¹And it came to pass after this, that the king of the sons of Ammon died, and Hanun his son reigned in his place. ²And David said, “I will show kindness to Hanun the son of Nahash in the way his father showed me kindness.” And David sent word to comfort him through his servants about his father. And David's servants arrived in the land of the sons of Ammon. ³But the officials of the sons of Ammon said to Hanun their lord, “Does David honour your father, in your opinion? For he has sent consolers to you. Is it not to investigate the city and to spy on it, and to overthrow it, that David has sent his servants to you?” ⁴And Hanun seized David's servants, and he shaved off half of their beards, and he cut their garments down the middle as far as their buttocks, and he sent them away. ⁵Then when David was told, he sent servants to meet them, for the men had been very much put to shame. And the king said, “Stay in Jericho until your beards grow, and then return.” ⁶Then when the sons of Ammon saw that they had become odious to David, the sons of Ammon contacted and hired the Aramaeans of Beth-Rehob, and the Aramaeans of Zoba – twenty thousand infantry – and one thousand men from King Maachah, and twelve thousand men from Ish-Tob. ⁷And when David heard of it, he sent Joab and the whole army of warriors. ⁸And the sons of Ammon came out and drew up in battle order at the gate entrance, and the Aramaeans of Zoba and Rehob, and Ish-Tob and Maachah were in the field by themselves. ⁹And when Joab saw that there was a battlefront against him, ahead of him and behind, he made a selection from all the young men in Israel, and he drew them up to confront the Aramaeans. ¹⁰And he placed the remainder of the people in the hand of Abishai his brother, who drew up to confront the sons of Ammon. ¹¹And he said, “If the Aramaeans are too strong for me, then you will come to my rescue, and if the sons of Ammon are too strong for you, then I will go to rescue you. ¹²Be strong and let us be strengthened for our people and for the cities of our God, and may the Lord do what is right in his sight.” ¹³Then Joab and the people who were with him advanced to the battle against the Aramaeans, who fled from his presence. ¹⁴Then when the sons of Ammon saw that the Aramaeans had fled, they fled from Abishai, and they went to the city, and Joab returned from the sons of Ammon, and he went to Jerusalem. ¹⁵But when the Aramaeans saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they gathered themselves together. ¹⁶And Hadadezer sent messengers, and they brought out the Aramaeans who were on the far side of the river. So their forces came, with Shobach the commander of Hadadezer's army at their head. ¹⁷And it was reported to David, and he gathered the whole of Israel, and he crossed the Jordan and went to Helam. And the Aramaeans drew up their forces to confront David, and they fought against him. ¹⁸And the Aramaeans fled from Israel, and of the Aramaeans David killed seven hundred chariot crew, and forty thousand horsemen, and he struck Shobach the commander of his army, and he died there. ¹⁹And when all the kings – servants of Hadadezer – saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they made peace with Israel and served them, and the Aramaeans were afraid of coming to the rescue of the sons of Ammon any more.