1In the spring20:1 Lit At the time of the return of the year when kings march out to war,20:1–3 2Sm 12:26–31 Joab led the army and destroyed the Ammonites’ land. He came to Rabbah and besieged it, but David remained in Jerusalem.20:1 2Sm 11:1 Joab attacked Rabbah and demolished it.

2Then David took the crown from the head of their king,20:2 LXX, Vg read of Milcom20:2 = Molech; 1Kg 11:5,720:2 1Kg 11:5,7 and it was placed on David’s head. He found that the crown weighed seventy-five pounds20:2 Lit a talent of gold, and there was a precious stone in it. In addition, David took away a large quantity of plunder from the city.

3He brought out the people who were in it and put them to work with saws,20:3 Text emended; MT reads and sawed them with the saw; 2Sm 12:31 iron picks, and axes.20:3 Text emended; MT reads saws; 2Sm 12:3120:3 2Sm 12:31 David did the same to all the Ammonite cities. Then he and all his troops returned to Jerusalem.

4After this,20:4–8 2Sm 21:18–22 a war broke out with the Philistines at Gezer. At that time Sibbecai the Hushathite killed Sippai, a descendant of the Rephaim,20:4 Or the Rephaites20:4 Gn 14:5; Dt 2:11 and the Philistines were subdued.