1Chronicles 19 - Prayer Tents

19Some time after this Nahash king of the Ammonites died and his son succeeded him as king.H310H5176H4428H1121H5983H4191H1121H4427 2David said, "I'd like to show some kindness to Hanun son of Nahash—treat him as well and as kindly as his father treated me." So David sent condolences about his father's death. But when David's servants arrived in Ammonite country and came to Hanun to bring condolences,H1732H559H6213H2617H2586H1121H5176H1H6213H2617H1732H7971H4397H5162H1H5650H1732H935H776H1121H5983H2586H5162 3the Ammonite leaders warned Hanun, "Do you for a minute suppose that David is honoring your father by sending you comforters? Don't you know that he's sent these men to snoop around the city and size it up so that he can capture it?"H8269H1121H5983H559H2586H5869H1732H3513H1H7971H5162H5650H935H2713H2015H7270H776 4So Hanun seized David's men, shaved them clean, cut off their robes half way up their buttocks, and sent them packing.H2586H3947H1732H5650H1548H3772H4063H2677H4667H7971 5When this was all reported to David, he sent someone to meet them, for they were seriously humiliated. The king told them, "Stay in Jericho until your beards grow out; only then come back."H3212H5046H1732H582H7971H7125H582H3966H3637H4428H559H3427H3405H2206H6779H7725 6When it dawned on the Ammonites that as far as David was concerned, they stank to high heaven,H1121H5983H7200H887H1732H2586H1121H5983H7971H505H3603H3701H7936H7393H6571H763H758H4601H6678 7they hired, at a cost of a thousand talents of silver (thirty-seven and a half tons!), chariots and horsemen from the Arameans of Naharaim, Maacah, and Zobah—32,000 chariots and drivers; plus the king of Maacah with his troops who came and set up camp at Medeba; the Ammonites, too, were mobilized from their cities and got ready for battle.H7936H7970H8147H505H7393H4428H4601H5971H935H2583H6440H4311H1121H5983H622H5892H935H4421 8When David heard this, he dispatched Joab with his strongest fighters in full force.H1732H8085H7971H3097H6635H1368 9The Ammonites marched out and spread out in battle formation at the city gate; the kings who had come as allies took up a position in the open fields.H1121H5983H3318H4421H6186H6607H5892H4428H935H7704 10When Joab saw that he had two fronts to fight, before and behind, he took his pick of the best of Israel and deployed them to confront the Arameans.H3097H7200H4421H6440H268H977H977H3478H6186H7125H758 11The rest of the army he put under the command of Abishai, his brother, and deployed them to deal with the Ammonites.H3499H5971H5414H3027H52H251H6186H7125H1121H5983 12Then he said, "If the Arameans are too much for me, you help me; and if the Ammonites prove too much for you, I'll come and help you.H559H758H2388H8668H1121H5983H2388H3467 13Courage! We'll fight might and main for our people and for the cities of our God. And GOD will do whatever he sees needs doing!"H2388H2388H5971H5892H430H3068H6213H2896H5869 14But when Joab and his soldiers moved in to fight the Arameans, they ran off in full retreat.H3097H5971H5066H6440H758H4421H5127H6440 15Then the Ammonites, seeing the Arameans run for dear life, took to their heels and ran from Abishai into the city. So Joab withdrew from the Ammonites and returned to Jerusalem.H1121H5983H7200H758H5127H5127H6440H52H251H935H5892H3097H935H3389 16When the Arameans saw how badly they'd been beaten by Israel, they picked up the pieces and regrouped; they sent for the Arameans who were across the river; Shophach, commander of Hadadezer's army, led them.H758H7200H5062H6440H3478H7971H4397H3318H758H5676H5104H7780H8269H6635H1928H6440 17When all this was reported to David, he mustered all Israel, crossed the Jordan, advanced, and prepared to fight. The Arameans went into battle formation, ready for David, and the fight was on.H5046H1732H622H3478H5674H3383H935H6186H1732H4421H6186H7125H758H3898 18But the Arameans again scattered before Israel. David killed 7,000 chariot drivers and 40,000 infantry. He also killed Shophach, the army commander.H758H5127H6440H3478H1732H2026H758H7651H505H7393H705H505H376H7273H4191H7780H8269H6635 19When all the kings who were vassals of Hadadezer saw that they had been routed by Israel, they made peace with David and served him. The Arameans were afraid to help the Ammonites ever again.H5650H1928H7200H5062H6440H3478H7999H1732H5647H14H758H3467H1121H5983