2 Samuel 8–10

David Wins Many Wars

8Later, David defeated the Philistines, conquered them, and took the city of Metheg Ammah.

²He also defeated the people of Moab. He made them lie on the ground, and then he used a rope to measure them. Those who were measured within two rope lengths were killed, but those who were within the next rope length were allowed to live. So the people of Moab became servants of David and gave him the payment he demanded.

³David also defeated Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah, as he went to take control again at the Euphrates River. ⁴David captured one thousand chariots, seven thousand men who rode in chariots, and twenty thousand foot soldiers. He crippled all but a hundred of the chariot horses.

⁵Arameans from Damascus came to help Hadadezer king of Zobah, but David killed twenty-two thousand of them. ⁶Then David put groups of soldiers in Damascus in Aram. The Arameans became David’s servants and gave him the payment he demanded. The Lord gave David victory everywhere he went.

⁷David took the shields of gold that had belonged to Hadadezer’s officers and brought them to Jerusalem. ⁸David also took many things made of bronze from Tebah and Berothai, which had been cities under Hadadezer’s control.

⁹Toi king of Hamath heard that David had defeated all the army of Hadadezer. ¹⁰So Toi sent his son Joram to greet and congratulate King David for defeating Hadadezer. (Hadadezer had been at war with Toi.) Joram brought items made of silver, gold, and bronze. ¹¹King David gave them to the Lord, along with the silver and gold he had taken from the other nations he had defeated. ¹²These nations were Edom, Moab, Ammon, Philistia, and Amalek. David also gave the Lord what he had taken from Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah.

¹³David was famous after he returned from defeating eighteen thousand Arameans in the Valley of Salt. ¹⁴He put groups of soldiers all over Edom, and all the Edomites became his servants. The Lord gave David victory everywhere he went.

¹⁵David was king over all Israel, and he did what was fair and right for all his people. ¹⁶Joab son of Zeruiah was commander over the army. Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was the recorder. ¹⁷Zadok son of Ahitub and Abiathar son of Ahimelech were priests. Seraiah was the royal secretary. ¹⁸Benaiah son of Jehoiada was over the Kerethites and Pelethites. ⁿ And David’s sons were priests.

David Helps Saul’s Family

9David asked, “Is anyone still left in Saul’s family? I want to show kindness to that person for Jonathan’s sake!”

²Now there was a servant named Ziba from Saul’s family. So David’s servants called Ziba to him. King David said to him, “Are you Ziba?”

He answered, “Yes, I am your servant.”

³The king asked, “Is anyone left in Saul’s family? I want to show God’s kindness to that person.”

Ziba answered the king, “Jonathan has a son still living who is crippled in both feet.”

⁴The king asked Ziba, “Where is this son?”

Ziba answered, “He is at the house of Makir son of Ammiel in Lo Debar.”

⁵Then King David had servants bring Jonathan’s son from the house of Makir son of Ammiel in Lo Debar. ⁶Mephibosheth, Jonathan’s son, came before David and bowed facedown on the floor.

David said, “Mephibosheth!”

Mephibosheth said, “I am your servant.”

⁷David said to him, “Don’t be afraid. I will be kind to you for your father Jonathan’s sake. I will give you back all the land of your grandfather Saul, and you will always eat at my table.”

⁸Mephibosheth bowed to David again and said, “You are being very kind to me, your servant! And I am no better than a dead dog!”

⁹Then King David called Saul’s servant Ziba. David said to him, “I have given your master’s grandson everything that belonged to Saul and his family. ¹⁰You, your sons, and your servants will farm the land and harvest the crops. Then your family will have food to eat. But Mephibosheth, your master’s grandson, will always eat at my table.”

(Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.) ¹¹Ziba said to King David, “I, your servant, will do everything my master, the king, commands me.”

So Mephibosheth ate at David’s table as if he were one of the king’s sons. ¹²Mephibosheth had a young son named Mica. Everyone in Ziba’s family became Mephibosheth’s servants. ¹³Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, because he always ate at the king’s table. And he was crippled in both feet.

War with the Ammonites and Arameans

10When Nahash king of the Ammonites died, his son Hanun became king after him. ²David said, “Nahash was loyal to me, so I will be loyal to his son Hanun.” So David sent his messengers to comfort Hanun about his father’s death.

David’s officers went to the land of the Ammonites. ³But the Ammonite leaders said to Hanun, their master, “Do you think David wants to honor your father by sending men to comfort you? No! David sent them to study the city and spy it out and capture it!” ⁴So Hanun arrested David’s officers. To shame them he shaved off half their beards and cut off their clothes at the hips. Then he sent them away.

⁵When the people told David, he sent messengers to meet his officers because they were very ashamed. King David said, “Stay in Jericho until your beards have grown back. Then come home.”

⁶The Ammonites knew that they had insulted David. So they hired twenty thousand Aramean foot soldiers from Beth Rehob and Zobah. They also hired the king of Maacah with a thousand men and twelve thousand men from Tob.

⁷When David heard about this, he sent Joab with the whole army. ⁸The Ammonites came out and prepared for battle at the city gate. The Arameans from Zobah and Rehob and the men from Tob and Maacah were out in the field by themselves.

⁹Joab saw that there were enemies both in front of him and behind him. So he chose some of the best soldiers of Israel and sent them out to fight the Arameans. ¹⁰Joab put the rest of the army under the command of Abishai, his brother. Then he sent them out to fight the Ammonites. ¹¹Joab said to Abishai, “If the Arameans are too strong for me, you must help me. Or, if the Ammonites are too strong for you, I will help you. ¹²Be strong. We must fight bravely for our people and the cities of our God. The Lord will do what he thinks is right.”

¹³Then Joab and the army with him went to attack the Arameans, and the Arameans ran away. ¹⁴When the Ammonites saw that the Arameans were running away, they also ran away from Abishai and went back to their city. So Joab returned from the battle with the Ammonites and came to Jerusalem.

¹⁵When the Arameans saw that Israel had defeated them, they came together into one big army. ¹⁶Hadadezer sent messengers to bring the Arameans from east of the Euphrates River, and they went to Helam. Their leader was Shobach, the commander of Hadadezer’s army.

¹⁷When David heard about this, he gathered all the Israelites together. They crossed over the Jordan River and went to Helam. There the Arameans prepared for battle and attacked him. ¹⁸But the Arameans ran away from the Israelites. David killed seven hundred Aramean chariot drivers and forty thousand Aramean horsemen. He also killed Shobach, the commander of the Aramean army.

¹⁹When the kings who served Hadadezer saw that the Israelites had defeated them, they made peace with the Israelites and served them. And the Arameans were afraid to help the Ammonites again.