1 Chronicles 19

1After this, Nahash king of the Ammonites died, and his son reigned in his place.

2And David said, “I will show kindness to Hanun son of Nahash, because his father showed kindness to me.” So David sent messengers to comfort him concerning his father. And David’s servants came to the land of the Ammonites, to Hanun, to comfort him.

3But the princes of the Ammonites said to Hanun, “Is David honoring your father in your sight because he has sent comforters to you? Have not his servants come to you in order to search out, to overthrow, and to spy out the land?”

4So Hanun took David’s servants, shaved them, cut their garments in half up to the hips, and sent them away.

5They went and told David about the men, and he sent to meet them, because the men were greatly humiliated. And the king said, “Stay in Jericho until your beards have grown back, then return.”

6When the Ammonites saw that they had become odious to David, Hanun and the Ammonites sent a thousand talents of silver to hire for themselves chariots and horsemen from Aram-naharaim, from Aram-maacah, and from Zobah.

7So they hired for themselves thirty-two thousand chariots, and the king of Maacah with his people. They came and camped before Medeba, and the sons of Ammon gathered from their cities and came to battle.

8When David heard, he sent Joab and all the army of the mighty men.

9And the sons of Ammon came out and drew up for battle at the entrance of the city, while the kings who had come were by themselves in the field.

10When Joab saw that the battle line was set against him in front and in the rear, he chose some of the best men from all Israel and arranged them to meet Aram.

11He put the rest of the troops under the command of Abishai his brother, and they drew up in battle formation to meet the Ammonites.

12And he said, “If Aram is too strong for me, then you shall be my salvation; but if the Ammonites are too strong for you, then I will save you.”

13Be strong, and let us be strong for our people and for the cities of our God, and may Yahweh do what is good in his eyes.

14So Joab and the people who were with him advanced before Aram for battle, and they fled before him.

15When the Ammonites saw that Aram had fled, they also fled before Abishai his brother and entered the city. Then Joab came to Jerusalem.

16When Aram saw that they had been defeated before Israel, they sent messengers and brought out the Arameans who were from beyond the River, with Shophach the commander of Hadadezer’s army before them.

17When it was reported to David, he gathered all Israel, crossed the Jordan, came against them, and drew up in battle formation against them. Then David drew up for battle to meet Aram, and they fought with him.

18And Aram fled before Israel, and David killed seven thousand chariot warriors from Aram and forty thousand foot soldiers, and he put Shophach the commander of the army to death.

19When the servants of Hadadezer saw that they had been defeated before Israel, they made peace with David and served him. And Aram was no longer willing to help the sons of Ammon.