The Ammonites shamefully abuse the ambassadors of David: they hire the Syrians to the their assistance: but are overthrown with their allies.

¹ Now after these things, it happened that the king of the sons of Ammon died, and his son Hanun reigned after him.

² And David said, “I will show mercy to Hanun, the son of Nahash, just as his father showed mercy to me.” Therefore, David sent consolation to him, by his servants, over the passing of his father. But when the servants of David had arrived in the land of the sons of Ammon,

³ the leaders of the sons of Ammon said to Hanun, their lord: “Do you think it was because of the honor of your father that David sent consolers to you? And did not David send his servants to you, so that he might investigate and explore the city, and so that he might overthrow it?”

⁴ And so, Hanun took the servants of David, and he shaved off one half part of their beards, and he cut their garments at the middle, as far as the buttocks, and he sent them away.

⁵ And when this had been reported to David, he sent to meet them. And the men were greatly disturbed by shame. And David commanded them, “Remain in Jericho, until your beards grow, and then return.”

⁶ Now the sons of Ammon, seeing that they had done an injury to David, sent for, and paid wages to, the Syrians of Rehob, and the Syrians of Zobah, twenty thousand foot soldiers, and from the king of Maacah, one thousand men, and from Tob, twelve thousand men.

⁷ And when David had heard this, he sent Joab and the entire army of warriors.

⁸ Then the sons of Ammon went forth, and they positioned their battle line before the very entrance of the gates. But the Syrians of Zobah, and of Rehob, and of Tob, and of Maacah, were by themselves in the field.

⁹ And so, seeing that the battle had been prepared against him, both facing him and behind, Joab chose some from all of the elect men of Israel, and he set up a battle line opposite the Syrians.

¹⁰ But the remaining part of the people he delivered to his brother Abishai, who formed a battle line against the sons of Ammon.

¹¹ And Joab said: “If the Syrians prevail against me, then you shall assist me. But if the sons of Ammon prevail against you, then I will assist you.

¹² Be valiant men. And let us fight on behalf of our people and the city of our God. Then the Lord will do what is good in his own sight.”

¹³ And so, Joab, and the people who were with him, undertook the conflict against the Syrians, who immediately fled before their face.

¹⁴ Then, seeing that the Syrians had fled, the sons of Ammon themselves also fled from the face of Abishai, and they entered into the city. And Joab returned from the sons of Ammon, and he went to Jerusalem.

¹⁵ And so, the Syrians, seeing that they had fallen before Israel, gathered themselves together.

¹⁶ And Hadadezer sent and brought the Syrians who were beyond the river, and he led in their army. And Shobach, the ruler of the military of Hadadezer, was their leader.

¹⁷ And when this had been reported to David, he drew together all of Israel. And he crossed over the Jordan, and he went to Helam. And the Syrians formed a battle line opposite David, and they fought against him.

¹⁸ And the Syrians fled before the face of Israel. And David killed, among the Syrians, the men of seven hundred chariots, and forty thousand horsemen. And he struck down Shobach, the leader of the military, who immediately died.

¹⁹ Then all the kings who were in the reinforcements of Hadadezer, seeing themselves to be defeated by Israel, were very afraid and they fled: fifty-eight thousand men before Israel. And they made peace with Israel, and they served them. And the Syrians were afraid to offer assistance to the sons of Ammon anymore.