CHAPTER 18
1 Soothly it was done after these things, that David smote the Philistines (or that David struck the Philistines), and made them low, and he took away Gath and the villages thereof from the hand of (the) Philistines;
2 and he smote Moab (or and he struck Moab); and Moabites were made the servants of David, and brought gifts to him.
3 In that time David smote also Hadadezer*, king of Zobah, of the country of Hamath, when he went to alarge his empire till to the flood Euphrates. (At that time David also struck down Hadadezer, the king of Zobah, of the country of Hamath, when he went to enlarge his empire unto the Euphrates River.)
4 Therefore David took a thousand four-horsed carts of his, and seven thousand of horsemen, and twenty thousand of footmen; and he hocked all the horses of the chariots, except an hundred four-horsed carts, which he kept to himself. (And so David took from him a thousand four-horsed chariots, and seven thousand horsemen, and twenty thousand footmen; and he hocked all the horses for the chariots, except the horses for a hundred four-horsed chariots, which he kept for himself.)
5 Forsooth also (the) Syrians of Damascus came above, to give help to Hadadezer, king of Zobah, but David smote also of his two and twenty thousand of men; (And when the Syrians of Damascus came over, to give help to Hadadezer, the king of Zobah, David struck down twenty-two thousand of them;)
6 and David set knights in Damascus, that (the) Syrians also should serve him, and bring to him gifts. And the Lord helped David in all things to which he went. (and David put horsemen, or garrisons, in Damascus, so that the Syrians would also serve him, and bring him gifts or and pay him taxes, or tribute. And so the Lord helped David in everything that he did.)
7 And David took [the] golden arrow cases, which the servants of Hadadezer had, and he brought those into Jerusalem;
8 also and of Tibhath, and of Chun, the cities of Hadadezer, he took full much of brass, whereof Solomon made the brazen sea, that is, (the) washing vessel, and (the) pillars, and (the) brazen vessels. (and also from Tibhath, and from Chun, the cities of Hadadezer, he took a great deal of bronze, from which Solomon made the bronze Sea, that is, the washing vessel, and the pillars, and the bronze vessels.)
9 And when Tou, king of Hamath, had heard this thing, that is, that David had smitten all the host of Hadadezer, king of Zobah, (And when Tou, the king of Hamath, had heard that David had struck down all the army of Hadadezer, the king of Zobah,)
10 he sent Hadoram, his son, to David the king, for to ask of him peace, and for to thank him, for he had overcome and smitten Hadadezer; for why king Hadadezer was adversary of Tou. (And Hadoram brought vessels of gold and silver and bronze, as gifts.)(he sent his son Hadoram to King David, to greet him, and to congratulate him, for he had overcome and struck down Hadadezer; for King Hadadezer was an adversary of Tou. And Hadoram brought vessels of gold and silver and bronze, as gifts.)
11 But also king David hallowed to the Lord all the vessels of gold, and of silver, and of brass; and the silver, and the gold, which the king had taken of all folks, as well of Idumea, and of Moab, and of the sons of Ammon, as of [the] Philistines, and of Amalek. (And King David dedicated these gifts to the Lord; and also the silver and gold which he had taken from all the nations, yea, from Edom, and from Moab, and from the Ammonites, and from the Philistines, and from Amalek.)
12 And Abishai, the son of Zeruiah, smote Edom in the valley of salt pits, (killing) eighteen thousand (men).
13 And he set stronghold(s) in Edom, that Idumeans should serve David, (or And David put strongholds, or garrisons, in Edom, so that the Edomites would serve him). And the Lord saved David in all things, to which he went.
14 Therefore David reigned on all Israel, and did doom and rightwiseness to all his people. (And so David reigned upon all Israel, and decreed righteous judgements for all of his people.)
15 Forsooth Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was on the host; and Jehoshaphat, the son of Ahilud, was chancellor; (And Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was in command of the army; and Jehoshaphat, the son of Ahilud, was the chancellor;)
16 and Zadok, the son of Ahitub, and Abimelech, the son of Abiathar, were priests; and Shavsha was scribe; (and Zadok, the son of Ahitub, and Abimelech, the son of Abiathar, were the High Priests; and Shavsha was the writer, or the royal secretary;)
17 and Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, was on the legions (of the) Cherethites and Pelethites, keepers of David’s head; soothly the sons of David were the first at the hand of the king. (and Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, (was) over the legions of the Cherethites and Pelethites, (who were David’s bodyguards); and David’s sons (were) the first in line at the hand of the king.)
* CHAPTER 18:3 Also known as Hadarezer.