Dual Panel1Later <0310> the king <04428> of the Ammonites <05983> <01121> died <04191> and his son <01121> Hanun <02586> succeeded <08478> <04427> him.
2David <01732> said <0559>, “I will express <06213> my loyalty <02617> to Hanun <02586> son <01121> of Nahash <05176> just <0834> as his father <01> was loyal <02617> to me <05978>.” So David <01732> sent <07971> his servants <05650> with a message expressing sympathy <05162> over <0413> his father’s <01> death. When David’s <01732> servants <05650> entered <0935> the land <0776> of the Ammonites <05983> <01121>,
3the Ammonite <05983> <01121> officials <08269> said <0559> to <0413> their lord <0113> 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>, David <01732> has sent <07971> his servants <05650> to <0413> you to get information <02713> about the city <05892> and spy <07270> on it so they can overthrow <02015> it!”
4So Hanun <02586> seized <03947> David’s <01732> servants <05650> and shaved off <01548> half <02677> of each one’s beard <02206>. He cut the <03772> lower part <02677> of their robes <04063> off so that <05704> their buttocks <08357> were exposed, and then sent <07971> them away <07971>.
5Messengers told <05046> David <01732> what had happened <01961>, so <03588> he summoned <07971> them, for <07125> the men <0582> were thoroughly <03966> humiliated <03637>. The king <04428> said <0559>, “Stay <03427> in Jericho <03405> until <05704> your beards <02206> have grown <06779> again; then you may come back <07725>.”
6When <07200> the Ammonites <05983> <01121> realized that <03588> David <01732> was disgusted <0887> with them, they <05983> <01121> sent <07971> and hired <07936> 20,000 <0505> <06242> foot soldiers <07273> from Aram <0758> Beth Rehob <01050> and Aram <0758> Zobah <06678>, in addition to 1,000 <0505> men <0376> from the king <04428> of Maacah <04601> and 12,000 <0505> <06240> <08147> men <0376> from Ish-tob <02897>.
7When David <01732> heard <08085> the news, he sent <07971> Joab <03097> and the entire <03605> army <06635> to meet them.
8The Ammonites <05983> <01121> marched out <03318> and were deployed <06186> for battle <04421> at the entrance <06607> of the city gate <08179>, while the men <0376> from Aram <0758> Zobah <06678>, Rehob <07340>, Ish-tob <02897>, and Maacah <04601> were by themselves <0905> in the field <07704>.
9When Joab <03097> saw <07200> that <03588> the battle <04421> <06440> would be <01961> fought <0413> on two fronts <0268> <06440>, he chose <0977> some of Israel’s <03478> best men <0970> and deployed <06186> them against <07125> the Arameans <0758>.
10He 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>.
11Joab said <0559>, “If <0518> the Arameans <0758> start to overpower <02388> me, you come <01961> to my rescue <03467>. If <0518> the Ammonites <05983> <01121> start to overpower <02388> you, I will come <01980> to your rescue <03467>.
12Be 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>!”
13So Joab <03097> and his men <05971> marched out <05066> to do battle <04421> with <05973> the Arameans <0758>, and they fled <05127> before <06440> him.
14When the Ammonites <05983> saw <07200> the Arameans <0758> flee <05127>, they fled <05127> before <06440> his brother Abishai <052> and went into <0935> the city <05892>. Joab <03097> withdrew <07725> from <05921> fighting the Ammonites <05983> and returned <0935> to Jerusalem <03389>.
15When <07200> the Arameans <0758> realized that <03588> they had been defeated <05062> by <06440> Israel <03478>, they consolidated <0622> their forces <03162>.
16Then Hadadezer <01909> sent <07971> for Arameans <0758> from beyond <05676> the Euphrates River <05104>, and they came <0935> to Helam <02431>. Shobach <07731>, the general in command <08269> of Hadadezer’s <01909> army <06635>, led <06440> them.
17When David <01732> was informed <05046>, he gathered <0622> all <03605> Israel <03478>, crossed <05674> the Jordan River <03383>, and came <0935> to Helam <02431>. The Arameans <0758> deployed <06186> their forces against <07125> David <01732> and fought <03898> with <05973> him.
18The Arameans <0758> fled <05127> before <06440> Israel <03478>. David <01732> killed <02026> 700 <03967> <07651> Aramean <0758> charioteers <07393> and 40,000 <0505> <0705> foot soldiers <06571>. He also struck down <05221> Shobach <07731>, the general <08269> in command of the army <06635>, who died <04191> there <08033>.
19When all <03605> the kings <04428> who were subject <05650> to Hadadezer <01909> saw <07200> they were defeated <05062> by <06440> Israel <03478>, they made peace <07999> with <0854> Israel <03478> and became subjects <05647> of Israel. The Arameans <0758> were no <03372> longer <05750> willing <03372> to help <03467> the Ammonites <05983> <01121>.