b.
Over Ammon and Syria
19:1—20:3
1 Chron. 19
:1
19:1
aAnd after this Nahash the king of the children of Ammon died, and his son reigned in his place.
1 Chron. 19
:2
19:2
And David said, I will show kindness to Hanun the son of Nahash, because his father showed kindness to me. And David sent messengers to comfort him concerning his father. And David’s servants came into the land of the children of Ammon to Hanun to comfort him.
1 Chron. 19
:3
19:3
But the princes of the children of Ammon said to Hanun, Do you really think that David is honoring your father just because he sent to you some men to comfort
you? Have not his servants come to you in order to search out and to overthrow and to spy on the land?
1 Chron. 19
:4
19:4
So Hanun took David’s servants and shaved them and cut away half their garments at the hips, and he sent them away.
1 Chron. 19
:5
19:5
Now when they went and told David about the men, he sent
some to meet them, for the men were very ashamed. And the king said, Stay in Jericho until your beards grow back, then return.
1 Chron. 19
:6
19:6
And when the children of Ammon saw that they had made themselves odious to David, Hanun and the children of Ammon sent one thousand talents of silver to hire for themselves chariots and horsemen from Mesopotamia and from the Syrians of Maacah and from Zobah.
1 Chron. 19
:7
19:7
So they hired for themselves thirty-two thousand chariots and the king of Maacah and his people, who came and camped before Medeba. And the children of Ammon gathered together from their cities and came to the battle.
1 Chron. 19
:8
19:8
And when David heard
of it, he sent Joab and all the host of mighty men.
1 Chron. 19
:9
19:9
And the children of Ammon went forth and set the battle in array at the entrance of the city, but the kings who had come were alone in the field.
1 Chron. 19
:10
19:10
Now when Joab saw that there were battle lines against him before and behind, he chose some of the choice men in Israel and set them in array against the Syrians.
1 Chron. 19
:11
19:11
And the rest of the people he put under the charge of Abishai his brother, and they arrayed themselves against the children of Ammon.
1 Chron. 19
:12
19:12
And he said, If the Syrians are too strong for me, then you shall help me; and if the children of Ammon are too strong for you, then I will help you.
1 Chron. 19
:13
19:13
Be strong and let us be bold for the sake of our people and for the sake of the cities of our God, and may Jehovah do what seems good in His sight.
1 Chron. 19
:14
19:14
So Joab and the people who were with him approached the battle against the Syrians, and
1the Syrians fled before him.
1 Chron. 19
:15
19:15
And the children of Ammon saw that the Syrians fled, and they also fled from before Abishai his brother and entered the city. And Joab entered Jerusalem.
1 Chron. 19
:16
19:16
Now when the Syrians saw that they had been routed before Israel, they sent messengers and brought forth the Syrians who were beyond the
1River with Shophach the captain of the army of Hadadezer before them.
1 Chron. 19
:17
19:17
And it was told David, and he gathered all Israel together and passed over the Jordan and came to them and set
his men in array against them. When David set
his men in array to meet the Syrians in battle, they fought with him.
1 Chron. 19
:18
19:18
And the Syrians fled before Israel. And David slew seven thousand charioteers of the Syrians and forty thousand footmen, and he put Shophach the captain of the army to death.
1 Chron. 19
:19
19:19
And when the servants of Hadadezer saw that they had been routed before Israel, they made peace with David and served him. So the Syrians were not willing to help the children of Ammon any more.
