1 Chronicles 14

1 Then Hiram, king of Tyre, sent messengers to David along with cedar timber, stonemasons, and carpenters to build him a palace.

One day Hiram, the king of Tyre [city], sent some messengers to David [to talk about making an agreement between their countries]. Then Hiram sent cedar logs, bricklayers, and carpenters to build a palace for David.

2 In this way David realized that the Lord had placed him on the throne as king of Israel and had blessed by supporting his kingdom for the sake of the Lord's people Israel.

[When that happened, ] David knew that Yahweh had truly caused him to be the king of Israel, and that he had caused his kingdom to be greatly respected. Yahweh did this because [he loved] his Israeli people.

3 David married more wives in Jerusalem, and had more sons and daughters.

David married more women in Jerusalem, and [those women] gave birth to more sons and daughters for him.

4 This is a list of the names of the children he had in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon,

The names of the children that were born to him there in Jerusalem are Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon,

5 Ibhar, Elishua, Elpelet,

Ibhar, Elishua, Elpelet,

6 Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia,

Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia,

7 Elishama, Beeliada, and Eliphelet.

Elishama, Beeliada, and Eliphelet.

8 When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over all of Israel, they gathered their whole army to go after him. But David heard they were coming and went out to confront them.

When the army of Philistia heard that David has been appointed to be king of all of Israel, they came to capture him. But David heard that they were coming, so he [and his soldiers] marched out to fight against them.

9 The Philistines arrived and raided the valley of Rephaim.

The army of Philistia had attacked the people in the Rephaim Valley [southwest of Jerusalem] and had robbed them.

10 David consulted God, asking “Shall I go and attack the Philistines? Will you make me victorious over them?” “Go ahead,” the Lord told him, “I will make you victorious over them.”

David asked God, “Should [my men and] I go and attack the army of Philistia? [If we go, ] will you enable us to defeat [IDM] them?” Yahweh replied, “Yes, go, and I will enable you to defeat [IDM] them.”

11 So David attacked and defeated them there at Baal-perazim. “God used me to defeat my enemies like a torrent of water that bursts out,” he declared. That's why the place was named Baal-perazim.

So David and his men went up to a town where the soldiers of Philistia were staying and defeated them. Then David said, “God has enabled me [and my soldiers] to overwhelm my enemies like [MET] a flood.” So they named that place {That place is called} ‘Baal-Perazim’ [which means ‘Yahweh breaks through’].

12 The Philistines had left their gods behind, so David gave orders that they should be burned.

[As the soldiers of Philistia fled], they left their idols there. So David commanded his soldiers to burn those idols.

13 However, the Philistines returned and made another raid on the valley.

But soon the army of Philistia attacked the people in that valley again.

14 David consulted God again. “Don't make a frontal attack,” God told him. “Instead go around behind them and attack them in front of the balsam trees.

So again David prayed to God [to ask him what he should do], and God replied, saying “Do not attack the army of Philistia from the front. Instead, go around them, and attack them [from the rear] in front of the balsam trees.

15 As soon as you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, go and attack for the Lord has gone before you to strike down the Philistine army.”

When you hear something in the tops of the balsam trees that sounds like [soldiers] marching, attack them. I, God, will have gone ahead of you to enable you to defeat the army of Philistia.”

16 So David did what God told him, striking down the Philistine army all the way from Gibeon to Gezer.

So David did what God commanded him to do, and he and his army defeated the army of Philistia, all the way from Gibeon [city in the east] to Gezer [city in the west].

17 As a result David's reputation was spread everywhere, and the Lord made all the nations afraid of David.

So David became famous in all the nearby countries, and Yahweh caused [the leaders of] all the [nearby] nations to be afraid of him.