2 Samuel 10

1 After this the king of the sons of Ammon died, and Hanun his son reigned in his place. [a] 2 And David said, “I will show mercy to Hanun son of Nahash, as his father showed mercy to me.” And David sent his servants to comfort him over his father. And David’s servants came into the land of the sons of Ammon.

3 But the leaders of the sons of Ammon said to Hanun their lord, “Is it to honor your father before you that David has sent men to comfort you? Has David not sent his servants to you to search the city, and spy it out, and look it over?” 4 So Hanun took David’s servants and shaved their beards and cut their cloaks in half, up to their hips, and sent them away. [b] 5 And they brought David word about the men, and he sent to meet them, for the men had been badly dishonored. And the king said, “Stay in Jericho until your beards have grown back, and then come home.”

6 And the sons of Ammon saw that David’s people had been shamed, and the sons of Ammon sent and hired Aram of Beth-rehob, twenty thousand foot soldiers, and the king of Maacah, a thousand men, and Ish-tob, twelve thousand men. [c] 7 And David heard of it, and he sent Joab and the whole army, the mighty men. 8 And the sons of Ammon came out and drew up for battle at the door of the gate, while Aram of Zobah and Rehob and Ish-tob and Maacah were by themselves out in the open field. [e]

9 And Joab saw that the line of battle was set against him on both sides, in front of him and behind him, and he picked men out of all the young men of Israel, and they drew up against Aram. 10 And the rest of the people he gave into the hand of Abishai his brother, and they drew up against the sons of Ammon. 11 And he said, “If Aram is too strong for me, then you will come to save me; and if the sons of Ammon are too strong for you, then we will come to save you. 12 Be a man, and let us be strong for our people and for the cities of our God, and the Lord will do what is good in his eyes.”

13 And Joab and the people with him came forward to fight Aram, and they fled before him. 14 And the sons of Ammon saw that Aram had fled, and they fled before Abishai and went inside the city. And Joab turned back from the sons of Ammon, and they came to Jerusalem.

15 And Aram saw that they had been beaten before Israel, and they gathered themselves together in one place. 16 And Hadadezer sent and gathered the Arameans from beyond the river Chalamak, and they came to Helam, and Shobach the commander of Hadadezer’s army was at their head. [f] 17 And it was reported to David, and he gathered all Israel and crossed the Jordan, and they came to Helam. And Aram drew up against David and fought with him.

18 And Aram fled before Israel, and David destroyed seven hundred chariots of Aram and forty thousand horsemen; and he struck down Shobach the commander of his army, and he died there. [g] 19 And all the kings who were Hadadezer’s slaves saw that they had been beaten before Israel, and they deserted to Israel and served them. And Aram was afraid to save the sons of Ammon any more. [h]