1 Chronicles 20
Amplified Bible, Classic Edition
20 After the end of the year, when kings go out to battle, Joab led forth the army and devastated the land of the Ammonites, and came and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried at Jerusalem. Joab smote Rabbah and overthrew it.
2 David took their king’s crown from off his head and found that it weighed a talent of gold and that precious stones were in it. It was set upon David’s head. He brought also very much spoil out of the city of Rabbah.
3 He brought out the people who were in it and set them at cutting with saws, iron wedges, and axes. So David dealt with all the Ammonite cities. And David and all the army returned to Jerusalem.
4 After this, there arose war at Gezer with the Philistines; then Sibbecai the Hushathite slew Sippai, of the sons of the giant, and they were subdued.
5 There was war again with the Philistines, and Elhanan son of Jair slew Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the staff of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam.
6 And again there was war at Gath, where was a man of great stature who had twenty-four fingers and toes, six on each hand and each foot. He also was born to the giant.
7 And when he reproached and defied Israel, Jonathan son of Shimea, David’s brother, slew him.
8 These were born to the giant [clan] in Gath, and they fell by the hands of David and his servants.
1 Chronicles 20
English Standard Version
The Capture of Rabbah
20 (A)In the spring of the year, the time when kings go out to battle, Joab led out the army and ravaged the country of the Ammonites and came and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem. And (B)Joab struck down Rabbah and overthrew it. 2 (C)And David took the crown of their king from his head. He found that it weighed a talent[a] of gold, and in it was a precious stone. And it was placed on David's head. And he brought out the spoil of the city, a very great amount. 3 And he brought out the people who were in it and set them to labor[b] (D)with saws and iron picks and axes.[c] And thus David did to all the cities of the Ammonites. Then David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.
Philistine Giants Killed
4 (E)And after this there arose war with the Philistines at Gezer. Then Sibbecai the Hushathite struck down Sippai, who was one of the descendants of the giants, and the Philistines were subdued. 5 And there was again war with the Philistines, and Elhanan the son of (F)Jair struck down Lahmi (G)the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the shaft of whose spear was like a weaver's beam. 6 And there was again war at Gath, where there was a man of great stature, who had six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot, twenty-four in number, and he also was descended from the giants. 7 And when he taunted Israel, Jonathan the son of (H)Shimea, David's brother, struck him down. 8 These were descended from the giants in Gath, and they fell by the hand of David and by the hand of his servants.
Footnotes
- 1 Chronicles 20:2 A talent was about 75 pounds or 34 kilograms
- 1 Chronicles 20:3 Compare 2 Samuel 12:31; Hebrew he sawed
- 1 Chronicles 20:3 Compare 2 Samuel 12:31; Hebrew saws
Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.

