Chapter 18

David’s Conquests.^{[a] 1} After this, David defeated the Philistines. He subdued Gath and took it and its dependent towns from the Philistines.

² He struck down Moab, and the Moabites became David’s vassals and brought him tribute.

³ The king defeated Hadadezer, the king of Zobah up to Hamath when he went forth to establish his power along the Euphrates River. ⁴ David took one thousand chariots from him, as well as seven thousand horsemen, and twenty thousand foot soldiers. David hamstrung the chariot horses, keeping one hundred chariots for himself.

⁵ When the Arameans of Damascus came to help Hadadezer, the king of Zobah, David killed twenty-two thousand of the Arameans. ⁶ David then stationed men in Damascus of the Arameans, and the Arameans became David’s vassals, bringing him tribute. The Lord guarded over David wherever he went.

⁷ David took the gold shields from Hadadezer’s servants, and he brought them to Jerusalem. ⁸ He also brought large quantities of bronze from Tibhath and Cun, Hadadezer’s cities. Solomon used the bronze to make the sea, the pillars, and vessels.

⁹ When Tou, the king of Hamath, heard how David had defeated the entire army of Hadadezer, the king of Zobah, ¹⁰ he sent his son Hadoram to King David to greet him and bless him because he had fought against Hadadezer and defeated him, for Hadadezer was at war with Tou. He brought him objects of gold, silver, and bronze. ¹¹ King David dedicated them to the Lord along with the gold and the silver that he had taken from all the nations, from Edom, Moab, the Ammonites, the Philistines, and from Amalek.

¹² In addition to this, Abishai, the son of Zeruiah, killed eighteen thousand of the Edomites in the Valley of Salt. ¹³ He also established outposts in Edom, so that all of Edom became David’s vassals. The Lord guarded over David wherever he went.

¹⁴ David reigned over all of Israel, and he gave judgment and justice to all of his people. ¹⁵ Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was the commander of the army, and Jehoshaphat, the son of Ahilud, was the archivist.

¹⁶ Zadok, the son of Ahitub, and Ahimelech, the son of Abiathar, were the priests, and Shavsha was the scribe. ¹⁷ Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, was in charge of the Cherethites and the Pelethites, and David’s sons were the officials of the king.^[b]