Open English Translation 1 CHR Chapter 14

14 One day King Huram from Tsor (Tyre) sent messengers to David, along with cedar timber and stone masons and carpenters to build a house for him. 2 By then David had realised that Yahweh had established him as king over Yisrael (Israel)—that his kingdom was being made more prominent for the sake of Yahweh’s people Yisrael.

3 Then David took more wives in Yerushalem (Jerusalem) and he fathered more sons and daughters. 4 These are his children who were born there in Yerushalem: Shamua, Shovav, Natan (Nathan), Shelomoh (Solomon), 5 Yavehar, Elishua, Elifelet, 6 Nogah, Nefeg, Yafia, 7 Elishama, Be’elyada, and Elifelet.

8 When the Pelishtim heard that David had been anointed as king over all of Yisrael (Israel), the entire Pelishti army went up into the hill country to eliminate him. David got this news and took his army out to meet them. 9 Meanwhile, the Pelishtim went and raided the Refaim valley, 10 and David asked God, “Should I take on the Pelishtim, and will you give me victory over them?”

“Go ahead,” Yahweh answered, “and I’ll enable you to defeat them.”

11 Then they[fn] went up to what’s now called Ba’al-Peratsim, and David defeated them down there. David said, “God has used me to break through my enemies like a flooded river breaking a dam.” Therefore they named that place Ba’al-Peratsim (which means ‘the master bursts through’). 12 The Pelishtim abandoned their idols as they fled, and David ordered them to be burnt.

13 But soon the Pelishtim raided the valley again, 14 and David asked God’s advice again. “Don’t go uphill after them,” God said, “but circle around them and confront them in front of the balsam trees. 15 When you hear the sound of the marching in the tops of the balsam trees, that’s when you should attack, because God will have gone out ahead of you to strike down the Pelishti army.” 16 So David did just as God had told him, and he attacked the Pelishtim from Giveon all the way to Gezer. 17 So David’s reputation spread everywhere, and Yahweh caused the other nations to be afraid of him.