¹And after this it came to pass that David smote the Philistines, and subdued them; and David took the power of the capital out of the hand of the Philistines. ²And he smote the Moabites, and measured them with a line, making them lie down on the ground; and he measured two lines to put to death, and one full line to keep alive. And the Moabites became David’s servants, and brought gifts. ³And David smote Hadadezer, the son of Rehob, king of Zobah, as he went to recover his dominion by the river Euphrates. ⁴And David took from him one thousand seven hundred horsemen, and twenty thousand footmen; and David houghed all the chariot horses, but reserved of them for a hundred chariots. ⁵And the Syrians of Damascus came to help Hadadezer king of Zobah, and David smote of the Syrians twenty-two thousand men. ⁶And David put garrisons in Syria of Damascus; and the Syrians became servants to David, and brought gifts. And Jehovah preserved David whithersoever he went. ⁷And David took the shields of gold that were on the servants of Hadadezer, and brought them to Jerusalem. ⁸And from Betah, and from Berothai, cities of Hadadezer, king David took exceeding much bronze.

⁹And Toi king of Hamath heard that David had smitten all the forces of Hadadezer; ¹⁰and Toi sent Joram his son to king David, to inquire of his welfare, and to congratulate him, because he had fought against Hadadezer and smitten him; for Hadadezer was continually at war with Toi. And he brought with him vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and vessels of bronze. ¹¹Them also king David dedicated to Jehovah, with the silver and the gold that he had dedicated of all the nations that he had subdued: ¹²of the Syrians, and of the Moabites, and of the children of Ammon, and of the Philistines, and of the Amalekites, and of the spoil of Hadadezer, the son of Rehob, king of Zobah. ¹³And David made him a name when he returned, after he had smitten the Syrians in the valley of salt, eighteen thousand men. ¹⁴And he put garrisons in Edom: throughout Edom did he put garrisons; and all they of Edom became servants to David. And Jehovah preserved David whithersoever he went.

¹⁵And David reigned over all Israel; and David executed judgment and justice to all his people. ¹⁶And Joab the son of Zeruiah was over the host; and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was chronicler; ¹⁷and Zadok the son of Ahitub, and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar, were the priests; and Seraiah was scribe; ¹⁸and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and David’s sons were chief rulers.

Chapter 9

¹And David said, Is there yet any that is left of the house of Saul, that I may shew him kindness for Jonathan’s sake? ²And there was of the house of Saul a servant whose name was Ziba; and they called him to David. And the king said to him, Art thou Ziba? And he said, Thy servant! ³And the king said, Is there not yet any of the house of Saul, that I may shew the kindness of God to him? And Ziba said to the king, Jonathan has yet a son, who is lame on his feet. ⁴And the king said to him, Where is he? And Ziba said to the king, Behold, he is in the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, in Lodebar. ⁵And king David sent, and fetched him out of the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, from Lodebar. ⁶And Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, came to David, and fell on his face and did obeisance. And David said, Mephibosheth. And he said, Behold thy servant! ⁷And David said to him, Fear not; for I will certainly 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. ⁸And he bowed himself, and said, What is thy servant, that thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I am?

⁹Then the king called Ziba, Saul’s servant, and said to him, I have given to thy master’s son all that belonged to Saul and to all his house. ¹⁰And thou, 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. And Mephibosheth thy master’s son shall eat bread at my table continually. Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants. ¹¹And Ziba said to the king, According to all that my lord the king has commanded his servant, so will thy servant do. And Mephibosheth said David shall eat at my table, as one of the king’s sons. ¹²And Mephibosheth had a young son, whose name was Mica. And all who dwelt in the house of Ziba were servants to Mephibosheth. ¹³So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem; for he did eat continually at the king’s table. And he was lame on both his feet.

Chapter 10

¹And it came to pass after this that the king of the children of Ammon died, and Hanun his son reigned in his stead. ²And David said, I will shew kindness to Hanun the son of Nahash, as his father shewed kindness to 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. ³And the princes of the children of Ammon said to Hanun their lord, Is it, in thine eyes, to honour thy father that David has sent comforters to thee? Is it not to search the city and to spy it out, and to overthrow it, that David has sent his servants to thee? ⁴And Hanun took David’s servants, and had the one half of their beards shaved off, and their raiment cut off in the midst, as far as their buttocks, and sent them away. ⁵And they told it to David; and he sent to meet them, for the men were greatly ashamed. And the king said, Abide at Jericho until your beards be grown, and then return.

⁶And the children of Ammon saw that they had made themselves odious to David; and the children of Ammon sent and hired the Syrians of Beth-Rehob, and the Syrians of Zoba, twenty thousand footmen, and the king of Maacah with a thousand men, and the men of Tob twelve thousand men. ⁷And David heard of it, and he sent Joab, and all the host, the mighty men. ⁸And the children of Ammon came out, and put the battle in array at the entrance of the gate; and the Syrians of Zoba and of Rehob, and the men of Tob and Maacah were by themselves in the field. ⁹And Joab saw that the front of the battle was against him before and behind; and he chose out of all the choice men of Israel, and put them in array against the Syrians; ¹⁰and the rest of the people he gave into the hand of Abishai his brother that he might array them against the children of Ammon. ¹¹And he said, If the Syrians be too strong for me, then thou shalt help me; and if the children of Ammon be too strong for thee, then I will come and help thee. ¹²Be strong, and let us shew ourselves valiant for our people and for the cities of our God; and Jehovah do what is good in his sight. ¹³And Joab drew near, and the people that were with him, unto the battle against the Syrians; and they fled before him. ¹⁴And when the children of Ammon saw that the Syrians fled, they fled before Abishai, and entered into the city. And Joab returned from the children of Ammon, and came to Jerusalem.

¹⁵And when the Syrians saw that they were routed before Israel, they gathered themselves together. ¹⁶And Hadarezer sent, and drew forth the Syrians that were beyond the river; and they came to Helam; and Shobach the captain of the host of Hadarezer went before them. ¹⁷And it was told David; and he gathered all Israel, and passed over the Jordan, and came to Helam. And the Syrians set themselves in array against David, and fought with him. ¹⁸And the Syrians fled before Israel; and David slew of the Syrians seven hundred in chariots, and forty thousand horsemen, and smote Shobach the captain of their host, who died there. ¹⁹And all the kings that were servants to Hadarezer saw that they were routed before Israel, and they made peace with Israel, and served them. And the Syrians feared to help the children of Ammon any more.

Read in Logos

Public Domain