David’s Further Conquests

8 After this it came to pass that David 1attacked the Philistines and subdued them. And David took 2Metheg Ammah from the hand of the Philistines.

2 Then ahe defeated Moab. Forcing them down to the ground, he measured them off with a line. With two lines he measured off those to be put to death, and with one full line those to be kept alive. So the Moabites became David’s bservants, and cbrought tribute.

3 David also defeated Hadadezer the son of Rehob, king of dZobah, as he went to recover ehis territory at the River Euphrates. 4 David took from him one thousand chariots, 3seven hundred horsemen, and twenty thousand foot soldiers. Also David fhamstrung all the chariot horses, except that he spared enough of them for one hundred chariots.

5 gWhen the Syrians of Damascus came to help Hadadezer king of Zobah, David killed twenty-two thousand of the Syrians. 6 Then David put garrisons in Syria of Damascus; and the Syrians became David’s servants, and brought tribute. So hthe Lord preserved David wherever he went. 7 And David took ithe shields of gold that had belonged to the servants of Hadadezer, and brought them to Jerusalem. 8 Also from 4Betah and from jBerothai, 5cities of Hadadezer, King David took a large amount of bronze.

9 When 6Toi king of kHamath heard that David had defeated all the army of Hadadezer, 10 then Toi sent 7Joram his son to King David, to 8greet him and bless him, because he had fought against Hadadezer and defeated him (for Hadadezer had been at war with Toi); and Joram brought with him articles of silver, articles of gold, and articles of bronze. 11 King David also ldedicated these to the Lord, along with the silver and gold that he had dedicated from all the nations which he had subdued—12 from 9Syria, from Moab, from the people of Ammon, from the mPhilistines, from Amalek, and from the spoil of Hadadezer the son of Rehob, king of Zobah.

13 And David made himself a nname when he returned from killing oeighteen thousand 1Syrians in pthe Valley of Salt. 14 He also put garrisons in Edom; throughout all Edom he put garrisons, and qall the Edomites became David’s servants. And the Lord preserved David wherever he went.

David’s Administration

15 So David reigned over all Israel; and David administered judgment and justice to all his people. 16 rJoab the son of Zeruiah was over the army; sJehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder; 17 tZadok the son of Ahitub and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar were the priests; 2Seraiah was the 3scribe; 18 uBenaiah the son of Jehoiada was over both the vCherethites and the Pelethites; and David’s sons were 4chief ministers.

David’s Kindness to Mephibosheth

9 Now David said, “Is there still anyone who is left of the house of Saul, that I may ashow him 1kindness for Jonathan’s sake?”

2 And there was a servant of the house of Saul whose name was bZiba. So when they had called him to David, the king said to him, “Are you Ziba?”

He said, “At your service!”

3 Then the king said, “Is there not still someone of the house of Saul, to whom I may show cthe kindness of God?”

And Ziba said to the king, “There is still a son of Jonathan who is dlame in his feet.”

4 So the king said to him, “Where is he?”

And Ziba said to the king, “Indeed he is in the house of eMachir the son of Ammiel, in Lo Debar.”

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

6 Now when fMephibosheth 2the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, had come to David, he fell on his face and prostrated himself. Then David said, “Mephibosheth?”

And he answered, “Here is your servant!”

7 So David said to him, “Do not fear, for I will surely show you kindness for Jonathan your father’s sake, and will restore to you all the land of Saul your grandfather; and you shall eat bread at my table continually.”

8 Then he bowed himself, and said, “What is your servant, that you should look upon such ga dead dog as I?”

9 And the king called to Ziba, Saul’s servant, and said to him, h“I have given to your master’s son all that belonged to Saul and to all his house. 10 You therefore, and your sons and your servants, shall work the land for him, and you shall bring in the harvest, that your master’s son may have food to eat. But Mephibosheth your master’s son ishall eat bread at my table always.” Now Ziba had jfifteen sons and twenty servants.

11 Then Ziba said to the king, “According to all that my lord the king has commanded his servant, so will your servant do.”

“As for Mephibosheth,” said the king, “he shall eat at 3my table like one of the king’s sons.” 12 Mephibosheth had a young son kwhose name was Micha. And all who dwelt in the house of Ziba were servants of Mephibosheth. 13 So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem, lfor he ate continually at the king’s table. And he mwas lame in both his feet.

The Ammonites and Syrians Defeated

10 It happened after this that the aking of the people of Ammon died, and Hanun his son reigned in his place. 2 Then David said, “I will show bkindness to Hanun the son of cNahash, as his father showed kindness to me.”

So David sent by the hand of his servants to comfort him concerning his father. And David’s servants came into the land of the people of Ammon. 3 And the princes of the people of Ammon said to Hanun their lord, “Do you think that David really honors your father because he has sent comforters to you? Has David not rather sent his servants to you to search the city, to spy it out, and to overthrow it?”

4 Therefore Hanun took David’s servants, shaved off half of their beards, cut off their garments in the middle, dat their buttocks, and sent them away. 5 When they told David, he sent to meet them, because the men were greatly 1ashamed. And the king said, “Wait at Jericho until your beards have grown, and then return.”

6 When the people of Ammon saw that they ehad made themselves repulsive to David, the people of Ammon sent and hired fthe Syrians of gBeth Rehob and the Syrians of Zoba, twenty thousand foot soldiers; and from the king of hMaacah one thousand men, and from iIsh-Tob twelve thousand men. 7 Now when David heard of it, he sent Joab and all the army of jthe mighty men. 8 Then the people of Ammon came out and put themselves in battle array at the entrance of the gate. And kthe Syrians of Zoba, Beth Rehob, Ish-Tob, and Maacah were by themselves in the field.

9 When Joab saw that the battle line was against him before and behind, he chose some of Israel’s best and put them in battle array against the Syrians. 10 And the rest of the people he put under the command of lAbishai his brother, that he might set them in battle array against the people of Ammon. 11 Then he said, “If the Syrians are too strong for me, then you shall help me; but if the people of Ammon are too strong for you, then I will come and help you. 12 mBe of good courage, and let us nbe strong for our people and for the cities of our God. And may othe Lord do what is good in His sight.”

13 So Joab and the people who were with him drew near for the battle against the Syrians, and they fled before him. 14 When the people of Ammon saw that the Syrians were fleeing, they also fled before Abishai, and entered the city. So Joab returned from the people of Ammon and went to pJerusalem.

15 When the Syrians saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they gathered together. 16 Then 2Hadadezer sent and brought out the Syrians who were beyond 3the River, and they came to Helam. And 4Shobach the commander of Hadadezer’s army went before them. 17 When it was told David, he gathered all Israel, crossed over the Jordan, and came to Helam. And the Syrians set themselves in battle array against David and fought with him. 18 Then the Syrians fled before Israel; and David killed seven hundred charioteers and forty thousand qhorsemen of the Syrians, and struck Shobach the commander of their army, who died there. 19 And when all the kings who were servants to 5Hadadezer saw that they were defeated by Israel, they made peace with Israel and rserved them. So the Syrians were afraid to help the people of Ammon anymore.

David, Bathsheba, and Uriah

11 It happened in the spring of the year, at the atime when kings go out to battle, that bDavid sent Joab and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the people of Ammon and besieged cRabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem.

2 Then it happened one evening that David arose from his bed dand walked on the roof of the king’s house. And from the roof he esaw a woman bathing, and the woman was very beautiful to behold. 3 So David sent and inquired about the woman. And someone said, “Is this not 1Bathsheba, the daughter of 2Eliam, the wife fof Uriah the gHittite?” 4 Then David sent messengers, and took her; and she came to him, and hhe lay with her, for she was icleansed from her impurity; and she returned to her house. 5 And the woman conceived; so she sent and told David, and said, “I am with child.”

6 Then David sent to Joab, saying, “Send me Uriah the Hittite.” And Joab sent Uriah to David. 7 When Uriah had come to him, David asked how Joab was doing, and how the people were doing, and how the war prospered. 8 And David said to Uriah, “Go down to your house and jwash your feet.” So Uriah departed from the king’s house, and a gift of food from the king followed him. 9 But Uriah slept at the kdoor of the king’s house with all the servants of his lord, and did not go down to his house. 10 So when they told David, saying, “Uriah did not go down to his house,” David said to Uriah, “Did you not come from a journey? Why did you not go down to your house?”

11 And Uriah said to David, l“The ark and Israel and Judah are dwelling in tents, and mmy lord Joab and the servants of my lord are encamped in the open fields. Shall I then go to my house to eat and drink, and to lie with my wife? As you live, and as your soul lives, I will not do this thing.”

12 Then David said to Uriah, “Wait here today also, and tomorrow I will let you depart.” So Uriah remained in …