The Reign of David

and now it has pleased you to bless the family of your servant and thereby cause it to continue forever in your presence. For you, ADONAI, have blessed, and it is blessed forever."

Some time afterwards, David attacked the P'lishtim and subdued them; David took Gat and its villages out of the hands of the P'lishtim.

He also defeated Mo'av, so that the people of Mo'av became subjects of David and paid tribute.

David, on his way to establish his dominion as far as the Euphrates River, also defeated Hadar'ezer king of Tzovah near Hamat.

David captured 1,000 chariots, 7,000 horsemen and 20,000 foot soldiers. He reserved enough horses for 100 chariots and disabled the rest.

When the people of Aram from Dammesek came to the aid of Hadar'ezer king of Tzovah, David killed 22,000 men of Aram.

Then David put [garrisons] among the people of Aram in Dammesek; Aram became subject to David and paid tribute. ADONAI gave victory to David wherever he went.

David took the gold shields which Hadar'ezer's servants were wearing and brought them to Yerushalayim.

From Tivchat and Kun, cities of Hadar'ezer, King David took a great quantity of bronze, which Shlomo used to make the bronze "Sea,"the columns and various bronze articles.

When To'u king of Hamat heard that David had defeated the entire army of Hadar'ezer king of Tzovah,

he sent Hadoram his son to King David to greet and congratulate him on fighting and defeating Hadar'ezer - for Hadar'ezer had been at war with To'u - and [he sent] all kinds of articles made of silver, gold and bronze,

which King David dedicated to ADONAI, along with the silver and gold that he had carried off from all the nations - from Edom, Mo'av, the people of 'Amon, the P'lishtim and 'Amalek.

Moreover, Avishai the son of Tz'ruyah killed 18,000 men from Edom in the Salt Valley.

David stationed garrisons in 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; he administered law and justice for all his people.

Yo'av the son of Tz'ruyah was commander of the army, Y'hoshafat the son of Achilud was chief adviser,

Tzadok the son of Achituv and Avimelekh the son of Evyatar were cohanim, Shavsha was secretary,

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 the king's chief personal advisers.

Some time later, when Nachash the king of the people of 'Amon died, his son became king in his place.

David said, "I will be kind to Hanun the son of Nachash, because his father showed grace to me." So David sent messengers to comfort him about his father. David's servants entered the territory of the people of 'Amon to go to Hanun and comfort him;

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

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

Some people reported to David how the men had been treated. He 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 had made themselves utterly abhorrent to David, Hanun and the people of 'Amon sent thirty-three tons of silver to hire chariots and horsemen from Aram-Naharayim, Aram-Ma'akhah and Tzovah.

They hired 32,000 chariots, as well as the king of Ma'akhah with his people, who came and pitched their camp in front of Meidva. Then the people of 'Amon assembled themselves from their cities and went out to fight.