2 Samuel

10 And after this the king of the Bene-ʽAmmon died, and his son Hanun succeeded him. 2 And David thought “I will be friendly to Hanun the son of Nahash, as his father was to me”; and David sent by his officers to express sympathy with him at the loss of his father. And David’s officers came to the country of the Bene-ʽAmmon; 3 and the chiefs of the Bene-ʽAmmon said to Hanun their sovereign “Do you think David is honoring your father when he sends you ambassadors of condolence? is it not for the sake of examining the city and spying into it and laying it in ruins that David has sent his officers to you?” 4 And Hanun took David’s officers and shaved off half their beards and cut off their habiliments in the middle, up to their buttocks, and sent them off. 5 And David was told of it, and he sent to meet them (for the men were greatly humiliated); and the king said “Stay at Jericho till your beards grow, and then come back.”

6* And the Bene-ʽAmmon saw that they were at deadly feud with David; and the Bene-ʽAmmon sent and hired the Syrians of Beth-Rehob and the Syrians of Soba, twenty thousand infantry, and the king of Maʽacah a thousand men, and the men of Tob twelve thousand men. 7 And David heard, and sent Joab with all the forces, the champions; 8* and the Bene-ʽAmmon came out and drew up their line of battle at the gate, and the Syrians of Soba and Rehob and the men of Tob and Maʽacah were by themselves in the open. 9 And Joab saw that he had the front of the battle in his front and in his rear; and he made a selection of picked men out of the whole Israelite body, and drew them up to face the Syrians, 10 and the rest of the men he put into the hands of his brother Abishai and drew them up to face the Bene-ʽAmmon, 11 and said “If the Syrians are too strong for me, then you shall be a rescue to me; and if the Bene-ʽAmmon are too strong for you, I will go to rescue you. 12* Hold fast, and let us do our best for our people and for the cities of our God, and Jehovah will do as he sees fit.” 13 And Joab and the troops that he had with him came on to attack the Syrians, and they fled before him; 14 and the Bene-ʽAmmon saw that the Syrians had fled, and they fled before Abishai and entered the city. And Joab came back from the ʽAmmonite war to Jerusalem.

15* And the Syrians saw that they were beaten by the Israelites; and they came together, 16 and Hadadʽezer sent and called out the Syrians beyond the River, and they came to Helam with Shobac, Hadadʽezer’s general, at their head. 17 And David was told, and he brought together all the Israelites and crossed the Jordan and came to Helam; and the Syrians offered battle to David, and he fought them. 18 And the Syrians fled before the Israelites, and David killed of the Syrians seven hundred chariotry and forty thousand infantry, and Shobac, Hadadʽezer’s general, got his death-stroke there and died on the field. 19 And all the kings who were subject to Hadadʽezer saw that they were beaten by the Israelites, and made peace with the Israelites and became their subjects; and the Syrians were afraid to succor the Bene-ʽAmmon any longer.