Ammon and Aram Defeated

1Now it happened afterward that the king of the Ammonites died, and his son Hanun became king in his place. 2Then David said, “I will show kindness to Hanun the son of Nahash, just as his father showed kindness to me.” So David sent [a]some of his servants to console him about his father. But when David’s servants came to the land of the Ammonites, 3the commanders of the Ammonites said to their lord Hanun, “[b]Do you think that David is simply honoring your father since he has sent you servants [c]to console you? Has David not sent his servants to you in order to explore the city, to spy it out and overthrow it?” 4So Hanun took David’s servants and shaved off half of their beards, and cut off their robes in the middle as far as their buttocks, and sent them away. 5When messengers informed David, he sent servants to meet them, because the men were extremely humiliated. And the king said, “Stay in Jericho until your beards grow back, and then you shall return.”

6Now when the sons of Ammon saw that they had become repulsive to David, the sons of Ammon sent messengers and hired the Arameans of Beth-rehob and the Arameans of Zobah, twenty thousand foot soldiers, and the king of Maacah with a thousand men, and the men of Tob with twelve thousand men. 7When David heard about this, he sent Joab and all the army, the warriors. 8And the sons of Ammon came out and lined up for battle at the entrance of the [d]city, while the Arameans of Zobah and of Rehob and the men of Tob and Maacah were stationed by themselves in the field.

9Now when Joab saw that [e]the battle was set against him at the front and at the rear, he selected warriors from all the choice men in Israel, and lined them up against the Arameans. 10But the remainder of the people he placed [f]under the command of his brother Abishai, and he lined them up against the sons of Ammon. 11And he said, “If the Arameans are too strong for me, then you shall help me; but if the sons of Ammon are too strong for you, then I will come to help you. 12Be strong, and let’s show ourselves courageous for the sake of our people and the cities of our God; and may the LORD do what is good in His sight.” 13So Joab and the people who were with him advanced to the battle against the Arameans, and they fled from him. 14When the sons of Ammon saw that the Arameans had fled, they also fled from Abishai and entered the city. Then Joab returned from fighting against the sons of Ammon and came to Jerusalem.

15When the Arameans saw that they had been [g]defeated by Israel, they assembled together. 16And Hadadezer sent word and brought out the Arameans who were beyond the Euphrates River, and they came to Helam; and Shobach the commander of the army of Hadadezer [h]led them. 17Now when it was reported to David, he gathered all Israel together and crossed the Jordan, and came to Helam. And the Arameans lined up against David and fought him. 18But the Arameans fled from Israel, and David killed seven hundred charioteers of the Arameans and forty thousand horsemen, and struck Shobach the commander of their army, and he died there. 19When all the kings, servants of Hadadezer, saw that they had been [i]defeated by Israel, they made peace with Israel and served them. So the Arameans were afraid to help the sons of Ammon anymore.