¹⁸ On the seventh day the child died. David’s attendants were afraid to tell him that the child was dead, for they thought, “While the child was still living, he wouldn’t listen to us when we spoke to him. How can we now tell him the child is dead? He may do something desperate.”

¹⁹ David noticed that his attendants were whispering among themselves, and he realized the child was dead. “Is the child dead?” he asked.

“Yes,” they replied, “he is dead.”

²⁰ Then David got up from the ground. After he had washed,^(A) put on lotions and changed his clothes,^(B) he went into the house of the Lord and worshiped. Then he went to his own house, and at his request they served him food, and he ate.

²¹ His attendants asked him, “Why are you acting this way? While the child was alive, you fasted and wept,^(C) but now that the child is dead, you get up and eat!”

²² He answered, “While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept. I thought, ‘Who knows?^(D) The Lord may be gracious to me and let the child live.’^{(E) 23} But now that he is dead, why should I go on fasting? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him,^(F) but he will not return to me.”^(G)

The Capture of Rabbah^(A)

20 In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, Joab led out the armed forces. He laid waste the land of the Ammonites and went to Rabbah^(B) and besieged it, but David remained in Jerusalem. Joab attacked Rabbah and left it in ruins.^{(C) 2} David took the crown from the head of their king^[a]—its weight was found to be a talent^[b] of gold, and it was set with precious stones—and it was placed on David’s head. He took a great quantity of plunder from the city ³ and brought out the people who were there, consigning them to labor with saws and with iron picks and axes.^(D) David did this to all the Ammonite towns. Then David and his entire army returned to Jerusalem.

² David also defeated the Moabites.^(A) He made them lie down on the ground and measured them off with a length of cord. Every two lengths of them were put to death, and the third length was allowed to live. So the Moabites became subject to David and brought him tribute.^(B)

² David also defeated the Moabites,^(A) and they became subject to him and brought him tribute.

³ Moreover, David defeated Hadadezer^(A) son of Rehob, king of Zobah,^(B) when he went to restore his monument at^[a] the Euphrates^(C) River.

⁴ David captured a thousand of his chariots, seven thousand charioteers^[a] and twenty thousand foot soldiers. He hamstrung^(A) all but a hundred of the chariot horses.

⁷ David took the gold shields^(A) that belonged to the officers of Hadadezer and brought them to Jerusalem.

⁸ From Tebah^[a] and Berothai,^(A) towns that belonged to Hadadezer, King David took a great quantity of bronze.

³ Moreover, David defeated Hadadezer king of Zobah,^(A) in the vicinity of Hamath, when he went to set up his monument at^[a] the Euphrates River.^(B)