Chapter 19
1It happened after this, that Nahash the king of the children of
Ammon died, and his son reigned in his place.
2David said, I will show
kindness to Hanun the son of Nahash, because his father shown kindness to me.
So David sent messengers to comfort him concerning his father. David’s
servants came into the land of the children of Ammon to Hanun, to comfort
him.
3But the princes of the children of Ammon said to Hanun, Think you
that David does honor your father, in that he has sent comforters to you?
Aren’t his servants come to you to search, and to overthrow, and to spy out
the land?
4So Hanun took David’s servants, and shaved them, and cut off
their garments in the middle, even to their buttocks, and sent them away.
5Then there went certain persons, and told David how the men were served.
He sent to meet them; for the men were greatly ashamed. The king said, Stay
at Jericho until your beards be grown, and then return.
6When the
children of Ammon saw that they had made themselves odious to David, Hanun
and the children of Ammon sent one thousand talents of silver to hire them
chariots and horsemen out of Mesopotamia, and out of Arammaacah, and out of
Zobah.
7So they hired them thirty-two thousand chariots, and the king of
Maacah and his people, who came and encamped before Medeba. The children of
Ammon gathered themselves together from their cities, and came to battle.
8When David heard of it, he sent Joab, and all the army of the mighty
men.
9The children of Ammon came out, and put the battle in array at the
gate of the city: and the kings who had come were by themselves in the field.
10Now when Joab saw that the battle was set against him before and
behind, he chose of all the choice men of Israel, and put them in array
against the Syrians.
11The rest of the people he committed into the hand
of Abishai his brother; and they put themselves in array against the children
of Ammon.
12He said, If the Syrians be too strong for me, then you shall
help me; but if the children of Ammon be too strong for you, then I will help
you.
13Be of good courage, and let us play the man for our people, and
for the cities of our God: and Yahweh do that which seems him good.
14So
Joab and the people who were with him drew near before the Syrians to the
battle; and they fled before him.
15When the children of Ammon saw that
the Syrians were fled, they likewise fled before Abishai his brother, and
entered into the city. Then Joab came to Jerusalem.
16When the Syrians
saw that they were put to the worse before Israel, they sent messengers, and
drew forth the Syrians who were beyond the River, with Shophach the captain
of the army of Hadarezer at their head.
17It was told David; and he
gathered all Israel together, and passed over the Jordan, and came on them,
and set the battle in array against them. So when David had put the battle in
array against the Syrians, they fought with him.
18The Syrians fled
before Israel; and David killed of the Syrians the men of seven
thousand chariots, and forty thousand footmen, and killed Shophach the
captain of the army.
19When the servants of Hadarezer saw that they were
put to the worse before Israel, they made peace with David, and served him:
neither would the Syrians help the children of Ammon any more.
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