2 Samuel 10

2 Samuel 10:1 It happened afterward that the king of the Ammonites died, and his son Hanun became king in his place.

2 Samuel 10:2 Then David said, “I’ll show kindness to Hanun, son of Nahash, just as his father showed kindness to me.” So, David sent his servants to console Hanun concerning his father. However, when they arrived in the land of the Ammonites,

2 Samuel 10:3 the Ammonite leaders said to Hanun their lord, “Just because David has sent men with condolences for you, do you really believe he’s showing respect for your father? Instead, hasn’t David sent his servants in order to scout out the city, spy on it, and demolish it?”

2 Samuel 10:4 So Hanun took David’s emissaries, shaved off half their beards, cut their clothes in half at the hips, and sent them away.

2 Samuel 10:5 When David was informed of this, he sent someone to meet them since they were deeply humiliated. The king said, “Stay in Jericho until your beards grow back; then return.”

2 Samuel 10:6 When the Ammonites realized they had become repulsive to David, they hired twenty thousand foot soldiers from the Arameans of Beth-rehob and Zobah, one thousand men from the king of Maacah, and twelve thousand men from Tob.

2 Samuel 10:7 David heard about it and sent Joab and all the elite troops.

2 Samuel 10:8 The Ammonites marched out and lined up in battle formation at the entrance to the city gate while the Arameans of Zobah and Rehob and the men of Tob and Maacah were in the field by themselves.

2 Samuel 10:9 When Joab saw that there was a battle line in front of him and another behind him, he chose some of Israel’s finest young men and lined up in formation to engage the Arameans.

2 Samuel 10:10 He placed the rest of the forces under the command of his brother Abishai. They lined up in formation to engage the Ammonites.

2 Samuel 10:11 “If the Arameans are too strong for me,” Joab said, “then you will be my help. However, if the Ammonites are too strong for you, I’ll come to help you.

2 Samuel 10:12 Be strong! Let’s prove ourselves strong for our people and the cities of our God. May Yahveh’s will be done.”

2 Samuel 10:13 Joab and his people advanced to fight against the Arameans, and they fled before him.

2 Samuel 10:14 When the Ammonites saw that the Arameans had fled, they, too, fled before Abishai and entered the city. So Joab withdrew from the attack against the Ammonites and went to Jerusalem.

2 Samuel 10:15 When the Arameans saw that Israel had defeated them, they gathered together.

2 Samuel 10:16 Hadadezer sent messengers to bring the Arameans who were beyond the Euphrates River, and they came to Helam with Shobach, commander of Hadadezer’s army, leading them.

2 Samuel 10:17 When this was reported to David, he gathered all Israel, crossed the Jordan, and went to Helam. Then, the Arameans lined up to engage David in battle and fought against him.

2 Samuel 10:18 But the Arameans fled before Israel, and David killed seven hundred of their charioteers and forty thousand foot soldiers. He also struck down Shobach, commander of their army, who died there.

2 Samuel 10:19 When all the kings who were Hadadezer’s subjects saw that Israel had defeated them, they made peace with Israel and served them. After this, the Arameans were afraid to help the Ammonites again.