David’s Conquests^(A)

18 Now it happened after this that David attacked the Philistines and subdued them, so he took Gath and its neighboring towns from Philistine control.

² He also defeated Moab so that the Moabites became servants to David and brought tribute.

³ Next David struck down Hadadezer the king of Zobah toward Hamath as he marched out to establish his authority along the Euphrates. ⁴ David captured from him one thousand chariots, seven thousand horsemen, and twenty thousand infantry men. Then David hamstrung all the chariot horses except for the one hundred he spared.

⁵ When the Arameans of Damascus came to help Hadadezer king of Zobah, David struck down twenty-two thousand Arameans. ⁶ Then David set garrisons in Aram of Damascus; and Arameans became subject to David, and brought tribute. The Lord gave victory to David wherever he went.

⁷ So David took the shields of gold that were on the servants of Hadadezer, and brought them to Jerusalem. ⁸ Also from Tibhath^[a] and Kun, cities of Hadadezer, David took a large amount of bronze; with it Solomon made the bronze Sea, the pillars, and the vessels of bronze.

⁹ When Tou king of Hamath heard that David had defeated all the army of Hadadezer king of Zobah, ¹⁰ he sent his son Hadoram to King David to ask about his welfare and to bless him because he fought and defeated Hadadezer (for Hadadezer had been at war with Tou). He sent all kinds of articles of gold, silver, and bronze.

¹¹ King David also dedicated these to the Lord, together with the silver and gold which he had carried away from all the surrounding nations, from Edom, Moab, the Ammonites, the Philistines, and Amalek.

¹² Also Abishai the son of Zeruiah struck down eighteen thousand men of Edom in the Valley of Salt. ¹³ He set up garrisons in Edom, and all the Edomites became servants to David. Wherever he went, the Lord gave David victory.

David’s Officials

¹⁴ So David was king over all Israel, and he executed justice and righteousness for all his people. ¹⁵ Joab the son of Zeruiah was over the army, and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was the historian. ¹⁶ Zadok the son of Ahitub and Abimelek the son of Abiathar served as priests, while Shavsha was scribe. ¹⁷ Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Kerethites and the Pelethites, and the sons of David were the king’s principal officials.