Historical
18 1 The battle of David against the Philistines, 2 And against Moab, 3 Zobah, 5 Aram, 12 And Edom.
1 And after this, David smote the Philistines, and subdued them, and took [a]Gath, and the villages thereof out of the hand of the Philistines.
2 And he smote Moab, and the Moabites became David’s servants, and [b]brought gifts.
3 ¶ And David smote [c]Hadadezer King of Zobah unto Hamath, as he went to establish his border by the river [d]Perath.
4 And David took from him a thousand chariots, and seven thousand horsemen, and twenty thousand footmen, and (A)destroyed all the chariots, but he reserved of them an hundred chariots.
5 ¶ Then came the Aramites of Damascus to succor Hadadezer king of Zobah, but David slew of the Aramites two and twenty thousand.
6 And David put a garrison in Aram of [e]Damascus, and the Aramites became David’s servants, and brought gifts: and the Lord [f]preserved David wheresoever he went.
7 And David took the shields of gold that were of the servants of Hadadezer, and brought them to Jerusalem.
8 And from [g]Tibhath, and from Chun (cities of Hadadezer) brought David exceeding much brass, wherewith Solomon made the brazen (B)Sea, and the pillars and the vessels of brass.
9 ¶ Then Tou King of Hamath heard how David had smitten all the host of Hadadezer king of Zobah:
10 Therefore he sent [h]Hadoram his son to king David, to salute him, and to rejoice with him, because he had fought against Hadadezer, and beaten him (for Tou had war with Hadadezer) who brought all vessels of gold and silver and brass.
11 And king David did dedicate them unto the Lord, with the silver and gold that he brought from all the nations, from [i]Edom, and from Moab, and from the children of Ammon, and from the Philistines, and from Amalek.
12 ¶ And Abishai the son of Zeruiah smote of Edom in the salt valley [j]eighteen thousand,
13 And he put a garrison in Edom, and all the Edomites became David’s servants: and the Lord preserved David wheresoever he went.
14 So David reigned over all Israel, and executed judgment and justice to all his people.
15 And Joab the son of Zeruiah was over the host, and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud Recorder,
16 And Zadok the son of Ahitub, and Abimelech the son of Abiathar were the Priests, and [k]Shavsha the Scribe,
17 (C)And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the [l]Cherethites and the Pelethites: and the sons of David were chief about the King.
19 4 Hanun King of the children of Ammon doeth great injuries to the servants of David. 6 He prepareth an army against David, 15 and is overcome.
1 After this also (D)Nahash the king of the children of Ammon died, and his son reigned in his stead.
2 And David said, I will show kindness unto Hanun the son of Nahash, because his [m]father showed kindness unto me. And David sent messengers to comfort him for his father. So the servants of David came into the land of the children of Ammon to Hanun, to comfort him.
3 And the princes of the children of Ammon said to Hanun, Thinkest thou that David doth honor thy father, that he hath sent comforters unto thee? Are not his servants come to thee to [n]search, to seek and to spy out the land?
4 Wherefore Hanun took David’s servants, and [o]shaved them, and cut off their [p]garments by the half unto the buttocks, and sent them away.
5 And there went certain and told David concerning the men: and he sent to meet them (for the men were exceedingly ashamed) and the King said, Tarry at Jericho, until your beards be grown: then return.
6 ¶ When the children of Ammon saw that they [q]stank in the sight of David, then sent Hanun and the children of Ammon a thousand talents of silver, to hire them chariots and horsemen out (E)of Aram Naharaim, and out of Aram Maacah, and out of [r]Zobah.
7 And they hired them two and thirty thousand chariots, and the king of Maacah and his people, which came and pitched before [s]Medeba: and the children of Ammon gathered themselves together from their cities, and came to the battle.
8 ¶ And when David heard it, he sent Joab and all the host of the valiant men.
9 And the children of Ammon came out, and set their battle in array at the gate of the city. And the kings that were come, were by themselves in the field.
10 When Joab saw that the front of the battle was against him before and behind, then he chose out of all the choice of Israel, and set himself in array to meet the Aramites.
11 And the rest of the people he delivered unto the hand of Abishai his brother, and they put themselves in array against the children of Ammon.
12 And he said, If Aram be too strong for me, then thou shalt succor me: and if the children of Ammon prevail against thee, then I will succor thee.
13 Be strong, and let us show ourselves valiant for our [t]people, and for the cities of our God, and let the Lord do that which is good in his own sight.
14 So Joab and the people that was with him, came near before the Aramites unto the battle, and they fled before him.
15 And when the children of Ammon saw that the Aramites fled, they fled also before Abishai his brother, and entered into the city: so Joab came to Jerusalem.
16 ¶ And when the Aramites saw that they were discomfited before Israel, they sent messengers, and caused the Aramites to come forth that were beyond the [u]river: and Shophach the captain of the host of Hadadezer went before them.
17 And when it was showed David, he gathered all Israel, and went over Jordan, and came unto them, and put himself in array against them: And when David had put himself in battle array to meet the Aramites, they fought with him.
18 But the Aramites fled before Israel, and David destroyed of the Aramites [v]seven thousand chariots, and forty thousand footmen, and killed Shophach the captain of the host.
19 And when the servants of Hadadezer saw that they fell before Israel, they made peace with David, and served him. And the Aramites would no more succor the children of Ammon.
20 1 Rabbah destroyed. 3 The Ammonites tormented. 4 The Philistines are thrice overcome with their giants.
1 And (F)when the year was expired, in the time that kings go out a warfare, Joab carried out the strength of the army, and destroyed the country of the children of Ammon, and came and besieged [w]Rabbah (but David tarried at Jerusalem) and Joab smote Rabbah, and destroyed it.
2 (G)Then David took the crown of their king from off his head, and found it the weight of a [x]talent of gold with precious stones in it: and it was set on David’s head, and he brought away the spoil of the city exceeding much.
3 And he carried away the people that were in it, and cut them with saws, and with harrows of iron, and with axes: even thus did David with all the cities of the children of Ammon. Then David and all the people came again to Jerusalem.
4 ¶ (H)And after this also there arose war at [y]Gezer with the Philistines: then Sibbechai the Hushathite slew [z]Sippai of the children of [aa]Haraphah, and they were subdued.
5 And there was yet another battle with the Philistines: and Elhanan the son of Jair slew [ab]Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite, whose spear staff was like a weaver’s beam.
6 And yet again there was a battle at Gath, where was a man of a great stature, and his fingers were by [ac]sixes, even four and twenty, and was also the son of Haraphah.
7 And when he reviled Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimea David’s brother did slay him.
8 These were born unto Haraphah at Gath, and fell by the hand of David, and by the hands of his servants.
Geneva Bible, 1599 Edition. Published by Tolle Lege Press. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in articles, reviews, and broadcasts.