1 Chronicles 18
New King James Version
David’s Further Conquests(A)
18 After this (B)it came to pass that David [a]attacked the Philistines, subdued them, and took Gath and its towns from the hand of the Philistines. 2 Then he [b]defeated (C)Moab, and the Moabites became David’s (D)servants, and brought tribute.
3 And (E)David [c]defeated [d]Hadadezer king of Zobah as far as Hamath, as he went to establish his power by the River Euphrates. 4 David took from him one thousand chariots, [e]seven thousand horsemen, and twenty thousand foot soldiers. Also David [f]hamstrung all the chariot horses, except that he spared enough of them for one hundred chariots.
5 When the (F)Syrians of Damascus came to help Hadadezer king of Zobah, David killed twenty-two thousand of the Syrians. 6 Then David put garrisons in Syria of Damascus; and the Syrians became David’s servants, and brought tribute. So the Lord preserved David wherever he went. 7 And David took the shields of gold that were on the servants of Hadadezer, and brought them to Jerusalem. 8 Also from [g]Tibhath and from [h]Chun, cities of [i]Hadadezer, David brought a large amount of (G)bronze, with which (H)Solomon made the bronze [j]Sea, the pillars, and the articles of bronze.
9 Now when [k]Tou king of Hamath heard that David had [l]defeated all the army of Hadadezer king of Zobah, 10 he sent [m]Hadoram his son to King David, to greet him and bless him, because he had fought against Hadadezer and [n]defeated him (for Hadadezer had been at war with Tou); and Hadoram brought with him all kinds of (I)articles of gold, silver, and bronze. 11 King David also dedicated these to the Lord, along with the silver and gold that he had brought from all these nations—from Edom, from Moab, from the (J)people of Ammon, from the (K)Philistines, and from (L)Amalek.
12 Moreover (M)Abishai the son of Zeruiah killed (N)eighteen thousand [o]Edomites in the Valley of Salt. 13 (O)He also put garrisons in Edom, and all the Edomites became David’s servants. And the Lord preserved David wherever he went.
David’s Administration(P)
14 So David reigned over all Israel, and administered judgment and justice to all his people. 15 Joab the son of Zeruiah was over the army; Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder; 16 Zadok the son of Ahitub and [p]Abimelech the son of Abiathar were the priests; [q]Shavsha was the scribe; 17 (Q)Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and David’s sons were [r]chief ministers at the king’s side.
Footnotes
- 1 Chronicles 18:1 Lit. struck
- 1 Chronicles 18:2 Lit. struck
- 1 Chronicles 18:3 Lit. struck
- 1 Chronicles 18:3 Heb. Hadarezer
- 1 Chronicles 18:4 seven hundred, 2 Sam. 8:4
- 1 Chronicles 18:4 crippled
- 1 Chronicles 18:8 Betah, 2 Sam. 8:8
- 1 Chronicles 18:8 Berothai, 2 Sam. 8:8
- 1 Chronicles 18:8 Heb. Hadarezer
- 1 Chronicles 18:8 Great laver or basin
- 1 Chronicles 18:9 Toi, 2 Sam. 8:9, 10
- 1 Chronicles 18:9 Lit. struck
- 1 Chronicles 18:10 Joram, 2 Sam. 8:10
- 1 Chronicles 18:10 Lit. struck
- 1 Chronicles 18:12 Syrians, 2 Sam. 8:13
- 1 Chronicles 18:16 Ahimelech, 2 Sam. 8:17
- 1 Chronicles 18:16 Seraiah, 2 Sam. 8:17, or Shisha, 1 Kin. 4:3
- 1 Chronicles 18:17 Lit. at the hand of the king
1 Chronicles 18
Wycliffe Bible
18 Soothly it was done after these things, that David smote the Philistines (that David struck the Philistines), and made them low, and he took away Gath and the villages thereof from the hand of (the) Philistines;
2 and he smote Moab (and he struck Moab); and Moabites were made the servants of David, and brought gifts to him.
3 In that time David smote also Hadadezer[a], king of Zobah, of the country of Hamath, when he went to alarge his empire till to the flood Euphrates. (At that time David also struck down Hadadezer, the king of Zobah, of the country of Hamath, when he went to enlarge his empire unto the Euphrates River.)
4 Therefore David took a thousand four-horsed carts of his, and seven thousand of horsemen, and twenty thousand of footmen; and he hocked all the horses of the chariots, except an hundred four-horsed carts, which he kept to himself. (And so David took from him a thousand four-horsed chariots, and seven thousand horsemen, and twenty thousand footmen; and he hocked all the horses for the chariots, except the horses for a hundred four-horsed chariots, which he kept for himself.)
5 Forsooth also (the) Syrians of Damascus came above, to give help to Hadadezer, king of Zobah, but David smote also of his two and twenty thousand of men; (And when the Syrians of Damascus came over, to give help to Hadadezer, the king of Zobah, David struck down twenty-two thousand of them;)
6 and David set knights in Damascus, that (the) Syrians also should serve him, and bring to him gifts. And the Lord helped David in all things to which he went. (and David put horsemen, or garrisons, in Damascus, so that the Syrians would also serve him, and bring him gifts/and pay him taxes, or tribute. And so the Lord helped David in everything that he did.)
7 And David took [the] golden arrow cases, which the servants of Hadadezer had, and he brought those into Jerusalem;
8 also and of Tibhath, and of Chun, the cities of Hadadezer, he took full much of brass, whereof Solomon made the brazen sea, that is, (the) washing vessel, and (the) pillars, and (the) brazen vessels. (and also from Tibhath, and from Chun, the cities of Hadadezer, he took a great deal of bronze, from which Solomon made the bronze Sea, that is, the washing vessel, and the pillars, and the bronze vessels.)
9 And when Tou, king of Hamath, had heard this thing, that is, that David had smitten all the host of Hadadezer, king of Zobah, (And when Tou, the king of Hamath, had heard that David had struck down all the army of Hadadezer, the king of Zobah,)
10 he sent Hadoram, his son, to David the king, for to ask of him peace, and for to thank him, for he had overcome and smitten Hadadezer; for why king Hadadezer was adversary of Tou. (And Hadoram brought vessels of gold and silver and bronze, as gifts.) (he sent his son Hadoram to King David, to greet him, and to congratulate him, for he had overcome and struck down Hadadezer; for King Hadadezer was an adversary of Tou. And Hadoram brought vessels of gold and silver and bronze, as gifts.)
11 But also king David hallowed to the Lord all the vessels of gold, and of silver, and of brass; and the silver, and the gold, which the king had taken of all folks, as well of Idumea, and of Moab, and of the sons of Ammon, as of [the] Philistines, and of Amalek. (And King David dedicated these gifts to the Lord; and also the silver and gold which he had taken from all the nations, yea, from Edom, and from Moab, and from the Ammonites, and from the Philistines, and from Amalek.)
12 And Abishai, the son of Zeruiah, smote Edom in the valley of salt pits, (killing) eighteen thousand (men).
13 And he set stronghold(s) in Edom, that Idumeans should serve David (And David put strongholds, or garrisons, in Edom, so that the Edomites would serve him). And the Lord saved David in all things, to which he went.
14 Therefore David reigned on all Israel, and did doom and rightwiseness to all his people. (And so David reigned upon all Israel, and decreed righteous judgements for all of his people.)
15 Forsooth Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was on the host; and Jehoshaphat, the son of Ahilud, was chancellor; (And Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was in command of the army; and Jehoshaphat, the son of Ahilud, was the chancellor;)
16 and Zadok, the son of Ahitub, and Abimelech, the son of Abiathar, were priests; and Shavsha was scribe; (and Zadok, the son of Ahitub, and Abimelech, the son of Abiathar, were the High Priests; and Shavsha was the writer, or the royal secretary;)
17 and Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, was on the legions (of the) Cherethites and Pelethites, keepers of David’s head; soothly the sons of David were the first at the hand of the king. (and Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, was over the legions of the Cherethites and Pelethites, who were David’s bodyguards; and David’s sons were the first in line at the hand of the king.)
Footnotes
- 1 Chronicles 18:3 Also known as Hadarezer.
1 Chronicles 18
English Standard Version
David Defeats His Enemies
18 (A)After this David defeated the Philistines and subdued them, and he took Gath and its villages out of the hand of the Philistines.
2 And he defeated Moab, and the Moabites became servants to David and brought tribute.
3 David also defeated (B)Hadadezer king of (C)Zobah-Hamath, as he went to set up his monument[a] at the river Euphrates. 4 And David took from him 1,000 chariots, (D)7,000 horsemen, and 20,000 foot soldiers. And David hamstrung all the chariot horses, but left enough for 100 chariots. 5 And when the Syrians of Damascus came to help Hadadezer king (E)of Zobah, David struck down 22,000 men of the Syrians. 6 Then David put garrisons[b] in Syria of Damascus, and the Syrians became servants to David and brought tribute. And the Lord gave victory to David[c] wherever he went. 7 And David took the shields of gold that were carried by the servants of Hadadezer and brought them to Jerusalem. 8 And from (F)Tibhath and from Cun, cities of Hadadezer, David took a large amount of bronze. (G)With it Solomon made the bronze sea and the pillars and the vessels of bronze.
9 When (H)Tou king of Hamath heard that David had defeated the whole army of Hadadezer, king (I)of Zobah, 10 he sent his son (J)Hadoram to King David, to ask about his health and to bless him because he had fought against (K)Hadadezer and defeated him; for (L)Hadadezer had often been at war with Tou. And he sent all sorts of articles of gold, of silver, and of bronze. 11 These also King David dedicated to the Lord, together with the silver and gold that he had carried off from all the nations, from (M)Edom, Moab, the Ammonites, the Philistines, and Amalek.
12 And (N)Abishai, the son of Zeruiah, killed 18,000 Edomites in the Valley of Salt. 13 Then he put garrisons in Edom, and all the Edomites became David's servants. And the Lord gave victory to David wherever he went.
David's Administration
14 So David reigned over all Israel, and he administered justice and equity to all his people. 15 And (O)Joab the son of Zeruiah was over the army; and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder; 16 (P)and Zadok the son of Ahitub and (Q)Ahimelech the son of Abiathar were priests; and (R)Shavsha was secretary; 17 and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and David's sons were the (S)chief officials in the service of the king.
Footnotes
- 1 Chronicles 18:3 Hebrew hand
- 1 Chronicles 18:6 Septuagint, Vulgate, 2 Samuel 8:6 (compare Syriac); Hebrew lacks garrisons
- 1 Chronicles 18:6 Hebrew the Lord saved David; also verse 13
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
2001 by Terence P. Noble
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.

