the captain of the host of Hadarezer went before them. [1] [2] 17 And it was told to David; and he gathered all Israel, and passed over Jordan, and came upon them, and set the battle in array against them. So when David had put the battle in array against the Syrians, they fought with him. 18 But the Syrians fled before Israel; and David slew of the Syrians seven thousand men who fought in chariots, and forty thousand footmen, and killed Shophach the captain of the host. 19 And when the servants of Hadarezer saw that they were smote before Israel, they made peace with David, and became his servants: neither would the Syrians help the children of Ammon any more.
CHAP. 20.
1 And it came to pass, that after the year had ended, at the time that kings go out to battle, Joab led forth the power of the army, and wasted the country of the children of Ammon, and came and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried at Jerusalem. And Joab smote Rabbah, and destroyed it. [3]
2 And David took the crown of their king from his head, and found it to weigh a talent of gold, and there were precious stones in it; and it was set upon David’s head: and he brought also a great quantity of spoil out of the city. [4]
3 And he brought out the people that were in it, and cut them with saws, and with instruments of iron, and with axes. Even so David dealt with all the cities of the children of Ammon. And David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.
4 And it came to pass after this, that there arose war at Gezer with the Philistines; at which time Sibbechai the Hushathite slew Sippai, that was of the children of the giant: and they were subdued. [5] [6] [7] [8]
5 And there was war again with the Philistines; and Elhanan the son of Jair slew Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite, whose spear’s shaft was like a weaver’s beam. [9]
6 And yet again there was war at Gath, where was a man of great stature, whose fingers and toes were four and twenty, six on each hand, and six on each foot : and he also was the son of the giant. [10] [11]
7 But when he defied Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimea David’s brother slew him. [12] [13]
8 These were born to the giant in Gath; and they fell by the hand of David, and by the hand of his servants.
CHAP. 21.
1 And Satan stood up against Israel, and tempted David to number Israel.
2 And David said to Joab and to the rulers of the people, Go, number Israel from Beersheba even to Dan; and bring the number of them to me, that I may know it .
3 And Joab answered, The LORD make his people an hundred times more than they are : but, my lord the king, are they not all my lord’s servants? why then doth my lord require this thing? why will he be a cause of trespass to Israel?
4 Nevertheless the king’s word prevailed against Joab. Therefore Joab departed, and went throughout all Israel, and came to Jerusalem.
5 And Joab gave the sum of the number of the people to David. And all they of Israel were a million and an hundred thousand men that drew sword: and Judah was four hundred and seventy thousand men that drew sword.
6 But Levi and Benjamin he counted not among them: for the king’s word was abominable to Joab.
7 And God was displeased with this thing; therefore he smote Israel. [14]
8 And David said to God, I have sinned greatly, because I have done this thing: but now, I beseech thee, do away the iniquity of thy servant; for I have done very foolishly.
9 And the LORD spoke to Gad, David’s seer, saying,
10 Go and tell David, saying, Thus saith the LORD, I offer thee three things : choose thee one of them, that I may do it to thee. [15]
11 So Gad came to David, and said to him, Thus saith the LORD, Choose thee [16]
12 Either three years’ famine; or three months to be destroyed before thy foes, while the sword of thy enemies overtaketh thee ; or else three days the sword of the LORD, even the pestilence, in the land, and the angel of the LORD destroying throughout all the land of Israel. Now therefore consider thyself what word I shall bring again to him that sent me.
13 And David said to Gad, I am in a great strait: let me fall now into the hand of the LORD; for very great are his mercies: but let me not fall into the hand of man. [17]
14 So the LORD sent pestilence upon Israel: and there fell of Israel seventy thousand men.
15 And God sent an angel to Jerusalem to destroy it: and as he was destroying, the LORD beheld, and he repented of the evil, and said to the angel that destroyed, It is enough, stay now thy hand. And the angel of the LORD stood by the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite. [18]
16 And David lifted up his eyes, and
- ↑ river: that is, Euphrates
- ↑ Shophach: also called, Shobach
- ↑ after...: Heb. at the return of the year
- ↑ to weigh: Heb. the weight of
- ↑ arose: or, continued: Heb. stood
- ↑ Gezer: also called, Gob
- ↑ Sippai: also called, Saph
- ↑ the giant: or, Rapha
- ↑ Jair: also called, Jaareoregim
- ↑ great...: Heb. measure
- ↑ the son...: Heb. born to the giant, or, Rapha
- ↑ defied: or, reproached
- ↑ Shimea: also called Shammah
- ↑ And...: Heb. And it was evil in the eyes of the LORD concerning this thing
- ↑ offer: Heb. stretch out
- ↑ Choose...: Heb. Take to thee
- ↑ very great: or, very many
- ↑ Ornan: also called, Araunah
