1 It happened after this that Nahash the king of the children of Ammon died, and his son reigned in his place.
2 And David said, I will show kindness to Hanun the son of Nahash, because his father showed kindness to me. So David sent messengers to comfort him concerning his father. And Davids servants came to Hanun in the land of the children of Ammon to comfort him.
3 And the leaders of the children of Ammon said to Hanun, In your eyes is David honoring your father in that he has sent comforters to you? Have not his servants come to you to search, to overthrow and to spy out the land?
4 Therefore Hanun took Davids servants, shaved them, and cut off their garments in the middle, at their buttocks, and sent them away.
5 Then some went and reported to David about the men; and he sent to meet them, because the men were greatly ashamed. And the king said, Stay at Jericho until your beards have grown, and then return.
6 And when the children of Ammon saw that they had made themselves odious to David, Hanun and the sons of Ammon sent a thousand talents of silver to hire for themselves chariots and horsemen from Syrian Naharaim, from Syrian Maachah, and from Zobah.
7 So they hired for themselves thirty-two thousand chariots, with the king of Maachah and his people, who came and encamped before Medeba. Also the sons of Ammon gathered together from their cities, and came to battle.
8 And when David heard of it, he sent Joab and all the army of the mighty men.
9 And the sons of Ammon came out and put themselves in battle array before the entrance to the city, and the kings who had come were by themselves in the field.
10 And when Joab saw that the battle line was against him before and behind, he chose some of Israels choice ones and put them in battle array to meet the Syrians.
11 And the rest of the people he put into the hand of Abishai his brother, and they set themselves in battle array against the sons of Ammon.
12 And he said, If the Syrians are too strong for me, then you shall help me; but if the sons of Ammon are too strong for you, then I will help you.
13 Be of good courage, and let us be strong for our people and for the cities of our God; and may Jehovah do what is good in His eyes.
14 So Joab and the people who were with him drew near for the battle against the Syrians, and they fled before him.
15 And when the sons of Ammon saw that the Syrians had fled, they also fled before Abishai his brother, and entered the city. So Joab came to Jerusalem.
16 So when the Syrians saw that they had been struck down before Israel, they sent messengers and brought the Syrians who were beyond the River, and Shophach the commander of Hadadezers army went before them.
17 And when it was reported to David, he gathered all Israel, crossed over the Jordan and came upon them, and set up in battle array against them. So when David had set up in battle array against the Syrians, they fought with him.
18 And the Syrians fled before Israel; and David killed seven thousand charioteers and forty thousand foot soldiers of the Syrians, and killed Shophach the commander of the army.
19 And when the servants of Hadadezer saw that they had been struck down before Israel, they made peace with David and served him. So the Syrians were not willing to help the sons of Ammon anymore.