1Chronicles 19 - Prayer Tents

1Chronicles 19

New Living Translation

David Defeats the Ammonites

19Some time after this, King Nahash of the Ammonites died, and his son Hanun

became king.H310H5176H4428H1121H5983H4191H1121H4427 2David said, "I am going to show loyalty to Hanun because his father, Nahash, was always loyal to me." So David sent messengers to express sympathy to Hanun about his father's death. But when David's ambassadors arrived in the land of Ammon,H1732H559H6213H2617H2586H1121H5176H1H6213H2617H1732H7971H4397H5162H1H5650H1732H935H776H1121H5983H2586H5162 3the Ammonite commanders said to Hanun, "Do you really think these men are coming here to honor your father? No! David has sent them to spy out the land so they can come in and conquer it!"H8269H1121H5983H559H2586H5869H1732H3513H1H7971H5162H5650H935H2713H2015H7270H776 4So Hanun seized David's ambassadors and shaved them, cut off their robes at the buttocks, and sent them back to David in shame.H2586H3947H1732H5650H1548H3772H4063H2677H4667H7971 5When David heard what had happened to the men, he sent messengers to tell them, "Stay at Jericho until your beards grow out, and then come back." For they felt deep shame because of their appearance.H3212H5046H1732H582H7971H7125H582H3966H3637H4428H559H3427H3405H2206H6779H7725 6When the people of Ammon realized how seriously they had angered David, Hanun and the Ammonites sent 75,000 pounds

of silver to hire chariots and charioteers from Aram-naharaim, Aram-maacah, and Zobah.H1121H5983H7200H887H1732H2586H1121H5983H7971H505H3603H3701H7936H7393H6571H763H758H4601H6678 7They also hired 32,000 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.H7936H7970H8147H505H7393H4428H4601H5971H935H2583H6440H4311H1121H5983H622H5892H935H4421 8When David heard about this, he sent Joab and all his warriors to fight them.H1732H8085H7971H3097H6635H1368 9The Ammonite troops came out and drew up their battle lines at the entrance of the city, while the other kings positioned themselves to fight in the open fields.H1121H5983H3318H4421H6186H6607H5892H4428H935H7704 10When Joab saw that he would have to fight on both the front and the rear, he chose some of Israel's elite troops and placed them under his personal command to fight the Arameans in the fields.H3097H7200H4421H6440H268H977H977H3478H6186H7125H758 11He left the rest of the army under the command of his brother Abishai, who was to attack the Ammonites.H3499H5971H5414H3027H52H251H6186H7125H1121H5983 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.H559H758H2388H8668H1121H5983H2388H3467 13Be courageous! Let us fight bravely for our people and the cities of our God. May the LORD's will be done."H2388H2388H5971H5892H430H3068H6213H2896H5869 14When Joab and his troops attacked, the Arameans began to run away.H3097H5971H5066H6440H758H4421H5127H6440 15And when the Ammonites saw the Arameans running, they also ran from Abishai and retreated into the city. Then Joab returned to Jerusalem.H1121H5983H7200H758H5127H5127H6440H52H251H935H5892H3097H935H3389 16The Arameans now realized that they were no match for Israel, so they sent messengers and summoned additional Aramean troops from the other side of the Euphrates River

. These troops were under the command of Shobach, the commander of Hadadezer's forces.H758H7200H5062H6440H3478H7971H4397H3318H758H5676H5104H7780H8269H6635H1928H6440 17When David heard what was happening, he mobilized all Israel, crossed the Jordan River, and positioned his troops in battle formation. Then David engaged the Arameans in battle, and they fought against him.H5046H1732H622H3478H5674H3383H935H6186H1732H4421H6186H7125H758H3898 18But again the Arameans fled from the Israelites. This time David's forces killed 7,000 charioteers and 40,000 foot soldiers, including Shobach, the commander of their army.H758H5127H6440H3478H1732H2026H758H7651H505H7393H705H505H376H7273H4191H7780H8269H6635 19When Hadadezer's allies saw that 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.H5650H1928H7200H5062H6440H3478H7999H1732H5647H14H758H3467H1121H5983