And it came to pass after this that David defeated the Philistines, and brought them down, and David took the bridle of tribute out of the hand of the Philistines,

²And he defeated Moab, and measured them with a line, casting them down to the earth: and he measured with two lines, one to put to death, and one to save alive: and Moab was made to serve David under tribute.

³David defeated also Adarezer the son of Rohob king of Soba, when he went to extend his dominion over the river Euphrates.

⁴And David took from him a thousand and seven hundred horsemen, and twenty thousand footmen, and houghed all the chariot horses: and only reserved of them for one hundred chariots.

⁵And the Syrians of Damascus came to succour Adarezer the king of Soba: and David slew of the Syrians two and twenty thousand men.

⁶And David put garrisons in Syria of Damascus: and Syria served David under tribute, and the Lord preserved David in all his enterprises, whithersoever he went.

⁷And David took the arms of gold, which the servants of Adarezer wore and brought them to Jerusalem.

⁸And out of Bete, and out of Beroth, cities of Adarezer, king David took an exceeding great quantity of brass.

⁹And Thou the king of Emath heard that David had defeated all the forces of Adarezer.

¹⁰And Thou sent Joram his son to king David, to salute him, and to congratulate with him, and to return him thanks: because he had fought against Adarezer, and had defeated him. For Thou was an enemy to Adarezer, and in his hand were vessels of gold, and vessels of silver, and vessels of brass:

¹¹And king David dedicated them to the Lord, together with the silver and gold that he had dedicated of all the nations, which he had subdued:

¹²Of Syria, and of Moab, and of the children of Ammon, and of the Philistines, and of Amalec, and of the spoils of Adarezer the son of Rohob king of Soba.

¹³David also made himself a name, when he returned after taking Syria in the valley of the saltpits, killing eighteen thousand:

¹⁴And he put guards in Edom, and placed there a garrison: and all Edom was made to serve David: and the Lord preserved David in all enterprises he went about.

¹⁵And David reigned over all Israel: and David did judgment and justice to all his people.

¹⁶And Joab the son Sarvia was over the army: and Josaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder:

¹⁷And Sadoc the son of Achitob, and Achimelech the son of Abiathar, were the priests: and Saraias was the scribe:

¹⁸And Banaias the son of Joiada was over the Cerethi and Phelethi: and the sons of David were the princes.

Chapter 9

And David said: Is there any one, think you, left of the house of Saul, that I may shew kindness to him for Jonathan’s sake?

²Now there was of the house of Saul, a servant named Siba: and when the king had called him to him, he said to him: Art thou Siba? And he answered: I am Siba thy servant.

³And the king said: Is there any one left of the house of Saul, that I may shew the mercy of God unto Him? And Siba said to the king: There is a son of Jonathan left, who is lame of his feet.

⁴Where is he? said he. And Siba said to the king: Behold he is in the house of Machir the son of Ammiel in Lodabar.

⁵Then King David sent, and brought him out of the house of Machir the son of Ammiel of Lodabar.

⁶And when Miphiboseth the son of Jonathan the son of Saul was come to David, he fell on his face and worshipped. And David said: Miphiboseth? And he answered: Behold thy servant.

⁷And David said to him: Fear not, for I will surely show thee mercy for Jonathan thy father’s sake, and I will restore the lands of Saul the father, and thou shalt eat bread at my table always.

⁸He bowed down to him, and said: Who am I thy servant, that thou shouldst look upon such a dead dog as I am?

⁹Then the King called Siba the servant of Saul, and said to him: All that belonged to Saul, and all his house, I have given to thy master’s son.

¹⁰Thou therefore and thy sons and thy servants shall till the land for him: and thou shalt bring in food for thy master’s son, that he may be maintained: and Miphiboseth the son of thy master shall always eat bread at my table. And Siba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.

¹¹And Siba said to the king: As thou my lord the king hast commanded thy servant, so will thy servant do: and Miphiboseth shall eat at my table, as one of the sons of the King.

¹²And Miphiboseth had a young son whose name was Micha: and all that kindred of the house of Siba served Miphiboseth.

¹³But Miphiboseth dwelt in Jerusalem: because he ate always of the king’s table: and he was lame of both feet.

Chapter 10

And it came to pass after this, that the king of the children of Ammon died, and Hanon his son reigned in his stead.

²And David said: I will shew kindness to Hanon the son of Daas, as his father shewed kindness to me. So David sent his servants to comfort him for the death of his father. But when the servants of David were come into the land of the children of Ammon,

³The princes of the children of Ammon said to Hanon their lord: Thinkest thou that for the honour of thy father, David hath sent comforters to thee, and hath not David rather sent his servants to thee to search, and spy into the city, and overthrow it?

⁴Wherefore Hanon took the servants of David, and shaved off the one half of their beards, and cut away half of their garments even to the buttocks, and sent them away.

⁵When this was told David, he sent to meet them: for the men were sadly put to confusion, and David commanded them, saying: Stay at Jericho, till your beards be grown, and then return.

⁶And the children of Ammon seeing that they had done an injury to David, sent and hired the Syrians of Rohob, and the Syrians of Soba, twenty thousand footmen, and of the king of Maacha a thousand men, and of Istob twelve thousand men.

⁷And when David heard this, he sent Joab and the whole army of warriors.

⁸And the children of Ammon came out, and set their men in array at the entering in of the gate: but the Syrians of Soba, and of Rohob, and of Istob, and of Maacha were by themselves in the field.

⁹Then Joab seeing that the battle was prepared against him, both before and behind, chose of all the choice men of Israel, and put them in array against the Syrians:

¹⁰And the rest of the people he delivered to Abisai his brother, who set them in array against the children of Ammon.

¹¹And Joab said: If the Syrians are too strong for me, then thou shalt help me, but if the children of Ammon are too strong for thee, then I will help thee.

¹²Be of good courage, and let us fight for our people, and for the city of our God: and the Lord will do what is good in his sight.

¹³And Joab and the people that were with him, began to fight against the Syrians: and they immediately fled before him.

¹⁴And the children of Ammon seeing that the Syrians were fled, they fled also before Abisai, and entered into the city: and Joab returned from the children of Ammon, and came to Jerusalem.

¹⁵Then the Syrians seeing that they had fallen before Israel, gathered themselves together.

¹⁶And Adarezer sent and fetched the Syrians, that were beyond the river, and brought over their army: and Sobach, the captain of the host of Adarezer, was their general.

¹⁷And when this was told David, he gathered all Israel together, and passed over the Jordan, and came to Helam: and the Syrians set themselves in array against David, and fought against him.

¹⁸And the Syrians fled before Israel, and David slew of the Syrians the men of seven hundred chariots, and forty thousand horsemen: and smote Sobach the captain of the army, who presently died.

¹⁹And all the kings that were auxiliaries of Adarezer, seeing themselves overcome by Israel, were afraid and fled away, eight and fifty thousand men before Israel. And they made peace with Israel: and served them, and all the Syrians were afraid to help the children of Ammon any more.

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