2 Samuel 8

And after this it came to pass that David smote the Philistines, and subdued them: and David took Methegammah out of the hand of the Philistines.

1After this, David fought the Philistines and won. He beat them badly. He took a town called Metheg-ammah away from them.

2And he smote Moab, and measured them with a line, casting them down to the ground; even with two lines measured he to put to death, and with one full line to keep alive. And so the Moabites became David’s servants, and brought gifts.

2David also beat the people of Moab in war. He made them lie down on the ground in a row. Then he measured them off with a long rope. Two rope-lengths of men were put to death. One rope-length was allowed to live. After that, Moab served David and brought him gifts.

NoteThe KJV says David "measured them with a line." A line here is a long rope used for measuring, not a drawn line.

3David smote also Hadadezer, the son of Rehob, king of Zobah, as he went to recover his border at the river Euphrates.

3David also beat Hadadezer, the son of Rehob. Hadadezer was the king of Zobah. He had marched out to take back land near the Euphrates River.

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

4David took a thousand chariots from him. He also took seven hundred horsemen and twenty thousand foot soldiers. David cut the leg tendons of the chariot horses. He kept enough horses to pull a hundred chariots.

NoteThe KJV word "houghed" means he cut a tendon in the back of the horse's leg. That kept the horse from ever pulling a chariot again.

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

5The Syrians from the city of Damascus came to help King Hadadezer of Zobah. David fought them. He killed twenty-two thousand of their men.

6Then David put garrisons in Syria of Damascus: and the Syrians became servants to David, and brought gifts. And the LORD preserved David whithersoever he went.

6David set up camps of his soldiers in Syria, near Damascus. The Syrians served David and brought him gifts. The LORD kept David safe and gave him wins everywhere he went.

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

7Hadadezer's officers carried shields made of gold. David took those shields and brought them to Jerusalem.

8And from Betah, and from Berothai, cities of Hadadezer, king David took exceeding much brass.

8Betah and Berothai were towns that belonged to Hadadezer. King David took a huge amount of bronze from them.

NoteIn 1611, "brass" meant the metal we now call bronze.

9When Toi king of Hamath heard that David had smitten all the host of Hadadezer,

9Toi was the king of a place called Hamath. He heard that David had beaten Hadadezer's whole army.

10Then Toi sent Joram his son unto king David, to salute him, and to bless him, because he had fought against Hadadezer, and smitten him: for Hadadezer had wars with Toi. And Joram brought with him vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and vessels of brass:

10So Toi sent his son Joram to say hello to King David. Joram said kind words to him for beating Hadadezer. Hadadezer had been at war with Toi for a long time. Joram brought bowls and cups made of silver, gold, and bronze.

11Which also king David did dedicate unto the LORD, with the silver and gold that he had dedicated of all nations which he subdued;

11King David gave all these things to the LORD. He had also given the LORD the silver and gold he took from other nations he had beaten.

12Of Syria, and of Moab, and of the children of Ammon, and of the Philistines, and of Amalek, and of the spoil of Hadadezer, son of Rehob, king of Zobah.

12Those nations were Syria, Moab, Ammon, the Philistines, and Amalek. He also gave what he took from Hadadezer, son of Rehob, the king of Zobah.

13And David gat him a name when he returned from smiting of the Syrians in the valley of salt, being eighteen thousand men.

13David became famous when he came home from fighting the Syrians. He had beaten eighteen thousand men in a place called the Valley of Salt.

14And he put garrisons in Edom; throughout all Edom put he garrisons, and all they of Edom became David’s servants. And the LORD preserved David whithersoever he went.

14He set up camps of his soldiers all over the land of Edom. Everyone in Edom served David. The LORD kept David safe and gave him wins everywhere he went.

15And David reigned over all Israel; and David executed judgment and justice unto all his people.

15David was king over all of Israel. He was fair to all his people and did what was right.

16And Joab the son of Zeruiah was over the host; and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder;

16Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was the leader of the army. Jehoshaphat, the son of Ahilud, was the recorder, the man who wrote down what the king did.

17And Zadok the son of Ahitub, and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar, were the priests; and Seraiah was the scribe;

17Zadok, son of Ahitub, and Ahimelech, son of Abiathar, were the priests. Priests led the people in worshiping God. Seraiah was the scribe, the man who wrote the king's letters and records.

18And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over both the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and David’s sons were chief rulers.

18Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, led the Cherethites and the Pelethites. They were the soldiers who guarded the king. David's sons held important jobs as leaders.