Chronological

8 And it was done after these things, David smote the Philistines, and made low them; and David took away the bridle of tribute from the hand of Philistines. (And it was done after these things, that David struck the Philistines, and made them low, or conquered them; and David took away Methegammah from the Philistines.)

² And David smote Moab, and meted them with a cord, and he made them even to the earth; forsooth he meted (them by) two cords, one to slay, and one to quicken. And Moab served David under tribute. (And David struck the Moabites, and he made his captives to lie on the ground, and had them measured with a cord; and for every two cord lengths of men that he killed, one cord length was allowed to live. And then the Moabites paid tribute, or taxes, to David.)

³ And David smote Hadadezer, the son of Rehob, king of Zobah, when he went forth to be lord over the flood Euphrates. (And then David struck Hadadezer, the son of Rehob, the king of Zobah, as he went to recover his land by the Euphrates River.)

⁴ And when a thousand and seven hundred horsemen of his part were taken, and twenty thousand of footmen, David hocked all [the] drawing beasts in chariots; but David left of those an hundred chariots, that is, the horses of an hundred chariots. (And David took from him, or captured, a thousand and seven hundred horsemen, and twenty thousand footmen, and he hocked all the drawing beasts for the chariots; but he left unharmed the horses for a hundred chariots.)

⁵ Also Syrians of Damascus came, that it should bear help to Hadadezer, king of Zobah; and David smote of (the) Syrians two and twenty thousand of men. (And the Syrians of Damascus came to help Hadadezer; and David struck down twenty-two thousand of the men of Syria.)

⁶ And David setted a stronghold in Syria of Damascus, and Syria was made serving David under tribute. And the Lord kept David in all things, to whatever things he went forth. (And David set up strongholds in Syria of Damascus, and the Syrians were made to serve David, and to pay tribute, or taxes, to him. And the Lord gave victory to David in all his battles, wherever he went.)

⁷ And David took golden armours and bands (And David took the gold arms, or the weapons), which the servants of Hadadezer had, and he brought those into Jerusalem.

⁸ And of Betah, and of Berothai (And from Betah, and Berothai), the cities of Hadadezer, David [the] king took full much brass.

⁹ Forsooth Toi, king of Hamath, heard that David had smitten all the host of Hadadezer.

¹⁰ And Toi sent Joram, his son, to king David, that he should greet him, and thank (him), and do thankings, for he had overcome Hadadezer, and had smitten him; for Toi was enemy of Hadadezer; and vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and vessels of brass were in his hand. (And King Toi sent his son Joram to King David, to greet him, and to congratulate him on his victory, for he had overcome Hadadezer, and had beaten him; for Toi was Hadadezer’s enemy; and his son brought with him vessels of silver, and gold, and brass, for David.)

¹¹ And the same vessels king David hallowed to the Lord, with the silver and gold, which he had hallowed of all heathen men, which he had made subject. (And King David dedicated these vessels to the Lord, along with the silver and the gold which he had dedicated from all the heathen whom he had made subject,)

¹² of Syria, and of Moab, and of the sons of Ammon, and of Philistines, and of Amalek, and of the spoils of Hadadezer, the son of Rehob, king of Zobah.

¹³ Also David made to him a name, when he turned again when Syria was taken, for eighteen thousand men were slain in the valley, where salt was made, and in Helam, to three and twenty thousand.^[a] (And so David had made a name for himself, by the time he returned after the Syrians were killed, for eighteen thousand men were slain in the Salt Valley, and twenty-two thousand in Helam.)

¹⁴ And he setted keepers in Idumea, and ordained [a] stronghold, and all Idumea was made serving to David; and the Lord kept David in all things, to whatever things he went forth. (And he set up strongholds in Edom, or Idumea, and all the Edomites served David; and so the Lord gave victory to David everywhere he went.)

¹⁵ And David reigned upon all Israel, and David did doom, and rightwiseness to all his people. (And David reigned over all Israel, and David brought justice, or judgement, and righteousness unto all his people.)

¹⁶ And Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was over the host of David; and Jehoshaphat, the son of Ahilud, was recorder; (And Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was the leader of David’s army; and Jehoshaphat, the son of Ahilud, was the officer in charge of the records;)

¹⁷ and Zadok, the son of Ahitub, and Ahimelech, the son of Abiathar, were priests; and Seraiah was a scribe (and Seraiah was the writer).

¹⁸ But Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, was over Cherethites and Pelethites, that is, over archers and arrow-blasters; and the sons of David were priests. (And Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, was the leader of the Cherethites and Pelethites, that is, the archers and the arrow-blasters; and David’s sons were priests.)

9 And David said, Whether any man is, that (is) left of the house of Saul, that I do mercy with him for Jonathan? (And David asked, Is there any man who is left of Saul’s family, to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan’s sake?)

² And there was a servant, Ziba by name, of the house of Saul; whom when the king had called to himself, the king said to him, Whether thou art not Ziba? (Art thou Ziba?) And he answered, I am thy servant.

³ And the king said, Whether any man liveth of the house of Saul, that I do with him the mercy of God? And Ziba said to the king, A son of Jonathan liveth, feeble in the feet. (And the king said, Is there any man left of Saul’s family, to whom I can show the kindness that God commandeth? And Ziba said to the king, A son of Jonathan liveth, who is lame, or crippled.)

⁴ And the king said, Where is he? And Ziba said to the king, Lo! he is in the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, in Lodebar.

⁵ Therefore king David sent, and took Jonathan’s son from the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, from Lodebar. (And so King David sent for Jonathan’s son, and brought him to Jerusalem from the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, in Lodebar.)

⁶ And when Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, [the] son of Saul, had come to David, he felled into his face, and worshipped. And David said, Mephibosheth! And he answered, I am present, thy servant. (And when Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, had come to David, he fell on his face, and honoured him. And David said, Mephibosheth! And he answered, I am thy servant.)

⁷ And David said to him, Dread thou not, for I doing shall do mercy to thee for Jonathan, thy father; and I shall restore to thee all the fields of Saul, thy father, and thou shalt eat bread in my table ever[more]. (And David said to him, Fear not, for I shall do kindness to thee because of thy father Jonathan; and I shall restore to thee all the fields of Saul, thy grandfather, and thou shalt have a place at my table forevermore.)

⁸ Which worshipped him (Who bowed low before him again), and said, Who am I, thy servant, for thou hast beheld on a dead dog like me?

⁹ Therefore the king called Ziba, the servant of Saul; and said to him, I have given to the son of thy lord all things, whichever were of Saul, and all the house of him; (And so the king called Ziba, Saul’s servant, and said to him, I have given to thy lord’s grandson everything that belonged to Saul, and his family;)

¹⁰ therefore work thou the land to him, thou, and thy sons, and thy servants, and thou shalt bring in meats to the son of thy lord, that he be fed; but Mephibosheth, the son of thy lord, shall eat ever bread on my board. And fifteen sons and twenty servants were to Ziba. (and so work thou the land for him, thou, and thy sons, and thy servants, and thou shalt bring in the harvest for the family of thy lord, so that they can be fed; but Mephibosheth, the grandson of thy lord, shall have a place at my table forevermore. And Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.)

¹¹ And Ziba said to the king, As thou, my lord (the) king, hast commanded to thy servant, so thy servant shall do; and Mephibosheth, as one of the sons of the king, shall eat on thy board (and Mephibosheth, like one of the king’s sons, ate at the king’s table).

¹² And Mephibosheth had a little son, Micha by name; and all the family of the house of Ziba served Mephibosheth.

¹³ And Mephibosheth dwelled in Jerusalem; for he ate continually of the king’s board, and was crooked, or halt, on either foot. (And so Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem; and he always ate at the king’s table, and he was lame, or crippled, in both feet.)

18 Soothly it was done after these things, that David smote the Philistines (that David struck the Philistines), and made them low, and he took away Gath and the villages thereof from the hand of (the) Philistines;

² and he smote Moab (and he struck Moab); and Moabites were made the servants of David, and brought gifts to him.

³ In that time David smote also Hadadezer^[a], king of Zobah, of the country of Hamath, when he went to alarge his empire till to the flood Euphrates. (At that time David also struck down Hadadezer, the king of Zobah, of the country of Hamath, when he went to enlarge his empire unto the Euphrates River.)

⁴ Therefore David took a thousand four-horsed carts of his, and seven thousand of horsemen, and twenty thousand of footmen; and he hocked all the horses of the chariots, except an hundred four-horsed carts, which he kept to himself. (And so David took from him a thousand four-horsed chariots, and seven thousand horsemen, and twenty thousand footmen; and he hocked all the horses for the chariots, except the horses for a hundred four-horsed chariots, which he kept for himself.)

⁵ Forsooth also (the) Syrians of Damascus came above, to give help to Hadadezer, king of Zobah, but David smote also of his two and twenty thousand of men; (And when the Syrians of Damascus came over, to give help to Hadadezer, the king of Zobah, David struck down twenty-two thousand of them;)

⁶ and David set knights in Damascus, that (the) Syrians also should serve him, and bring to him gifts. And the Lord helped David in all things to which he went. (and David put horsemen, or garrisons, in Damascus, so that the Syrians would also serve him, and bring him gifts/and pay him taxes, or tribute. And so the Lord helped David in everything that he did.)

⁷ And David took [the] golden arrow cases, which the servants of Hadadezer had, and he brought those into Jerusalem;

⁸ also and of Tibhath, and of Chun, the cities of Hadadezer, he took full much of brass, whereof Solomon made the brazen sea, that is, (the) washing vessel, and (the) pillars, and (the) brazen vessels. (and also from Tibhath, and from Chun, the cities of Hadadezer, he took a great deal of bronze, from which Solomon made the bronze Sea, that is, the washing vessel, and the pillars, and the bronze vessels.)

⁹ And when Tou, king of Hamath, had heard this thing, that is, that David had smitten all the host of Hadadezer, king of Zobah, (And when Tou, the king of Hamath, had heard that David had struck down all the army of Hadadezer, the king of Zobah,)

¹⁰ he sent Hadoram, his son, to David the king, for to ask of him peace, and for to thank him, for he had overcome and smitten Hadadezer; for why king Hadadezer was adversary of Tou. (And Hadoram brought vessels of gold and silver and bronze, as gifts.) (he sent his son Hadoram to King David, to greet him, and to congratulate him, for he had overcome and struck down Hadadezer; for King Hadadezer was an adversary of Tou. And Hadoram brought vessels of gold and silver and bronze, as gifts.)

¹¹ But also king David hallowed to the Lord all the vessels of gold, and of silver, and of brass; and the silver, and the gold, which the king had taken of all folks, as well of Idumea, and of Moab, and of the sons of Ammon, as of [the] Philistines, and of Amalek. (And King David dedicated these gifts to the Lord; and also the silver and gold which he had taken from all the nations, yea, from Edom, and from Moab, and from the Ammonites, and from the Philistines, and from Amalek.)

¹² And Abishai, the son of Zeruiah, smote Edom in the valley of salt pits, (killing) eighteen thousand (men).

¹³ And he set stronghold(s) in Edom, that Idumeans should serve David (And David put strongholds, or garrisons, in Edom, so that the Edomites would serve him). And the Lord saved David in all things, to which he went.

¹⁴ Therefore David reigned on all Israel, and did doom and rightwiseness to all his people. (And so David reigned upon all Israel, and decreed righteous judgements for all of his people.)

¹⁵ Forsooth Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was on the host; and Jehoshaphat, the son of Ahilud, was chancellor; (And Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was in command of the army; and Jehoshaphat, the son of Ahilud, was the chancellor;)

¹⁶ and Zadok, the son of Ahitub, and Abimelech, the son of Abiathar, were priests; and Shavsha was scribe; (and Zadok, the son of Ahitub, and Abimelech, the son of Abiathar, were the High Priests; and Shavsha was the writer, or the royal secretary;)

¹⁷ and Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, was on the legions (of the) Cherethites and Pelethites, keepers of David’s head; soothly the sons of David were the first at the hand of the king. (and Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, was over the legions of the Cherethites and Pelethites, who were David’s bodyguards; and David’s sons were the first in line at the hand of the king.)