2 Samuel 10
1 And it came to pass after
this, that the
king of the
children of
Ammon died, and
Hanun his
son reigned in his stead.
2 Then
said David, I will
shew kindness unto
Hanun the
son of
Nahash, as his
father shewed kindness unto me. And
David sent to
comfort him by the
hand of his
servants for his
father. And
David's servants came into the
land of the
children of
Ammon. 3 And the
princes of the
children of
Ammon said unto
Hanun their
lord, Thinkest thou that
David doth
honour thy
father, that he hath
sent comforters unto thee? hath not
David rather
sent his
servants unto thee,
to search the
city, and to spy it
out, and to
overthrow it?
4 Wherefore
Hanun took David's servants, and shaved
off the 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 it unto
David, he
sent to
meet them, because the
men were
greatly ashamed: and the
king said,
Tarry at
Jericho until your
beards be
grown, and then
return.
6 And when the
children of
Ammon saw that they
stank before
David, the
children of
Ammon sent and
hired the
Syrians of
Bethrehob, and the
Syrians of
Zoba, twenty thousand footmen, and of
king Maacah a
thousand men, and of
Ishtob twelve thousand men. 7 And when
David heard of it, he
sent Joab, and all the
host of the mighty
men. 8 And the
children of
Ammon came
out, and put the
battle in
array at the entering
in of the
gate: and the
Syrians of
Zoba, and of
Rehob, and
Ishtob, and
Maacah, were by
themselves in the
field. 9 When
Joab saw that the
front of the
battle was against him
before and
behind, he
chose of all the
choice men of
Israel, and put them in
array against the
Syrians: 10 And the
rest of the
people he
delivered into the
hand of
Abishai his
brother, that he might put them in
array against the
children of
Ammon. 11 And he
said, If the
Syrians be too
strong for me, then thou shalt
help me: but if the
children of
Ammon be too
strong for thee, then I will
come and
help thee.
12 Be of good
courage, and let us play the
men for our
people, and for the
cities of our
God: and the
LORD do that which
seemeth him
good. 13 And
Joab drew
nigh, and the
people that were with him, unto the
battle against the
Syrians: and they
fled before him.
14 And when the
children of
Ammon saw that the
Syrians were
fled, then
fled they also
before Abishai, and
entered into the
city. So
Joab returned from the
children of
Ammon, and
came to
Jerusalem. 15 And when the
Syrians saw that they were
smitten before Israel, they
gathered themselves
together. 16 And
Hadarezer sent, and brought
out the
Syrians that were
beyond the
river: and they
came to
Helam; and
Shobach the
captain of the
host of
Hadarezer went
before them.
17 And when it was
told David, he
gathered all
Israel together, and passed
over Jordan, and
came to
Helam. And the
Syrians set themselves in
array against David, and
fought with him.
18 And the
Syrians fled before Israel; and
David slew the men of
seven hundred chariots of the
Syrians, and
forty thousand horsemen, and
smote Shobach the
captain of their
host, who
died there.
19 And when all the
kings that were
servants to
Hadarezer saw that they were
smitten before Israel, they made
peace with
Israel, and
served them. So the
Syrians feared to
help the
children of
Ammon any more.