1And after this, the king of Ammon died, and Hanun, his son, reigned in his stead.
2Then David said, “I will show kindness to Hanun, the son of Nahash, as his father showed kindness to me”. And David sent some of his servants to comfort him for (the loss of) his father. And David's servants came into the land of the children of Ammon.
3And the princes of the children of Ammon said to Hanun, their lord, “Do you think that David honors your father, that he has sent comforters to you? Has David not rather sent his servants to you, to search and spy out the city, and to capture it?”
4Therefore, Hanun took David's servants, shaved off one half of their beards, and cut off their garments in the middle, to expose their buttocks, and sent them away.
5When this was reported to David, he sent to meet them, because the men were greatly embarrassed; and the king said, “Remain at Jericho until your beards have grown, and then return”.
6And when the children of Ammon saw that they had become odious before David, they sent and hired the Syrians of Beth-rehob, and of Zobah, twenty thousand footmen, of King Maacah a thousand men, and of Tob twelve thousand men.
7And when David learned of it, he sent Joab, and all the army of fighting men.
8And the children of Ammon came out, and put the battle in array at the entrance of the gate; and the Syrians of Zobah, Rehob, Tob, and Maacah, were by themselves in the field.
9When Joab saw that there were two battle fronts against him, before and behind, he chose of all the choice men of Israel, and put them in array against the Syrians:
10And the rest of the men he assigned to Abishai, his brother, that he might oppose the children of Ammon.
11And Joab said, “If the Syrians are too strong for me, then you shall help me; but if the children of Ammon are too strong for you, then I will come and help you.
12Be of good courage, and let us behave as men for our people, and for the cities of our God; and the LORD do what seems to Him good”.
13And Joab, and those who were with him, drew near to the battle against the Syrians; and the Syrians fled from before him.
14And when the children of Ammon saw that the Syrians had fled, then they also fled from before Abishai, and ran into the city. So Joab returned to Jerusalem from the Ammonites.
15And when the Syrians realized they were defeated by Israel, they regrouped.
16And Hadadezer sent, and brought out the Syrians who were beyond the river, and they came to Helam; and Shobach, the commander of Hadadezer’s army, went before them.
17And when it was told David, he gathered all Israel together, and crossed over the Jordan, and came to Helam. And the Syrians set themselves in array against David, and fought with him.
18And the Syrians fled before Israel; and David defeated seven hundred chariots, and forty thousand horsemen of the Syrians, and struck Shobach, their commander, who died there.
19And when all the kings, who served Hadadezer, saw that they were defeated by Israel, they made peace with Israel, and served them. And so the Syrians feared to help the children of Ammon any more. Easy Reader Bible: Purple Letter Edition © 2023 by Jim Musser. Used by Permission. All rights Reserved. Bible Hub |
    |