1 Chronicles 19
1 Now it came to pass after
this, that
Nahash the
king of the
children of
Ammon died, and his
son reigned in his stead.
2 And
David said, I will
shew kindness unto
Hanun the
son of
Nahash, because his
father shewed kindness to me. And
David sent messengers to
comfort him concerning his
father. So the
servants of
David came into the
land of the
children of
Ammon to
Hanun, to
comfort him.
3 But the
princes of the
children of
Ammon said to
Hanun, Thinkest thou that
David doth
honour thy
father, that he hath
sent comforters unto thee? are not his
servants come unto thee for to
search, and to
overthrow, and to spy
out the
land? 4 Wherefore
Hanun took David's servants, and
shaved them, and cut
off their
garments in the
midst hard by their
buttocks, and sent them
away.
5 Then there
went certain, and
told David how the
men were served. And he
sent to
meet them: for 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 had made themselves
odious to
David, Hanun and the
children of
Ammon sent a
thousand talents of
silver to
hire them
chariots and
horsemen out of
Mesopotamia, and out of
Syriamaachah, and out of
Zobah. 7 So they
hired thirty and
two thousand chariots, and the
king of
Maachah and his
people; who
came and
pitched before Medeba. And the
children of
Ammon gathered themselves
together from their
cities, and
came to
battle. 8 And when
David heard of it, he
sent Joab, and all the
host of the mighty
men. 9 And the
children of
Ammon came
out, and put the
battle in
array before the
gate of the
city: and the
kings that were
come were by themselves in the
field. 10 Now when
Joab saw that the
battle was set against him
before and
behind, he chose
out of all the
choice of
Israel, and put them in
array against the
Syrians. 11 And the
rest of the
people he
delivered unto the
hand of
Abishai his
brother, and they set themselves in
array against the
children of
Ammon. 12 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
help thee.
13 Be of good
courage, and let us behave ourselves
valiantly for our
people, and for the
cities of our
God: and let the
LORD do that which is
good in his
sight. 14 So
Joab and the
people that were with him drew
nigh before the
Syrians unto the
battle; and they
fled before him.
15 And when the
children of
Ammon saw that the
Syrians were
fled, they likewise
fled before Abishai his
brother, and
entered into the
city. Then
Joab came to
Jerusalem. 16 And when the
Syrians saw that they were put to the
worse before Israel, they
sent messengers, and drew
forth the
Syrians that were
beyond the
river: and
Shophach the
captain of the
host of
Hadarezer went
before them.
17 And it was
told David; and he
gathered all
Israel, and passed
over Jordan, and
came upon them, and set the battle in
array against them. So when
David had put the
battle in
array against the
Syrians, they
fought with him.
18 But the
Syrians fled before Israel; and
David slew of the
Syrians seven thousand men which fought in
chariots, and
forty thousand footmen, and
killed Shophach the
captain of the
host. 19 And when the
servants of
Hadarezer saw that they were put to the
worse before Israel, they made
peace with
David, and became his
servants: neither
would the
Syrians help the
children of
Ammon any more.