^{1 Ref} And it cometh to pass afterwards, that the king of the Bene-Ammon dieth, and Hanun his son reigneth in his stead,

^{2 Ref} and David saith, `I do kindness with Hanun son of Nahash, as his father did with me kindness;' and David sendeth to comfort him by the hand of his servants concerning his father, and the servants of David come in to the land of the Bene-Ammon.

^{3 Ref} And the heads of the Bene-Ammon say unto Hanun their lord, `Is David honouring thy father in thine eyes because he hath sent to thee comforters? for to search the city, and to spy it, and to overthrow it, hath not David sent his servants unto thee?'

^{4 Ref} And Hanun taketh the servants of David, and shaveth off the half of their beard, and cutteth off their long robes in the midst -- unto their buttocks, and sendeth them away;

^{5 Ref} and they declare `it' to David, and he sendeth to meet them, for the men have been greatly ashamed, and the king saith, `Abide in Jericho till your beard doth spring up -- then ye have returned.'

^{6 Ref} And the Bene-Ammon see that they have been abhorred by David, and the Bene-Ammon send and hire Aram of Beth-Rehob, and Aram of Zoba, twenty thousand footmen, and the king of Maacah `with' a thousand men, and Ish-Tob `with' twelve thousand men;

^{7 Ref} and David heareth, and sendeth Joab, and all the host -- the mighty men.

^{8 Ref} And the Bene-Ammon come out, and set battle in array, at the opening of the gate, and Aram of Zoba, and Rehob, and Ish-Tob, and Maacah, `are' by themselves in the field;

^{9 Ref} and Joab seeth that the front of the battle hath been unto him before and behind, and he chooseth of all the chosen in Israel, and setteth in array to meet Aram,

¹⁰ and the rest of the people he hath given into the hand of Abishai his brother, and setteth in array to meet the Bene-Ammon.

^{11 Ref} And he saith, `If Aram be stronger than I, then thou hast been to me for salvation, and if the Bene-Ammon be stronger than thou, then I have come to give salvation to thee;

^{12 Ref} be strong and strengthen thyself for our people, and for the cities of our God, and Jehovah doth that which is good in His eyes.'

^{13 Ref} And Joab draweth nigh, and the people who `are' with him, to battle against Aram, and they flee from his presence;

¹⁴ and the Bene-Ammon have seen that Aram hath fled, and they flee from the presence of Abishai, and go in to the city; and Joab turneth back from the Bene-Ammon, and cometh in to Jerusalem.

^{15 Ref} And Aram seeth that it is smitten before Israel, and they are gathered together;

^{16 Ref} and Hadadezer sendeth, and bringeth out Aram which `is' beyond the River, and they come in to Helam, and Shobach head of the host of Hadadezer `is' before them.

^{17 Ref} And it is declared to David, and he gathereth all Israel, and passeth over the Jordan, and cometh in to Helam, and Aram setteth itself in array to meet David, and they fight with him;

^{18 Ref} and Aram fleeth from the presence of Israel, and David slayeth of Aram seven hundred charioteers, and forty thousand horsemen, and Shobach head of its host he hath smitten, and he dieth there.

^{19 Ref} And all the kings -- servants of Hadadezer -- see that they have been smitten before Israel, and make peace with Israel, and serve them; and Aram is afraid to help any more the Bene-Ammon.

^{1 Ref} And it came to pass after this, that the king of the children of Ammon died, and Hanun his son reigned in his stead.

^{2 Ref} And David said, I will show kindness unto Hanun the son of Nahash, as his father showed kindness unto me. So David sent by his servants to comfort him concerning his father. And David's servants came into the land of the children of Ammon.

^{3 Ref} But the princes of the children of Ammon said unto Hanun their lord, Thinkest thou that David doth honor thy father, in that he hath sent comforters unto thee? hath not David sent his servants unto thee to search the city, and to spy it out, and to overthrow it?

^{4 Ref} So Hanun took David's servants, and shaved off the one half of their beards, and cut off their garments in the middle, even to their buttocks, and sent them away.

^{5 Ref} When they told it unto David, he sent to meet them; for the men were greatly ashamed. And the king said, Tarry at Jericho until your beards be grown, and then return.

^{6 Ref} And when the children of Ammon saw that they were become odious to David, the children of Ammon sent and hired the Syrians of Beth-rehob, and the Syrians of Zobah, twenty thousand footmen, and the king of Maacah with a thousand men, and the men of Tob twelve thousand men.

^{7 Ref} And when David heard of it, he sent Joab, and all the host of the mighty men.

^{8 Ref} And the children of Ammon came out, and put the battle in array at the entrance of the gate: and the Syrians of Zobah and of Rehob, and the men of Tob and Maacah, were by themselves in the field.

^{9 Ref} Now when Joab saw that the battle was set against him before and behind, he chose of all the choice men of Israel, and put them in array against the Syrians:

¹⁰ And the rest of the people he committed into the hand of Abishai his brother; and he put them in array against the children of Ammon.

^{11 Ref} And he said, If the Syrians be too strong for me, then thou shalt help me; but if the children of Ammon be too strong for thee, then I will come and help thee.

^{12 Ref} Be of good courage, and let us play the man for ou people, and for the cities of our God: and Jehovah do that which seemeth him good.

^{13 Ref} So Joab and the people that were with him drew nigh unto the battle against the Syrians: and they fled before him.

¹⁴ And when the children of Ammon saw that the Syrians were fled, they likewise fled before Abishai, and entered into the city. Then Joab returned from the children of Ammon, and came to Jerusalem.

^{15 Ref} And when the Syrians saw that they were put to the worse before Israel, they gathered themselves together.

^{16 Ref} And Hadarezer sent, and brought out the Syrians that were beyond the River: and they came to Helam, with Shobach the captain of the host of Hadarezer at their head.

^{17 Ref} And it was told David; and he gathered all Israel together, and passed over the Jordan, and came to Helam. And the Syrians set themselves in array against David, and fought with him.

^{18 Ref} And the Syrians fled before Israel; and David slew of the Syrians `the men of' seven hundred chariots, and forty thousand horsemen, and smote Shobach the captain of their host, so that he died there.

^{19 Ref} And when all the kings that were servants to Hadarezer saw that they were put to the worse before Israel, they made peace with Israel, and served them. So the Syrians feared to help the children of Ammon any more.