Chronicles I 19

1 And it came to pass after this, [that] Naas the king of the children of Ammon died, and Anan his son reigned in his stead.

Now it came about after this that death came to Nahash, the king of the children of Ammon, and his son became king in his place.

2 And David said, I will act kindly toward Anan the son of Naas, as his father acted kindly towards me. And David sent messengers to condole with him on the death of his father. So the servants of David came into the land of the children of Ammon to Anan, to comfort him.

And David said, I will be a friend to Hanun, the son of Nahash, because his father was a friend to me. So David sent men to him, to give him words of comfort on account of his father. And the servants of David came to Hanun, to the land of the children of Ammon, offering him comfort.

3 And the chiefs of the children of Ammon said to Anan, Is it to honor your father before you, that David has sent comforters to you? Have not his servants come to you that they might search the city, and to spy out the land?

But the chiefs of the children of Ammon said to Hanun, Does it seem to you that David is honouring your father, by sending comforters to you? is it not clear that these men have only come to go through the land and to make secret observation of it so that they may overcome it?

4 And Anan took the servants of David, and shaved them, and cut off the half of their garments as far as their tunic, and sent them away.

So Hanun took David's servants, and cutting off their hair and the skirts of their robes up to the middle, sent them away.

5 And there came men to report to David concerning the men: and he sent to meet them, for they were greatly disgraced: and the king said, Dwell in Jericho until your beards have grown, and return.

Then certain men went and gave David word of what had been done to them. And he sent out with the purpose of meeting them; for the men were greatly shamed. And the king said, Keep where you are at Jericho till your hair is long again, and then come back.

6 And the children of Ammon saw that the people of David were ashamed, and Anan and the children of Ammon sent a thousand talents of silver to hire for themselves chariots and horsemen out of Syria of Mesopotamia, and out of Syria Maacha, and from Sobal.

And when the children of Ammon saw that they had made themselves hated by David, Hanun and the children of Ammon sent a thousand talents of silver as payment for war-carriages and horsemen from Mesopotamia and Aram-maacah and Zobah.

7 And they hired for themselves two and thirty thousand chariots, and the king of Maacha and his people; and they came and encamped before Medaba: and the children of Ammon assembled out of their cities, and came to fight.

So with this money they got thirty-two thousand war-carriages, and the help of the king of Maacah and his people, who came and took up their position in front of Medeba. And the children of Ammon came together from their towns for the fight.

8 And David heard, and sent Joab and all the host of mighty men.

And David, hearing of it, sent Joab with all the army of fighting-men.

9 And the children of Ammon came forth, and set themselves in array for battle by the gate of the city: and the kings that were come forth encamped by themselves in the plain.

So the children of Ammon came out and put their forces in position on the way into the town; and the kings who had come were stationed by themselves in the field.

10 And Joab saw that they were fronting [him] to fight against him before and behind, and he chose [some] out of all the young men of Israel, and they set themselves in array against the Syrian.

Now when Joab saw that their forces were in position against him in front and at his back, he took all the best men of Israel, and put them in line against the Aramaeans;

11 And the rest of the people he gave into the hand of his brother Abesai, and they set themselves in array against the children of Ammon.

And the rest of the people he put in position against the children of Ammon with Abishai, his brother, at their head.

12 And he said, If the Syrian should prevail against me, then shall you deliver me: and if the children of Ammon should prevail against you, then will I deliver you.

And he said, If the Aramaeans are stronger and get the better of me, then come to my help; and if the children of Ammon get the better of you, I will come to your help.

13 Be of good courage, and let us be strong, for our people, and for the cities of our God: and the Lord shall do what [is] good in his eyes.

Take heart, and let us be strong for our people and for the towns of our God; and may the Lord do what seems good to him.

14 So Joab and the people that were with him set themselves in battle array against the Syrians, and they fled from them.

So Joab and the people who were with him went forward into the fight against the Aramaeans, and they went in flight before him.

15 And the children of Ammon saw that the Syrians fled, and they also fled from before Abesai, and from before Joab his brother, and they came to the city: and Joab came to Jerusalem.

And when the children of Ammon saw the flight of the Aramaeans, they themselves went in flight from Abishai, his brother, and came into the town. Then Joab came back to Jerusalem.

16 And the Syrian saw that Israel had defeated him, and he sent messengers, and they brought out the Syrians from beyond the river; and Sophath the commander-in-chief of the forces of Adraazar [was] before them.

And when the Aramaeans saw that Israel had overcome them, they sent men to get the Aramaeans who were on the other side of the River, with Shophach, the captain of Hadadezer's army, at their head.

17 And it was told David; and he gathered all Israel, and crossed over Jordan, and came upon them, and set the battle in array against them. So David set [his army] in array to fight against the Syrians, and they fought against him.

And word of this was given to David; and he got all Israel together and went over Jordan and came to Helam and put his forces in position against them. And when David's forces were in position against the Aramaeans, the fight was started.

18 And the Syrians fled from before Israel; and David killed of the Syrians seven thousand [riders in] chariots, and forty thousand infantry, and he killed Sophath the commander-in-chief of the forces.

And the Aramaeans went in flight before Israel; and David put to the sword the men of seven thousand Aramaean war-carriages and forty thousand footmen, and put to death Shophach, the captain of the army.

19 And the servants of Adraazar saw that they were defeated before Israel, and they made peace with David and served him: and the Syrians would not any more help the children of Ammon.

And when the servants of Hadadezer saw that they were overcome by Israel, they made peace with David and became his servants: and the Aramaeans would give no more help to the children of Ammon.