CHAPTER 19
And David
said,
“I will show
kindness
to
Hanun
son
of Nahash,
because
his father
showed
kindness
to me.”
So David
sent
messengers
to console Hanun
concerning
his father.
But when David’s
servants
arrived
in
the land
of the Ammonites
to console him,
the princes
of the Ammonites
said
to Hanun,
“Just because
David has sent
you
comforters,
do you really believe
he is
showing respect
for your father?
Have not
his servants
come
to you
to explore
the land,
spy it out,
and overthrow it?"
So Hanun
took
David’s
servants,
shaved their beards,
cut
their garments
in half
at
the hips,
and sent them away.
When someone came
and told
David
about
his men,
he sent
messengers to meet them,
since
the men
were
deeply
humiliated.
The king
told them,
“Stay
in Jericho
until
your beards
have grown back,
and then return."
When the Ammonites
realized that
they had become a stench
to
David,
Hanun
and the Ammonites
sent
a thousand
talents
of silver
to hire
for themselves
chariots
and horsemen
from
Aram-naharaim,
Aram-maacah,
and Zobah.
So they hired
for themselves
thirty-two
thousand
chariots,
as well as
the king
of Maacah
with his troops,
who came
and camped
near
Medeba
while the Ammonites
came from their cities
and marched out
for battle.
The Ammonites
marched out
and arrayed themselves
for battle
at the entrance
of the city,
while the kings
who
had come
stayed by themselves
in the open country.
When Joab
saw
the battle lines
before him
and behind him,
he selected
some of
the best
men of Israel
and arrayed them
against
the Arameans.
And
he placed
the rest
of the forces
under the command
of his brother
Abishai,
who arrayed them
against
the Ammonites.
“If
the Arameans
are too strong
for me,”
said Joab,
“then you will come
to my rescue.
And if
the Ammonites
are too strong
for you,
then I will come to your rescue.
Be strong
and let us fight bravely
for
our people
and for
the cities
of our God.
May the LORD
do
what is good
in His sight.”
When the Ammonites
saw
that
the Arameans
had fled,
they
too
fled
before
Joab’s brother
Abishai,
and they entered
the city.
So Joab
went back
to Jerusalem.
When the Arameans
saw
that
they had been defeated
by
Israel,
they sent
messengers
to bring
more Arameans
from beyond
the Euphrates,
with Shophach
the commander
of Hadadezer’s
army
leading them.
When this was reported
to David,
he gathered
all
Israel,
crossed
the Jordan,
and went
against
the Arameans,
arrayed for battle
against them.
When David
lined up
to engage them
in battle,
they fought
against him.
But the Arameans
fled
before
Israel,
and David
killed
seven
thousand
of their charioteers
and forty
thousand
foot soldiers.
He also killed
Shophach
the commander
of their army.
When Hadadezer’s
subjects
saw
that
they had been defeated
by
Israel,
they made peace
with
David
and became subject to him.
So the Arameans
were unwilling
to help
the Ammonites
anymore.