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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
