War with Philistine Giants

20 (A)Then it happened [a]in the spring, at the time when kings go out to battle, that Joab led out the army and ravaged the land of the sons of Ammon, and came and besieged Rabbah. But David stayed in Jerusalem. And (B)Joab struck Rabbah and overthrew it. (C)David took the crown of [b]their king from his head, and he found it to weigh a [c]talent of gold, and there was a precious stone in it; and it was placed on David’s head. And he brought out the spoils of the city, a very great amount. He brought out the people who were in it, (D)and [d]put them to work at saws, iron picks, and axes. And David did the same to all the cities of the sons of Ammon. Then David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Chronicles 20:1 Lit at the return of the year
  2. 1 Chronicles 20:2 Another reading is Malcam from, a variant of the Ammonite god Milcom
  3. 1 Chronicles 20:2 About 75 lb. or 34 kg
  4. 1 Chronicles 20:3 So 2 Sam 12:31; MT sawed them apart with

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.

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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