| Berean Study Bible | NET Bible |
| 1Some time later, Nahash king of the Ammonites died and was succeeded by his son. | 1Later King Nahash of the Ammonites died and his son succeeded him. |
| 2And David said, “I will show kindness to Hanun son of Nahash, because his father showed kindness to me.” So David sent messengers to console Hanun concerning his father. But when David’s servants arrived in the land of the Ammonites to console him, | 2David said, "I will express my loyalty to Hanun son of Nahash, for his father was loyal to me." So David sent messengers to express his sympathy over his father's death. When David's servants entered Ammonite territory to visit Hanun and express the king's sympathy, |
| 3the princes of the Ammonites said to Hanun, “Just because David has sent you comforters, do you really believe he is showing respect for your father? Have not his servants come to you to explore the land, spy it out, and overthrow it?” | 3the Ammonite officials said to Hanun, "Do you really think David is trying to honor your father by sending these messengers to express his sympathy? No, his servants have come to you so they can get information and spy out the land!" |
| 4So Hanun took David’s servants, shaved their beards, cut off their garments at the hips, and sent them away. | 4So Hanun seized David's servants and shaved their beards off. He cut off the lower part of their robes so that their buttocks were exposed and then sent them away. |
| 5When someone came and told David about his men, he sent messengers to meet them, since the men had been thoroughly humiliated. The king told them, “Stay in Jericho until your beards have grown back, and then return.” | 5Messengers came and told David what had happened to the men, so he summoned them, for the men were thoroughly humiliated. The king said, "Stay in Jericho until your beards grow again; then you may come back." |
| 6When the Ammonites realized that they had become a stench to David, Hanun and the Ammonites sent a thousand talents of silver to hire for themselves chariots and horsemen from Aram-naharaim, Aram-maacah, and Zobah. | 6When the Ammonites realized that David was disgusted with them, Hanun and the Ammonites sent 1,000 talents of silver to hire chariots and charioteers from Aram Naharaim, Aram Maacah, and Zobah. |
| 7So they hired for themselves thirty-two thousand chariots, as well as the king of Maacah with his troops, who came and camped near Medeba while the Ammonites came from their cities and marched out for battle. | 7They hired 32,000 chariots, along with the king of Maacah and his army, who came and camped in front of Medeba. The Ammonites also assembled from their cities and marched out to do battle. |
| 8On hearing this, David sent Joab and the entire army of mighty men. | 8When David heard the news, he sent Joab and the entire army to meet them. |
| 9The Ammonites marched out and arrayed themselves for battle at the entrance to the city, while the kings who had come stayed by themselves in the open country. | 9The Ammonites marched out and were deployed for battle at the entrance to the city, while the kings who had come were by themselves in the field. |
| 10When Joab saw the battle lines before him and behind him, he selected some of the best men of Israel and arrayed them against the Arameans. | 10When Joab saw that the battle would be fought on two fronts, he chose some of Israel's best men and deployed them against the Arameans. |
| 11And he placed the rest of the forces under the command of his brother Abishai, who arrayed them against the Ammonites. | 11He put his brother Abishai in charge of the rest of the army and they were deployed against the Ammonites. |
| 12“If the Arameans are too strong for me,” said Joab, “then you will come to my rescue. And if the Ammonites are too strong for you, then I will come to your rescue. | 12Joab said, "If the Arameans start to overpower me, you come to my rescue. If the Ammonites start to overpower you, I will come to your rescue. |
| 13Be strong and let us fight bravely for our people and for the cities of our God. May the LORD do what is good in His sight.” | 13Be strong! Let's fight bravely for the sake of our people and the cities of our God! The LORD will do what he decides is best!" |
| 14So Joab and his troops advanced to fight the Arameans, who fled before him. | 14So Joab and his men marched toward the Arameans to do battle, and they fled before him. |
| 15When the Ammonites saw that the Arameans had fled, they too fled before Joab’s brother Abishai, and they entered the city. So Joab went back to Jerusalem. | 15When the Ammonites saw the Arameans flee, they fled before Joab's brother Abishai and withdrew into the city. Joab went back to Jerusalem. |
| 16When the Arameans saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they sent messengers to bring more Arameans from beyond the Euphrates, with Shophach the commander of Hadadezer’s army leading them. | 16When the Arameans realized they had been defeated by Israel, they sent for reinforcements from beyond the Euphrates River, led by Shophach the commanding general of Hadadezer's army. |
| 17When this was reported to David, he gathered all Israel, crossed the Jordan, advanced toward the Arameans, and arrayed for battle against them. When David lined up to engage them in battle, they fought against him. | 17When David was informed, he gathered all Israel, crossed the Jordan River, and marched against them. David deployed his army against the Arameans for battle and they fought against him. |
| 18But the Arameans fled before Israel, and David killed seven thousand of their charioteers and forty thousand foot soldiers. He also killed Shophach the commander of their army. | 18The Arameans fled before Israel. David killed 7,000 Aramean charioteers and 40,000 infantrymen; he also killed Shophach the commanding general. |
| 19When Hadadezer’s subjects saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they made peace with David and became subject to him. So the Arameans were unwilling to help the Ammonites anymore. | 19When Hadadezer's subjects saw they were defeated by Israel, they made peace with David and became his subjects. The Arameans were no longer willing to help the Ammonites. |
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