2 Samuel 10

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

²David said, 'I will show kindness to Hanun son of Nahash, as his father showed kindness to me.' So David sent to comfort him by the hand of his servants regarding his father. And David's servants came to the land of the Ammonites.

³And the commanders of the Ammonites said to Hanun their lord, "Is it in your eyes that David is honoring your father, because he has sent to you those who offer condolences? Is it not to search out the city and to spy on it and to overthrow it that David has sent his servants to you?"

⁴So Hanun seized David's servants and shaved off half of each man's beard, and cut off their garments in the middle, up to their buttocks, and sent them away.

⁵When it was told to David, he sent to meet them, for the men were greatly humiliated. The king said, 'Stay at Jericho until your beards have grown, and then return.'

⁶When the Ammonites saw that they had made themselves odious to David, the Ammonites sent and hired Aram of Beth-rehob and Aram of Zobah, twenty thousand infantry, and the king of Maacah, one thousand men, and the men of Tob, twelve thousand men.

⁷When David heard, he sent Joab and all the army of the mighty warriors.

⁸And the Ammonites came out and arrayed for battle at the entrance of the gate, while Aram of Zobah and Rehob and the men of Tob and Maacah were by themselves in the open field.

⁹When Joab saw that the battle was set against him both in front and from behind, he chose from all the choice men of Israel and arranged them against Aram.

¹⁰The rest of the troops he put in the command of Abishai his brother, and he drew them up against the Ammonites.

¹¹He said, 'If Aram is too strong for me, then you shall come to help me; and if the Ammonites are too strong for you, I will go to help you.'

¹²Be strong, and let us be courageous for our people and for the cities of our God, and the Lord will do what is good in his eyes.

¹³Then Joab and the army that was with him advanced to battle against Aram, and they fled before him.

¹⁴When the Ammonites saw that Aram had fled, they fled before Abishai and entered the city. Then Joab withdrew from the Ammonites and came to Jerusalem.

¹⁵When Aram saw that they had been defeated before Israel, they gathered together.

¹⁶Then Hadadezer sent and brought out the Arameans who were beyond the River, and they came to Helam; and Shobach the commander of the army of Hadadezer was at their head.

¹⁷When it was told to David, he gathered all Israel and crossed the Jordan and came to Helam. And Aram drew up in battle array to meet David, and they fought with him.

¹⁸Aram fled before Israel, and David killed seven hundred charioteers of Aram and forty thousand horsemen, and he struck down Shobach the commander of their army, and he died there.

¹⁹When all the kings who were servants of Hadadezer saw that they had been defeated before Israel, they made peace with Israel and served them. And Aram feared to help the Ammonites any longer.