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Chapter 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 show kindness unto
Hanun the son of Nahash, as his father showed 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
honor 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? |
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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. |
