David’s victories
1In the course of time, David defeated the Philistines and subdued them, and he took Metheg Ammah from the control of the Philistines.
2David also defeated the Moabites. He made them lie down on the ground and measured them off with a length of cord. Every two lengths of them were put to death, and the third length was allowed to live. So the Moabites became subject to David and brought him tribute.
3Moreover, David defeated Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah, when he went to restore his monument at8:3 Or his control along the River Euphrates. 4David captured a thousand of his chariots, seven thousand charioteers8:4 Septuagint (see also Dead Sea Scrolls and 1 Chron. 18:4); Masoretic Text captured seventeen hundred of his charioteers and twenty thousand foot soldiers. He hamstrung all but a hundred of the chariot horses.
5When the Arameans of Damascus came to help Hadadezer king of Zobah, David struck down twenty-two thousand of them. 6He put garrisons in the Aramean kingdom of Damascus, and the Arameans became subject to him and brought tribute. The Lord gave David victory wherever he went.
7David took the gold shields that belonged to the officers of Hadadezer and brought them to Jerusalem. 8From Tebah8:8 See some Septuagint manuscripts (see also 1 Chron. 18:8); Hebrew Betah. and Berothai, towns that belonged to Hadadezer, King David took a great quantity of bronze.
9When Tou8:9 Hebrew Toi, a variant of Tou; also in verse 10 king of Hamath heard that David had defeated the entire army of Hadadezer, 10he sent his son Joram8:10 A variant of Hadoram to King David to greet him and congratulate him on his victory in battle over Hadadezer, who had been at war with Tou. Joram brought with him articles of silver, of gold and of bronze.
11King David dedicated these articles to the Lord, as he had done with the silver and gold from all the nations he had subdued: 12Edom8:12 Some Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint and Syriac (see also 1 Chron. 18:11); most Hebrew manuscripts Aram and Moab, the Ammonites and the Philistines, and Amalek. He also dedicated the plunder taken from Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah.
13And David became famous after he returned from striking down eighteen thousand Edomites8:13 A few Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint and Syriac (see also 1 Chron. 18:12); most Hebrew manuscripts Aram (that is, Arameans) in the Valley of Salt.
14He put garrisons throughout Edom, and all the Edomites became subject to David. The Lord gave David victory wherever he went.
David’s officials
15David reigned over all Israel, doing what was just and right for all his people. 16Joab son of Zeruiah was over the army; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was recorder; 17Zadok son of Ahitub and Ahimelek son of Abiathar were priests; Seraiah was secretary; 18Benaiah son of Jehoiada was over the Kerethites and Pelethites; and David’s sons were priests.8:18 Or were chief officials (see Septuagint and Targum; see also 1 Chron. 18:17)
Davids sejre over nabofolkene
1David besejrede efterhånden filistrene fuldstændigt og undertvang dem ved at indtage deres hovedstad. 2Han besejrede også moabitterne. Han lod dem lægge sig ned i lange rækker, hvorefter han afmålte dem med en målesnor: To snorlængder blev slået ihjel, en snorlængde fik lov at leve. De overlevende blev Davids skattepligtige undersåtter.
3Kong Hadadezer af Zoba, Rehobs søn, forsøgte at generobre sit gamle territorium syd for Eufratfloden,8,3 Et område, som Saul havde taget fra ham. men David besejrede ham. 4Ved den lejlighed erobrede David 1000 stridsvogne8,4 Oplysningen om de 1000 vogne er ved en fejl faldet ud af den hebraiske kopi, men findes i LXX og 1.Krøn. 18,4. og tog 70008,4 Den hebraiske kopi siger 1700, men LXX og 1.Krøn. 18,4 siger 7000. ryttere og 20.000 fodfolk til fange. Han skar haserne over på 90 procent af hestene. 5Da aramæerne rykkede ud fra Damaskus for at hjælpe Hadadezer, huggede David 22.000 af dem ned. 6I Damaskusområdet udstationerede han flere garnisoner og indlemmede aramæerne blandt sine skattepligtige undersåtter. Herren gav David sejr over alle hans fjender. 7David beslaglagde alle de guldskjolde, som kong Hadadezers officerer havde brugt, og førte dem til Jerusalem 8sammen med en stor ladning kobber fra byerne Teba og Berotaj.
9Da kong Toi af Hamat8,9 I det nordvestlige Syrien, vest for Zoba området og ca. 200 km nord for Damaskus. hørte om Davids triumf over Hadadezers hær, 10sendte han sin søn Joram af sted for at lykønske ham. Hadadezer og Toi var nemlig ærkefjender. Joram forærede David mange gaver af sølv, guld og bronze, 11-12og David indviede dem til Herren sammen med det guld og sølv, han havde taget i krigsbytte fra edomitterne, moabitterne, ammonitterne, filistrene, amalekitterne og kong Hadadezers hær.
13Således voksede Davids ry ude omkring. På hjemvejen fra kampene mod nord tilintetgjorde han 18.000 edomitter i Saltdalen, 14hvorefter han etablerede en række garnisoner i Edom, så edomitterne kom under Davids herredømme. Således gav Herren David sejr, hvor som helst han kom frem.
Davids embedsmænd
15David var en retfærdig konge i Israel, der gav alle en fair behandling. 16Joab var øverstbefalende for hæren; Joshafat, Ahiluds søn, var kongens øverste embedsmand med ansvar for arkiverne; 17Zadok, Ahitubs søn, og Ahimelek, Ebjatars søn,8,17 Ahimelek var far til Ebjatar ifølge 1.Sam. 22,20, så enten er der sket en fejl, eller også er det en anden Ebjatar. var de ledende præster; Seraja var statssekretær; 18Benaja, Jojadas søn, var chef for livgarden; og Davids egne sønner havde ledende stillinger ved hoffet.
