2Sa 8-10 | ESV | STEP | After this David defeated the Philistines and subdued them, and David took Metheg-ammah out of the hand of the Philistines .

1 ^aAfter this David defeated the Philistines and subdued them, and David took ^bMetheg-ammah out of the hand of the Philistines.

2 ^cAnd he defeated Moab and he measured them with a line, making them lie down on the ground. Two lines he measured to be put to death, and one full line to be spared. And the Moabites ^dbecame servants to David and ^ebrought tribute.

3 David also defeated ^fHadadezer the son of Rehob, king of ^gZobah, as he went to restore his power at the river Euphrates. 4 ^hAnd David took from him 1,700 horsemen, and 20,000 foot soldiers. And David ⁱhamstrung all the chariot horses but left enough for 100 chariots. 5 ^jAnd when the ^kSyrians of Damascus came to help ^lHadadezer king of ^mZobah, David struck down 22,000 men of the Syrians. 6 Then David put garrisons in Aram of Damascus, and the Syrians ⁿbecame servants to David and brought tribute. ^oAnd the Lord gave victory to David wherever he went. 7 And David took ^pthe shields of gold that were carried by the servants of Hadadezer and brought them to Jerusalem. 8 And from Betah and from Berothai, cities of Hadadezer, King David took very much bronze.

9 When Toi king of ^qHamath heard that David had defeated the whole army of Hadadezer, 10 Toi sent his son Joram to King David, to ask about his health and to bless him because he had fought against Hadadezer and defeated him, for Hadadezer had often been at war with Toi. And Joram brought with him articles of silver, of gold, and of bronze. 11 ^rThese also King David dedicated to the Lord, together with the silver and gold that he dedicated from all the nations he subdued, 12 from Edom, ^sMoab, ^tthe Ammonites, ^uthe Philistines, ^vAmalek, and from the spoil of Hadadezer the son of Rehob, king of ^wZobah.

13 And David made a name for himself when he returned from striking down 18,000 Edomites in ^xthe Valley of Salt. 14 Then he put garrisons in Edom; throughout all Edom he put garrisons, ^yand all the Edomites became David’s servants. And the Lord gave victory to David wherever he went.

David’s Officials

15 So David reigned over all Israel. And David administered justice and equity to all his people. 16 ^zJoab the son of Zeruiah was over the army, and ^aaJehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder, 17 and ^abZadok the son of Ahitub and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar were priests, and ^acSeraiah was secretary, 18 and ^adBenaiah the son of Jehoiada was over ^{▼▼Compare 20:23, 1 Chronicles 18:17, Syriac, Targum, Vulgate; Hebrew lacks was over} the ^afCherethites and the Pelethites, and David’s sons were priests.

2 Samuel 9

David’s Kindness to Mephibosheth

1 And David said, “Is there still anyone left of the house of Saul, that I may ^agshow him kindness for Jonathan’s sake?” 2 Now there was a servant of the house of Saul whose name was ^ahZiba, and they called him to David. And the king said to him, “Are you Ziba?” And he said, “I am your servant.” 3 And the king said, “Is there not still someone of the house of Saul, that I may show ^aithe kindness of God to him?” Ziba said to the king, “There is still a son of ^ajJonathan; he is crippled in his feet.” 4 The king said to him, “Where is he?” And Ziba said to the king, “He is in the house of ^akMachir the son of Ammiel, at Lo-debar.” 5 Then King David sent and brought him from the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, at Lo-debar. 6 And ^alMephibosheth the son of Jonathan, son of Saul, came to David and fell on his face and paid homage. And David said, “Mephibosheth!” And he answered, “Behold, I am your servant.” 7 And David said to him, “Do not fear, ^amfor I will show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan, and I will restore to you all the land of Saul your father, and ^anyou shall eat at my table always.” 8 And he paid homage and said, “What is your servant, that you should show regard for ^aoa dead dog such as I?”

9 Then the king called Ziba, Saul’s servant, and said to him, “All that belonged to Saul and to all his house I have given to your master’s grandson. 10 And you and your sons and your servants shall till the land for him and shall bring in the produce, that your master’s grandson may have bread to eat. But Mephibosheth your master’s grandson ^apshall always eat at my table.” Now Ziba had ^aqfifteen sons and twenty servants. 11 Then Ziba said to the king, “According to all that my lord the king commands his servant, so will your servant do.” So Mephibosheth ^arate at David’s ^{▼▼Septuagint; Hebrew my} table, like one of the king’s sons. 12 And Mephibosheth had a young son, ^atwhose name was Mica. And all who lived in Ziba’s house became Mephibosheth’s servants. 13 So Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, for ^auhe ate always at the king’s table. Now ^avhe was lame in both his feet.

2 Samuel 10

David Defeats Ammon and Syria

1 ^awAfter this the king of the Ammonites died, and Hanun his son reigned in his place. 2 And David said, “I will deal loyally ^{▼▼Or kindly; twice in this verse} with Hanun the son of ^ayNahash, as his father dealt loyally with me.” So David sent by his servants to console him concerning his father. And David’s servants came into the land of the Ammonites. 3 But the princes of the Ammonites said to Hanun their lord, “Do you think, because David has sent comforters to you, that he is honoring your father? Has not David sent his servants to you to search the city and to spy it out and to overthrow it?” 4 So Hanun took David’s servants and shaved off half the beard of each and cut off their garments in the middle, ^azat their hips, and sent them away. 5 When it was told David, he sent to meet them, for the men were greatly ashamed. And the king said, “Remain at Jericho until your beards have grown and then return.”

6 When the Ammonites saw that they had become a stench to David, the Ammonites sent and hired the Syrians of ^baBeth-rehob, and ^bbthe Syrians of Zobah, 20,000 foot soldiers, and the king of ^bcMaacah with 1,000 men, and the men of ^bdTob, 12,000 men. 7 And when David heard of it, he sent Joab and all the host of ^bethe mighty men. 8 And the Ammonites came out and drew up in battle array at the entrance of the gate, and ^bfthe Syrians of Zobah and of Rehob and ^bgthe men of Tob and Maacah were by themselves in the open country.

9 When Joab saw that the battle was set against him both in front and in the rear, he chose some of the best men of Israel and arrayed them against the Syrians. 10 The rest of his men he put in the charge of Abishai his brother, and he arrayed them against the Ammonites. 11 And he said, “If the Syrians are too strong for me, then you shall help me, but if the Ammonites are too strong for you, then I will come and help you. 12 ^bhBe of good courage, and ^bilet us be courageous for our people, and for the cities of our God, and ^bjmay the Lord do what seems good to him.” 13 So Joab and the people who were with him drew near to battle against the Syrians, and they fled before him. 14 And when the Ammonites saw that the Syrians fled, they likewise fled before Abishai and entered the city. Then Joab returned from fighting against the Ammonites and came to Jerusalem.

15 But when the Syrians saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they gathered themselves together. 16 And Hadadezer sent and brought out the Syrians who were beyond ^bkthe Euphrates. ^{▼▼Hebrew the River} They came to Helam, with ^bmShobach the commander of the army of Hadadezer at their head. 17 And when it was told David, he gathered all Israel together and crossed the Jordan and came to Helam. The Syrians arrayed themselves against David and fought with him. 18 And the Syrians fled before Israel, and David killed of the Syrians the men of 700 chariots, and 40,000 horsemen, and wounded ^bnShobach the commander of their army, so that he died there. 19 And when all the kings who were servants of Hadadezer saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they made peace with Israel ^boand became subject to them. So the Syrians were afraid to save the Ammonites anymore.