David Strikes Down Nations

18 Now ^(A)it happened afterwards, that David struck the Philistines and subdued them and took Gath and its towns from the hand of the Philistines. ² He also struck Moab, and the Moabites became servants to David, bringing tribute.

³ Then David struck Hadadezer king of Zobah as far as Hamath, as he went to set up his ^[a]power at the Euphrates River. ⁴ And David captured from him 1,000 chariots and 7,000 horsemen and 20,000 foot soldiers, and David hamstrung all the chariot horses, but left enough of them for 100 chariots.

⁵ Then the Arameans of ^[b]Damascus came to help Hadadezer king ^(B)of Zobah. And David struck down 22,000 men of the Arameans. ⁶ Then David placed garrisons among the Arameans of ^[c]Damascus; and the Arameans became servants to David, bringing tribute. And Yahweh granted salvation to David wherever he went. ⁷ And David took the small shields of gold which were ^[d]carried by the servants of Hadadezer and brought them to Jerusalem. ⁸ Also from ^[e]Tibhath and from Cun, cities of Hadadezer, David took a very large amount of bronze, with which ^(C)Solomon made the bronze sea and the pillars and the bronze utensils.

⁹ Then ^[f]Tou king of Hamath heard that David had struck down all the military force of Hadadezer king of Zobah, ¹⁰ so he sent ^[g]Hadoram his son to King David to ^[h]greet him and to bless him, because he had fought against Hadadezer and struck him down; 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 set these apart as holy to Yahweh 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 ^[i]smote 18,000 of Edom in the Valley of Salt. ¹³ Then he placed garrisons in Edom, and all the Edomites became servants to David. And Yahweh granted salvation to David wherever he went.

¹⁴ So David reigned over all Israel; and he was doing justice and righteousness for all his people. ^15 (D)Now Joab the son of Zeruiah was over the army, and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder; ¹⁶ and Zadok the son of Ahitub and Abimelech the son of Abiathar were 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 chiefs at the king’s side.