1 Chronicles 19 (A Chapter a Day)

The Battle Against the Ammonites

1 In the course of time, Nahash king of the Ammonites died, and his son succeeded him as king. 2
David thought, “I will show kindness to Hanun son of Nahash, because
his father showed kindness to me.” So David sent a delegation to
express his sympathy to Hanun concerning his father.
When David’s men came to Hanun in the land of the Ammonites to express sympathy to him, 3
the Ammonite nobles said to Hanun, “Do you think David is honoring your
father by sending men to you to express sympathy? Haven’t his men come
to you to explore and spy out the country and overthrow it?” 4 So Hanun seized David’s men, shaved them, cut off their garments in the middle at the buttocks, and sent them away.

5
When someone came and told David about the men, he sent messengers to
meet them, for they were greatly humiliated. The king said, “Stay at
Jericho till your beards have grown, and then come back.”

6 When the Ammonites realized that they had become a stench in David’s nostrils, Hanun and the Ammonites sent a thousand talents ^[a] of silver to hire chariots and charioteers from Aram Naharaim, ^[b] Aram Maacah and Zobah. 7
They hired thirty-two thousand chariots and charioteers, as well as the
king of Maacah with his troops, who came and camped near Medeba, while
the Ammonites were mustered from their towns and moved out for battle.

8 On hearing this, David sent Joab out with the entire army of fighting men. 9
The Ammonites came out and drew up in battle formation at the entrance
to their city, while the kings who had come were by themselves in the
open country.

10
Joab saw that there were battle lines in front of him and behind him;
so he selected some of the best troops in Israel and deployed them
against the Arameans. 11 He put the rest of the men under the command of Abishai his brother, and they were deployed against the Ammonites. 12
Joab said, “If the Arameans are too strong for me, then you are to
rescue me; but if the Ammonites are too strong for you, then I will
rescue you. 13 Be strong and let us fight bravely for our people and the cities of our God. The LORD will do what is good in his sight.”

14 Then Joab and the troops with him advanced to fight the Arameans, and they fled before him. 15
When the Ammonites saw that the Arameans were fleeing, they too fled
before his brother Abishai and went inside the city. So Joab went back
to Jerusalem.

16
After the Arameans saw that they had been routed by Israel, they sent
messengers and had Arameans brought from beyond the River, ^[c] with Shophach the commander of Hadadezer’s army leading them.

17
When David was told of this, he gathered all Israel and crossed the
Jordan; he advanced against them and formed his battle lines opposite
them. David formed his lines to meet the Arameans in battle, and they
fought against him. 18 But
they fled before Israel, and David killed seven thousand of their
charioteers and forty thousand of their foot soldiers. He also killed
Shophach the commander of their army.

19 When the vassals of Hadadezer saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they made peace with David and became subject to him.
So the Arameans were not willing to help the Ammonites anymore.

Footnotes:

1. 1 Chronicles 19:6 That is, about 37 tons (about 34 metric tons)
2. 1 Chronicles 19:6 That is, Northwest Mesopotamia
3. 1 Chronicles 19:16 That is, the Euphrates

New International Version (NIV)

Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society

1 Chronicles 18 (A Chapter a Day)

David’s Victories

1
In the course of time, David defeated the Philistines and subdued them,
and he took Gath and its surrounding villages from the control of the
Philistines.

2 David also defeated the Moabites, and they became subject to him and brought tribute.

3
Moreover, David fought Hadadezer king of Zobah, as far as Hamath, when
he went to establish his control along the Euphrates River. 4
David captured a thousand of his chariots, seven thousand charioteers
and twenty thousand foot soldiers. He hamstrung all but a hundred of
the chariot horses.

5 When the Arameans of Damascus came to help Hadadezer king of Zobah, David struck down twenty-two thousand of them. 6
He put garrisons in the Aramean kingdom of Damascus, and the Arameans
became subject to him and brought tribute. The LORD gave David victory
everywhere he went.

7 David took the gold shields carried by the officers of Hadadezer and brought them to Jerusalem. 8 From Tebah ^[a]
and Cun, towns that belonged to Hadadezer, David took a great quantity
of bronze, which Solomon used to make the bronze Sea, the pillars and
various bronze articles.

9 When Tou king of Hamath heard that David had defeated the entire army of Hadadezer king of Zobah, 10
he sent his son Hadoram to King David to greet him and congratulate him
on his victory in battle over Hadadezer, who had been at war with Tou.
Hadoram brought all kinds of articles of gold and silver and bronze.

11
King David dedicated these articles to the LORD, as he had done with
the silver and gold he had taken from all these nations: Edom and Moab,
the Ammonites and the Philistines, and Amalek.

12 Abishai son of Zeruiah struck down eighteen thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt. 13 He put garrisons in Edom, and all the Edomites became subject to David. The LORD gave David victory everywhere he went.

David’s Officials

14 David reigned over all Israel, doing what was just and right for all his people. 15 Joab son of Zeruiah was over the army; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was recorder; 16 Zadok son of Ahitub and Ahimelech ^[b] son of Abiathar were priests; Shavsha was secretary; 17 Benaiah son of Jehoiada was over the Kerethites and Pelethites; and David’s sons were chief officials at the king’s side.

Footnotes:

1. 1 Chronicles 18:8 Hebrew Tibhath , a variant of Tebah
2. 1 Chronicles 18:16 Some Hebrew manuscripts, Vulgate and Syriac (see also 2 Samuel 8:17 most Hebrew manuscripts Abimelech

New International Version (NIV)

Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society