Dual Panel1Later <0310> King <04428> Nahash <05176> of the Ammonites <05983> <01121> died <04191> and his son <01121> succeeded <08478> <04427> him.
2David <01732> said <0559>, “I will express <06213> my loyalty <02617> to <05973> Hanun <02586> son <01121> of Nahash <05176>, for <03588> his father <01> was loyal <02617> <06213> to <05973> me.” So David <01732> sent <07971> messengers <04397> to express <05162> his sympathy <05162> over <05921> his father’s <01> death. When David’s <01732> servants <05650> entered <0413> <0935> Ammonite <05983> <01121> territory <0776> to <0413> visit Hanun <02586> and express <05162> the king’s sympathy <05162>,
3the Ammonite <05983> <01121> officials <08269> said <0559> to Hanun <02586>, “Do you really think <05869> David <01732> is trying to honor <03513> your father <01> by <03588> sending <07971> these messengers to express <05162> his sympathy <05162>? No <03808>, his servants <05650> have come <0935> to <0413> you so they can get information <02713> and spy out <07270> the land <0776>!”
4So Hanun <02586> seized <03947> David’s <01732> servants <05650> and shaved their beards off <01548>. He cut off <03772> the lower part <02677> of their robes <04063> so that <05704> their buttocks <04667> were exposed and then sent <07971> them away <07971>.
5Messengers came <01980> and told <05046> David <01732> what had happened to the men <0582>, so he summoned <07971> them, for <03588> the men <0582> were <01961> thoroughly <03966> humiliated <03637>. The king <04428> said <0559>, “Stay <03427> in Jericho <03405> until <05704> your beards <02206> grow <06779> again; then you may come back <07725>.”
6When the Ammonites <05983> <01121> realized <07200> that <03588> David <01732> was disgusted <0887> with them, Hanun <02586> and the Ammonites <05983> <01121> sent <07971> 1,000 <0505> talents <03603> of silver <03701> to hire <07936> chariots <07393> and charioteers <06571> from <04480> Aram Naharaim <0763>, Aram <0758> Maacah <04601>, and Zobah <06678>.
7They hired <07936> 32,000 <0505> <07970> <08147> chariots <07393>, along with the king <04428> of Maacah <04601> and his army <05971>, who came <0935> and camped <02583> in front <06440> of Medeba <04311>. The Ammonites <05983> <01121> also assembled <0622> from their cities <05892> and marched <0935> out to do battle <04421>.
8When David <01732> heard <08085> the news, he sent <07971> Joab <03097> and the entire <03605> army <06635> to meet them.
9The Ammonites <05983> <01121> marched out <03318> and were deployed <06186> for battle <04421> at the entrance <06607> to the city <05892>, while the kings <04428> who <0834> had come <0935> were by themselves <0905> in the field <07704>.
10When Joab <03097> saw <07200> that <03588> the battle <04421> would be <01961> fought <06440> on <0413> two fronts <0268> <06440>, he chose <0977> some of Israel’s <03478> best men <0970> and deployed <06186> them against <07125> the Arameans <0758>.
11He put <05414> his <03027> brother <0251> Abishai <052> in charge of the rest <03499> of the army <05971> and they were deployed <06186> against <07125> the Ammonites <05983>.
12Joab said <0559>, “If <0518> the Arameans <0758> start to overpower <04480> <02388> me, you come <01961> to my rescue <08668>. If <0518> the Ammonites <05983> <01121> start to overpower <04480> <02388> you, I will come to your rescue <03467>.
13Be strong <02388>! Let’s fight bravely <02388> for the sake <01157> of our people <05971> and the cities <05892> of our God <0430>! The Lord <03068> will do <06213> what he decides <05869> is best <02896>!”
14So Joab <03097> and <05973> his men <05971> marched <05066> toward <06440> the Arameans <0758> to do battle <04421>, and they fled <05127> before <06440> him.
15When the Ammonites <05983> <01121> saw <07200> the Arameans <0758> flee <05127>, they <01992> fled <05127> before <06440> Joab’s brother <0251> Abishai <052> and withdrew <0935> into the city <05892>. Joab <03097> went back <0935> to Jerusalem <03389>.
16When the Arameans <0758> realized <07200> they had been defeated <05062> by <06440> Israel <03478>, they sent <07971> for reinforcements <04397> from beyond <05676> the Euphrates River <05104>, led <06440> by Shophach <07780> the commanding general <08269> of Hadadezer’s <01909> army <06635>.
17When David <01732> was informed <05046>, he gathered <0622> all <03605> Israel <03478>, crossed <05674> the Jordan River <03383>, and marched <0935> against <0413> them. David <01732> deployed <06186> his army against <07125> the Arameans <0758> for battle <04421> and they fought <03898> against <05973> him.
18The Arameans <0758> fled <05127> before <06440> Israel <03478>. David <01732> killed <02026> 7,000 <0505> <07651> Aramean <0758> charioteers <07393> and 40,000 <0505> <0705> infantrymen <07273>; he also killed <04191> Shophach <07780> the commanding <06635> general <08269>.
19When Hadadezer’s <01909> subjects <05650> saw <07200> they were defeated <05062> by <06440> Israel <03478>, they made peace <07999> with <05973> David <01732> and became <05647> his subjects <05647>. The Arameans <0758> were no <03808> longer <05750> willing <014> to help <03467> the Ammonites <05983> <01121>.