| NET Bible | International Standard Version |
| 1In the spring, at the time when kings normally conduct wars, Joab led the army into battle and devastated the land of the Ammonites. He went and besieged Rabbah, while David stayed in Jerusalem. Joab defeated Rabbah and tore it down. | 1Later the next spring, at the time that kings go out to fight, Joab led out the army, ravaged the territory of the Ammonites, and then went out and attacked Rabbah, while David remained behind in Jerusalem. Joab besieged Rabbah and conquered it. |
| 2David took the crown from the head of their king and wore it (its weight was a talent of gold and it was set with precious stones). He took a large amount of plunder from the city. | 2David confiscated the crown of their king from his head, and found that its weight was a talent in gold. A precious stone had been set in it, and it was placed on David's head. He also confiscated a great amount of war booty that had been plundered from the city, |
| 3He removed the city's residents and made them do hard labor with saws, iron picks, and axes. This was his policy with all the Ammonite cities. Then David and all the army returned to Jerusalem. | 3brought back the people who had lived in it, and put them to conscripted labor with saws, iron picks, and axes. David did this to every Ammonite city, and then David and his entire army returned to Jerusalem. |
| 4Later there was a battle with the Philistines in Gezer. At that time Sibbekai the Hushathite killed Sippai, one of the descendants of the Rephaim, and the Philistines were subdued. | 4Afterwards, war broke out against the Philistines at Gezer, where Sibbecai the Hushathite killed Sippai, one of the descendants of the Rephaim, defeating the Philistines. |
| 5There was another battle with the Philistines in which Elhanan son of Jair the Bethlehemite killed the brother of Goliath the Gittite, whose spear had a shaft as big as the crossbeam of a weaver's loom. | 5There was also another battle against the Philistines, when Jair's son Elhanan killed Lahmi the Gittite, Goliath's brother, whose spear was as big as a weaver's beam. |
| 6In a battle in Gath there was a large man who had six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot--twenty-four in all! He too was a descendant of Rapha. | 6There was also a battle at Gath, where there was a very tall man with six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot—for a total of 24 digits—who was a descendant of the Rephaim. |
| 7When he taunted Israel, Jonathan son of Shimea, David's brother, killed him. | 7When he challenged Israel, Shimei's son Jonathan, David's nephew, killed him. |
| 8These were the descendants of Rapha who lived in Gath; they were killed by the hand of David and his soldiers. | 8These descendants from the giants in Gath died at the hands of David and his servants. |
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