God's New Bible

The Second Book of Samuel

Unlocked Dynamic Bible :: World English Bible Catholic

- Chapter 10 -

(1 Chronicles 19:1–9)
1
Some time later, Nahash, the king of the Ammon people group, died; then his son Hanun became their king.
2
David thought to himself, “Nahash was kind to me, so I will be kind to his son.” So David sent some officials there, to tell Hanun that David was sorry that Hanun’s father had died. When those messengers arrived in the land of Ammon,
3
the Ammonite leaders said to Hanun, “Do you think that it is to honor your father that David has sent these men to say that he is sorry that you father died? We think that he has sent them here to look around the city to determine how his army can conquer us!”
4
Hanun believed what they said. So he commanded some soldiers to seize David’s officials and insult them by shaving off one side of their beards, and by cutting off the lower part of their robes, with the result that their buttocks could be seen, and then they sent them away.
5
The men were very humiliated, so they did not want to return home. When David found out about what had happened to his officials, he sent someone to tell them, “Stay at Jericho until your beards have grown again, and then return home.”
6
Then the Ammonite leaders realized that they had greatly insulted David. So they sent some men to hire some soldiers from other nearby areas to help defend them. They hired twenty thousand soldiers from the regions of Beth Rehob and Zobah northeast of Israel, and twelve thousand soldiers from the region of Tob, and one thousand soldiers from the army of the king of the region of Maacah.
7
When David heard about that, he sent Joab with all of the Israelite army to fight against them.
8
The Ammonite soldiers came outside their city gate and stood in a line ready for battle. At the same time, the foreign soldiers whom their king had hired grouped themselves in the open fields nearby.

David Defeats Ammon and Aram

(1 Chronicles 19:10–19)
9
Joab saw that there were enemy soldiers in front of his troops and behind his troops. So he chose some of the best Israelite soldiers, and put them in positions to fight against the soldiers in the fields.
10
He told his brother Abishai to command the other soldiers, those who were facing the Ammonite soldiers in front of their city gate.
11
Then Joab said, “If the soldiers from Aram are too strong for us to defeat them, your men must come and help us. But if the Ammonite soldiers are too strong for you, we will come and help your men.
12
We must be strong and fight hard to defend our people and the cities that belong to our God. I will pray that Yahweh do what he considers to be good.”
13
So Joab and his army advanced to attack the army of Aram, and the Aramites ran away from them.
14
When the Ammonites saw that the Aramites were running away, they also started to run away from Abishai and his men; they retreated back inside the city. Then Joab and his army left that place and went back to Jerusalem.
15
After the leaders of the army of Aram saw that the Israelite army had defeated them, they gathered all their troops together.
16
Their king, Hadadezer, summoned the soldiers of Aram who lived on the east side of the Euphrates River. They gathered at the city of Helam. Their commander was Shobak.
17
When David heard about that, he gathered all the Israelite soldiers, and they crossed the Jordan River and marched to Helam. There the army of Aram took their positions, and the battle started.
18
But the Aramites ran away from the Israelite soldiers. David and his army killed seven hundred of their chariot soldiers and forty thousand other soldiers. They also wounded Shobak, their commander, and he died there.
19
When all the kings whom Hadadezer ruled realized that Israel had defeated them, they made peace with the Israelites and agreed to accept David as their king. So the Arameans were unwilling to help the Ammonites any longer, because they were afraid of Israel.
(1 Chronicles 19:1–9)
1
After this, the king of the children of Ammon died, and Hanun his son reigned in his place.
2
David said, “I will show kindness to Hanun the son of Nahash, as his father showed kindness to me.” So David sent by his servants to comfort him concerning his father. David’s servants came into the land of the children of Ammon.
3
But the princes of the children of Ammon said to Hanun their lord, “Do you think that David honors your father, in that he has sent comforters to you? Hasn’t David sent his servants to you to search the city, to spy it out, and to overthrow it?”
4
So Hanun took David’s servants, shaved off one half of their beards, and cut off their garments in the middle, even to their buttocks, and sent them away.
5
When they told David this, he sent to meet them, for the men were greatly ashamed. The king said, “Wait at Jericho until your beards have grown, and then return.”
6
When the children of Ammon saw that they had become odious to David, the children of Ammon sent and hired the Syrians of Beth Rehob and the Syrians of Zobah, twenty thousand footmen, and the king of Maacah with one thousand men, and the men of Tob twelve thousand men.
7
When David heard of it, he sent Joab and all the army of the mighty men.
8
The children of Ammon came out, and put the battle in array at the entrance of the gate. The Syrians of Zobah and of Rehob and the men of Tob and Maacah were by themselves in the field.

David Defeats Ammon and Aram

(1 Chronicles 19:10–19)
9
Now 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.
10
The rest of the people he committed into the hand of Abishai his brother; and he put them in array against the children of Ammon.
11
He said, “If the Syrians are too strong for me, then you shall help me; but if the children of Ammon are too strong for you, then I will come and help you.
12
Be courageous, and let’s be strong for our people and for the cities of our God; and may the LORD do what seems good to him.”
13
So Joab and the people who were with him came near to the battle against the Syrians, and they fled before him.
14
When the children of Ammon saw that the Syrians had fled, they likewise fled before Abishai, and entered into the city. Then Joab returned from the children of Ammon and came to Jerusalem.
15
When the Syrians saw that they were defeated by Israel, they gathered themselves together.
16
Hadadezer sent and brought out the Syrians who were beyond the River; and they came to Helam, with Shobach the captain of the army of Hadadezer at their head.
17
David was told that; and he gathered all Israel together, passed over the Jordan, and came to Helam. The Syrians set themselves in array against David and fought with him.
18
The Syrians fled before Israel; and David killed seven hundred charioteers of the Syrians and forty thousand horsemen, and struck Shobach the captain of their army, so that he died there.
19
When all the kings who were servants to Hadadezer saw that they were defeated before Israel, they made peace with Israel and served them. So the Syrians were afraid to help the children of Ammon any more.