrates River.^{(D) 4} David captured a thousand of his chariots, seven thousand charioteers and twenty thousand foot soldiers. He hamstrung^(E) all but a hundred of the chariot horses.

⁵ When the Arameans of Damascus^(F) came to help Hadadezer king of Zobah, David struck down twenty-two thousand of them. ⁶ He put garrisons in the Aramean kingdom of Damascus, and the Arameans became subject to him and brought him tribute. The Lord gave David victory wherever he went.

The Need for Self-Discipline

²⁴ Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize?^(A) Run^(B) in such a way as to get the prize. ²⁵ Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown^(C) that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.^(D)