2 Samuel 8

1 And it came about after this that David made an attack on the Philistines and overcame them; and David took the authority of the mother-town from the hands of the Philistines.

Sometime after this, David attacked and subdued the Philistines, taking Metheg-ammah from the them.

2 And he overcame the Moabites, and he had them measured with a line when they were stretched out on the earth; marking out two lines for death and one full line for life. So the Moabites became servants to David and gave him offerings.

David also defeated the Moabites. He made them lie down on the ground, and he measured them with a length of cord. He measured two lengths for those to be killed, and one cord length for those to be allowed to live. So he made them subject to him and required them to pay taxes.

3 And David overcame Hadadezer, the son of Rehob, king of Zobah, when he went to make his power seen by the River.

David also defeated Hadadezer, son of Rehob, king of Zobah, as he tried to enforce his control along the Euphrates River.

4 And David took from him one thousand, seven hundred horsemen and twenty thousand footmen: and David had the leg-muscles of the horses cut, only keeping enough of them for a hundred war-carriages.

David captured from him 1,000 chariots, 7,000 charioteers, and 20,000 foot soldiers. David hamstrung all the chariot horses—except he saved enough for 100 chariots.

5 And when the Aramaeans of Damascus came to the help of Hadadezer, king of Zobah, David put to the sword twenty-two thousand of the Aramaeans.

When the Arameans of Damascus came to help King Hadadezer of Zobah, David killed twenty-two thousand of them.

6 And David put armed forces in Aram of Damascus: and the Aramaeans became servants to David and gave him offerings. And the Lord made David overcome wherever he went.

He placed garrisons in Aramean kingdom with its capital in Damascus, and made the Arameans subject to him and required them to pay taxes. The Lord gave David victories wherever he went.

7 And David took their gold body-covers from the servants of Hadadezer and took them to Jerusalem.

David took the shields of gold that belonged to Hadadezer's officers and brought them to Jerusalem.

8 And from Tebah and Berothai, towns of Hadadezer, King David took a great store of brass.

King David also took a large quantity of bronze from Betah and Berothai, towns that had belonged to Hadadezer.

9 And when Tou, king of Hamath, had news that David had overcome all the army of Hadadezer,

When Tou, king of Hamath, learned that David had destroyed the entire army of Hadadezer, king of Zobah,

10 He sent his son Hadoram to David, with words of peace and blessing, because he had overcome Hadadezer in the fight, for Hadadezer had wars with Tou; and Hadoram took with him vessels of silver and gold and brass:

he sent his son Joram to David to make friends with him and to congratulate him on his victory in battle over Hadadezer. Tou and Hadadezer had often been at war. Joram brought all kinds of gifts of gold, silver, and bronze.

11 These King David made holy to the Lord, together with the silver and gold which he had taken from the nations he had overcome —

King David dedicated these gifts to the Lord, along with the silver and gold he had taken from all the nations he had subdued:

12 The nations of Edom and Moab, and the children of Ammon and the Philistines and the Amalekites and the goods he had taken from Hadadezer, the son of Rehob, king of Zobah.

Edom, Moab, the Ammonites, the Philistines, and Amalekites; as well as the plunder taken from Hadadezer, son of Rehob, king of Zobah.

13 And David got great honour for himself, when he came back, by the destruction of Edom in the valley of Salt, to the number of eighteen thousand men.

David also made a name for himself when he came back after defeating eighteen thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt.

14 And he put armed forces in Edom; all through Edom he had armed forces stationed, and all the Edomites became servants to David. And the Lord made David overcome wherever he went.

He placed garrisons all through Edom, and all the Edomites became subject to David. The Lord gave David victories wherever he went.

15 And David was king over all Israel, judging and giving right decisions for all his people.

David ruled over all Israel. He did what was fair and right for all his people.

16 And Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief of the army; and Jehoshaphat, the son of Ahilud, was keeper of the records;

Joab, son of Zeruiah, was the army commander, and Jehoshaphat, son of Ahilud, kept the official records.

17 And Zadok and Abiathar, the son of Ahimelech, the son of Ahitub, were priests; and Seraiah was the scribe;

Zadok, son of Ahitub, and Ahimelech, son of Abiathar, were priests, while Seraiah was the secretary.

18 And Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, was over the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and David's sons were priests.

Benaiah, son of Jehoiada was in charge of the Cherethites and Pelethites; and David's sons were priests.