8:1 After these things David defeated the Philistines and subdued them. David then took control of Metheg Ammah from the Philistines. 8:2 Then he defeated Moab and measured them by a rope, causing them to lie on the ground. He measured off two lengths of rope for those who were to be put to death and one length of rope for those who were to left alive. So the Moabites were forced into subjection to David as tax-payers.¹

8:3 Then David defeated Hadadezer the son of Rehob king of Zobah when he came to restore² his authority over the Euphrates³ River. 8:4 David captured from him 1,700 horsemen⁴ and 20,000 foot soldiers. He⁵ hamstrung all the horses with the exception of a hundred that he kept. 8:5 When Aram of Damascus came to help Hadadezer king of Zobah, David killed 22,000 soldiers⁶ of Aram. 8:6 David then stationed guards in Aram of Damascus, and Aram was in subjection to David as tax-payers. The LORD delivered David everywhere that he went. 8:7 David took the golden shields that belonged to the soldiers of Hadadezer and brought them to Jerusalem.⁷ 8:8 From Tebah and Berothai, cities under the jurisdiction of Hadadezer,⁸ king David took a great deal of bronze.

8:9 When Toi king of Hamath heard that David had defeated the entire army of Hadadezer, 8:10 he⁹ sent Joram his son to king David to find out how things were going and to bless him, because he had fought against Hadadezer and had defeated him. (For Toi and Hadadezer had been at war with one another.) He brought with him silver, golden, and bronze implements. 8:11 King David consecrated these things to the LORD, along with the other silver and gold that he had consecrated from all the nations that he had subdued: 8:12 from Aram, from Moab, from the Amnonites, from the Philistines, and from the Amelekites, and from the plunder taken from Hadadezer the son of Rehob king of Zobah.

8:13 David thus became famous when he returned from defeating Aram in the Valley of Salt, eighteen kings in all. 8:14 He stationed guards in Edom,¹⁰ So all Edom was in subjection to David, and the LORD delivered David wherever he went. 8:15 David ruled over all Israel, and he was dispensing righteous judgment for all his people.

8:16 Now Joab the son of Zeruiah was over the army; Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was the recorder; 8:17 Zadok the son of Ahitub and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar were priests; Seraiah was scribe; 8:18 Benaiah the son of Jehoida was over¹¹ the Kerithites and the Pelethites; and the sons of David were priests.¹²