1In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, Joab led out the armed forces. He laid waste the land of the Ammonites and went to Rabbah and besieged it, but David remained in Jerusalem. Joab attacked Rabbah and left it in ruins.

2David took the crown from the head of their king20:2Or of Milkom, that is, Molek —its weight was found to be a talent20:2That is, about 75 pounds or about 34 kilograms of gold, and it was set with precious stones—and it was placed on David’s head. He took a great quantity of plunder from the city

3and brought out the people who were there, consigning them to labor with saws and with iron picks and axes. David did this to all the Ammonite towns. Then David and his entire army returned to Jerusalem.

4In the course of time, war broke out with the Philistines, at Gezer. At that time Sibbekai the Hushathite killed Sippai, one of the descendants of the Rephaites, and the Philistines were subjugated.

5In another battle with the Philistines, Elhanan son of Jair killed Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite, who had a spear with a shaft like a weaver’s rod.

6In still another battle, which took place at Gath, there was a huge man with six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot—twenty-four in all. He also was descended from Rapha.

7When he taunted Israel, Jonathan son of Shimea, David’s brother, killed him.

8These were descendants of Rapha in Gath, and they fell at the hands of David and his men.