10Some time later the king of the Ammonites died, and his son Hanun became king in his place.H310H4428H1121H5983H4191H2586H1121H44272Then David said, "I'll show kindness to Hanun son of Nahash, just as his father showed kindness to me." So David sent his emissaries to console Hanun concerning his father. However, when they arrived in the land of the Ammonites,H559H1732H6213H2617H2586H1121H5176H1H6213H2617H1732H7971H5162H3027H5650H1H1732H5650H935H776H1121H59833the Ammonite leaders said to Hanun their lord, "Just because David has sent men with condolences for you, do you really believe he's showing respect for your father? Instead, hasn't David sent his emissaries in order to scout out the city, spy on it, and overthrow it?"H8269H1121H5983H559H2586H113H5869H1732H3513H1H7971H5162H1732H7971H5650H5668H2713H5892H7270H20154So Hanun took David's emissaries, shaved off half their beards, cut their clothes in half at the hips, and sent them away.H2586H3947H1732H5650H1548H2677H2206H3772H4063H2677H8357H79715When this was reported to David, he sent [someone] to meet them, since they were deeply humiliated. The king said, "Stay in Jericho until your beards grow back; then return."H5046H1732H7971H7125H582H3966H3637H4428H559H3427H3405H2206H6779H77256When the Ammonites realized they had become repulsive to David, they hired 20,000 foot soldiers from the Arameans of Beth-rehob and Zobah, 1,000 men from the king of Maacah, and 12,000 men from Tob.H1121H5983H7200H887H1732H1121H5983H7971H7936H758H1050H758H6678H6242H505H7273H4428H4601H505H376H382H6240H8147H505H3767David heard about it and sent Joab and all the fighting men.H1732H8085H7971H3097H6635H13688The Ammonites marched out and lined up in battle formation at the entrance to the city gate while the Arameans of Zobah and Rehob and the men of Tob and Maacah were in the field by themselves.H1121H5983H3318H4421H6186H6607H8179H758H6678H7340H382H4601H905H77049When Joab saw that there was a battle line in front of him and another behind him, he chose some men out of all the elite troops of Israel and lined up in battle formation to engage the Arameans.H3097H7200H6440H4421H6440H268H977H977H3478H6186H7125H75810He placed the rest of the forces under the command of his brother Abishai who lined up in battle formation to engage the Ammonites.H3499H5971H5414H3027H52H251H6186H7125H1121H598311"If the Arameans are too strong for me," Joab said, "then you will be my help. However, if the Ammonites are too strong for you, I'll come to help you.H559H758H2388H3444H1121H5983H2388H1980H346712Be strong! We must prove ourselves strong for our people and for the cities of our God. May the LORD's will be done."H2388H2388H5971H5892H430H3068H6213H5869H289613Joab and his troops advanced to fight against the Arameans, and they fled before him.H3097H5066H5971H4421H758H5127H644014When the Ammonites saw that the Arameans had fled, they too fled before Abishai and entered the city. So Joab withdrew from the attack against the Ammonites and went to Jerusalem.H1121H5983H7200H758H5127H5127H6440H52H935H5892H3097H7725H1121H5983H935H338915When the Arameans saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they regrouped.H758H7200H5062H6440H3478H622H316216Hadadezer sent [messengers] to bring the Arameans who were across the Euphrates River, and they came to Helam with Shobach, commander of Hadadezer's army, leading them.H1928H7971H3318H758H5676H5104H935H2431H7731H8269H6635H1928H644017When this was reported to David, he gathered all Israel, crossed the Jordan, and went to Helam. Then the Arameans lined up in formation to engage David in battle and fought against him.H5046H1732H622H3478H622H5674H3383H935H2431H758H6186H7125H1732H389818But the Arameans fled before Israel, and David killed 700 of their charioteers and 40,000 foot soldiers. He also struck down Shobach commander of their army, who died there.H758H5127H6440H3478H1732H2026H7651H3967H7393H758H705H505H6571H5221H7731H8269H6635H419119When all the kings who were Hadadezer's subjects saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they made peace with Israel and became their subjects. After this, the Arameans were afraid to ever help the Ammonites again.H4428H5650H1928H7200H5062H6440H3478H7999H3478H5647H758H3372H3467H1121H5983
Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB). Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville Tennessee. All rights reserved.
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