David’s Triumphs (1 Chronicles 18:1–13; Psalm 60:1–12)
1 UST Some time later, David and his army defeated the Philistine army. They captured Metheg Ammah and made the Philistines subject to the Israelites. BSB BSB: Some time later, David defeated the Philistines, subdued them, and took Metheg-ammah from the hand of the Philistines.
2 UST David and his army also defeated the Moabite army. Afterwards, David forced their soldiers to lie down on the ground{ close to each other in a long line}. His soldiers went down the line and measured two lengths of a rope. They killed all of the Moabite soldiers in that part of the line. Then they measured one length of that rope and let the Moabite soldiers in that part of the line live. They continued to do this all the way down the line. The rest of the Moabites had to accept David as their ruler. Every year they had to give him the payment that he demanded. BSB BSB: David also defeated the Moabites, made them lie down on the ground, and measured them off with a cord. He measured off with two lengths those to be put to death, and with one length those to be spared. So the Moabites became subject to David and brought him tribute.
3 UST David’ s army also defeated the army of Hadadezer son of Rehob, who ruled the region of Zobah in Aram. That happened when Hadadezer led his army out to try to get control over the territory that bordered the Euphrates River. BSB BSB: David also defeated Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah, who had marched out to restore his dominion along the Euphrates River.
4 UST David’ s army captured 1, 700 of Hadadezer’ s soldiers who were chariot drivers, and they also captured 20, 000 footsoldiers. They crippled most of the horses that had pulled chariots. But they spared 100 of the horses{ for their own use}. BSB BSB: David captured from him a thousand chariots, seven thousand charioteers, and twenty thousand foot soldiers, and he hamstrung all the horses except a hundred he kept for the chariots.
5 UST Then an army of Arameans from the kingdom whose capital was the city of Damascus came to help King Hadadezer’ s army. But David’ s soldiers killed 22, 000 of those Arameans. BSB BSB: When the Arameans of Damascus came to help King Hadadezer of Zobah, David struck down twenty-two thousand of their men.
6 UST Then David stationed groups of his soldiers in that kingdom. Those Arameans had to accept David as their ruler. Every year they had to give him the payment that he demanded. Each time David led his soldiers into battle, Yahweh enabled them to win victories over their enemies. BSB BSB: Then he placed garrisons in Aram of Damascus, and the Arameans became subject to David and brought him tribute. So the LORD made David victorious wherever he went.
7 UST Some of Hadadezer’ s soldiers had carried shields that had a plating of gold. King David’ s soldiers captured those shields and brought them to Jerusalem. BSB BSB: And David took the gold shields that belonged to the officers of Hadadezer and brought them to Jerusalem.
8 UST They also brought to Jerusalem large quantities of bronze from Betah and Berothai, two cities in Hadadezer’ s kingdom. BSB BSB: And from Betah and Berothai, cities of Hadadezer, King David took a large amount of bronze.
9 UST When Toi, the king of the city of Hamath, heard that David’ s army had defeated the entire army of King Hadadezer, BSB BSB: When King Toi of Hamath heard that David had defeated the entire army of Hadadezer,
10 UST he sent his son Joram to make a peace treaty with King David and to congratulate him for defeating Hadadezer’ s army. Toi congratulated David because Hadadezer’ s army had fought many times against his own army. Joram brought David many articles of gold, silver, and bronze as gifts. BSB BSB: he sent his son Joram to greet King David and bless him for fighting and defeating Hadadezer, who had been at war with Toi. Joram brought with him articles of silver and gold and bronze,
11 UST King David dedicated all those items to Yahweh, just as he had dedicated the silver and gold that his army had captured from the nations they had conquered. BSB BSB: and King David dedicated these to the LORD, along with the silver and gold he had dedicated from all the nations he had subdued—
12 UST They had taken valuable items from the Arameans, Moabites, Ammonites, Philistines, and Amalekites. They had also captured many valuable items from Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah. BSB BSB: from Edom and Moab, from the Ammonites and Philistines and Amalekites, and from the spoil of Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah.
13 UST David became even more famous after his army killed 18, 000 Aramean soldiers in a battle in the Valley of Salt. BSB BSB: And David made a name for himself when he returned from striking down eighteen thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt.
David’s Officers (1 Chronicles 18:14–17)
15 UST So David ruled over all the Israelite people. As king, he decided the people’ s cases, and he judged them fairly. BSB BSB: Thus David reigned over all Israel and administered justice and righteousness for all his people:
16 UST Joab son of Zeruiah was the army commander. Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was the man who reported to the people everything that David decided that they should do. BSB BSB: Joab son of Zeruiah was over the army; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was the recorder;
17 UST Zadok son of Ahitub and Ahimelech son of Abiathar were the priests. Seraiah was the official secretary. BSB BSB: Zadok son of Ahitub and Ahimelech son of Abiathar were priests; Seraiah was the scribe;
18 UST Benaiah son of Jehoiada was the commander of David’ s elite corps of bodyguards. David’ s sons were his advisors. BSB BSB: Benaiah son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and Pelethites; and David’s sons were priestly leaders.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.