1 Chronicles 17–19

Yahweh’s Covenant with David

17And as David lived in his house, David said to Nathan the prophet, “Look, I live in a house of cedar, but the ark of the covenant of Yahweh is under tent curtains.” ²And Nathan said to David, “Whatever is in your heart, do, for God is with you.”

³And it happened that same night the word of God came to Nathan, saying, ⁴“Go and say to David my servant, ‘Thus says Yahweh, “You are not to build a house for me to live in, ⁵for I have not lived in a house from the day that I brought out Israel unto this day. I have been from tent to tent and from tabernacle to tabernacle. ⁶In every place I have moved about in all Israel, did I say one word with any of the judges of Israel whom I commanded to shepherd my people, saying, ‘Why have you not built for me a house of cedar?’ ” ’ ⁷So now, thus you shall say to my servant David, ‘Thus says Yahweh of hosts, “I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, to be leader over my people Israel, ⁸and I have been with you wherever you went and have cut down all your enemies from before you and will make a name for you, like the name of the great ones on the earth. ⁹And I will appoint a place for my people Israel, and I will plant them,^a and they^b shall dwell in their^c place and be in anguish no longer. And wicked men will no longer wear them down as before, ¹⁰from the day that I commanded judges over my people Israel. And I will subdue all your enemies, and I declare to you that Yahweh will build for you a house.^{d 11}And it shall be that when your days are fulfilled to go and sleep with your ancestors,^e then I will raise up your seed after you, who will be one of your sons, and I will establish his kingdom. ¹²He himself will build for me a house, and I will establish his throne forever. ¹³I myself will be a father to him, and he himself will be a son to me. And I will not remove my steadfast love from him as I took it away from whoever was before you. ¹⁴And I will establish him in my house and in my kingdom forever, and his throne will be established forever.” ’ ” ¹⁵According to all these words and according to all this revelation, thus did Nathan speak to David.

David’s Prayer

¹⁶Then King David went and sat before Yahweh and said, “Who am I, O Yahweh God, and what is my house that you have brought me thus far? ¹⁷And this was a small matter in your eyes, O God. And you have spoken concerning the house of your servant for a long time and have shown me future generations to come,^f O Yahweh God. ¹⁸What more^g can David do to you for honoring your servant? Now you know your servant. ¹⁹O Yahweh, for the sake of your servant and according to your heart you have done all this greatness, to make known all these great things. ²⁰O Yahweh, there is none like you, and there is no God except you, according to all that we have heard with our ears. ²¹And who is like your people Israel, the one nation upon earth whom God went to redeem for himself as a people, to establish for you a reputation^h for great and awesome things, to drive out nations from before your people whom you redeemed from Egypt? ²²And you made your people Israel an everlasting nation for yourself. And you, O Yahweh, became their God. ²³So now, O Yahweh, let the word that you spoke to your servant and to his house be established forever, that you might do what you have spoken. ²⁴And let your name be established and be magnified forever, saying, ‘Yahweh of hosts, the God of Israel, is Israel’s God, and may the house of David your servant be established before you.’ ²⁵For you, my God, have informedⁱ your servant that you will build a house for him. Therefore, your servant has found courage to pray before you. ²⁶So now, O Yahweh, you yourself are God, and you have spoken to your servant this good thing. ²⁷And now may you begin to bless the house of your servant to continue forever^j before you, for you, O Yahweh, have blessed. And it will be blessed forever.”

David’s Victory over His Enemies

18And it happened that after David struck the Philistines and subdued them, he captured Gath and its villages out of the hand of the Philistines. ²And he struck Moab, and the Moabites became servants to David, bearing tribute. ³And David struck Hadadezer, king of Zobah-Hamath, as he went to set up his monument at the Euphrates River. ⁴And David captured from him one thousand chariots, seven thousand horsemen, and twenty thousand foot soldiers. And David hamstrung all the chariot horses but left one hundred of them to remain for chariots. ⁵And when the Arameans of Damascus came to help Hadadezer king of Zobah-Hamath, David struck down twenty-two thousand men of Aram. ⁶Then David set up garrisons in Aram of Damascus, and the Arameans became servants to David, bearing tribute. And Yahweh delivered David wherever he went. ⁷And David took small round shields of gold that were upon the servants of Hadadezer and brought them to Jerusalem. ⁸And from Tibhath and from Cun, cities of Hadadezer, David captured very much bronze. Solomon made the bronze sea with it along with the columns and objects of bronze.

⁹And when Tou the king of Hamath heard that David had defeated the whole army of Hadadezer the king of Zobah, ¹⁰he sent Hadoram his son to King David to ask him for peace and to bless him because he had fought against Hadadezer and defeated him, for Tou had been at war^a with Hadadezer. And he brought with him all the objects of gold, silver, and bronze. ¹¹King David dedicated these also to Yahweh, along with the silver and gold that he had taken from all the nations, from Edom, Moab, the sons of Ammon, the Philistines, and Amalek.

¹²And Abishai son of Zeruiah defeated eighteen thousand of Edom in the Valley of Salt. ¹³And he put garrisons in Edom, and all Edom became servants to David. And Yahweh delivered David wherever he went.

David’s Administration

¹⁴So David reigned over all Israel, and he administered justice^b and righteousness to all his people. ¹⁵And Joab son of Zeruiah was over the army, and Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was recorder. ¹⁶And Zadok son of Ahitub and Abimelech son of Abiathar were priests, and Shavsha was secretary. ¹⁷And Benaiah son of Jehoiada was over the Kerethites and the Pelethites. And the sons of David were chief officials under the hand of the king.

The Ammonites Humiliate David’s Messengers

19And it happened that after this Nahash the king of the Ammonites^a died, and his son reigned in his place. ²And David said, “I will deal kindly with Hanun the son of Nahash because his father showed kindness to me.” So David sent messengers to comfort him concerning his father. And the servants of David came to the land of the Ammonites,^b to Hanun, to comfort him. ³But the princes of the Ammonites^c said to Hanun, “Do you think^d because David sent comforters to you that David honors your father? Is it not for the purpose of exploring so as to overthrow and spy out the land that his servants have come to you?” ⁴So Hanun took the servants of David and shaved them and cut off their garments at the middle, up to the buttocks, and sent them away. ⁵And they went and told David concerning the men, and he inquired of them, for the men were very disgraced. And the king said, “Dwell in Jericho until your beards grow out; then return.”

⁶And when the Ammonites^e saw that they made themselves odious to David, Hanun and the Ammonites^f sent one thousand talents of silver to hire for themselves horses and chariots from Aram-Naharaim, Aram-Maacah, and Zobah. ⁷And they hired for themselves thirty-two thousand chariots and the king of Maacah and his people, and they came and encamped before Medeba. And the Ammonites^g were gathered from their cities and came to the battle. ⁸And when David heard, he sent Joab and the entire army of mighty warriors. ⁹And the Ammonites^h went out and took up positions for battle at the entrance of the city. And the kings who had come were alone in the field.

¹⁰When Joab saw that there was a battle lineⁱ against him at the front and the back, he chose from among the chosen men in Israel and arranged them to meet Aram. ¹¹And the remainder of the people he put in the hand of Abishai his brother, and they were arranged to meet the Ammonites.^{j 12}And he said, “If Aram is too strong for me, then you must be a help to me, but if the Ammonites^k are too strong for you, then I will help you. ¹³Be strong! Let us strengthen ourselves on behalf of our people and on behalf of the cities of our God. And may Yahweh do what is good in his eyes.” ¹⁴And Joab and the people who were with him drew near before Aram for battle, and they fled before him. ¹⁵And when the Ammonites^l saw that Aram had fled, they also fled before Abishai his brother, and they came to the city. Then Joab came to Jerusalem.

¹⁶And when Aram saw that they were defeated before Israel, they sent messengers and brought out Aram, who was from beyond the Euphrates,^m with Shophach the commander of the army of Hadadezer before them. ¹⁷And when it was told to David, he gathered all Israel and crossed the Jordan. And he came to them and was arrayed against them. Then David was arrayed to meet Aram in battle, and they fought with him. ¹⁸And Aram fled before Israel. And David killed from Aram the men of seven thousand chariots and forty thousand foot soldiers, and he put to death Shophach the commander of the army. ¹⁹And when the servants of Hadadezer saw that they were defeated before Israel, they made peace with David and became servants to him. So Aram was no longer willing to help the Ammonites.ⁿ