¹⁴ He put garrisons in Edom; throughout all Edom he put garrisons, and all the Edomites became David’s servants. And the Lord gave victory to David wherever he went.^(A)

David’s Wars

8 Some time afterward, David attacked the Philistines and subdued them; David took Metheg-ammah out of the hand of the Philistines.

² He also defeated the Moabites and, making them lie down on the ground, measured them off with a cord; he measured two lengths of cord for those who were to be put to death and one length^[a] for those who were to be spared. And the Moabites became servants to David and brought tribute.^(A)

¹³ He put garrisons in Edom, and all the Edomites became subject to David. And the Lord gave victory to David wherever he went.

David’s Kingdom Established and Extended

18 Some time afterward, David attacked the Philistines and subdued them; he took Gath and its villages from the Philistines.^(A)

² He defeated Moab, and the Moabites became subject to David and brought tribute.

Exploits of David’s Men

¹⁵ The Philistines went to war again with Israel, and David went down together with his servants. They fought against the Philistines, and David grew weary. ¹⁶ Ishbi-benob, one of the descendants of the giants, whose spear weighed three hundred shekels of bronze and who was fitted out with new weapons,^[a] said he would kill David. ¹⁷ But Abishai son of Zeruiah came to his aid and attacked the Philistine and killed him. Then David’s men swore to him, “You shall not go out with us to battle any longer, so that you do not quench the lamp of Israel.”^(A)

¹⁸ After this a battle took place with the Philistines at Gob; then Sibbecai the Hushathite killed Saph, who was one of the descendants of the giants.^{(B) 19} Then there was another battle with the Philistines at Gob, and Elhanan son of Jaare-oregim the Bethlehemite killed Goliath the Gittite, the shaft of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam.^{(C) 20} There was again war at Gath, where there was a man of great size who had six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot, twenty-four in number; he, too, was descended from the giants.^{[b] 21} When he taunted Israel, Jonathan son of David’s brother Shimei killed him. ²² These four were descended from the giants^[c] in Gath; they fell by the hands of David and his servants.

Philistine Attack Repulsed

¹⁷ When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over Israel, all the Philistines went up in search of David, but David heard about it and went down to the stronghold.^{(A) 18} Now the Philistines had come and spread out in the valley of Rephaim.^{(B) 19} David inquired of the Lord, “Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will you give them into my hand?” The Lord said to David, “Go up, for I will certainly give the Philistines into your hand.”^{(C) 20} So David came to Baal-perazim, and David defeated them there. He said, “The Lord has burst forth against my enemies before me like a bursting flood.” Therefore that place is called Baal-perazim.^{[a](D) 21} The Philistines abandoned their idols there, and David and his men carried them away.^(E)

²² Once again the Philistines came up and were spread out in the valley of Rephaim.^{(F) 23} When David inquired of the Lord, he said, “You shall not go up; go around to their rear and come upon them opposite the balsam trees.^{(G) 24} When you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, then be on the alert, for then the Lord has gone out before you to strike down the army of the Philistines.”^{(H) 25} David did just as the Lord had commanded him, and he struck down the Philistines from Geba all the way to Gezer.^(I)