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