David’s Military Campaigns

18 After this,^(A) David defeated the Philistines, subdued them, and took Gath and its surrounding villages from Philistine control. ² He also defeated the Moabites, and they became David’s subjects and brought tribute.

³ David also defeated King Hadadezer of Zobah at Hamath when he went to establish his control at the Euphrates River. ⁴ David captured one thousand chariots, seven thousand horsemen, and twenty thousand foot soldiers from him, hamstrung all the horses, and kept a hundred chariots.^[a]

⁵ When the Arameans of Damascus came to assist King Hadadezer of Zobah,^(B) David struck down twenty-two thousand Aramean men. ⁶ Then he placed garrisons^[b](C) in Aram of Damascus, and the Arameans became David’s subjects and brought tribute. The Lord made David victorious wherever he went.

⁷ David took the gold shields carried by Hadadezer’s officers and brought them to Jerusalem. ⁸ From Tibhath and Cun, Hadadezer’s cities, David also took huge quantities of bronze, from which Solomon made the bronze basin,^[c] the pillars, and the bronze articles.^(D)

⁹ When King Tou of Hamath heard that David had defeated the entire army of King Hadadezer of Zobah, ¹⁰ he sent his son Hadoram to King David to greet him and to congratulate him because David had fought against Hadadezer and defeated him, for Tou and Hadadezer had fought many wars. Hadoram brought all kinds of gold, silver, and bronze items. ¹¹ King David also dedicated these to the Lord, along with the silver and gold he had carried off from all the nations—from Edom, Moab, the Ammonites, the Philistines, and the Amalekites.

¹² Abishai son of Zeruiah struck down eighteen thousand Edomites in the Salt Valley. ¹³ He put garrisons in Edom, and all the Edomites were subject to David. The Lord made David victorious wherever he went.

¹⁴ So David reigned over all Israel,^(E) administering justice and righteousness for all his people.

War with the Ammonites

19 Some time later,^(I) King Nahash of the Ammonites died, and his son became king in his place. ² Then David said, “I’ll show kindness to Hanun son of Nahash, because his father showed kindness to me.”

So David sent messengers to console him concerning his father. However, when David’s emissaries arrived in the land of the Ammonites to console him, ³ the Ammonite leaders said to Hanun, “Just because David has sent men with condolences for you, do you really believe he’s showing respect for your father? Instead, haven’t his emissaries come in order to scout out, overthrow, and spy on the land?” ⁴ So Hanun took David’s emissaries, shaved them, cut their clothes in half at the hips, and sent them away.^(J)

⁵ It was reported to David about his men, so he sent messengers to meet them, since the men were deeply humiliated. The king said, “Stay in Jericho until your beards grow back; then return.”

⁶ When the Ammonites realized^(K) they had made themselves repulsive to David, Hanun and the Ammonites sent thirty-eight tons^[e] of silver to hire chariots and horsemen from Aram-naharaim, Aram-maacah, and Zobah.^{(L) 7} They hired thirty-two thousand chariots and the king of Maacah with his army, who came and camped near Medeba.^(M) The Ammonites also came together from their cities for the battle.

⁸ David heard about this and sent Joab and all the elite troops. ⁹ The Ammonites marched out and lined up in battle formation at the entrance of the city while the kings who had come were in the field by themselves. ¹⁰ When Joab saw that there was a battle line in front of him and another behind him, he chose some of Israel’s finest young men^[f](N) and lined up in formation to engage the Arameans. ¹¹ He placed the rest of the forces under the command of his brother Abishai. They lined up in formation to engage the Ammonites.

¹² “If the Arameans are too strong for me,” Joab said, “then you’ll be my help. However, if the Ammonites are too strong for you, I’ll help you. ¹³ Be strong! Let’s prove ourselves strong for our people and for the cities of our God.^(O) May the Lord’s will be done.”^[g]

¹⁴ Joab and the people with him approached the Arameans for battle, and they fled before him. ¹⁵ When the Ammonites saw that the Arameans had fled, they likewise fled before Joab’s brother Abishai and entered the city. Then Joab went to Jerusalem.

¹⁶ When the Arameans realized that they had been defeated by Israel, they sent messengers to summon the Arameans who were beyond the Euphrates River. They were led by Shophach, the commander of Hadadezer’s army.

¹⁷ When this was reported to David, he gathered all Israel and crossed the Jordan. He came up to the Arameans and lined up against them. When David lined up to engage them, they fought against him. ¹⁸ But the Arameans fled before Israel, and David killed seven thousand of their charioteers and forty thousand foot soldiers. He also killed Shophach, commander of the army. ¹⁹ When Hadadezer’s subjects saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they made peace with David and became his subjects. After this, the Arameans were never willing to help the Ammonites again.

Jesus Prays for Himself

17 Jesus spoke these things, looked up to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son so that the Son^(A) may glorify you,^{(B) 2} since you gave him authority over all people,^[a](C) so that he may give eternal life^(D) to everyone you have given him.^{(E) 3} This is eternal life: that they may know you, the only^(F) true^(G) God, and the one you have sent^(H) —Jesus Christ.^{(I) 4} I have glorified you on the earth by completing the work you gave me to do. ⁵ Now, Father,^(J) glorify me in your presence with that glory^(K) I had with you before the world existed.^(L)

Jesus Prays for His Disciples

⁶ “I have revealed your name^(M) to the people you gave me^(N) from the world.^(O) They were yours, you gave them to me,^(P) and they have kept your word.^{(Q) 7} Now they know that everything you have given me is from you, ⁸ because I have given them the words you gave me.^(R) They have received them and have known for certain that I came from you.^(S) They have believed that you sent me.

⁹ “I pray^[b] for them. I am not praying for the world but for those you have given me,^(T) because they are yours. ¹⁰ Everything I have is yours, and everything you have is mine,^(U) and I am glorified in them. ¹¹ I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you.^(V) Holy^(W) Father, protect^[c] them by your name^(X) that you have given me, so that they may be one^(Y) as we are^(Z) one. ¹² While I was with them, I was protecting them by your name that you have given me. I guarded^(AA) them and not one of them is lost, except the son of destruction,^[d] so that the Scripture^(AB) may be fulfilled.^{(AC) 13} Now I am coming to you, and I speak these things in the world so that they may have my joy completed in them. ¹⁴ I have given them your word. The world hated^(AD) them because they are not of the world,^(AE) just as I am not of the world.^{(AF) 15} I am not praying that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.^{(AG) 16} They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.^{(AH) 17} Sanctify^(AI) them by the truth; ^(AJ) your word is truth. ¹⁸ As you sent me into the world,^(AK) I also have sent them into the world. ¹⁹ I sanctify myself for them, so that they also may be sanctified by the truth.

Jesus Prays for All Believers

²⁰ “I pray not only for these, but also for those who believe in me through their word. ²¹ May they all be one,^(AL) as you, Father, are in me and I am in you.^(AM) May they also be^[e] in us, so that the world may believe you sent me. ²² I have given them the glory^(AN) you have given me, so that they may be one as we are one. ²³ I am in them and you are in me,^(AO) so that they may be made completely one, that the world may know you have sent me and have loved^(AP) them as you have loved me.^(AQ)

²⁴ “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am,^(AR) so that they will see my glory, which you have given me because you loved me before the world’s foundation. ²⁵ Righteous Father, the world has not known you. However, I have known you,^(AS) and they have known that you sent me. ²⁶ I made your name^(AT) known to them and will continue to make it known, so that the love you have loved me with may be in them and I may be in them.”^(AU)