1 Chronicles 19

¹And after this it came about that Nahash king of the sons of Ammon died, and his son reigned in his place.

²And David said, 'I will show steadfast love to Hanun son of Nahash, for his father showed steadfast love to me.' And David sent messengers to console him for his father. And the servants of David came to the land of the sons of Ammon, to Hanun, to console him.

³And the commanders of the sons of Ammon said to Hanun: 'Is David honoring your father in your eyes because he sent you comforters? Is it not to search, to overthrow, and to spy out the land that his servants have come to you?'

⁴And Hanun took David's servants and shaved them, and cut their garments in the middle, to the buttocks, and sent them away.

⁵And they went and told David about the men; and he sent to meet them, for the men were greatly humiliated. And the king said, 'Stay at Jericho until your beards grow, and then return.'

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

⁷And they hired for themselves thirty-two thousand chariots, and the king of Maacah with his people; and they came and encamped before Medeba. And the sons of Ammon assembled from their cities and came to do battle.

⁸And David heard and sent Joab and the whole army of warriors.

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

¹⁰And Joab saw that the front of battle was set against him both in front and behind, and he chose from among all the choice men of Israel and arrayed them against Aram.

¹¹And the rest of the troops he placed in the hand of Abishai his brother, and they drew up against the sons of Ammon.

¹²And he said: 'If Aram proves too strong for me, then you shall come to my rescue; but if the sons of Ammon prove too strong for you, then I will come to your rescue.'

¹³Be strong, and let us strengthen ourselves for our people and for the cities of our God, and the Lord will do what is good in his eyes.

¹⁴And Joab and the troops who were with him drew near against Aram for battle; and they fled before him.

¹⁵And the sons of Ammon saw that Aram had fled, and they also fled before Abishai his brother and entered the city. And Joab came to Jerusalem.

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

¹⁷And it was told to David; and he mustered all Israel and crossed the Jordan and came against them; and David drew up against Aram for battle, and they fought with him.

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

¹⁹And the servants of Hadadezer saw that they were defeated before Israel, and they made peace with David and served him. And Aram was not willing to save the sons of Ammon anymore.