2 Samuel 8
1 And it came to pass after this, that David smote the Philistines, and humbled them: and David took Metheg-haammah out of the hand of the Philistines.
Some time later, David’s army attacked the Philistia [army] and defeated them. They took control over the entire Philistia area.
2 And he smote Moab, and measured them with a line, laying them down on the ground; and he measured with two lines to put to death, and with one full line to keep alive. And the Moabites became David's servants, bringing presents.
David’s army also defeated the army of the Moab people-group. David forced their soldiers to lie down on the ground [close to each other]. His men killed two out of every three of them. The [other] Moab people [were forced to] accept David as their ruler, and they were forced to give to him [every year the] payment/tax [that he demanded].
3 David smote also Hadad'ezer, the son of Rechob, the king of Zobah, as he went to extend his territory at the river Euphrates.
David’s army also defeated [the army of] Hadadezer, the son of Rehob, who ruled [the state of] Zobah [in Syria]. That happened when David went to rule again over the area at [the upper part of] the Euphrates River.
4 And David captured from him a thousand and seven hundred horsemen, and twenty thousand men on foot: and David hamstringed all the chariot-teams, but reserved of them a hundred chariot-teams.
David’s army captured 1,700 of Hadadezer’s soldiers who rode on horses, and 20,000 of his other soldiers. They also crippled/hamstrung most of the horses that pulled the chariots, but they left/spared enough horses to [pull] 100 chariots.
5 And the Syrians of Damascus then came to aid Hadad'ezer, the king of Zobah, when David slew of the Syrians twenty and two thousand men.
When [the army of] Syria came from Damascus [city] to help King Hadadezer’s [army], David’s soldiers killed 22,000 of them.
6 And David put garrisons in Syria of Damascus: and the Syrians became servants to David, bearing presents. And the Lord helped David whithersoever he went.
Then David stationed (groups of his soldiers/army camps) in their area, and the people of Syria were forced to accept David as their ruler, and to give to David’s government [every year] the payment/tax that he demanded. And Yahweh enabled David’s [army] to win victories wherever they went.
7 And David took the shields of gold that belonged to the servants of Hadad'ezer, and brought them to Jerusalem.
David’s soldiers took the gold shields that were carried by Hadadezer’s officials, and brought them to Jerusalem.
8 And from Betach, and from Berothai, cities of Hadad'ezer, did king David take exceedingly much copper.
They also brought [to Jerusalem] a lot of bronze [that they found] in Betah and Berothai, two cities that King Hadadezer [had previously] ruled.
9 And when To'i the king of Chamath heard that David had smitten all the host of Hadad'ezer,
When Toi, the king of the Hamath [city in Syria], heard that David’s [army] had defeated the entire army of King Hadadezer,
10 Then did To'i send Yoram his son unto king David, to ask him after his well-being, and to bless him, because that he had fought against Hadad'ezer, and smitten him; for Hadad'ezer had been engaged in wars with To'i; and he had in his hand vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and vessels of copper:
he sent his son Joram to greet King David and to (congratulate him/say that he was happy) about his army defeating Hadadezer’s army, which Toi’s [army] had fought many times. Joram brought to David many items/gifts made from gold, silver, and bronze.
11 These also did king David sanctify unto the Lord, with the silver and gold that he had sanctified from all the nations which he subdued;
King David dedicated all those items to Yahweh. He also dedicated the silver and gold which his army had taken from the nations that they had conquered.
12 From Syria, and from Moab, and from the children of 'Ammon, and from the Philistines, and from 'Amalek, and from the spoil of Hadad'ezer, the son of Rechob, the king of Zobah.
They had taken items from the Edom people-group and the Moab people-group, from the Ammon people-group, from the Philistia people, and from [the descendants of] Amalek, as well as from the people that Hadadezer [previously] ruled.
13 And David acquired a name when he returned from his smiting the Syrians in the valley of salt, eighteen thousand men.
When David returned [after defeating the armies of Syria], he became more famous because his army killed 18,000 soldiers from the Edom people-group in the Salt Valley [near the Dead Sea].
14 And he put garrisons in Edom; throughout all Edom put he garrisons, and all the Edomites became servants to David. And the Lord helped David whithersoever he went.
David stationed (groups of his soldiers/army camps) throughout the Edom area, and forced the people there to accept him as their king. Yahweh enabled David’s [army] to win battles wherever they went.
15 And David reigned over all Israel; and David did what is just and right unto all his people.
David ruled over all the Israeli people, and he always did for them what was fair and just.
16 And Joab the son of Zeruyah was over the army; and Jehoshaphat the son of Achilud was recorder;
Joab was the army commander; Jehoshaphat, the son of Ahilud, was the man who reported to the people everything that David decided that they should do;
17 And Zadok the son of Achitub, and Achimelech the son of Ebyathar, were priests; and Serayah was scribe;
Zadok the son of Ahitub and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar were the priests; Seraiah was the official secretary;
18 And Banayahu the son of Yehoyada' was over both the Kerethites and the Pelethites; and David's sons were officers of state.
Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was the commander of (David’s bodyguards/the men who protected the king); and David’s sons were priests (OR, his administrators/advisors).
