David’s Messengers Disgraced
And it was afterward that the king of the sons of Ammon died, and Hanun his son became king in his place.
And David said, “I will do loyal love with Hanun the son of Nahash, as his father did loyal love with me.” And David sent by the hand of his servants to comfort him concerning his father; and the servants of David came to the land of the sons of Ammon.
And the commanders of the sons of Ammon said to Hanun their lord: “Is David honoring your father in your eyes, because he has sent comforters to you? Is it not in order to search out the city, and to spy it out, and to overthrow it, that David has sent his servants to you?”
And Hanun took the servants of David, and shaved off half of each man’s beard, and cut off their garments at the half, up to their buttocks, and sent them away.
And they told David, and he sent to meet them, for the men were greatly humiliated. And the king said, “Stay in Jericho until your beards grow back, and then return.”
And the sons of Ammon saw that they had made themselves a stench to David; and the sons of Ammon sent and hired Aram of Beth-rehob and Aram of Zobah, twenty thousand foot soldiers, and the king of Maacah with a thousand men, and the men of Tob, twelve thousand men.
And David heard, and he sent Joab and all the army, the mighty men.
And the sons of Ammon came out and drew up for battle at the entrance of the gate; and Aram of Zobah and Rehob, and the men of Tob and Maacah, were by themselves in the field.
David Defeats Ammon and Aram
And Joab saw that the front of the battle was against him before and behind; and he chose from all the chosen men of Israel, and drew up to meet Aram.
And the rest of the people he gave into the hand of Abishai his brother, and he drew up to meet the sons of Ammon.
And he said: “If Aram is too strong for me, then you shall be my salvation; and if the sons of Ammon are too strong for you, then I will come to save you.
Be strong, and let us strengthen ourselves for our people and for the cities of our God — and may the LORD do what is good in his eyes.”
And Joab and the people who were with him approached for battle against Aram, and they fled from before him.
And the sons of Ammon saw that Aram had fled, and they fled from before Abishai and came into the city. And Joab turned back from the sons of Ammon and came to Jerusalem.
And Aram saw that they had been beaten before Israel, and they gathered together.
And Hadadezer sent and brought out the Aram that was beyond the River, and they came to Helam, with Shobach, the commander of Hadadezer’s army, before them.
And it was told to David; and he gathered all Israel, and crossed the Jordan, and came to Helam. And Aram drew up to meet David, and fought with him.
And Aram fled from before Israel; and David killed of Aram seven hundred charioteers and forty thousand horsemen, and he struck Shobach the commander of their army, and he died there.
And all the kings, the servants of Hadadezer, saw that they had been beaten before Israel; and they made peace with Israel and served them. And Aram was afraid to save the sons of Ammon anymore.