1 Chronicles 19

1 Now it came about after this that death came to Nahash, the king of the children of Ammon, and his son became king in his place.

It came about later that Nahash, king of the people of Ammon, died, and that his son became king in his place.

2 And David said, I will be a friend to Hanun, the son of Nahash, because his father was a friend to me. So David sent men to him, to give him words of comfort on account of his father. And the servants of David came to Hanun, to the land of the children of Ammon, offering him comfort.

David 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 entered the land of the Ammonites and went to Hanun, in order to console him.

3 But the chiefs of the children of Ammon said to Hanun, Does it seem to you that David is honouring your father, by sending comforters to you? is it not clear that these men have only come to go through the land and to make secret observation of it so that they may overcome it?

But the Ammonite princes said to Hanun, “Do you think that David is honoring your father because he has sent men to comfort you? Do not his servants come to you to explore and examine the land in order to overthrow it?”

4 So Hanun took David's servants, and cutting off their hair and the skirts of their robes up to the middle, sent them away.

So Hanun seized David's servants, shaved them, cut off their garments to the waist, up to their buttocks, and sent them away.

5 Then certain men went and gave David word of what had been done to them. And he sent out with the purpose of meeting them; for the men were greatly shamed. And the king said, Keep where you are at Jericho till your hair is long again, and then come back.

When they explained this to David, he sent to meet with them, for the men were deeply ashamed. The king said, “Stay at Jericho until your beards have grown back, and then return.”

6 And when the children of Ammon saw that they had made themselves hated by David, Hanun and the children of Ammon sent a thousand talents of silver as payment for war-carriages and horsemen from Mesopotamia and Aram-maacah and Zobah.

When the Ammonites saw that they had become a stench to David, Hanun and the Ammonites sent a thousand talents of silver to hire Aramean chariots and horsemen from Naharaim, Maacah, and Zobah.

7 So with this money they got thirty-two thousand war-carriages, and the help of the king of Maacah and his people, who came and took up their position in front of Medeba. And the children of Ammon came together from their towns for the fight.

They hired thirty-two thousand chariots and the king of Maacah and his army, who came and encamped before Medeba. Then the Ammonites gathered themselves together from their cities and came out to battle.

8 And David, hearing of it, sent Joab with all the army of fighting-men.

When David heard of it, he sent Joab and his entire army to meet them.

9 So the children of Ammon came out and put their forces in position on the way into the town; and the kings who had come were stationed by themselves in the field.

The people of Ammon came out and lined up for battle at the city gate, while the kings who had come were by themselves in the field.

10 Now when Joab saw that their forces were in position against him in front and at his back, he took all the best men of Israel, and put them in line against the Aramaeans;

When Joab saw the battle lines facing him both in front and behind, he chose some of Israel's best fighters and arranged them against the Arameans.

11 And the rest of the people he put in position against the children of Ammon with Abishai, his brother, at their head.

As for the rest of the army, he gave it into the command of Abishai his brother, and he put them into battle lines against the army of Ammon.

12 And he said, If the Aramaeans are stronger and get the better of me, then come to my help; and if the children of Ammon get the better of you, I will come to your help.

Joab said, “If the Arameans are too strong for me, then you, Abishai, must rescue me. But if the army of Ammon is too strong for you, then I will come and rescue you.

13 Take heart, and let us be strong for our people and for the towns of our God; and may the Lord do what seems good to him.

Be strong, and let us show ourselves to be strong for our people and for the cities of our God, for Yahweh will do what is good in his eyes.”

14 So Joab and the people who were with him went forward into the fight against the Aramaeans, and they went in flight before him.

So Joab and the soldiers of his army advanced to the battle against the Arameans, who were forced to flee before the army of Israel.

15 And when the children of Ammon saw the flight of the Aramaeans, they themselves went in flight from Abishai, his brother, and came into the town. Then Joab came back to Jerusalem.

When the army of Ammon saw that the Arameans had fled, they also fled from Joab's brother Abishai and went back into the city. Then Joab returned from the people of Ammon and went back to Jerusalem.

16 And when the Aramaeans saw that Israel had overcome them, they sent men to get the Aramaeans who were on the other side of the River, with Shophach, the captain of Hadadezer's army, at their head.

When the Arameans saw that they were being defeated by Israel, they sent for reinforcements from beyond the Euphrates River, with Shophak the commander of Hadadezer's army.

17 And word of this was given to David; and he got all Israel together and went over Jordan and came to Helam and put his forces in position against them. And when David's forces were in position against the Aramaeans, the fight was started.

When David was told this, he gathered all Israel together, crossed the Jordan, and came upon them. He arranged the army for battle against the Arameans, and they fought him.

18 And the Aramaeans went in flight before Israel; and David put to the sword the men of seven thousand Aramaean war-carriages and forty thousand footmen, and put to death Shophach, the captain of the army.

The Arameans fled from Israel, and David killed seven thousand Aramean charioteers and forty thousand foot soldiers. He also killed Shophak, the commander of the army.

19 And when the servants of Hadadezer saw that they were overcome by Israel, they made peace with David and became his servants: and the Aramaeans would give no more help to the children of Ammon.

When all the kings who were servants of Hadadezer saw that they were defeated by Israel, they made peace with David and served them. So the people of Aram were no longer willing to help the Ammonites.