Dual Panel1Some time after this, King Nahash of the Ammonites died, and his son Hanun became king.
2David said, "I am going to show complete loyalty to Hanun because his father, Nahash, was always completely loyal to me." So David sent ambassadors to express sympathy to Hanun about his father’s death. But when David’s ambassadors arrived in the land of Ammon,
3Hanun’s advisers said to him, "Do you really think these men are coming here to honor your father? No! David has sent them to spy out the land so that they can come in and conquer it!"
4So Hanun seized David’s ambassadors and shaved their beards, cut off their robes at the buttocks, and sent them back to David in shame.
5When David heard what had happened, he sent messengers to tell the men to stay at Jericho until their beards grew out, for they were very embarrassed by their appearance.
6Now the people of Ammon realized how seriously they had angered David, so Hanun and the Ammonites sent thirty–eight tons of silver to hire chariots and troops from Aram–naharaim, Aram–maacah, and Zobah.
7They also hired thirty–two thousand chariots and secured the support of the king of Maacah and his army. These forces camped at Medeba, where they were joined by the Ammonite troops that Hanun had recruited from his own towns.
8When David heard about this, he sent Joab and all his warriors to fight them.
9The Ammonite troops drew up their battle lines at the gate of the city, while the other kings positioned themselves to fight in the open fields.
10When Joab saw that he would have to fight on two fronts, he chose the best troops in his army. He placed them under his personal command and led them out to fight the Arameans in the fields.
11He left the rest of the army under the command of his brother Abishai, who was to attack the Ammonites.
12"If the Arameans are too strong for me, then come over and help me," Joab told his brother. "And if the Ammonites are too strong for you, I will help you.
13Be courageous! Let us fight bravely to save our people and the cities of our God. May the LORD’s will be done."
14When Joab and his troops attacked, the Arameans began to run away.
15And when the Ammonites saw the Arameans running, they ran from Abishai and retreated into the city. Then Joab returned to Jerusalem.
16The Arameans now realized that they were no match for Israel, so they summoned additional Aramean troops from the other side of the Euphrates River. These troops arrived under the command of Shobach, the commander of all Hadadezer’s forces.
17When David heard what was happening, he mobilized all Israel, crossed the Jordan River, and positioned his troops in battle formation. Then he engaged the enemy troops in battle, and they fought against him.
18But again the Arameans fled from the Israelites. This time David’s forces killed seven thousand charioteers and forty thousand foot soldiers, including Shobach, the commander of their army.
19When the servants of Hadadezer realized they had been defeated by Israel, they surrendered to David and became his subjects. After that, the Arameans were no longer willing to help the Ammonites.