1 Chronicles 18

1 Some time later, David’s [army] attacked the army of Philistia and defeated them. They captured Gath [city] and the surrounding villages.

After this, David defeated the Philistines and subdued them, and took Gath and its towns out of the hand of the Philistines.

2 His [army] also defeated [the army of] the Moab [people-group]. The people were forced to accept David as their ruler, and also to pay money [each year to David’s government, in order that David’s army would protect them].

He defeated Moab; and the Moabites became servants to David and brought tribute.

3 David’s [army] also fought against [the army of] Hadadezer, the king of [the] Zobah [region in Syria] near Hamath [city], when Hadadezer was trying to establish control over the area near the Euphrates River.

David defeated Hadadezer king of Zobah, toward Hamath, as he went to establish his dominion by the river Euphrates.

4 David’s [army] captured 1,000 of Hadadezer’s chariots, 7,000 chariot-drivers, and 20,000 soldiers. They hamstrung/crippled most of their horses; there were only 100 horses that they did not cripple.

David took from him one thousand chariots, seven thousand horsemen, and twenty thousand footmen; and David hamstrung all the chariot horses, but reserved of them enough for one hundred chariots.

5 When the army of Syria came from Damascus [city] to help Hadadezer’s [army], David’s soldiers killed 22,000 of them.

When the Syrians of Damascus came to help Hadadezer king of Zobah, David struck twenty-two thousand men of the Syrians.

6 Then David stationed groups of his soldiers in Damascus, and the people of Syria were forced to accept David as their ruler, and to pay to David’s government [each year] the payment/tax that he demanded. And Yahweh enabled David’s [army] to win battles everywhere they went.

Then David put garrisons in Syria of Damascus; and the Syrians became servants to David and brought tribute. Yahweh gave victory to David wherever he went.

7 David soldiers took the gold shields that were carried by the officers of Hadadezer’s [army] and brought them to Jerusalem.

David took the shields of gold that were on the servants of Hadadezer, and brought them to Jerusalem.

8 They also brought from Tebah (OR, Tibhath) and Cun, two towns that belonged to Hadadezer, a lot of bronze, which [David’s son] Solomon [later] used to make the huge bronze basin and the pillars and other bronze items [for the temple].

From Tibhath and from Cun, cities of Hadadezer, David took very much bronze, with which Solomon made the bronze sea, the pillars, and the vessels of bronze.

9 When Tou, the king of Hamath [city in Syria], heard that David’s [army] had defeated the entire army of King Hadadezer,

When Tou king of Hamath heard that David had struck all the army of Hadadezer king of Zobah,

10 he sent his son Hadoram to King David, to greet him and (congratulate him/tell him that he was happy) about his defeating Hadadezer’s army, which had been fighting [the army of] Tou. Hadoram brought to David many items/gifts made of gold, silver, and bronze.

he sent Hadoram his son to King David to greet him and to bless him, because he had fought against Hadadezer and struck him (for Hadadezer had wars with Tou); and he had with him all kinds of vessels of gold and silver and bronze.

11 King David dedicated those things to Yahweh, like he had done with the silver and gold that his soldiers had taken from [the] Edom and Moab [people-groups], and from the Ammon people-group and from the people of Philistia, and from [the descendants of] Amalek.

King David also dedicated these to Yahweh, with the silver and the gold that he carried away from all the nations: from Edom, from Moab, from the children of Ammon, from the Philistines, and from Amalek.

12 [One of David’s army commanders, ] Abishai, whose mother was Zeruiah, went with his army and killed 18,000 soldiers from Edom in the Salt Valley.

Moreover Abishai the son of Zeruiah struck eighteen thousand of the Edomites in the Valley of Salt.

13 Then David stationed groups of his soldiers there in Edom, and the people of Edom were forced to accept David as their king and to pay money to David’s government [every year]. And Yahweh enabled David’s [army] to win battles wherever they went.

He put garrisons in Edom; and all the Edomites became servants to David. Yahweh gave victory to David wherever he went.

14 David ruled over all the Israeli people, and he always did for them what was just and fair.

David reigned over all Israel; and he executed justice and righteousness for all his people.

15 Zeruiah’s son Joab was the chief army commander. Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was the record-keeper.

Joab the son of Zeruiah was over the army; Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder;

16 Zadok the son of Ahitub and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar were the Supreme Priests. Shavsha was the official secretary.

Zadok the son of Ahitub and Abimelech the son of Abiathar were priests; Shavsha was scribe;

17 Benaiah the son of Jehoiada ruled over the Kereth and Peleth groups [who were David’s bodyguards]. And David’s sons were his most important officials.

and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and the sons of David were chief officials serving the king.