2 Samuel 8

₁After some time David attacked the Philistines and defeated them. David took the town of Metheg-Ammah from the Philistines. ₂David also defeated the Moabites and then he told them to lie down on the ground in rows, side by side. He took a measuring-stick to measure the rows and make groups. Then he killed 2 out of every 3 groups of men. The Moabites had to work for David and they had to pay him taxes. ₃David went to the Euphrates River to put his monument upright again and then he defeated King Hadadezer of Zobah, son of Rehob. ₄David caught 1 700 men on horses and 20 000 soldiers from Hadadezer. He kept some horses to pull 100 war-chariots and he then hamstrung the other horses. ₅The Arameans of Damascus came to help King Hadadezer of Zobah, but David defeated them all and he killed 22 000 of their men. ₆David said some of his governors and soldiers must stay with the Aramean people in Damascus to rule over them and make them work for David and pay taxes to him. The Lord helped David in all the places where he went.

₇The servants of King Hadadezer had golden shields. David took the shields and he brought them to Jerusalem. ₈David took a lot of bronze from the towns of Tebah and Berothai of Hadadezer. ₉They told King Tou of Hamath that David had defeated Hadadezer ₁₀and he sent his son Joram to David to greet him and praise him because he had made war_against Hadadezer and had defeated him. Tou and Hadadezer had gone to war against each other many times before. Tou gave Joram a lot of gifts to give to David: silver, gold and bronze. ₁₁King David took these gifts and he consecrated them to the Lord, the same as he had done with the other silver and gold that he had taken from the other people whom he had defeated. ₁₂There was silver and gold from the Aramean people, the Moabites, the Ammonites, the Philistines and the Amalekites. He had also taken things from King Hadadezer of Zobah, son of Rehob.

₁₃David became famous when he defeated 18 000 Arameans in the Salt Valley. ₁₄David said some of his governors and soldiers must stay in the land of Edom and all the Edomites had to work for David. The Lord helped David wherever he went.

₁₅David ruled over all the Israelites. He did right and he was fair to all his people. ₁₆Joab, son of Zeruiah, was the chief of the army. Jehoshaphat, son of Ahilud, was the leader of the people who wrote down everything. ₁₇Zadok, son of Ahitub, and Ahimelek, son of Abiathar, were the priests, and Seraiah wrote down all the important things that happened. ₁₈Benaiah, son of Jehoiada, was leader over the men who guarded the king and David's sons were priests.