2 Samuel 8

1 Some time later, David’s army attacked the Philistia [army] and defeated them. They took control over the entire Philistia area.

Sometime after this, David attacked and subdued the Philistines, taking Metheg-ammah from the them.

2 David’s army also defeated the army of the Moab people-group. David forced their soldiers to lie down on the ground [close to each other]. His men killed two out of every three of them. The [other] Moab people [were forced to] accept David as their ruler, and they were forced to give to him [every year the] payment/tax [that he demanded].

David also defeated the Moabites. He made them lie down on the ground, and he measured them with a length of cord. He measured two lengths for those to be killed, and one cord length for those to be allowed to live. So he made them subject to him and required them to pay taxes.

3 David’s army also defeated [the army of] Hadadezer, the son of Rehob, who ruled [the state of] Zobah [in Syria]. That happened when David went to rule again over the area at [the upper part of] the Euphrates River.

David also defeated Hadadezer, son of Rehob, king of Zobah, as he tried to enforce his control along the Euphrates River.

4 David’s army captured 1,700 of Hadadezer’s soldiers who rode on horses, and 20,000 of his other soldiers. They also crippled/hamstrung most of the horses that pulled the chariots, but they left/spared enough horses to [pull] 100 chariots.

David captured from him 1,000 chariots, 7,000 charioteers, and 20,000 foot soldiers. David hamstrung all the chariot horses—except he saved enough for 100 chariots.

5 When [the army of] Syria came from Damascus [city] to help King Hadadezer’s [army], David’s soldiers killed 22,000 of them.

When the Arameans of Damascus came to help King Hadadezer of Zobah, David killed twenty-two thousand of them.

6 Then David stationed (groups of his soldiers/army camps) in their area, and the people of Syria were forced to accept David as their ruler, and to give to David’s government [every year] the payment/tax that he demanded. And Yahweh enabled David’s [army] to win victories wherever they went.

He placed garrisons in Aramean kingdom with its capital in Damascus, and made the Arameans subject to him and required them to pay taxes. The Lord gave David victories wherever he went.

7 David’s soldiers took the gold shields that were carried by Hadadezer’s officials, and brought them to Jerusalem.

David took the shields of gold that belonged to Hadadezer's officers and brought them to Jerusalem.

8 They also brought [to Jerusalem] a lot of bronze [that they found] in Betah and Berothai, two cities that King Hadadezer [had previously] ruled.

King David also took a large quantity of bronze from Betah and Berothai, towns that had belonged to Hadadezer.

9 When Toi, the king of the Hamath [city in Syria], heard that David’s [army] had defeated the entire army of King Hadadezer,

When Tou, king of Hamath, learned that David had destroyed the entire army of Hadadezer, king of Zobah,

10 he sent his son Joram to greet King David and to (congratulate him/say that he was happy) about his army defeating Hadadezer’s army, which Toi’s [army] had fought many times. Joram brought to David many items/gifts made from gold, silver, and bronze.

he sent his son Joram to David to make friends with him and to congratulate him on his victory in battle over Hadadezer. Tou and Hadadezer had often been at war. Joram brought all kinds of gifts of gold, silver, and bronze.

11 King David dedicated all those items to Yahweh. He also dedicated the silver and gold which his army had taken from the nations that they had conquered.

King David dedicated these gifts to the Lord, along with the silver and gold he had taken from all the nations he had subdued:

12 They had taken items from the Edom people-group and the Moab people-group, from the Ammon people-group, from the Philistia people, and from [the descendants of] Amalek, as well as from the people that Hadadezer [previously] ruled.

Edom, Moab, the Ammonites, the Philistines, and Amalekites; as well as the plunder taken from Hadadezer, son of Rehob, king of Zobah.

13 When David returned [after defeating the armies of Syria], he became more famous because his army killed 18,000 soldiers from the Edom people-group in the Salt Valley [near the Dead Sea].

David also made a name for himself when he came back after defeating eighteen thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt.

14 David stationed (groups of his soldiers/army camps) throughout the Edom area, and forced the people there to accept him as their king. Yahweh enabled David’s [army] to win battles wherever they went.

He placed garrisons all through Edom, and all the Edomites became subject to David. The Lord gave David victories wherever he went.

15 David ruled over all the Israeli people, and he always did for them what was fair and just.

David ruled over all Israel. He did what was fair and right for all his people.

16 Joab was the army commander; Jehoshaphat, the son of Ahilud, was the man who reported to the people everything that David decided that they should do;

Joab, son of Zeruiah, was the army commander, and Jehoshaphat, son of Ahilud, kept the official records.

17 Zadok the son of Ahitub and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar were the priests; Seraiah was the official secretary;

Zadok, son of Ahitub, and Ahimelech, son of Abiathar, were priests, while Seraiah was the secretary.

18 Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was the commander of (David’s bodyguards/the men who protected the king); and David’s sons were priests (OR, his administrators/advisors).

Benaiah, son of Jehoiada was in charge of the Cherethites and Pelethites; and David's sons were priests.