10:1 In the course of time, the king of the Ammonites died, and his son Hanun succeeded him as king.
10:2 David thought, “I will show kindness to Hanun son of Nahash, just as his father showed kindness to me.” So David sent a delegation to express his sympathy to Hanun concerning his father. When David’s men came to the land of the Ammonites,
10:3 the Ammonite nobles said to Hanun their lord, “Do you think David is honoring your father by sending men to you to express sympathy? Hasn’t David sent them to you to explore the city and spy it out and overthrow it?”
10:4 So Hanun seized David’s men, shaved off half of each man’s beard, cut off their garments in the middle at the buttocks, and sent them away.
10:5 When David was told about this, he sent messengers to meet the men, for they were greatly humiliated. The king said, “Stay at Jericho till your beards have grown, and then come back.”
10:6 When the Ammonites realized that they had become a stench in David’s nostrils, they hired twenty thousand Aramean foot soldiers from Beth Rehob and Zobah, as well as the king of Maacah with a thousand men, and also twelve thousand men from Tob.
10:7 On hearing this, David sent Joab out with the entire army of fighting men.
10:8 The Ammonites came out and drew up in battle formation at the entrance to their city gate, while the Arameans of Zobah and Rehob and the men of Tob and Maacah were by themselves in the open country.
10:9 Joab saw that there were battle lines in front of him and behind him; so he selected some of the best troops in Israel and deployed them against the Arameans.
10:10 He put the rest of the men under the command of Abishai his brother and deployed them against the Ammonites.
10:11 Joab said, “If the Arameans are too strong for me, then you are to come to my rescue; but if the Ammonites are too strong for you, then I will come to rescue you.
10:12 Be strong and let us fight bravely for our people and the cities of our God. The LORD will do what is good in his sight.”
10:13 Then Joab and the troops with him advanced to fight the Arameans, and they fled before him.
10:14 When the Ammonites saw that the Arameans were fleeing, they fled before Abishai and went inside the city. So Joab returned from fighting the Ammonites and came to Jerusalem.
10:15 After the Arameans saw that they had been routed by Israel, they regrouped.
10:16 Hadadezer had Arameans brought from beyond the River; they went to Helam, with Shobach the commander of Hadadezer’s army leading them.
10:17 When David was told of this, he gathered all Israel, crossed the Jordan and went to Helam. The Arameans formed their battle lines to meet David and fought against him.
10:18 But they fled before Israel, and David killed seven hundred of their charioteers and forty thousand of their foot soldiers. He also struck down Shobach the commander of their army, and he died there.
10:19 When all the kings who were vassals of Hadadezer saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they made peace with the Israelites and became subject to them. So the Arameans were afraid to help the Ammonites anymore.
10:1 And after this the king of the children of Ammon died, and Hanun his son reigned in his place.
10:2 And David said, I will show kindness to Hanun the son of Nahash, just as his father showed kindness to me. And David sent word through his servants to comfort him concerning his father. And David’s servants came into the land of the children of Ammon.
10:3 But the princes of the children of Ammon said to Hanun their lord, Do you really think that David is honoring your father just because he sent some men to you to comfort you? Has not David sent his servants to you in order to search out the city and to spy on it and to overthrow it?
10:4 So Hanun took David’s servants and shaved off half their beards and cut away half their garments at the buttocks, and he sent them away.
10:5 Now when they told this to David, he sent some to meet them, for the men were very ashamed. And the king said, Stay in Jericho until your beards grow back, then return.
10:6 And when the children of Ammon saw that they had become odious to David, the children of Ammon sent and hired the Syrians of Beth-rehob and the Syrians of Zobah, twenty thousand foot soldiers, and the king of Maacah with one thousand men, and the men of Tob, twelve thousand men.
10:7 And when David heard of it, he sent Joab and all the host of mighty men.
10:8 And the children of Ammon went forth and set the battle in array at the entrance of the gate; but the Syrians of Zobah and of Rehob and the men of Tob and of Maacah were alone in the field.
10:9 Now when Joab saw that there were battle lines against him before and behind, he chose some of the choice men in Israel and set them in array against the Syrians.
10:10 And the rest of the people he put under the charge of Abishai his brother and set them in array against the children of Ammon.
10:11 And he said, If the Syrians are too strong for me, then you shall help me; and if the children of Ammon are too strong for you, then I will come to help you.
10:12 Be strong and let us be bold for the sake of our people and for the sake of the cities of our God, and may Jehovah do what seems good in His sight.
10:13 So Joab and the people who were with him approached the battle against the Syrians, and the Syrians fled before him.
10:14 And the children of Ammon saw that the Syrians fled, and they fled from before Abishai and entered the city. And Joab returned from the children of Ammon and entered Jerusalem.
10:15 Now when the Syrians saw that they had been routed before Israel, they gathered themselves together.
10:16 And Hadadezer sent word and brought forth the Syrians who were beyond the River. And they came to Helem, and Shobach the captain of the army of Hadadezer was before them.
10:17 And it was told David, and he gathered all Israel together and passed over the Jordan and came to Helem. And the Syrians set themselves in array to meet David, and they fought with him.
10:18 And the Syrians fled before Israel. And David slew seven hundred charioteers of the Syrians and forty thousand horsemen; and he struck Shobach the captain of their army, and he died there.
10:19 And when all the kings who were servants of Hadadezer saw that they had been routed by Israel, they made peace with Israel and served them. So the Syrians were afraid to help the children of Ammon anymore.