2 Samuel 8–10

David’s Military Victories Continue

8It happened afterwards that David attacked the Philistines and subdued them, and he took Metheg Ammah from the hands of the Philistines. ²When he defeated Moab, he measured them with the cord, making them lie on the ground. He measured two cords to kill and the third cord^a to let live.^b So Moab became servants of David, bringing tribute. ³Then David struck down Hadadezer the son of Rehob, king of Zobah, when he went to restore his monument^c at the Euphrates River. ⁴David captured from him one thousand and seven hundred horsemen and twenty thousand foot soldiers.^d David hamstrung all the chariot horses, but from them^e he spared a hundred chariot horses. ⁵When Aram of Damascus came to help Hadadezer, the king of Zobah, David killed twenty-two thousand men of Aram. ⁶David placed garrisons in Aram of Damascus, so Aram became servants of David, bringing tribute. Yahweh protected David everywhere he went.

⁷David took the small round gold shields which had belonged^f to the servants of Hadadezer, and he brought them to Jerusalem. ⁸From Betah and from Berothai, the towns of Hadadezer, King David took very many bronze items.

⁹When Toi, the king of Hamath, heard that David had defeated all the army of Hadadezer, ¹⁰Toi sent Joram his son to King David to greet him^g and to congratulate him because he had fought against Hadadezer and defeated him; for Hadadezer had often been at war with Toi.^h He brought with himⁱ objects of silver and objects of gold and objects of bronze. ¹¹King David dedicated them also to Yahweh along with the silver and the gold that he had dedicated from all of the nations which he had subdued; ¹²from Aram and from Moab and from the Ammonites^j and from the Philistines and from Amalek and from the plunder of Hadadezer the son of Rehob, the king of Zobah. ¹³So David made a name for himself when he returned from defeating Aram in the Valley of Salt, eighteen thousand. ¹⁴He put garrisons in Edom; all over Edom he put garrisons, and all of Edom became servants of David. Yahweh protected David wherever he went.

¹⁵David reigned over all of Israel, and he^k was administering justice and righteousness for all his people. ¹⁶Joab the son of Zeruiah was over the army, and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was secretary. ¹⁷Zadok the son of Ahitub and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar were priests and Seraiah was scribe. ¹⁸Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Kerethites and the Pelethites, and the sons of David were priests.

David Cares for Mephibosheth

9Then David said, “Is there still anyone who is left for the house of Saul that I may show loyal love to him for the sake of Jonathan?” ²Now Saul’s household had a servant whose name was Ziba, so they summoned him to David, and the king asked him, “Are you Ziba?” He said, “At your service!”^{a 3}Then the king said, “But is there still anyone of Saul’s household that I may show the loyal love of God with him?” And Ziba said to the king, “There is still a son of Jonathan who is lame in the feet.” ⁴The king said to him, “Where is he?” And Ziba said to the king, “He is here^b in the house of Makir the son of Ammiel in Lo Debar.” ⁵So King David sent and brought him from the house of Makir the son of Ammiel from Lo Debar. ⁶So Mephibosheth the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, came to David. And he fell on his face and did obeisance. David said, “Mephibosheth,” and he said, “I am ready to serve you.”^{c 7}Then David said to him, “Don’t be afraid, for I will certainly show^d loyal love to you for the sake of Jonathan your father, and I will restore to you all the lands of Saul your father. And you shall always eat food at my table.” ⁸Then he^e did obeisance and said, “What is your servant that you have paid attention to the dead dog like me?”

⁹David summoned Ziba the servant of Saul and said to him, “All that was Saul’s and all his household I have given to the son of your master. ¹⁰You shall till the land for him, you and your sons and your servants; you shall bring in the produce and it shall be food for the son of your master that he may eat. But Mephibosheth the son of your master may always eat food at my table.” (Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty slaves.) ¹¹Ziba said to the king, “According to all that my master the king commands his servant, so your servant will do.” So Mephibosheth was eating at his table as one of the sons of the king. ¹²Now Mephibosheth had a young son whose name was Micah, and all of the dwelling of the household of Ziba became servants for Mephibosheth. ¹³And Mephibosheth was living in Jerusalem, because he was continually eating at the table of the king, even though he was lame in both of his feet.

The Ammonites Refuse David’s Loyal Love

10Afterwards the king of the Ammonites died,^a and his son Hanun ruled in his place. ²David said, “I will show loyal love with Hanun, the son of Nahash, as his father showed loyal love with me.” So David sent to console him concerning his father, by the hand of his servants. And the servants of David came to the land of the Ammonites.^{b 3}But the commanders of the Ammonites^c said to Hanun their master, “In your opinion,^d is David honoring your father because he has sent condolences to you? Is it not in order to search the city, to spy it out, and to overthrow it that David sent his servants to you?” ⁴Then Hanun took the servants of David, and he shaved off half of their beards and cut their garments off in the middle up to their buttocks, then sent them away. ⁵When they told David, he sent to meet them, for the men were greatly ashamed. And the king said, “Remain in Jericho until your beards have grown, and then you can return.”

Israel Fights Ammon and Aram

⁶When the Ammonites^e saw that they had become odious to David, the Ammonites^f sent word and hired Aram Beth-Rehob and Aram-Zobah, twenty thousand infantry; and they also hired the king of Maacah, a thousand men, and the men of Tob, twelve thousand men. ⁷When David heard, he sent Joab and all the army of mighty warriors. ⁸The Ammonites^g came out and drew up a battle formation^h at the entrance of the gate, but Aram-Zobah and Rehob and the men of Tob and Maacah were alone in the open field. ⁹When Joab saw that the battle was to be fought on two fronts,ⁱ he chose from all the members of the elite troops of Israel and lined them up for battle^j to meet Aram. ¹⁰The rest of the army he placed into the hand of his brother Abishai, who arranged them in battle lines^k to meet the Ammonites.^{l 11}Then he said, “If Aram is stronger than I am, you must become my deliverer; but if the Ammonites^m are too strong for you, then I will come to rescue you. ¹²Be strong, and let us strengthen ourselves for the sake of the people and for the sake of the cities of our God. May Yahweh do what is good in his eyes. ¹³Joab and all the people who were with him moved forward into the battle against Aram, and they fled from before him. ¹⁴When the Ammonitesⁿ saw that Aram had fled, they fled from before Abishai and entered the city. Then Joab returned from fighting against the Ammonites^o and came to Jerusalem.

The Arameans Regroup for Attack

¹⁵When the Arameans saw that they were defeated before Israel, they gathered themselves together. ¹⁶Then Hadadezer sent and brought out the Arameans who were beyond the Euphrates, and they came to Helam. Now Shobach, the commander of the army of Hadadezer, was at their head.^{p 17}David was told, so he gathered all Israel and crossed over the Jordan and came to Helam. Aram arranged themselves in battle lines^q to meet David, and they fought with him. ¹⁸And Aram fled before Israel, and David killed from the Arameans seven hundred chariot teams and forty thousand horsemen. He struck down Shobach, the commander of his army, and he died there. ¹⁹When all the kings, the servants of Hadadezer, saw that he had been defeated before Israel, they made peace with Israel and served them, and Aram was afraid to help the Ammonites^r any longer.