David’s Messengers Disgraced
(2 Samuel 10:1–8)

1After this, it chaunced that Nahas the king of the children of Ammon dyed, & his sonne raigned in his steade. 2And Dauid sayde: I will shewe kindnesse vnto Hanon the sonne of Nahas, because his father dealt kindly with me. And Dauid sent messengers to comfort him ouer the death of his father: And the seruauntes of Dauid came into the lande of the children of Ammon to Hanon, to comfort him. 3But the lordes of the children of Ammon sayd to Hanon: Thinkest thou that Dauid doeth honour thy father in thy sight, that he hath sent comforters vnto thee? Are not his seruauntes come to search, to loke, and espie out the land? 4Wherefore Hanon toke Dauids seruauntes, and shaued them, and cut of their coates harde by their buttockes, & sent them away. 5And there went certayne and told Dauid how the men were serued: And the king sent to meete them (for the men were exceedingly ashamed) and the king sayde: Tary at Iericho vntill your beardes be growen, and then returne.

6And when the children of Ammon saw that they stanke in the sight of Dauid, Hanon and the children of Ammon sent a thousande talentes of siluer to hyre them charets and horsmen out of Mesopotamia, and out of Syria Maacha, and out of Zoba. 7And they hyred thirtie and two thousande charets, and the king of Maacha and his people: which came and pitched before Medeba: And the children of Ammon gathered them selues together fro their cities, and came to battayle. 8And when Dauid hearde of it, he sent Ioab and all the hoast of strong men. 9And the children of Ammon came out, and put them selues in aray to battayle before the gate of the citie: And ye kinges that were come, kept them by them selues backe in the fielde.

David Defeats Ammon and Aram
(2 Samuel 10:9–19)

10When Ioab also saw that the frunt of the battayle was against him before and behind, he chose out of al the chosen men of Israel, and put them in aray against the Syrians. 11And the rest of ye people he deliuered vnto the hand of Abisai his brother, & they put them selues in aray against the children of Ammon. 12And he sayde: If the Syrians be to strong for me, thou shalt succour me, and if the children of Ammon preuayle against thee, I will helpe thee. 13Plucke vp thyne heart, and let vs play the men for our peoples sake, and for the cities of our God: and the Lord shall do that which is good in his owne sight. 14So Ioab and the people that were with him, drue nye before the Syrians vnto the battayle: and they fled before him. 15And when the children of Ammon saw that the Syrians were fled, they ran away likewise before Abisai his brother, and gat them into the citie: and Ioab came to Hierusalem.

16And when the Syrians saw that they were put to the worse before Israel, they sent messengers and set out the Syrians that were beyond the riuer: and Sophach the captayne of the hoast of Hadarezer went before them. 17And it was told Dauid: and he gathered all Israel, and went together ouer Iordane, and came and set vpon them: And when Dauid had put hym selfe in aray against the Syrians, they fought with him. 18But the Syrians fled before Israel, and Dauid destroyed of the Syrians seuen thousand charets, and fourtie thousand footemen, and killed Sophach the captayne of the hoast. 19And when the seruauntes of Hadarezer sawe that they were put to ye worse before them of Israel, they made peace with Dauid, & became his seruauntes: Neither would the Syrians helpe the children of Ammon any more.