War with the Ammonites and Arameans
1After this the king of the Ammonites died, and his son Hanun became king in his place. 2David said, “I will show kindness to Hanun son of Nahash, just as his father showed kindness to me.” So David sent his servants to console him over his father’s death. But when David’s servants arrived in the land of the Ammonites, 3the Ammonite leaders said to their lord Hanun, “Do you really think David is honouring your father by sending you men to console you? Hasn’t David sent his servants to explore the city, spy it out, and overthrow it?” 4So Hanun seized David’s servants, shaved off half of each man’s beard, cut off their garments at the hips, and sent them away. 5When this was reported to David, he sent word to meet them, because the men were deeply humiliated. The king said, “Stay in Jericho until your beards grow back, and then return.” 6When the Ammonites realized they had made themselves repulsive to David, they sent and hired twenty thousand Aramean foot soldiers from Beth-rehob and Zobah, as well as the king of Maacah with a thousand men, and twelve thousand men from Tob. 7David heard of it and sent Joab out with the whole army of fighting men. 8The Ammonites came out and lined up for battle at the entrance of their city gate, while the Arameans of Zobah and Rehob, and the men of Tob and Maacah, were by themselves in the open country. 9When Joab saw that the battle was set against him both in front and behind, he chose some of the best troops in Israel and lined them up against the Arameans, 10and put the rest of the troops under his brother Abishai, who lined them up against the Ammonites. 11Joab said, “If the Arameans prove too strong for me, you will come to my aid; but if the Ammonites prove too strong for you, I will come to yours. 12Be strong, and let us fight bravely for our people and for the cities of our God. And may Yahweh do what seems good to him.” 13Then Joab and the troops with him advanced to fight the Arameans, and they fled before him. 14When the Ammonites saw that the Arameans had fled, they too fled before Abishai and retreated into the city. So Joab returned from fighting the Ammonites and went back to Jerusalem. 15When the Arameans saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they regrouped. 16Hadadezer sent for the Arameans from beyond the Euphrates, and they came to Helam, led by Shobach, the commander of Hadadezer’s army. 17When David was told of this, he gathered all Israel, crossed the Jordan, and came to Helam. The Arameans lined up against David and fought with him, 18but the Arameans fled before Israel. David killed seven hundred of their charioteers and forty thousand horsemen, and he struck down Shobach, their commander, who died there. 19When all the kings who were subject to Hadadezer saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they made peace with Israel and became their subjects. And the Arameans were afraid to help the Ammonites anymore.
