1 Chronicles 19

War with the Ammonites and the Arameans

1After this, Nahash king of the Ammonites died, and his son reigned in his place. 2David said, “I will show kindness to Hanun son of Nahash, because his father showed kindness to me.” So David sent messengers to console him concerning his father. David’s servants came to the land of the Ammonites, to Hanun, to console him. 3But the leaders of the Ammonites said to Hanun, “Do you think David is honoring your father in your eyes, because he has sent you comforters? Have his servants not come to you to explore the land, to overturn it, and to spy it out?” 4So Hanun seized David’s servants, shaved them, cut off their garments in the middle, up to the hips, and sent them away. 5Some went and told David about the men, and he sent to meet them, for the men were greatly humiliated. The king said, “Stay at Jericho until your beards have grown back, and then return.” 6When the Ammonites saw that they had made themselves odious to David, Hanun and the Ammonites sent a thousand talents of silver to hire chariots and horsemen from Aram-naharaim, Aram-maacah, and Zobah. 7They hired thirty-two thousand chariots, along with the king of Maacah and his people, who came and camped before Medeba. And the Ammonites gathered from their cities and came out for battle. 8When David heard of it, he sent Joab and the whole army of mighty men. 9The Ammonites came out and drew up for battle at the entrance of the city, while the kings who had come were by themselves in the open field. 10When Joab saw that the battle was set against him both in front and behind, he chose some of the best of Israel and arrayed them against the Arameans. 11The rest of the troops he placed under the command of his brother Abishai, and they arrayed themselves against the Ammonites. 12He said, “If the Arameans are too strong for me, you will help me; but if the Ammonites are too strong for you, I will help you. 13Be strong, and let us show ourselves courageous for our people and for the cities of our God, and may Yahweh do what is good in his sight.” 14So Joab and the troops with him advanced to battle against the Arameans, and they fled before him. 15When the Ammonites saw that the Arameans had fled, they too fled before Abishai his brother, and went into the city. Then Joab went to Jerusalem. 16When the Arameans saw that they had been defeated before Israel, they sent messengers and brought out the Arameans who were beyond the Euphrates, with Shophach, commander of the army of Hadadezer, leading them. 17When this was reported to David, he gathered all Israel, crossed the Jordan, came against them, and arrayed himself against them. David drew up in battle formation to meet the Arameans, and they fought against him. 18But the Arameans fled before Israel, and David killed seven thousand of their charioteers and forty thousand foot soldiers, and 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 became his servants. And the Arameans were unwilling to help the Ammonites anymore.