2 Samuel 8:1–10:19

And aafter this it came to pass, that David smote the Philistines, and subdued them: and David took ||Metheg-ammah out of the hand of the Philistines. 2 And bhe smote Moab, and measured them with a line, casting them down to the ground; even with two lines measured he to put to death, and with one full line to keep alive. And so the Moabites cbecame David’s servants, and dbrought gifts. 3 David smote also ||Hadadezer, the son of Rehob, king of eZobah, as he went fto recover his border at the river Euphrates. 4 And David took ||from him a thousand ||chariots, and seven hundred horsemen, and twenty thousand footmen: and David ghoughed all the chariot horses, but reserved of them for an hundred chariots. 5 hAnd when the Syrians of Damascus came to succour Hadadezer king of Zobah, David slew of the Syrians two and twenty thousand men. 6 Then David put igarrisons in Syria of jDamascus: and the Syrians became servants to David, and brought gifts. kAnd the Lord preserved David whithersoever he went. 7 And David took lthe shields of gold that were on the servants of Hadadezer, and brought them to Jerusalem. 8 And from ||Betah, and from ||Berothai, cities of Hadadezer, king David took exceeding much brass. 9 When ||Toi king mof Hamath heard that David had smitten all the host of Hadadezer, 10 Then Toi sent ||Joram his son unto king David, to †salute him, and to bless him, because he had fought against Hadadezer, and smitten him: for Hadadezer †had wars with Toi. And Joram †brought with him vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and vessels of brass: 11 Which also king David ndid dedicate unto the Lord, with the silver and gold that he had dedicated of all nations which he subdued; 12 Of Syria, and of Moab, and oof the children of Ammon, and pof the Philistines, and qof Amalek, and of the spoil of Hadadezer, son of Rehob, king of Zobah. 13 And David gat him a name when he returned from †smiting of the Syrians in rthe valley of salt, s||being eighteen thousand men. 14 And he put igarrisons in Edom; throughout all Edom put he igarrisons, and tall they of Edom became David’s servants. uAnd the Lord preserved David whithersoever he went.

15 And David reigned over all Israel; and David wexecuted judgment and justice unto all his people. 16 xAnd yJoab the son of Zeruiah was over the host; and zJehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was ||recorder; 17 And aZadok the son of Ahitub, and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar, were the priests; and Seraiah was the ||scribe; 18 And bBenaiah the son of Jehoiada was cover both the dCherethites and the ePelethites; and David’s sons were ||chief rulers.

9 And David said, Is there yet any that is left of the house of Saul, that I may ashew him kindness for Jonathan’s sake? 2 And there was of the house of Saul a servant whose name was bZiba. And when they had called him unto David, the king said unto him, Art thou Ziba? And he said, Thy servant is he. 3 And the king said, Is there not yet any of the house of Saul, that I may shew cthe kindness of God unto him? And Ziba said unto the king, Jonathan hath yet a son, which is dlame on his feet. 4 And the king said unto him, Where is he? And Ziba said unto the king, Behold, he is in the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, in eLo-debar. 5 Then king David sent, and fetched him out of the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, from eLo-debar. 6 Now when ||Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, was come unto David, he fell on his face, and did reverence. And David said, Mephibosheth. And he answered, Behold thy servant! 7 And David said unto him, Fear not: ffor I will surely shew thee kindness for Jonathan thy father’s sake, and will restore thee all the land of Saul thy father; and thou shalt eat bread at my table continually. 8 And he bowed himself, and said, What is thy servant, that thou shouldest look upon such ga dead dog as I am? 9 Then the king called to Ziba, Saul’s servant, and said unto him, I have given unto thy master’s son all that pertained to Saul and to all his house. 10 Thou therefore, and thy sons, and thy servants, shall till the land for him, and thou shalt bring in the fruits, that thy master’s son may have food to eat: but Mephibosheth thy master’s son hshall eat bread alway at my table. Now Ziba had ififteen sons and twenty servants. 11 Then said Ziba unto the king, According to all that my lord the king hath commanded his servant, so shall thy servant do. As for Mephibosheth, ksaid the king, he shall eat at my table, as one of the king’s sons. 12 And Mephibosheth had a young son, lwhose name was Micha. And all that dwelt in the house of Ziba were servants unto Mephibosheth. 13 So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem: for he did eat continually at the king’s table; and was lame on both his feet.

10 aAnd it came to pass after this, that the king of the bchildren of Ammon died, and Hanun his son reigned in his stead. 2 Then said David, cI will shew kindness unto Hanun the son of Nahash, as his father shewed kindness unto me. And David sent to comfort him by the hand of his servants for his father. And David’s servants came into the land of the children of Ammon. 3 And the princes of the children of Ammon said unto Hanun their lord, †Thinkest thou that David doth honour thy father, that he hath sent comforters unto thee? hath not David rather sent his servants unto thee, to search the city, and to spy it out, and to overthrow it? 4 Wherefore Hanun took David’s servants, and shaved off the one half of their beards, and cut off their garments in the middle, deven to their buttocks, and sent them away. 5 When they told it unto David, he sent to meet them, because the men were greatly ashamed: and the king said, Tarry at Jericho until your beards be grown, and then return. 6 And when the children of Ammon saw that they estank before David, the children of Ammon sent and hired fthe Syrians of fBeth-rehob, and gthe Syrians of Zoba, twenty thousand footmen, and of king hMaacah a thousand men, and of ||Ish-tob twelve thousand men. 7 And when David heard of it, he sent Joab, and all the host of ithe mighty men. 8 And the children of Ammon came out, and put the battle in array at the entering in of the gate: and the Syrians of Zoba, and of Rehob, and Ish-tob, and Maacah, were by themselves in the field. 9 When Joab saw that the front of the battle was against him before and behind, he chose of all the choice men of Israel, and put them in array against the Syrians: 10 And the rest of the people he delivered into the hand of Abishai his brother, that he might put them in array against the children of Ammon. 11 And he said, If the Syrians be too strong for me, then thou shalt help me: but if the children of Ammon be too strong for thee, then I will come and help thee. 12 jBe of good courage, and let us kplay the men for our people, and for the cities of our God: and lthe Lord do that which seemeth him good. 13 And Joab drew nigh, and the people that were with him, unto the battle against the Syrians: and they fled before him. 14 And when the children of Ammon saw that the Syrians were fled, then fled they also before mAbishai, and entered into the city. So Joab returned from the children of Ammon, and came to Jerusalem.

15 *And when the Syrians saw that they were smitten before Israel, they gathered themselves together. 16 And nHadarezer sent, and brought out the Syrians that were beyond ||the river: and they came to Helam; and ||Shobach the captain of the host of Hadarezer went before them. 17 And when it was told David, he gathered all Israel together, and passed over Jordan, and came to Helam. And the Syrians set themselves in array against David, and fought with him. 18 And the Syrians fled before Israel; and David slew othe men of seven phundred chariots of the Syrians, and forty thousand ||horsemen, and smote Shobach the captain of their host, who died there. 19 And when all the kings that were servants to Hadarezer saw that they were smitten before Israel, they qmade peace with Israel, and rserved them. So the Syrians feared to help the children of Ammon any more.