2 Samuel 8
Good News Translation
David's Military Victories(A)
8 Some time later King David attacked the Philistines again, defeated them, and ended their control over the land.[a]
2 Then he defeated the Moabites. He made the prisoners lie down on the ground and put two out of every three of them to death. So the Moabites became his subjects and paid taxes to him.
3 Then he defeated the king of the Syrian state of Zobah, Hadadezer son of Rehob, as Hadadezer was on his way to restore his control over the territory by the upper Euphrates River. 4 David captured seventeen hundred of his cavalry and twenty thousand of his foot soldiers. He kept enough horses for a hundred chariots and crippled all the rest.
5 When the Syrians of Damascus sent an army to help King Hadadezer, David attacked it and killed twenty-two thousand men. 6 Then he set up military camps in[b] their territory, and they became his subjects and paid taxes to him. The Lord made David victorious everywhere. 7 David captured the gold shields carried by Hadadezer's officials and took them to Jerusalem. 8 He also took a great quantity of bronze from Betah and Berothai, cities ruled by Hadadezer.
9 King Toi of Hamath heard that David had defeated all of Hadadezer's army. 10 So he sent his son Joram to greet King David and congratulate him for his victory over Hadadezer, against whom Toi had fought many times. Joram took David presents made of gold, silver, and bronze. 11 King David dedicated them for use in worship, along with the silver and gold he took from the nations he had conquered— 12 Edom, Moab, Ammon, Philistia, and Amalek—as well as part of the loot he had taken from Hadadezer.
13 (B)David became even more famous when he returned from killing eighteen thousand Edomites in Salt Valley. 14 He set up military camps[c] throughout Edom, and the people there became his subjects. The Lord made David victorious everywhere.
15 David ruled over all of Israel and made sure that his people were always treated fairly and justly. 16 Joab, whose mother was Zeruiah, was the commander of the army; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was in charge of the records; 17 Zadok son of Ahitub and Ahimelech son of Abiathar were priests; Seraiah was the court secretary; 18 Benaiah son of Jehoiada was in charge of[d] David's bodyguards; and David's sons were priests.
Footnotes
- 2 Samuel 8:1 Probable text over the land; Hebrew unclear.
- 2 Samuel 8:6 set up military camps in; or placed military commanders over.
- 2 Samuel 8:14 set up military camps; or placed military commanders.
- 2 Samuel 8:18 Some ancient translations was in charge of; Hebrew does not have these words.
2 Samuel 8
New King James Version
David’s Further Conquests(A)
8 After this it came to pass that David [a]attacked the Philistines and subdued them. And David took [b]Metheg Ammah from the hand of the Philistines.
2 Then (B)he defeated Moab. Forcing them down to the ground, he measured them off with a line. With two lines he measured off those to be put to death, and with one full line those to be kept alive. So the Moabites became David’s (C)servants, and (D)brought tribute.
3 David also defeated Hadadezer the son of Rehob, king of (E)Zobah, as he went to recover (F)his territory at the River Euphrates. 4 David took from him one thousand chariots, [c]seven hundred horsemen, and twenty thousand foot soldiers. Also David (G)hamstrung all the chariot horses, except that he spared enough of them for one hundred chariots.
5 (H)When the 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 (I)the Lord preserved David wherever he went. 7 And David took (J)the shields of gold that had belonged to the servants of Hadadezer, and brought them to Jerusalem. 8 Also from [d]Betah and from (K)Berothai,[e] cities of Hadadezer, King David took a large amount of bronze.
9 When [f]Toi king of (L)Hamath heard that David had defeated all the army of Hadadezer, 10 then Toi sent [g]Joram his son to King David, to [h]greet him and bless him, because he had fought against Hadadezer and defeated him (for Hadadezer had been at war with Toi); and Joram brought with him articles of silver, articles of gold, and articles of bronze. 11 King David also (M)dedicated these to the Lord, along with the silver and gold that he had dedicated from all the nations which he had subdued— 12 from [i]Syria, from Moab, from the people of Ammon, from the (N)Philistines, from Amalek, and from the spoil of Hadadezer the son of Rehob, king of Zobah.
13 And David made himself a (O)name when he returned from killing (P)eighteen thousand [j]Syrians in (Q)the Valley of Salt. 14 He also put garrisons in Edom; throughout all Edom he put garrisons, and (R)all the Edomites became David’s servants. And the Lord preserved David wherever he went.
David’s Administration(S)
15 So David reigned over all Israel; and David administered judgment and justice to all his people. 16 (T)Joab the son of Zeruiah was over the army; (U)Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder; 17 (V)Zadok the son of Ahitub and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar were the priests; [k]Seraiah was the [l]scribe; 18 (W)Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over both the (X)Cherethites and the Pelethites; and David’s sons were [m]chief ministers.
Footnotes
- 2 Samuel 8:1 Lit. struck
- 2 Samuel 8:1 Lit. The Bridle of the Mother City
- 2 Samuel 8:4 seven thousand, 1 Chr. 18:4
- 2 Samuel 8:8 Tibhath, 1 Chr. 18:8
- 2 Samuel 8:8 Chun, 1 Chr. 18:8
- 2 Samuel 8:9 Tou, 1 Chr. 18:9
- 2 Samuel 8:10 Hadoram, 1 Chr. 18:10
- 2 Samuel 8:10 Lit. ask him of his welfare
- 2 Samuel 8:12 LXX, Syr., Heb. mss. Edom
- 2 Samuel 8:13 LXX, Syr., Heb. mss. Edomites and 1 Chr. 18:12
- 2 Samuel 8:17 Shavsha, 1 Chr. 18:16
- 2 Samuel 8:17 secretary
- 2 Samuel 8:18 Lit. priests
2 Samuel 8
English Standard Version
David's Victories
8 (A)After this David defeated the Philistines and subdued them, and David took (B)Metheg-ammah out of the hand of the Philistines.
2 (C)And he defeated Moab and he measured them with a line, making them lie down on the ground. Two lines he measured to be put to death, and one full line to be spared. And the Moabites (D)became servants to David and (E)brought tribute.
3 David also defeated (F)Hadadezer the son of Rehob, king of (G)Zobah, as he went to restore his power at the river Euphrates. 4 (H)And David took from him 1,700 horsemen, and 20,000 foot soldiers. And David (I)hamstrung all the chariot horses but left enough for 100 chariots. 5 (J)And when the (K)Syrians of Damascus came to help (L)Hadadezer king of (M)Zobah, David struck down 22,000 men of the Syrians. 6 Then David put garrisons in Aram of Damascus, and the Syrians (N)became servants to David and brought tribute. (O)And the Lord gave victory to David wherever he went. 7 And David took (P)the shields of gold that were carried by the servants of Hadadezer and brought them to Jerusalem. 8 And from Betah and from Berothai, cities of Hadadezer, King David took very much bronze.
9 When Toi king of (Q)Hamath heard that David had defeated the whole army of Hadadezer, 10 Toi sent his son Joram to King David, to ask about his health and to bless him because he had fought against Hadadezer and defeated him, for Hadadezer had often been at war with Toi. And Joram brought with him articles of silver, of gold, and of bronze. 11 (R)These also King David dedicated to the Lord, together with the silver and gold that he dedicated from all the nations he subdued, 12 from Edom, (S)Moab, (T)the Ammonites, (U)the Philistines, (V)Amalek, and from the spoil of Hadadezer the son of Rehob, king of (W)Zobah.
13 And David made a name for himself when he returned from striking down 18,000 Edomites in (X)the Valley of Salt. 14 Then he put garrisons in Edom; throughout all Edom he put garrisons, (Y)and all the Edomites became David's servants. And the Lord gave victory to David wherever he went.
David's Officials
15 So David reigned over all Israel. And David administered justice and equity to all his people. 16 (Z)Joab the son of Zeruiah was over the army, and (AA)Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder, 17 and (AB)Zadok the son of Ahitub and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar were priests, and (AC)Seraiah was secretary, 18 and (AD)Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over[a] the (AE)Cherethites and the Pelethites, and David's sons were priests.
Footnotes
- 2 Samuel 8:18 Compare 20:23, 1 Chronicles 18:17, Syriac, Targum, Vulgate; Hebrew lacks was over
Good News Translation® (Today’s English Version, Second Edition) © 1992 American Bible Society. All rights reserved. For more information about GNT, visit www.bibles.com and www.gnt.bible.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
