17:8. And I have been with thee whithersoever thou hast gone: and have slain all thy enemies before thee, and have made thee a name like that of one of the great ones that are renowned in the earth.

17:9. And I have given a place my people Israel: they shall be planted, and shall dwell therein, and shall be moved no more, neither shall the children of iniquity waste them, as at the beginning,

17:10. Since the days that I gave judges to my people Israel, and have humbled all thy enemies. And I declare to thee, that the Lord will build thee a house.

17:11. And when thou shalt have ended thy days to go to thy fathers, I will raise up thy seed after thee, which shall be of thy sons: and I will establish his kingdom.

17:12. He shall build me a house, and I will establish his throne for ever.

17:13. I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son: and I will not take my mercy away from him, as I took it from him that was before thee.

17:14. But I will settle him in my house, and in my kingdom for ever: and his throne shall be most firm for ever.

17:15. According to all these words, and according to all this vision, so did Nathan speak to David.

17:16. And king David came and sat before the Lord, and said: Who am I, O Lord G.o.d, and what is my house, that thou shouldst give such things to me?

17:17. But even this hath seemed little in thy sight, and therefore thou hast also spoken concerning the house of thy servant for the time to come: and hast made me remarkable above all men, O Lord G.o.d.

17:18. What can David add more, seeing thou hast thus glorified thy servant, and known him?

17:19. O Lord, for thy servant's sake, according to thy own heart, thou hast shewn all this magnificence, and wouldst have all the great things to be known.

17:20. O Lord there is none like thee: and here is no other G.o.d beside thee, of all whom we have heard of with our ears.

17:21. For what other nation is there upon earth like thy people Israel, whom G.o.d went to deliver, and make a people for himself, and by his greatness and terrors cast out nations before their face whom he had delivered out of Egypt?

17:22. And thou hast made thy people Israel to be thy own people for ever, and thou, O Lord, art become their G.o.d.

17:23. Now therefore, O Lord, let the word which thou hast spoken to thy servant, and concerning his house, be established for ever, and do as thou hast said.

17:24. And let thy name remain and be magnified for ever: and let it be said: The Lord of hosts is G.o.d of Israel, and the house of David his servant remaineth before him.

17:25. For thou, O Lord my G.o.d, hast revealed to the ear of thy servant, that thou wilt build him a house: and therefore thy servant hath found confidence to pray before thee.

17:26. And now O Lord, thou art G.o.d: and thou hast promised to thy servant such great benefits.

17:27. And thou hast begun to bless the house of thy servant, that it may be always before thee: for seeing thou blessest it, O Lord, it shall be blessed for ever.

1 Paralipomenon Chapter 18

David's victories. His chief officers.

18:1. And it came to pa.s.s after this, that David defeated the Philistines, and humbled them, and took away Geth, and her daughters out of the hands of the Philistines,

18:2. And he defeated Moab, and the Moabites were made David's servants, and brought him gifts.

18:3. At that time David defeated also Adarezer king of Soba of the land of Hemath, when he went to extend his dominions as far as the river Euphrates.

18:4. And David took from him a thousand chariots, and seven thousand hors.e.m.e.n, and twenty thousand footmen, and he houghed all the chariot horses, only a hundred chariots, which he reserved for himself.

18:5. And the Syrians of Damascus came also to help Adarezer king of Soba: and David slew of them likewise two and twenty thousand men.

18:6. And he put a garrison in Damascus, that Syria also should serve him, and bring gifts. And the Lord a.s.sisted him in all things to which he went.

18:7. And David took the golden quivers which the servants of Adarezer had, and he brought them to Jerusalem.

18:8. Likewise out of Thebath and Chun, cities of Adarezer, he brought very much bra.s.s, of which Solomon made the brazen sea, and the pillars, and the vessels of bra.s.s.

18:9. Now when Thou king of Hemath heard that David had defeated all the army of Adarezer king of Soba,

18:10. He sent Adoram his son to king David to desire peace of him, and to congratulate him that he had defeated and overthrown Adarezer: for Thou was an enemy to Adarezer.

18:11. And all the vessels of gold, and silver and bra.s.s king David consecrated to the Lord, with the silver and gold which he had taken from all the nations, as well from Edom, and from Moab, and from the sons of Ammon, as from the Philistines, and from Amalec.

18:12. And Abisai the son of Sarvia slew of the Edomites in the vale of the saltpits, eighteen thousand:

18:13. And he put a garrison in Edom, that Edom should serve David: and the Lord preserved David in all things to which he went.

18:14. So David reigned over all Israel, and executed judgment and justice among all his people.

18:15. And Joab the son of Sarvia was over the army, and Josaphat the son of Ahilud recorder.

18:16. And Sadoc the son of Achitob, and Achimelech the son of Abiathar, were the priests: and Susa, scribe.

18:17. And Banaias the son of Joiada was over the bands of the Cerethi, and the Phelethi: and the sons of David were chief about the king.

1 Paralipomenon Chapter 19

The Ammonites abuse David's amba.s.sadors: both they and their confederates are overthrown.

19:1. Now it came to pa.s.s that Naas the king of the children of Ammon died, and his son reigned in his stead.

19:2. And David said: I will shew kindness to Hanon the son of Naas: for his father did a favour tome. And David sent messengers to comfort him upon the death of his father. But when they were come into the land of the children of Ammon, to comfort Hanon,

19:3. The princes of the children of Ammon said to Hanon: Thou thinkest perhaps that David to do honour to thy father hath sent comforters to thee: and thou dost not take notice, that his servants are come to thee to consider, and search, and spy out thy land.

19:4. Wherefore Hanon shaved the heads and beards of the servants of David, and cut away their garments from the b.u.t.tocks to the feet, and sent them away.

19:5. And when they were gone, they sent word to David, who sent to meet them (for they had suffered a great affront) and ordered them to stay at Jericho till their beards grew and then to return.

19:6. And when the children of Ammon saw that they had done an injury to David, Hanon and the rest of the people sent a thousand talents of silver, to hire them chariots and hors.e.m.e.n out of Mesopotamia and out of Syria Maacha, and out of Soba.

19:7. And they hired two and thirty thousand chariots, and the king of Maacha, with his people. And they came and camped over against Medaba.

And the children of Ammon gathered themselves together out of their cities, and came to battle.

19:8. And when David heard of it, he sent Joab, and all the army of valiant men:

19:9. And the children of Ammon came out and put their army in array before the gate of the city: and the kings, that were come to their aid, stood apart in the field.