1 Chronicles 18; 1 Chronicles 19; 1 Chronicles 20

1 In the days that followed, David struck hard at the Philistines, bringing them to their knees, captured Gath, and took control of the surrounding countryside.

2 He also fought and defeated Moab. The Moabites came under David's rule and paid regular tribute.

3 On his way to restore his sovereignty at the Euphrates River, David defeated Hadadezer king of Zobah (over toward Hamath).

4 David captured a thousand chariots, 7,000 cavalry, and 20,000 infantry from him. He hamstrung all the chariot horses, but saved back a hundred.

5 When the Arameans from Damascus came to the aid of Hadadezer king of Zobah, David killed 22,000 of them.

6 David set up a puppet government in Aram-Damascus. The Arameans became subjects of David and were forced to bring tribute. God gave victory to David wherever he marched.

7 David plundered the gold shields that belonged to the servants of Hadadezer and brought them to Jerusalem.

8 He also looted Tebah and Cun, cities of Hadadezer, of a huge quantity of bronze that Solomon later used to make the Great Bronze Sea, the Pillars, and bronze equipment in The Temple.

9 Tou king of Hamath heard that David had struck down the entire army of Hadadezer king of Zobah.

10 He sent his son Hadoram to King David to greet and congratulate him for fighting and defeating Hadadezer. Tou and Hadadezer were old enemies. Hadoram brought David various things made of silver, gold, and bronze.

11 King David consecrated these things along with the silver and gold that he had plundered from other nations: Edom, Moab, the Ammonites, the Philistines, and Amalek.

12 Abishai son of Zeruiah fought and defeated the Edomites in the Valley of Salt - 18,000 of them.

13 He set up a puppet government in Edom and the Edomites became subjects under David. God gave David victory wherever he marched.

14 Thus David ruled over all of Israel. He ruled well, fair and evenhanded in all his duties and relationships.

15 Joab son of Zeruiah was head of the army; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was in charge of public records;

16 Zadok son of Ahitub and Abimelech son of Abiathar were priests; Shavsha was secretary;

17 Benaiah son of Jehoiada was over the special forces, the Kerethites and Pelethites; And David's sons held high positions, close to the king.

1 Some time after this Nahash king of the Ammonites died and his son succeeded him as king.

2 David said, "I'd like to show some kindness to Hanun son of Nahash - treat him as well and as kindly as his father treated me." So David sent condolences about his father's death.

3 the Ammonite leaders warned Hanun, "Do you for a minute suppose that David is honoring your father by sending you comforters? Don't you know that he's sent these men to snoop around the city and size it up so that he can capture it?"

4 So Hanun seized David's men, shaved them clean, cut off their robes half way up their buttocks, and sent them packing.

5 When this was all reported to David, he sent someone to meet them, for they were seriously humiliated. The king told them, "Stay in Jericho until your beards grow out; only then come back."

6 When it dawned on the Ammonites that as far as David was concerned, they stank to high heaven,

7 they hired, at a cost of a thousand talents of silver (thirty-seven and a half tons!), chariots and horsemen from the Arameans of Naharaim, Maacah, and Zobah - 32,000 chariots and drivers; plus the king of Maacah with his troops who came and set up camp at Medeba; the Ammonites, too, were mobilized from their cities and got ready for battle.

8 When David heard this, he dispatched Joab with his strongest fighters in full force.

9 The Ammonites marched out and spread out in battle formation at the city gate; the kings who had come as allies took up a position in the open fields.

10 When Joab saw that he had two fronts to fight, before and behind, he took his pick of the best of Israel and deployed them to confront the Arameans.

11 The rest of the army he put under the command of Abishai, his brother, and deployed them to deal with the Ammonites.

12 Then he said, "If the Arameans are too much for me, you help me; and if the Ammonites prove too much for you, I'll come and help you.

13 Courage! We'll fight might and main for our people and for the cities of our God. And God will do whatever he sees needs doing!"

14 But when Joab and his soldiers moved in to fight the Arameans, they ran off in full retreat.

15 Then the Ammonites, seeing the Arameans run for dear life, took to their heels and ran from Abishai into the city. So Joab withdrew from the Ammonites and returned to Jerusalem.

16 When the Arameans saw how badly they'd been beaten by Israel, they picked up the pieces and regrouped; they sent for the Arameans who were across the river; Shophach, commander of Hadadezer's army, led them.

17 When all this was reported to David, he mustered all Israel, crossed the Jordan, advanced, and prepared to fight. The Arameans went into battle formation, ready for David, and the fight was on.

18 But the Arameans again scattered before Israel. David killed 7,000 chariot drivers and 40,000 infantry. He also killed Shophach, the army commander.

19 When all the kings who were vassals of Hadadezer saw that they had been routed by Israel, they made peace with David and served him. The Arameans were afraid to help the Ammonites ever again.

1 That spring, the time when kings usually go off to war, Joab led the army out and ravaged the Ammonites. He then set siege to Rabbah. David meanwhile was back in Jerusalem. Joab hit Rabbah hard and left it in ruins.

2 David took the crown off the head of their king. Its weight was found to be a talent of gold and set with a precious stone. It was placed on David's head. He hauled great quantities of loot from the city

3 and put the people to hard labor with saws and picks and axes. This is what he did to all the Ammonites. Then David and his army returned to Jerusalem.

4 Later war broke out with the Philistines at Gezer. That was the time Sibbecai the Hushathite killed Sippai of the clan of giants. The Philistines had to eat crow.

5 In another war with the Philistines, Elhanan son of Jair killed Lahmi, the brother of Goliath the Gittite whose spear was like a ship's boom.

6 And then there was the war at Gath that featured a hulking giant who had twenty-four fingers and toes, six on each hand and foot - yet another from the clan of giants.

7 When he mocked Israel, Jonathan son of Shimea, David's brother, killed him.

8 These came from the clan of giants and were killed by David and his men.