¹ At the turn of the year, the time when kings go to war, Joab set out with the army to invade the land of the Ammonites and went to lay siege to Rabbah. David, however, remained in Jerusalem. Joab attacked Rabbah and destroyed it. ² David took the gold crown from the head of the Ammonite idol Milcom; they found that it weighed about seventy five pounds. In it was set a precious stone which made an ornament for David’s head. He carried off a great quantity of loot from the town. ³ He brought away its population and set them to work with saws, iron picks and axes. David treated all the Ammonite towns in the same way. Then David and the whole army returned to Jerusalem.

⁴ After this, war broke out again with the Philistines at Gezer. This was when Sibbecai of Hushah killed Sippai, a descendant of the Rephaim. The Phi listines were defeated. ⁵ War with the Philistines broke out again, and Elha nan son of Jair killed Lahmi, the brother of Goliath of Gath, the shaft of whose spear was as thick as a weaver’s beam. ⁶ There was another battle at Gath, where there was a giant with six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot, twenty-four in all. He too was a descendant of Raphaim. ⁷ He defied Israel and Jo nathan, son of David’s brother Shi mea, killed him.

⁸ These men were descended from Raphaim of Gath and they were killed by David and his guards.