1 Chronicles

It happened after this that Nahash the king of the people of Ammon died, and his son reigned in his place.

Then 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. But when David’s servants came to the land of the people of Ammon to comfort Hanun,

the princes of the people of Ammon said to Hanun, "Do you think that David really honours your father because he has sent comforters to you? Have his servants not come to you to search and to overthrow and to spy out the land?"

Therefore Hanun took David’s servants, shaved them, and cut off their garments in the middle, at their hips, and sent them away.

Then some went and told 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."

When the people of Ammon saw that they had made themselves repulsive to David, Hanun and the people of Ammon sent a thousand talents of silver to hire for themselves chariots and horsemen from Mesopotamia, from Syrian Maachah, and from Zobah.

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 people of Ammon gathered together from their cities and came to battle.

Now when David heard of it, he sent Joab and all the army of the mighty men.

Then the people of Ammon came out and put the battle in order at the gate of the city, and the kings who had come were by themselves in the field.

When Joab saw that the battle line was set against him both in front and in the rear, he chose some of the best men of Israel and put them in order against the Syrians.

And the rest of the people he delivered into the hand of Abishai his brother, and they set themselves in order against the people of Ammon.

Then he said, "If the Syrians are too strong for me, then you shall help me; but if the people of Ammon are too strong for you, then I will help you.

Be of good courage, and let us be strong for our people and for the cities of our God. And may the LORD do what is good in His sight."

So Joab and the people who were with him drew near for the battle against the Syrians, and they fled before him.

When the people of Ammon saw that the Syrians were fleeing, they also fled before Abishai his brother, and entered the city. Then Joab went to Jerusalem.

Now when the Syrians saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they sent messengers and brought out the Syrians who were beyond the River Euphrates, with Shophach the captain of Hadarezer’s army going before them.

When it was told to David, he gathered all Israel, crossed the Jordan and came upon them, and set the battle in order against them. So when David set the battle in order against the Syrians, they fought with him.

Then the Syrians fled before Israel; and David killed seven thousand charioteers and forty thousand foot soldiers of the Syrians, and killed Shophach the captain of the army.

And when the servants of Hadarezer saw that they were defeated by Israel, they made peace with David and became his servants. So the Syrians were not willing to help the people of Ammon anymore.