1After this it happened that Nahash king of the sons of Ammon died, and his son reigned in his place.
2And David said, “I will show loyal love to Hanun son of Nahash, for his father showed loyal love to me.” So David sent messengers to comfort him concerning his father. And David’s servants came into the land of the sons of Ammon, to Hanun, to comfort him.
3But the officials of the sons of Ammon said to Hanun, “Is David honoring your father in your eyes, that he has sent comforters to you? Is it not to search out and to overthrow and to spy out the land that his servants have come to you?”
4So Hanun took David’s servants and shaved them, and cut off their garments in half, up to the buttocks, and sent them away.
5Then they went, and it was reported to David concerning the men, and he sent to meet them, for the men were greatly humiliated. And the king said, “Stay in Jericho until your beards grow back, and then return.”
6When the sons of Ammon saw that they had made themselves odious to David, Hanun and the sons of Ammon sent a thousand talents of silver to hire for themselves chariots and horsemen from Aram-Naharaim, from Aram-Maacah, and from Zobah.
7They 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 gathered from their cities and came to the battle.
8When David heard of it, he sent Joab and all the army of the mighty men.
9And the sons of Ammon came out and drew up for battle at the entrance of the city, while the kings who had come were by themselves in the open field.
10When Joab saw that the battle line was set against him in front and behind, he chose from all the choice men in Israel and drew them up to meet Aram.
11The rest of the people he put under the hand of Abshai his brother, and they drew up to meet the sons of Ammon.
12And he said, “If Aram is too strong for me, then you shall be my help; but if the sons of Ammon are too strong for you, then I will help you.
13Be strong, and let us strengthen ourselves for the sake of our people and for the sake of the cities of our God; and may Yahweh do what is good in his eyes.”
14So Joab and the people who were with him drew near before Aram for the battle, and they fled before him.
15And when the sons of Ammon saw that Aram had fled, they too fled before Abshai his brother, and came into the city. Then Joab came to Jerusalem.
16When Aram saw that they had been struck down before Israel, they sent messengers and brought out the Arameans who were beyond the River, with Shophach the commander of Hadadezer’s army at their head.
17When it was reported to David, he gathered all Israel, crossed the Jordan, came to them, and drew up against them. David drew up for battle to meet Aram, and they fought with him.
18But Aram fled before Israel, and David killed of Aram seven thousand charioteers and forty thousand foot soldiers, and he put to death Shophach the commander of the army.
19When the servants of Hadadezer saw that they had been struck down before Israel, they made peace with David and served him. And Aram was not willing to help the sons of Ammon anymore.
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