| 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? |
| 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. |
