David

When To'i king of Hamat heard that David had defeated Hadad'ezer's entire army,

To'i sent Yoram his son to King David to greet and congratulate him on fighting and defeating Hadad'ezer, for Hadad'ezer had been at war with To'i. Yoram brought with him articles of silver, articles of gold and articles of bronze,

which King David dedicated to ADONAI, along with the silver and gold that he dedicated from all the nations he conquered -

David gained more fame on returning from killing 18,000 men from Aram in the Salt Valley.

David stationed garrisons in Edom; he put garrisons throughout all of Edom, and all the people of Edom became subject to him. ADONAI gave victory to David wherever he went.

David ruled over all Isra'el; David administered law and justice for all his people.

B'nayahu the son of Y'hoyada was in charge of the K'reti and P'leti [serving as the king's bodyguards], and David's sons were cohanim.

David inquired, "Is there anyone still alive from the family of Sha'ul, to whom, for Y'honatan's sake, I can show kindness?"

In Sha'ul's household there had been a servant named Tziva, and they summoned him to David. The king asked him, "Are you Tziva?" and he answered, "At your service."

King David sent and took him from the house of Makhir the son of 'Ammi'el in Lo-D'var.

M'fivoshet the son of Y'honatan, the son of Sha'ul, came to David, fell on his face and prostrated himself. David said, "M'fivoshet!" and he answered, "Here is your servant!"

David said to him, "Don't be afraid, for I am determined to be kind to you for the sake of Y'honatan your father. I will restore to you all the land of Sha'ul your [grand]father, and you will always eat at my table."

David said, "I will show grace to Hanun the son of Nachash, as his father showed grace to me." So David sent his servants to pass him a message of comfort concerning his father. David's servants entered the territory of the people of 'Amon;

but the leaders of the people of 'Amon said to Hanun their lord, "Do you really think David is honoring your father by sending people to comfort you? Hasn't David actually sent his servants to you in order to look the city over, reconnoiter it and overthrow it?"

So Hanun took David's servants, shaved off half their beards, cut off their clothes halfway up, at their buttocks, and then sent them away.

On hearing how they had been treated, David sent a delegation to meet them, because the men had been deeply humiliated. The king said, "Stay in Yericho until your beards have grown back, and then return."

Aware that they were utterly abhorrent to David, the people of 'Amon sent and hired 20,000 Aram foot soldiers from Beit-Rechov and Tzovah, the king of Ma'akhah with 1,000 men, and 12,000 soldiers from Tov.

When David heard of it, he sent Yo'av with his entire army of trained soldiers.

It was reported to David; so he gathered all Isra'el together, crossed the Yarden and came to Heilam. Aram deployed themselves against David and fought him.

But Aram fled before Isra'el; David killed 700 chariot-drivers and 40,000 horsemen from Aram, and he struck Shovakh the commander of their army, so that he died there.

In the spring, at the time when kings go out to war, David sent out Yo'av, his servants who were with him and all Isra'el. They ravaged the people of 'Amon and laid siege to Rabbah. But David stayed in Yerushalayim.

Once, after his afternoon nap, David got up from his bed and went strolling on the roof of the king's palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing, who was very beautiful.

David made inquiries about the woman and was told that she was Bat-Sheva the daughter of Eli'am, the wife of Uriyah the Hitti.

David sent messengers to get her, and she came to him, and he went to bed with her (for she had been purified from her uncleanness). Then she returned to her house.

The woman conceived; and she sent a message to David, "I am pregnant."