2 Samuel 8

1 Some time later, David’s army attacked the Philistia [army] and defeated them. They took control over the entire Philistia area.

And it came to pass after this, that David smote the Philistines, and put them to flight, and David took the tribute from out of the hand of the Philistines.

2 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].

And David smote Moab, and measured them out with lines, having laid them down on the ground: and there were two lines for slaying, and two lines he kept alive: and Moab became servants to David, yielding tribute.

3 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.

And David smote Adraazar the son of Raab king of Suba, as he went to extend his power to the river Euphrates.

4 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.

And David took a thousand of his chariots, and seven thousand horsemen, and twenty thousand footmen: and David houghed all his chariot [horses], and he reserved to himself a hundred chariots.

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

And Syria of Damascus comes to help Adraazar king of Suba, and David smote twenty-two thousand men belonging to the Syrian.

6 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.

And David placed a garrison in Syria near Damascus, and the Syrians became servants and tributaries to David: and the Lord preserved David whithersoever he went.

7 David’s soldiers took the gold shields that were carried by Hadadezer’s officials, and brought them to Jerusalem.

And David took the golden bracelets which were on the servants of Adraazar king of Suba, and brought them to Jerusalem. And Susakim king of Egypt took them, when he went up to Jerusalem in the days of Roboam son of Solomon.

8 They also brought [to Jerusalem] a lot of bronze [that they found] in Betah and Berothai, two cities that King Hadadezer [had previously] ruled.

And king David took from Metebac, and from the choice cities of Adraazar, very much brass: with that Solomon made the brazen sea, and the pillars, and the lavers, and all the furniture.

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

And Thou the king of Hemath heard that David had smitten all the host of Adraazar.

10 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.

And Thou sent Jedduram his son to king David, to ask him of his welfare, and to congratulate him on his fighting against Adraazar and smiting him, for he was an enemy to Adraazar: and in his hands were vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and vessels of brass.

11 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.

And these king David consecrated to the Lord, with the silver and with the gold which he consecrated out of all the cities which he conquered,

12 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.

out of Idumea, and out of Moab, and from the children of Ammon, and from the Philistines, and from Amalec, and from the spoils of Adraazar son of Raab king of Suba.

13 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].

And David made [himself] a name: and when he returned he smote Idumea in Gebelem to [the number of] eighteen thousand.

14 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.

And he set garrisons in Idumea, even in all Idumea: and all the Idumeans were servants to the king. And the Lord preserved David wherever he went.

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

And David reigned over all Israel: and David wrought judgment and justice over all his people.

16 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;

And Joab the son of Saruia [was] over the host; and Josaphat the son of Achilud [was keeper] of the records.

17 Zadok the son of Ahitub and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar were the priests; Seraiah was the official secretary;

And Sadoc the son of Achitob, and Achimelech son of Abiathar, [were] priests; and Sasa [was] the scribe,

18 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).

and Banaeas son of Jodae [was] councillor, and the Chelethite and the Phelethite, and the sons of David, were princes of the court.