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1 Chronicles 19-20
GOD’S WORD Translation
1 Chronicles 19-20
GOD’S WORD Translation
David Defeats Ammon and Aram(A)
19 Later King Nahash of Ammon died, and his son became king in his place. 2 David thought, “I will show kindness to Hanun because his father Nahash showed me kindness.” So David sent messengers to comfort Hanun after his father’s ⌞death⌟. But when David’s servants entered Ammonite territory to comfort Hanun, 3 the Ammonite princes asked Hanun, “Do you think David is honoring your father because he sent men to comfort you? Haven’t his servants come to explore, destroy, and spy on the country?” 4 So Hanun took David’s men, shaved them, cut off their clothes from the waist down, and sent them away.
5 After people told David ⌞what had happened⌟ to the men, he sent ⌞someone⌟ to meet them because they were deeply humiliated. The king said to them, “Stay in Jericho until your beards have grown back, and then return ⌞to Jerusalem⌟.”
6 The Ammonites realized that they had made themselves offensive to David. So Hanun and the Ammonites sent 75,000 pounds of silver to hire chariots and horses from the Arameans in Upper Mesopotamia, Maacah, and Zobah. 7 They hired 32,000 chariots and the king of Maacah with his army. They camped near Medeba. The Ammonites gathered for the battle from their cities.
8 After David heard about this, he sent Joab and all the elite troops. 9 The Ammonites formed a battle line at the entrance of the city, while the Arameans from Zobah and Rehob and the kings who had come remained by themselves in the open country.
10 When Joab saw he was under attack in front and behind, he took the select troops of Israel and organized them for combat against the Arameans. 11 He put his brother Abishai in charge of the rest of the troops. They organized for combat against the Ammonites.
12 Joab said, “If the Arameans are too strong for my ⌞troops⌟, be ready to help me. And if the Ammonites are too strong for your ⌞troops⌟, I’ll help you. 13 Be strong! Let’s prove ourselves strong for our people and for the cities of our God, and the Lord will do what he considers right.”
14 Then Joab and his troops advanced to fight the Arameans, and the Arameans fled. 15 When the Ammonites saw that the Arameans had fled, they, too, fled from Joab’s brother Abishai and went into the city. So Joab returned to Jerusalem.
16 Realizing that Israel had defeated them, the kings sent ⌞messengers⌟ to get ⌞other⌟ Arameans from beyond the Euphrates River. Shophach, the commander of Hadadezer’s army, led them.
17 When David was told ⌞about this⌟, he assembled Israel’s army, crossed the Jordan, and confronted them. David formed a battle line against the Arameans, and they fought him. 18 The Arameans fled from Israel, and David killed 7,000 chariot drivers and 40,000 foot soldiers. David also killed Shophach. 19 When all the kings who were subject to Hadadezer saw that Israel had defeated them, they made peace with David and became his subjects. And the Arameans were no longer willing to help the Ammonites.
David Defeats the Philistines(B)
20 In the spring, the time when kings go out to battle, Joab led the army ⌞to war⌟. They destroyed the Ammonites and came to Rabbah to attack it, while David stayed in Jerusalem. Joab defeated Rabbah and tore it down. 2 He took the gold crown from the head of Rabbah’s king and put it on David’s head. (The crown was found to weigh 75 pounds, and in it was a precious stone.) David also took a lot of goods from the city. 3 He brought out the troops who were there and put them to work with saws, hoes, and axes.[a] He did the same to all the Ammonite cities. Then David and all the troops returned to Jerusalem.
4 After this, war broke out with the Philistines at Gezer. Then Sibbecai from Hushah [b] killed Sippai, a descendant of Haraphah, and the Philistines were defeated. 5 When more fighting broke out with the Philistines, Elhanan, son of Jair, killed Lahmi, the brother of Goliath from Gath. (The shaft of Lahmi’s spear was like a beam used by weavers.) 6 In another battle at Gath, there was a tall man who had 24 fingers and toes: six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot. He also was a descendant of Haraphah. 7 When he challenged Israel, Jonathan, son of David’s brother Shimea, killed him. 8 These ⌞men⌟ were the descendants of Haraphah from Gath, and David and his men killed them.
Footnotes
- 20:3 One Hebrew manuscript, 2 Samuel 12:31; other Hebrew manuscripts “saws.”
- 20:4 Or “a descendant of Hushah.”
1 Chronicles 19-20
New International Version
1 Chronicles 19-20
New International Version
David Defeats the Ammonites(A)
19 In the course of time, Nahash king of the Ammonites(B) died, and his son succeeded him as king. 2 David thought, “I will show kindness to Hanun son of Nahash, because his father showed kindness to me.” So David sent a delegation to express his sympathy to Hanun concerning his father.
When David’s envoys came to Hanun in the land of the Ammonites to express sympathy to him, 3 the Ammonite commanders said to Hanun, “Do you think David is honoring your father by sending envoys to you to express sympathy? Haven’t his envoys come to you only to explore and spy out(C) the country and overthrow it?” 4 So Hanun seized David’s envoys, shaved them, cut off their garments at the buttocks, and sent them away.
5 When someone came and told David about the men, he sent messengers to meet them, for they were greatly humiliated. The king said, “Stay at Jericho till your beards have grown, and then come back.”
6 When the Ammonites realized that they had become obnoxious(D) to David, Hanun and the Ammonites sent a thousand talents[a] of silver to hire chariots and charioteers from Aram Naharaim,[b] Aram Maakah and Zobah.(E) 7 They hired thirty-two thousand chariots and charioteers, as well as the king of Maakah with his troops, who came and camped near Medeba,(F) while the Ammonites were mustered from their towns and moved out for battle.
8 On hearing this, David sent Joab out with the entire army of fighting men. 9 The Ammonites came out and drew up in battle formation at the entrance to their city, while the kings who had come were by themselves in the open country.
10 Joab saw that there were battle lines in front of him and behind him; so he selected some of the best troops in Israel and deployed them against the Arameans. 11 He put the rest of the men under the command of Abishai(G) his brother, and they were deployed against the Ammonites. 12 Joab said, “If the Arameans are too strong for me, then you are to rescue me; but if the Ammonites are too strong for you, then I will rescue you. 13 Be strong, and let us fight bravely for our people and the cities of our God. The Lord will do what is good in his sight.”
14 Then Joab and the troops with him advanced to fight the Arameans, and they fled before him. 15 When the Ammonites realized that the Arameans were fleeing, they too fled before his brother Abishai and went inside the city. So Joab went back to Jerusalem.
16 After the Arameans saw that they had been routed by Israel, they sent messengers and had Arameans brought from beyond the Euphrates River, with Shophak the commander of Hadadezer’s army leading them.
17 When David was told of this, he gathered all Israel(H) and crossed the Jordan; he advanced against them and formed his battle lines opposite them. David formed his lines to meet the Arameans in battle, and they fought against him. 18 But they fled before Israel, and David killed seven thousand of their charioteers and forty thousand of their foot soldiers. He also killed Shophak the commander of their army.
19 When the vassals of Hadadezer saw that they had been routed by Israel, they made peace with David and became subject to him.
So the Arameans were not willing to help the Ammonites anymore.
The Capture of Rabbah(I)
20 In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, Joab led out the armed forces. He laid waste the land of the Ammonites and went to Rabbah(J) and besieged it, but David remained in Jerusalem. Joab attacked Rabbah and left it in ruins.(K) 2 David took the crown from the head of their king[c]—its weight was found to be a talent[d] of gold, and it was set with precious stones—and it was placed on David’s head. He took a great quantity of plunder from the city 3 and brought out the people who were there, consigning them to labor with saws and with iron picks and axes.(L) David did this to all the Ammonite towns. Then David and his entire army returned to Jerusalem.
War With the Philistines(M)
4 In the course of time, war broke out with the Philistines, at Gezer.(N) At that time Sibbekai the Hushathite killed Sippai, one of the descendants of the Rephaites,(O) and the Philistines were subjugated.
5 In another battle with the Philistines, Elhanan son of Jair killed Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite, who had a spear with a shaft like a weaver’s rod.(P)
6 In still another battle, which took place at Gath, there was a huge man with six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot—twenty-four in all. He also was descended from Rapha. 7 When he taunted Israel, Jonathan son of Shimea, David’s brother, killed him.
8 These were descendants of Rapha in Gath, and they fell at the hands of David and his men.
Footnotes
- 1 Chronicles 19:6 That is, about 38 tons or about 34 metric tons
- 1 Chronicles 19:6 That is, Northwest Mesopotamia
- 1 Chronicles 20:2 Or of Milkom, that is, Molek
- 1 Chronicles 20:2 That is, about 75 pounds or about 34 kilograms
GOD’S WORD Translation (GW)
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