David’s Kingdom Strengthened

18 Now after this ^(A)it came about that David ^[a]defeated the Philistines and subdued them and took Gath and its towns from the hand of the Philistines. ² And he defeated Moab, and the Moabites became servants to David, bringing tribute.

³ David also defeated Hadadezer king of Zobah as far as Hamath, as he went to establish his ^[b]rule to the river Euphrates. ⁴ David took from him a thousand chariots and seven thousand horsemen and twenty thousand foot soldiers, and David hamstrung almost all the chariot horses, but left enough of them for a hundred chariots.

⁵ When the Arameans of ^[c]Damascus came to help Hadadezer king ^(B)of Zobah, David ^[d]killed twenty-two thousand men of the Arameans. ⁶ Then David put garrisons among the Arameans of ^[e]Damascus; and the Arameans became servants to David, bringing tribute. And the Lord helped David wherever he went. ⁷ And David took the shields of gold which were ^[f]carried by the servants of Hadadezer, and brought them to Jerusalem. ⁸ Also from ^[g]Tibhath and Cun, cities of Hadadezer, David took a very large amount of bronze, with which ^(C)Solomon made the bronze ^[h]Sea and the pillars and the bronze utensils.

⁹ Now when ^[i]Tou king of Hamath heard that David had ^[j]defeated all the army of Hadadezer king of Zobah, ¹⁰ he sent ^[k]Hadoram his son to King David to ^[l]greet him and to bless him, because he had fought against Hadadezer and had ^[m]defeated him; for Hadadezer had been at war with Tou. And Hadoram brought all kinds of articles of gold and silver and bronze. ¹¹ King David also dedicated these to the Lord, with the silver and the gold which he had carried away from all the nations: from Edom, Moab, the sons of Ammon, the Philistines, and from Amalek.

¹² Moreover, Abishai the son of Zeruiah ^[n]defeated eighteen thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt. ¹³ Then he put garrisons in Edom, and all the Edomites became servants to David. And the Lord helped David wherever he went.

¹⁴ So David reigned over all Israel; and he ^[o]administered justice and righteousness for all his people. ^15 (D)Joab the son of Zeruiah was over the army, and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was secretary; ¹⁶ and Zadok the son of Ahitub and Abimelech the son of Abiathar were priests, and Shavsha was secretary; ¹⁷ and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and the Pelethites, and the sons of David were chiefs at the king’s side.

David’s Messengers Abused

19 ^(E)Now it came about after this, that Nahash the king of the sons of Ammon died, and his son became king in his place. ² Then David said, “I will show kindness to Hanun the son of Nahash, because his father showed kindness to me.” So David sent messengers to console him concerning his father. And David’s servants came into the land of the sons of Ammon to Hanun to console him. ³ But the commanders among the sons of Ammon said to Hanun, “^[p]Do you think that David is honoring your father, in that he has sent comforters to you? Have his servants not come to you to search, to demolish, and to spy out the land?” ⁴ So Hanun took David’s servants and shaved them, and cut off their robes in the middle as far as their buttocks, and sent them away. ⁵ Then certain people went and told David about the men. And he sent messengers to meet them, because the men were very humiliated. And the king said, “Stay at Jericho until your beards grow back, then return.”

⁶ When the sons of Ammon saw that they had made themselves repulsive to David, Hanun and the sons of Ammon sent ^[q]a thousand talents of silver to hire for themselves chariots and horsemen from Mesopotamia, Aram-maacah, and ^(F)Zobah. ⁷ So they hired for themselves thirty-two thousand chariots, and the king of Maacah and his people, who came and camped opposite ^(G)Medeba. And the sons of Ammon gathered together from their cities and came to the battle. ⁸ When David heard about it, he sent Joab and all the army, the mighty men. ⁹ The sons of Ammon came out and drew up in battle formation at the entrance of the city; and the kings who had come were by themselves in the field.

Ammon and Aram Defeated

¹⁰ Now when Joab saw that the ^[r]battle was set against him at the front and at the rear, he selected warriors from all the choice men in Israel and lined them up against the Arameans. ¹¹ But the remainder of the people he placed ^[s]under the command of ^[t]Abshai his brother; and they lined up against the sons of Ammon. ¹² He said, “If the Arameans are too strong for me, then you shall help me; but if the sons of Ammon are too strong for you, then I will help you. ¹³ Be strong, and let’s show ourselves courageous for the benefit of our people and the cities of our God; and may the Lord do what is good in His sight.” ¹⁴ So Joab and the people who were with him advanced to battle against the Arameans, and they fled from him. ¹⁵ When the sons of Ammon saw that the Arameans had fled, they also fled from his brother Abshai and entered the city. Then Joab came to Jerusalem.

¹⁶ When the Arameans saw that they had been ^[u]defeated by Israel, they sent messengers and brought out the Arameans who were beyond the Euphrates River, with Shophach the commander of the army of Hadadezer ^[v]leading them. ¹⁷ When it was reported to David, he gathered all Israel together and crossed the Jordan, and came upon them and drew up in formation against them. And when David drew up in battle formation against the Arameans, they fought against him. ¹⁸ And the Arameans fled from Israel, and David killed of the Arameans seven thousand charioteers and forty thousand foot soldiers; and he put Shophach the commander of the army to death. ¹⁹ So when the servants of Hadadezer saw that they had been ^[w]defeated by Israel, they made peace with David and served him. So the Arameans were not willing to help the sons of Ammon anymore.

The Revelation of Jesus Christ

1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which ^(A)God gave Him to ^(B)show to His bond-servants, ^(C)the things which must soon take place; and He sent and ^[a]communicated it ^(D)by His angel to His bond-servant ^(E)John, ² who testified to ^(F)the word of God and to ^(G)the testimony of Jesus Christ, everything that he saw. ^3 (H)Blessed is the one who reads, and those who hear the words of the prophecy and ^[b]keep the things which are written in it; ^(I)for the time is near.

Message to the Seven Churches

^4 (J)John to ^(K)the seven churches that are in ^(L)Asia: ^(M)Grace to you and peace from ^(N)Him who is, and who was, and who ^[c]is to come, and from ^(O)the ^[d]seven spirits who are before His throne, ⁵ and from Jesus Christ, ^(P)the faithful witness, the ^(Q)firstborn of the dead, and the ^(R)ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who ^(S)loves us and released us from our sins by His blood— ⁶ and He made us into a ^(T)kingdom, ^(U)priests to ^[e](V)His God and Father—^(W)to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. ^7 (X)Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and ^(Y)every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will ^(Z)mourn over Him. ^[f]So it is to be. Amen.

⁸ “I am ^(AA)the Alpha and the Omega,” says the ^(AB)Lord God, “^(AC)who is and who was and who ^[g]is to come, the Almighty.”

The Patmos Vision

^9 (AD)I, John, your ^(AE)brother and ^(AF)fellow participant in the tribulation and ^(AG)kingdom and ^[h](AH)perseverance in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos ^(AI)because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. ¹⁰ I was ^(AJ)in the ^[i]Spirit on ^(AK)the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice ^(AL)like the sound of a trumpet, ¹¹ saying, “^(AM)Write ^[j]on a scroll what you see, and send it to the ^(AN)seven churches: to ^(AO)Ephesus, ^(AP)Smyrna, ^(AQ)Pergamum, ^(AR)Thyatira, ^(AS)Sardis, ^(AT)Philadelphia, and ^(AU)Laodicea.”

¹² Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me. And after turning I saw ^(AV)seven golden lampstands; ¹³ and ^(AW)in the middle of the lampstands I saw one ^(AX)like ^[k]a son of man, ^(AY)clothed in a robe reaching to the feet, and ^(AZ)wrapped around the chest with a golden sash. ¹⁴ His head and His ^(BA)hair were white like white wool, like snow; and ^(BB)His eyes were like a flame of fire. ¹⁵ His ^(BC)feet were like ^[l]burnished bronze when it has been heated to a glow in a furnace, and His ^(BD)voice was like the sound of many waters. ¹⁶ In His right hand He held ^(BE)seven stars, and out of His mouth came a ^(BF)sharp two-edged sword; and His ^(BG)face was like ^(BH)the sun ^[m]shining in its strength.

¹⁷ When I saw Him, I ^(BI)fell at His feet like a dead man. And He ^(BJ)placed His right hand on me, saying, “^(BK)Do not be afraid; ^(BL)I am the first and the last, ¹⁸ and the ^(BM)living One; and I ^[n](BN)was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have ^(BO)the keys of death and of Hades. ¹⁹ Therefore ^(BP)write ^(BQ)the things which you have seen, ^[o]and the things which are, and the things which will take place ^(BR)after these things. ²⁰ As for the ^(BS)mystery of the ^(BT)seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the ^(BU)seven golden lampstands: the ^(BV)seven stars are the angels of ^(BW)the seven churches, and the seven ^(BX)lampstands are the seven churches.

Message to Ephesus

2 “To the angel of the church in ^(BY)Ephesus write:

The One who holds ^(BZ)the seven stars in His right hand, the One who walks ^[p](CA)among the seven golden lampstands, says this:

² ‘^(CB)I know your deeds and your labor and ^[q]perseverance, and that you cannot tolerate evil people, and you have ^(CC)put those who call themselves ^(CD)apostles to the test, and they are not, and you found them to be false; ³ and you have ^[r]perseverance and have endured ^(CE)on account of My name, and have not become weary. ⁴ But I have this against you, that you have ^(CF)left your first love. ⁵ Therefore, remember from where you have fallen, and ^(CG)repent, and ^(CH)do the ^[s]deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and I will remove your ^(CI)lampstand from its place—unless you repent. ⁶ But you have this, that you hate the deeds of the ^(CJ)Nicolaitans, which I also hate. ^7 (CK)The one who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. ^(CL)To the one who overcomes, I will grant to eat from ^(CM)the tree of life, which is in the ^(CN)Paradise of God.’

Message to Smyrna

⁸ “And to the angel of the church in ^(CO)Smyrna write:

^(CP)The first and the last, who ^[t](CQ)was dead, and has come to life, says this:

⁹ ‘I know your ^(CR)tribulation and your ^(CS)poverty (but you are ^(CT)rich), and the ^[u]slander by those who ^(CU)say they are Jews, and are not, but are a synagogue of ^(CV)Satan. ¹⁰ Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, so that you will be ^(CW)tested, and you will have tribulation ^(CX)for ten days. ^[v]Be ^(CY)faithful until death, and I will give you ^(CZ)the crown of life. ^11 (DA)The one who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. ^(DB)The one who overcomes will not be hurt by the ^(DC)second death.’

Message to Pergamum

¹² “And to the angel of the church in ^(DD)Pergamum write:

The One who has ^(DE)the sharp two-edged sword says this:

¹³ ‘I know where you dwell, where ^(DF)Satan’s throne is; and you hold firmly to My name, and did not deny ^(DG)My faith even in the days of Antipas, My ^(DH)witness, My ^(DI)faithful one, who was killed among you, ^(DJ)where Satan dwells. ¹⁴ But ^(DK)I have a few things against you, because you have some there who hold the ^(DL)teaching of Balaam, who kept teaching Balak to put a ^[w]stumbling block before the sons of Israel, ^(DM)to eat things sacrificed to idols and to commit sexual immorality. ¹⁵ So you too, have some who in the same way hold to the teaching of the ^(DN)Nicolaitans. ¹⁶ Therefore ^(DO)repent; or else ^(DP)I am coming to you quickly, and I will wage war against them with ^(DQ)the sword of My mouth. ^17 (DR)The one who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. ^(DS)To the one who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden ^(DT)manna, and I will give him a white stone, and a ^(DU)new name written on the stone ^(DV)which no one knows except the one who receives it.’

Message to Thyatira

¹⁸ “And to the angel of the church in ^(DW)Thyatira write:

^(DX)The Son of God, ^(DY)who has ^[x]eyes like a flame of fire, and ^[y]feet like burnished bronze, says this:

¹⁹ ‘^(DZ)I know your deeds, and your love and faith, and service and ^[z]perseverance, and that your ^[aa]deeds of late are greater than ^[ab]at first. ²⁰ But ^(EA)I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman ^(EB)Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and she teaches and leads My bond-servants astray so that they ^(EC)commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. ^21 (ED)I gave her time to repent, and she ^(EE)does not want to repent of her sexual immorality. ²² Behold, I will throw her on a bed of sickness, and those who ^(EF)commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of ^[ac]her deeds. ²³ And I will kill her children with ^[ad]plague, and all the churches will know that I am He who ^(EG)searches the ^[ae]minds and hearts; and ^(EH)I will give to each one of you according to your deeds. ²⁴ But I say to you, the rest who are in ^(EI)Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not known the ^(EJ)deep things of Satan, as they call them—I ^(EK)place no other burden on you. ²⁵ Nevertheless ^(EL)what you have, hold firmly ^(EM)until I come. ^26 (EN)The one who overcomes, and the one who keeps My deeds ^(EO)until the end, ^(EP)I will give him authority over the ^[af]nations; ²⁷ and he shall ^[ag](EQ)rule them with a rod of iron, ^(ER)as the vessels of the potter are shattered, as I also have received authority from My Father; ²⁸ and I will give him ^(ES)the morning star. ^29 (ET)The one who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’

Message to Sardis

3 “To the angel of the church in ^(EU)Sardis write:

He who has ^[ah](EV)the seven spirits of God and ^(EW)the seven stars, says this: ‘^(EX)I know your deeds, that you have a name that you are alive, and yet you are ^(EY)dead. ² Be constantly alert, and strengthen the things that remain, which were about to die; for I have not found your deeds completed in the sight of My God. ³ So ^(EZ)remember ^[ai]what you have received and heard; and ^[aj]keep it, and ^(FA)repent. Then if you are not alert, ^(FB)I will come ^(FC)like a thief, and you will not know at ^(FD)what hour I will come to you. ⁴ But you have a few ^[ak](FE)people in ^(FF)Sardis who have not ^(FG)soiled their garments; and they will walk with Me ^(FH)in white, for they are worthy. ^5 (FI)The one who overcomes will be clothed the same way, in ^(FJ)white garments; and I will not ^(FK)erase his name from the book of life, and ^(FL)I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels. ^6 (FM)The one who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’

Message to Philadelphia

⁷ “And to the angel of the church in ^(FN)Philadelphia write:

^(FO)He who is holy, ^(FP)who is true, who has ^(FQ)the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, and who shuts and no one opens, says this:

⁸ ‘^(FR)I know your ^[al]deeds. Behold, I have put before you ^(FS)an open door which no one can shut, because you have a little power, and have followed My word, and ^(FT)have not denied My name. ⁹ Behold, I ^[am]will make those of ^(FU)the synagogue of Satan, who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie—I will make them ^(FV)come and bow down before your feet, and make them know that ^(FW)I have loved you. ¹⁰ Because you have ^(FX)kept ^(FY)My ^[an]word of perseverance, ^(FZ)I also will keep you from the hour of the ^[ao](GA)testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole ^[ap](GB)world, to ^[aq]test ^(GC)those who live on the earth. ^11 (GD)I am coming quickly; ^(GE)hold firmly to what you have, so that no one will take your ^(GF)crown. ^12 (GG)The one who overcomes, I will make him a ^(GH)pillar in the temple of My God, and he will not go out from it anymore; and I will write on him the ^(GI)name of My God, and ^(GJ)the name of the city of My God, ^(GK)the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God, and My ^(GL)new name. ^13 (GM)The one who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’

Message to Laodicea

¹⁴ “To the angel of the church in ^(GN)Laodicea write:

^(GO)The Amen, ^(GP)the faithful and true Witness, ^(GQ)the ^[ar]Origin of the creation of God, says this:

¹⁵ ‘^(GR)I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; ^(GS)I wish that you were cold or hot. ¹⁶ So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will vomit you out of My mouth. ¹⁷ Because you say, “^(GT)I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have no need of anything,” and you do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked, ¹⁸ I advise you to ^(GU)buy from Me ^(GV)gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and ^(GW)white garments so that you may clothe yourself and ^(GX)the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to apply to your eyes so that you may see. ^19 (GY)Those whom I love, I rebuke and discipline; therefore be zealous and ^(GZ)repent. ²⁰ Behold, I stand ^(HA)at the door and ^(HB)knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, ^(HC)I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me. ^21 (HD)The one who overcomes, I will grant to him ^(HE)to sit with Me on My throne, as ^(HF)I also overcame and sat with My Father on His throne. ^22 (HG)The one who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’”