The Father Gives David Victory
8 1 After this, David defeated the Philistines and subdued them, and he took Metheg-ammah from the Philistines.
2 He also defeated Moab. He made them lie down on the ground and measured them off with a cord: he measured two lengths to be put to death, and one full length to be kept alive. So Moab became servants to David and brought him tribute.
3 David also defeated Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah, as he went to restore his control along the Euphrates River. 4 David captured from him 1,700 horsemen and 20,000 foot soldiers, and he hamstrung all the chariot horses but kept enough of them for a hundred chariots.
5 When the Arameans of Damascus came to help Hadadezer king of Zobah, David struck down 22,000 of the Arameans. 6 Then David placed garrisons in Aram of Damascus, and the Arameans became servants to David and brought him tribute. Our Father gave David victory wherever he went.
7 David took the gold shields that belonged to the servants of Hadadezer and brought them to Jerusalem. 8 And from Betah and Berothai, cities of Hadadezer, King David took a great quantity of bronze.
9 When Toi king of Hamath heard that David had defeated the entire army of Hadadezer, 10 he sent his son Joram to King David to greet him and congratulate him for fighting and defeating Hadadezer, for Hadadezer had been at war with Toi. Joram brought with him items of silver, gold, and bronze.
11 King David dedicated these also to our Father, along with the silver and gold he had dedicated from all the nations he had subdued— 12 from Aram, Moab, the Ammonites, the Philistines, and Amalek, and from the plunder of Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah.
13 And David made a name for himself when he returned from striking down 18,000 Edomites in the Valley of Salt. 14 He put garrisons throughout Edom—in all Edom he placed garrisons—and all the Edomites became servants to David. Our Father gave David victory wherever he went.
David's Officers
15 So David reigned over all Israel, administering justice and righteousness for all his people.
16 Joab son of Zeruiah commanded the army; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was the court recorder; 17 Zadok son of Ahitub and Ahimelech son of Abiathar were priests; Seraiah was the court secretary; 18 Benaiah son of Jehoiada commanded the Kerethites and the Pelethites; and David's sons were priests. 1 1 v18 David's sons were not Levitical priests; here the word marks them as the king's chief officials and personal ministers serving at his side.