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The End of the War with Ammon

(1 Chronicles 20.1b-3)

26 Meanwhile, Joab had been in the country of Ammon, attacking the city of Rabbah. He captured the royal fortress 27 and sent a messenger to tell David:

I have attacked Rabbah and captured the fortress guarding the city water supply. 28 Call the rest of the army together. Then surround the city, and capture it yourself. If you don't, everyone will remember that I captured the city.

29 David called the rest of the army together and attacked Rabbah. He captured the city 30 and took the crown from the statue of their god Milcom.[a] The crown was made of about 35 kilograms of gold, and there was a valuable jewel on it. David put the jewel on his own crown.[b] He also carried off everything else of value. 31 David made the people of Rabbah tear down the city walls[c] with iron picks and axes, and then he put them to work making bricks. He did the same thing with all the other Ammonite cities.

David went back to Jerusalem, and the people of Israel returned to their homes.

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Footnotes

  1. 12.30 the statue of their god Milcom: Or “their king.”
  2. 12.30 David … crown: Or “and David wore the crown.”
  3. 12.31 tear … walls: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.

26 Meanwhile Joab fought against Rabbah(A) of the Ammonites and captured the royal citadel. 27 Joab then sent messengers to David, saying, “I have fought against Rabbah and taken its water supply. 28 Now muster the rest of the troops and besiege the city and capture it. Otherwise I will take the city, and it will be named after me.”

29 So David mustered the entire army and went to Rabbah, and attacked and captured it. 30 David took the crown(B) from their king’s[a] head, and it was placed on his own head. It weighed a talent[b] of gold, and it was set with precious stones. David took a great quantity of plunder from the city 31 and brought out the people who were there, consigning them to labor with saws and with iron picks and axes, and he made them work at brickmaking.[c] David did this to all the Ammonite(C) towns. Then he and his entire army returned to Jerusalem.

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Samuel 12:30 Or from Milkom’s (that is, Molek’s)
  2. 2 Samuel 12:30 That is, about 75 pounds or about 34 kilograms
  3. 2 Samuel 12:31 The meaning of the Hebrew for this clause is uncertain.