The Capture of Rabbah

20 (A)In the spring of the year, the time when kings go out to battle, Joab led out the army and ravaged the country of the Ammonites and came and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem. And (B)Joab struck down Rabbah and overthrew it. (C)And David took the crown of their king from his head. He found that it weighed a talent[a] of gold, and in it was a precious stone. And it was placed on David's head. And he brought out the spoil of the city, a very great amount. And he brought out the people who were in it and set them to labor[b] (D)with saws and iron picks and axes.[c] And thus David did to all the cities of the Ammonites. Then David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. 1 Chronicles 20:2 A talent was about 75 pounds or 34 kilograms
  2. 1 Chronicles 20:3 Compare 2 Samuel 12:31; Hebrew he sawed
  3. 1 Chronicles 20:3 Compare 2 Samuel 12:31; Hebrew saws

The Capture of Rabbah(A)

20 Later the next spring, at the time that kings go out to fight, Joab led out the army, ravaged the territory of the Ammonites, and then went out and attacked Rabbah, while David remained behind in Jerusalem. Joab besieged Rabbah and conquered it. David confiscated the crown of their king[a] from his head, and found that its weight was a talent[b] in gold. A precious stone had been set in it, and it was placed on David’s head. He also confiscated a great amount of war booty that had been plundered from the city, brought back the people who had lived in it, and put them to conscripted labor with saws, iron picks, and axes. David did this to every Ammonite city, and then David and his entire army[c] returned to Jerusalem.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. 1 Chronicles 20:2 Lit. of Malcam; LXX reads king Molchol. Cf. 1King 11:5, 33; Zeph 1:5
  2. 1 Chronicles 20:2 I.e. about 75 pounds; a talent weighed about 75 pounds
  3. 1 Chronicles 20:3 Lit. people