2 Samuel 10

1After this the king of the sons of Ammon died, and Hanun his son reigned in his place.

2David said, "I will show kindness to Hanun son of Nahash, as his father showed kindness to me." David sent his servants to comfort him about his father. David's servants entered the land of the sons of Ammon.

3The princes of the sons of Ammon said to Hanun their lord, “Does David honor your father in your eyes, that he sent comforters to you? Is it not instead to search the city, spy on it, and overthrow it that David sent his servants to you?”

4Hanun took David's servants, shaved half their beards, cut their garments midway to their buttocks, and sent them away.

5They informed David, and he sent to meet them because the men were exceedingly ashamed. The king said, "Remain in Jericho until your beards grow, and return."

6When the Ammonites saw that they had become abhorrent to David, the Ammonites sent and hired Syrians from Beth-rehob and Syrians from Zobah, twenty thousand foot soldiers, and the king of Maacah with a thousand men, and the men of Tob, twelve thousand men.

7When David heard, he sent Joab and all the army of the mighty men.

8The Ammonites came out and drew up for battle at the gate entrance, while the Arameans of Zobah and Rehob, the men of Tob, and Maacah stood apart by themselves in the field.

9When Joab saw that the battle faced him from front and back, he chose from all the choice men of Israel and arrayed them against the Syrians.

10He gave the remainder of the people into the hand of his brother Abishai, and arrayed them against the sons of Ammon.

11He said, "If the Syrians prevail over me, then you will come to my aid; but if the Ammonites prevail over you, then I will go to rescue you."

12Be strong, and let us be strong for our people and the cities of our God, and may Yahweh do what is good in his eyes.

13Joab and the people with him advanced to battle against the Arameans, and they fled before him.

14The Ammonites saw that the Arameans had fled, so they too fled from Abishai and entered the city. Then Joab returned from the Ammonites and came to Jerusalem.

15The Arameans saw that they had been beaten before Israel and gathered together.

16Hadadezer sent and brought out the Arameans from beyond the River, and they came to Helam with Shobach, the commander of Hadadezer's army, leading them.

17When it was reported to David, he gathered all Israel, crossed the Jordan, and arrived at Helam. The Arameans drew up in formation against David and fought him.

18The Arameans fled before Israel, and David killed seven hundred chariots of the Arameans and forty thousand horsemen, and struck Shobach the captain of their army, and he died there.

19When all the kings serving Hadadezer saw that they had been beaten by Israel, they made peace with Israel and served them. So the Syrians feared to help the children of Ammon any more.