2 Samuel

David’s Victories

After this, David defeated the Philistines, crushing them so they were no longer in control of the land.

Then he defeated the Moabites. He had them measured with a line and made them lie down on the ground; two-thirds of them were to be executed, and one-third were to be spared. And so the Moabites became David’s servants and paid tribute to him.

David also defeated Hadadezer, son of Rehob, king of Zobah, when he tried to retake the Euphrates valley.

David captured a thousand and seven hundred horsemen and twenty thousand foot soldiers from him. He hamstrung all the chariot horses but left a sufficient number for a hundred chariots.

The Arameans of Damascus came to help Hadadezer, king of Zobah. Still, David killed twenty-two thousand of their men.

Then David set up governors in Aram of Damascus, and the Arameans became David’s servants, paying tribute to him.The Lord made David victorious wherever he went.

David took the golden shields carried by Hadadezer’s servants and brought them to Jerusalem.

He also took a significant quantity of bronze from Tebah and Berothai, Hadadezer’s cities.

When Toi, king of Hamath, heard that David had defeated the entire army of Hadadezer,

he sent his son Hadoram to King David to greet him and thank him for having fought against Hadadezer and defeating him, for the latter had often been at war with Toi. Hadoram brought with him articles of silver, gold, and bronze

which King David consecrated to the Lord together with the silver and gold which he consecrated from all the nations he subdued:

from Edom, Moab, the Ammonites, the Philistines, Amalek, as well as the booty of Hadadezer, son of Rehob, king of Zobah.

David became famous after defeating an army of eighteen thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt.

He set up governors in Edom, and the Edomites became his subjects. So the Lord made David victorious wherever he went.

David reigned over all of Israel, issuing decrees and administering justice to all his people.

Joab, son of Zeruiah, was the commander of the army; Jehoshaphat, son of Ahilud, recorder;

Zadok, son of Ahitub, and Ahimelech, son of Abiathar, priests; Shavsha, secretary;

and Benaiah, son of Jehoiada, was in charge of the Cherethites and the Pelethites. David’s sons were priests.