20Verse 1In that region, kings usually went with their armies to fight their enemies ◄in the springtime/when the cold season ended►. But that year, David did not do that. Instead, he stayed in Jerusalem, and he sent his commander Joab to lead the army. Joab took his troops. They crossed the Jordan River and ruined the land of the Ammon people-group. Then they went to Rabbah, the capital city, and surrounded it. David stayed in Jerusalem for a while. But later he took more troops and went to help Joab. Their armies attacked Rabbah and destroyed it.Verse 2Then David took the crown from the head of the king of Rabbah (OR, from the head of their god Milcom) and put it on his own head. It was very heavy; it weighed ◄75 pounds/34 kg.►, and it had many very valuable stones fastened to it. They also took many other valuable things from the city.Verse 3Then they brought the people out of the city and forced them to work for their army, using saws and iron picks and axes. David’s soldiers did this in all the cities of the Ammon people-group. Then David and all of his army returned to Jerusalem.
Wars against the giants in Philistia
Verse 4Later, David’s army fought a battle with the army of Philistia, at Gezer city. During the battle Sibbecai, from Hushah clan, killed Sippai, one of the descendants of the Rapha giants. So the armies of Philistia were defeated.Verse 5In another battle against the soldiers of Philistia, Elhanan, the son of Jair, killed Lahmi, the younger brother of the giant Goliath from Gath town, who had a spear which was as thick as a weaver’s rod.Verse 6There was another battle near Gath. A ◄huge man/giant► was there who had six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot. He was descended from the Rapha giants.Verse 7When he made fun of the soldiers of Israel, Jonathan, the son of David’s older brother Shimea, killed him.Verse 8Those were some of the descendants of the Rapha giants who had lived in Gath, who were killed [MTY] by David and his soldiers.