181 Now after this it came about that David defeated the Philistines and subdued them and took Gath and its towns from the hand of the Philistines . 2 He defeated Moab , and the Moabites became servants to David , bringing tribute . 3 David also defeated Hadadezer king of Zobah as far as Hamath , as he went to establish his rule to the Euphrates River . 4 David took from him 1,000 chariots and 7,000 e horsemen and 20,000 e foot soldiers e , and David hamstrung all the chariot horses , but reserved enough of them for 100 chariots . 5 When the Arameans of Damascus came to help Hadadezer king of Zobah , David killed 22,000 e e men of the Arameans . 6 Then David put garrisons among the Arameans of Damascus ; and the Arameans became servants to David , bringing tribute . And the Lord helped David wherever e he went . 7 David took the shields of gold which were carried by the servants of Hadadezer and brought them to Jerusalem . 8 Also from Tibhath and from Cun , cities of Hadadezer , David took a very large amount of bronze , with which Solomon made the bronze sea and the pillars and the bronze utensils .
9 Now when Tou king of Hamath heard that David had defeated all the army of Hadadezer king of Zobah , 10 he sent Hadoram his son to King David to greet e him and to bless him, because e he had fought against Hadadezer and had defeated him; for Hadadezer had been at war with Tou . And Hadoram brought all kinds of articles of gold and silver and bronze . 11 King David also dedicated these to the Lord with the silver and the gold which he had carried away from all the nations : from Edom , Moab , the sons of Ammon , the Philistines , and from Amalek . 12 Moreover Abishai the son of Zeruiah defeated 18,000 e e Edomites in the Valley of Salt . 13 Then he put garrisons in Edom , and all the Edomites became servants to David . And the Lord helped David wherever e he went .
14 So David reigned over all Israel ; and he administered justice and righteousness for all his people . 15 Joab the son of Zeruiah was over the army , and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder ; 16 and Zadok the son of Ahitub and Abimelech the son of Abiathar were priests , and Shavsha was secretary ; 17 and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and the Pelethites , and the sons of David were chiefs at the king's side .
191 Now it came about after this , that Nahash the king of the sons of Ammon died , and his son became king in his place . 2 Then David said , "I will show kindness to Hanun the son of Nahash , because his father showed kindness to me." So David sent messengers to console him concerning his father . And David's servants came into the land of the sons of Ammon to Hanun to console him. 3 But the princes of the sons of Ammon said to Hanun , "Do you think that David is honoring your father , in that he has sent comforters to you? Have not his servants come to you to search and to overthrow and to spy out the land ?" 4 So Hanun took David's servants and shaved them and cut off their garments in the middle as far as their hips , and sent them away . 5 Then certain persons went and told David about the men . And he sent to meet them, for the men were greatly humiliated . And the king said , "Stay at Jericho until e your beards grow , and then return ."
6 When the sons of Ammon saw that they had made themselves odious to David , Hanun and the sons of Ammon sent 1,000 talents of silver to hire for themselves chariots and horsemen from Mesopotamia , from Aram-maacah e and from Zobah . 7 So they hired for themselves 32,000 e e chariots , and the king of Maacah and his people , who came and camped before Medeba . And the sons of Ammon gathered together from their cities and came to battle . 8 When David heard of it, he sent Joab and all the army , the mighty men . 9 The sons of Ammon came out and drew up in battle array at the entrance of the city , and the kings who had come were by themselves in the field . 10 Now when Joab saw that the battle was set against him in front and in the rear , he selected from all the choice men of Israel and they arrayed themselves against the Arameans . 11 But the remainder of the people he placed in the hand of Abshai his brother ; and they arrayed themselves against the sons of Ammon . 12 He said , "If the Arameans are too strong for me, then you shall help e me; but if the sons of Ammon are too strong for you, then I will help you. 13 "Be strong , and let us show ourselves courageous for the sake of our people and for the cities of our God ; and may the Lord do what is good in His sight ." 14 So Joab and the people who were with him drew near to the battle against the Arameans , and they fled before e him. 15 When the sons of Ammon saw that the Arameans fled , they also fled before e Abshai his brother and entered the city . Then Joab came to Jerusalem . 16 When the Arameans saw that they had been defeated by Israel , they sent messengers and brought out the Arameans who were beyond e the River , with Shophach the commander of the army of Hadadezer leading them. 17 When it was told David , he gathered all Israel together and crossed the Jordan , and came upon them and drew up in formation against them. And when David drew up in battle array against the Arameans , they fought against him. 18 The Arameans fled before e Israel , and David killed of the Arameans 7,000 e charioteers and 40,000 e foot soldiers e , and put to death Shophach the commander of the army . 19 So when the servants of Hadadezer saw that they were defeated by Israel , they made peace with David and served him. Thus the Arameans were not willing to help the sons of Ammon anymore .
201 Then it happened in the spring , at the time when kings go out to battle, that Joab led out the army e and ravaged the land of the sons of Ammon , and came and besieged Rabbah . But David stayed at Jerusalem . And Joab struck Rabbah and overthrew it. 2 David took the crown of their king from his head , and he found it to weigh a talent of gold , and there was a precious stone in it; and it was placed on David's head . And he brought out the spoil of the city , a very great amount. 3 He brought out the people who were in it, and cut them with saws and with sharp instruments and with axes . And thus David did to all the cities of the sons of Ammon . Then David and all the people returned to Jerusalem .
4 Now it came about after this , that war broke out at Gezer with the Philistines ; then Sibbecai the Hushathite killed Sippai , one of the descendants of the giants , and they were subdued . 5 And there was war with the Philistines again , and Elhanan the son of Jair killed Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite , the shaft of whose spear was like a weaver's beam . 6 Again there was war at Gath , where there was a man of great stature who had twenty-four e fingers and toes , six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot; and he also was descended from the giants . 7 When he taunted Israel , Jonathan the son of Shimea , David's brother , killed him. 8 These were descended from the giants in Gath , and they fell by the hand of David and by the hand of his servants .
211 Then Satan stood up against Israel and moved David to number Israel . 2 So David said to Joab and to the princes of the people , " Go , number Israel from Beersheba even to Dan , and bring me word that I may know their number ." 3 Joab said , " May the Lord add to His people a hundred times as many as they are! But, my lord the king , are they not all my lord's servants ? Why does my lord seek this thing ? Why should he be a cause of guilt to Israel ?" 4 Nevertheless, the king's word prevailed against Joab . Therefore, Joab departed and went throughout all Israel , and came to Jerusalem . 5 Joab gave the number of the census of all the people to David . And all Israel were 1,100,000 e e e men who drew the sword ; and Judah was 470,000 e e e men who drew the sword . 6 But he did not number Levi and Benjamin among them, for the king's command was abhorrent to Joab .
7 God was displeased e with this thing , so He struck Israel . 8 David said to God , "I have sinned greatly , in that I have done this thing . But now , please take away the iniquity of Your servant , for I have done very foolishly ." 9 The Lord spoke to Gad , David's seer , saying , 10 "Go and speak to David , saying , 'Thus says the Lord , "I offer you three things ; choose for yourself one of them, which I will do to you.""' 11 So Gad came to David and said to him, "Thus says the Lord , 'Take for yourself 12 either three years of famine , or three months to be swept away before e your foes , while the sword of your enemies overtakes you, or else three days of the sword of the Lord , even pestilence in the land , and the angel of the Lord destroying throughout all the territory of Israel .' Now , therefore, consider what answer I shall return to Him who sent me." 13 David said to Gad , "I am in great distress ; please let me fall into the hand of the Lord , for His mercies are very great . But do not let me fall into the hand of man ." 14 So the Lord sent a pestilence on Israel ; 70,000 e men of Israel fell . 15 And God sent an angel to Jerusalem to destroy it; but as he was about to destroy it, the Lord saw and was sorry over the calamity , and said to the destroying angel , "It is enough ; now relax your hand ." And the angel of the Lord was standing by the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite . 16 Then David lifted up his eyes and saw the angel of the Lord standing between earth and heaven , with his drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem . Then David and the elders , covered with sackcloth , fell on their faces . 17 David said to God , "Is it not I who commanded to count the people ? Indeed, I am the one who has sinned and done very wickedly , but these sheep , what have they done ? O Lord my God , please let Your hand be against me and my father's household , but not against Your people that they should be plagued ."
18 Then the angel of the Lord commanded Gad to say to David , that David should go up and build an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite . 19 So David went up at the word of Gad , which he spoke in the name of the Lord . 20 Now Ornan turned back and saw the angel , and his four sons who were with him hid themselves. And Ornan was threshing wheat . 21 As David came to Ornan , Ornan looked and saw David , and went out from the threshing floor and prostrated himself before David with his face to the ground . 22 Then David said to Ornan , "Give me the site of this threshing floor , that I may build on it an altar to the Lord ; for the full price you shall give it to me, that the plague may be restrained from the people ." 23 Ornan said to David , "Take it for yourself; and let my lord the king do what is good in his sight . See , I will give the oxen for burnt offerings and the threshing sledges for wood and the wheat for the grain offering ; I will give it all ." 24 But King David said to Ornan , "No , but I will surely buy it for the full price ; for I will not take what is yours for the Lord , or offer a burnt offering which costs me nothing ." 25 So David gave Ornan 600 e shekels of gold by weight for the site . 26 Then David built an altar to the Lord there and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings . And he called to the Lord and He answered him with fire from heaven on the altar of burnt offering . 27 The Lord commanded the angel , and he put his sword back in its sheath .
28 At that time , when David saw that the Lord had answered him on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite , he offered sacrifice there . 29 For the tabernacle of the Lord , which Moses had made in the wilderness , and the altar of burnt offering were in the high place at Gibeon at that time . 30 But David could not go before it to inquire of God , for he was terrified by the sword of the angel of the Lord .
