Psalm 103

Of David.

²⁴ Then David comforted his wife Bathsheba,^(A) and he went to her and made love to her. She gave birth to a son, and they named him Solomon.^(B) The Lord loved him; ²⁵ and because the Lord loved him, he sent word through Nathan the prophet to name him Jedidiah.^[a](C)

²⁶ Meanwhile Joab fought against Rabbah^(D) of the Ammonites and captured the royal citadel. ²⁷ Joab then sent messengers to David, saying, “I have fought against Rabbah and taken its water supply. ²⁸ Now muster the rest of the troops and besiege the city and capture it. Otherwise I will take the city, and it will be named after me.”

²⁹ So David mustered the entire army and went to Rabbah, and attacked and captured it. ³⁰ David took the crown^(E) from their king’s^[b] head, and it was placed on his own head. It weighed a talent^[c] of gold, and it was set with precious stones. David took a great quantity of plunder from the city ³¹ and brought out the people who were there, consigning them to labor with saws and with iron picks and axes, and he made them work at brickmaking.^[d] David did this to all the Ammonite^(F) towns. Then he and his entire army returned to Jerusalem.

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.

Psalm 21^[a]

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

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)

³ Moreover, David defeated Hadadezer^(C) son of Rehob, king of Zobah,^(D) when he went to restore his monument at^[a] the Euphrates^(E) River. ⁴ David captured a thousand of his chariots, seven thousand charioteers^[b] and twenty thousand foot soldiers. He hamstrung^(F) all but a hundred of the chariot horses.

⁵ When the Arameans of Damascus^(G) came to help Hadadezer king of Zobah, David struck down twenty-two thousand of them. ⁶ He put garrisons^(H) in the Aramean kingdom of Damascus, and the Arameans became subject^(I) to him and brought tribute. The Lord gave David victory wherever he went.^(J)

⁷ David took the gold shields^(K) that belonged to the officers of Hadadezer and brought them to Jerusalem. ⁸ From Tebah^[c] and Berothai,^(L) towns that belonged to Hadadezer, King David took a great quantity of bronze.

²⁰ Benaiah^(A) son of Jehoiada, a valiant fighter from Kabzeel,^(B) performed great exploits. He struck down Moab’s two mightiest warriors. He also went down into a pit on a snowy day and killed a lion.

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

³ Moreover, David defeated Hadadezer king of Zobah,^(B) in the vicinity of Hamath, when he went to set up his monument at^[a] the Euphrates River.^{(C) 4} David captured a thousand of his chariots, seven thousand charioteers and twenty thousand foot soldiers. He hamstrung^(D) all but a hundred of the chariot horses.

⁵ When the Arameans of Damascus^(E) came to help Hadadezer king of Zobah, David struck down twenty-two thousand of them. ⁶ He put garrisons in the Aramean kingdom of Damascus, and the Arameans became subject to him and brought him tribute. The Lord gave David victory wherever he went.

⁷ David took the gold shields carried by the officers of Hadadezer and brought them to Jerusalem. ⁸ From Tebah^[b] and Kun, towns that belonged to Hadadezer, David took a great quantity of bronze, which Solomon used to make the bronze Sea,^(F) the pillars and various bronze articles.