1 Chronicles 18

Now after this it came to pass, that David smote the Philistines, and subdued them, and took Gath and her towns out of the hand of the Philistines.

1After this, David fought the Philistines and beat them. He took the city of Gath and its small towns from them.

2And he smote Moab; and the Moabites became David’s servants, and brought gifts.

2David also beat the people of Moab. They became his servants and paid him money and goods.

Note"Brought gifts" in the old wording means tribute. It was a required payment from a beaten nation, not a present.

3And David smote Hadarezer king of Zobah unto Hamath, as he went to stablish his dominion by the river Euphrates.

3David also beat Hadadezer, the king of Zobah, near the city of Hamath. Hadadezer had marched out to take more land by the Euphrates River.

4And David took from him a thousand chariots, and seven thousand horsemen, and twenty thousand footmen: David also houghed all the chariot horses, but reserved of them an hundred chariots.

4David took from him a thousand chariots and seven thousand chariot drivers. He also took twenty thousand soldiers who fought on foot. David cut the leg tendons of the horses so they could not pull chariots. He kept only enough horses for a hundred chariots.

Note"Houghed" (say "hocked") means cutting the tendon in a horse's back leg. This stopped the horse from being used in war.

5And when the Syrians of Damascus came to help Hadarezer king of Zobah, David slew of the Syrians two and twenty thousand men.

5The Arameans from Damascus came to help King Hadadezer of Zobah. David killed twenty-two thousand of their men.

6Then David put garrisons in Syriadamascus; and the Syrians became David’s servants, and brought gifts. Thus the LORD preserved David whithersoever he went.

6David put groups of his soldiers in Aram, near Damascus, to keep control there. The Arameans became his servants and paid him money and goods. The LORD gave David the win everywhere he went.

7And David took the shields of gold that were on the servants of Hadarezer, and brought them to Jerusalem.

7David took the gold shields carried by Hadadezer's officers. He brought those shields to Jerusalem.

8Likewise from Tibhath, and from Chun, cities of Hadarezer, brought David very much brass, wherewith Solomon made the brasen sea, and the pillars, and the vessels of brass.

8David also took a great amount of bronze from two of Hadadezer's cities, Tibhath and Cun. Later Solomon used that bronze to make the big bronze bowl, the pillars, and other bronze objects.

Note"Brass" in the old wording means bronze. The "bronze sea" was a huge bowl of water used at the temple.

9Now when Tou king of Hamath heard how David had smitten all the host of Hadarezer king of Zobah;

9King Tou of Hamath heard the news. He learned that David had beaten the whole army of King Hadadezer of Zobah.

10He sent Hadoram his son to king David, to enquire of his welfare, and to congratulate him, because he had fought against Hadarezer, and smitten him; (for Hadarezer had war with Tou;) and with him all manner of vessels of gold and silver and brass.

10So Tou sent his son Hadoram to greet King David and wish him well. He did this because David had fought and beaten Hadadezer, who had been at war with Tou. Hadoram brought many objects made of gold, silver, and bronze.

11Them also king David dedicated unto the LORD, with the silver and the gold that he brought from all these nations; from Edom, and from Moab, and from the children of Ammon, and from the Philistines, and from Amalek.

11King David gave all of these to the LORD. He also gave the silver and gold he had taken from other nations. Those nations were Edom, Moab, Ammon, Philistia, and Amalek.

12Moreover Abishai the son of Zeruiah slew of the Edomites in the valley of salt eighteen thousand.

12Abishai, the son of Zeruiah, fought the people of Edom in the Valley of Salt. He killed eighteen thousand of them.

13And he put garrisons in Edom; and all the Edomites became David’s servants. Thus the LORD preserved David whithersoever he went.

13David put groups of his soldiers in Edom to keep control there. All the people of Edom became his servants. The LORD gave David the win everywhere he went.

14So David reigned over all Israel, and executed judgment and justice among all his people.

14So David was king over all Israel. He was fair and did what was right for all his people.

15And Joab the son of Zeruiah was over the host; and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud, recorder.

15Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was the leader of the army. Jehoshaphat, the son of Ahilud, kept the records of what happened.

16And Zadok the son of Ahitub, and Abimelech the son of Abiathar, were the priests; and Shavsha was scribe;

16Zadok, the son of Ahitub, and Ahimelech, the son of Abiathar, were the priests. Priests led worship and helped people come to God. Shavsha was the scribe, the man who wrote things down.

17And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and the sons of David were chief about the king.

17Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, led the king's own guards, the Cherethites and Pelethites. David's sons were the top helpers who served beside the king.