1And after this it came to be that Naḥash the sovereign of the children of Ammon died, and his son reigned in his place.

2And Dawiḏ said, “Let me show kindness to Ḥanun son of Naḥash, because his father showed kindness to me.” So Dawiḏ sent messengers to comfort him concerning his father. And the servants of Dawiḏ came to Ḥanun in the land of the children of Ammon to comfort him.

3And the chiefs of the children of Ammon said to Ḥanun, “Is Dawiḏ esteeming your father, in your eyes, because he has sent comforters to you? Have his servants not come to you to search and to overthrow and to spy out the land?”

4So Ḥanun took Dawiḏ’s servants, and shaved them, and cut off their garments in the middle, at their buttocks, and sent them away.

5And when some went and informed Dawiḏ about the men, he sent to meet them, because the men were greatly ashamed. And the sovereign said, “Remain at Yeriḥo until your beards have grown, then return.”

6And when the children of Ammon saw that they had made themselves a stench to Dawiḏ, Ḥanun and the children of Ammon sent a thousand talents of silver to hire chariots and horsemen from Aram-Naharayim, and from Aram-Ma‛aḵah, and from Tsoḇah.

7So they hired for themselves thirty-two thousand chariots, with the sovereign of Ma‛aḵah and his people, who came and encamped before Mĕyḏeḇa. And the children of Ammon had gathered from their cities, and came to battle.

8And when Dawiḏ heard, he sent Yo’aḇ and the entire army of the mighty men,

9and the children of Ammon came out and put themselves in battle array before the gate of the city, and the sovereigns who had come were by themselves in the field.

10And when Yo’aḇ saw that the battle had been set against him before and behind, he chose some of the choice ones of Yisra’ĕl, and put them in battle array to meet Aram.

11And the rest of the people he put under the command of Aḇishai his brother, and they set themselves in battle array to meet the children of Ammon.

12And he said, “If Aram is too strong for me, then you shall help me; but if the children of Ammon are too strong for you, then I shall help you.

13“Be strong, and let us show strength for our people and for the cities of our Elohim, and let יהוה do what is good in His eyes.”

14And Yo’aḇ drew near, and the people with him, to battle against Aram, and they fled before him.

15And when the children of Ammon saw that the Arameans were fleeing, they also fled before Aḇishai his brother, and went into the city. And Yo’aḇ came to Yerushalayim.

16And when Aram saw that they had been smitten before Yisra’ĕl, they sent messengers and brought the Arameans who were beyond the River, and Shophaḵ the commander of Haḏaḏezer’s army went before them.

17And it was reported to Dawiḏ, and he gathered all Yisra’ĕl, and passed over the Yardĕn and came upon them, and set up in battle array against them. And Dawiḏ set up in battle array against Aram, and they fought with him.

18And Aram fled before Yisra’ĕl, and Dawiḏ slew seven thousand charioteers and forty thousand foot soldiers of the Arameans, and smote Shophaḵ the commander of the army.

19And the servants of Haḏaḏezer saw that they were smitten by Yisra’ĕl, and they made peace with Dawiḏ and became his servants. And the Arameans would not help the children of Ammon any more.