2 Samuel 10
1 After this, the king of the Ammonites died, and Hanun his son reigned in his place.
2 David said, “I will show kindness to Hanun son of Nahash, just as his father showed kindness to me.” So David sent his servants to comfort him over his father. David’s servants came to the land of the Ammonites.
3 The Ammonite officials said to Hanun their lord, “Do you think David is honoring your father by sending comforters to you? Hasn’t David sent his servants to you to inspect the city, spy it out, and destroy it?”
4 Hanun took David’s servants, shaved off half the beard of each man, cut their clothes in half up to their buttocks, and sent them away.
5 When David was told, he sent someone to meet them, because the men were deeply humiliated. The king sent word: “Stay in Jericho until your beards grow back; then return.”
6 The Ammonites saw that they had become hateful to David. So the Ammonites hired the Arameans of Beth-rehob and Zobah, twenty thousand foot soldiers, the king of Maacah with a thousand men, and the men of Tob, twelve thousand men.
7 When David heard about it, he sent Joab with the whole army of mighty warriors.
8 The Ammonites went out and drew up for battle at the entrance of the gate, while the Arameans of Zobah and Rehob, the men of Tob, and those of Maacah remained apart in the open country.
9 Joab saw that the battle line was against him from the front and the rear. He selected some of Israel’s best fighters and arranged them against the Arameans.
10 He placed the rest of the people under the command of his brother Abishai, who arranged them against the Ammonites.
11 He said, “If the Arameans prove stronger than I am, you will come to my aid; and if the Ammonites prove stronger than you, I will come to your aid.
12 Be strong, and let us be strong for our people and the cities of our God. May the LORD do what seems good to him.”
13 Joab and the people with him advanced to fight the Arameans, and they fled before him.
14 When the Ammonites saw that the Arameans had fled, they too fled before Abishai and entered the city. Then Joab returned from the Ammonites and went to Jerusalem.
15 When the Arameans saw that Israel had defeated them, they gathered together.
16 Hadadezer sent for the Arameans who were beyond the River, and they came to Helam, with Shobach, commander of Hadadezer’s army, leading them.
17 When David was told, he gathered all Israel, crossed the Jordan, and came to Helam. The Arameans drew up against David and fought him.
18 The Arameans fled before Israel, and David killed seven hundred of their charioteers and forty thousand horsemen. He also struck down Shobach, their army commander, who died there.
19 When all the kings who served Hadadezer saw that Israel had defeated them, they made peace with Israel and served them. The Arameans were afraid to help the Ammonites any longer.
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