1Ch 19 | AB | STEP | And it came to pass after this, that Nahash the king of the children of Ammon died, and his son reigned in his place.

‏ 1 Chronicles 19

1 And it came to pass after this, that Nahash the king of the children of Ammon died, and his son reigned in his place. 2 And David said, I will act kindly toward Hanun the son of Nahash, as his father acted kindly towards me. And David sent messengers to console with him over the death of his father. So the servants of David came into the land of the children of Ammon to Hanun, to comfort him. 3 And the chiefs of the children of Ammon said to Hanun, Is it to honor your father before you, that David has sent comforters to you? Have not his servants come to you that they might search the city, and to spy out the land? 4 And Hanun took the servants of David, and shaved them, and cut off half of their garments as far as their tunic, and sent them away. 5 And there came men to report to David concerning the men. And he sent to meet them, for they were greatly disgraced. And the king said, Dwell in Jericho until your beards have grown, and return. 6 And the children of Ammon saw that the people of David were ashamed, and Hanun and the children of Ammon sent a thousand talents of silver to hire for themselves chariots and horsemen out of Syria of Mesopotamia, and out of Syria Maacah, and from Zobah. 7 And they hired for themselves thirty-two thousand chariots, and the king of Maacah and his people; and they came and encamped before Medeba. And the children of Ammon assembled out of their cities, and came to fight. 8 And David heard, and sent Joab and all the host of mighty men. 9 And the children of Ammon came forth, and set themselves in array for battle by the gate of the city; and the kings that had come forth encamped by themselves in the plain. 10 And Joab saw that they were fronting him, to fight against him before and behind, and he chose some out of all the young men of Israel, and they set themselves in array against the Syrians. 11 And the rest of the people he gave into the hand of his brother Abishai, and they set themselves in array against the children of Ammon. 12 And he said, If the Syrians should prevail against me, then shall you deliver me; and if the children of Ammon should prevail against you, then I will deliver you. 13 Be of good courage, and let us be strong, for our people, and for the cities of our God; and the Lord shall do what is good in His eyes. 14 So Joab and the people that were with him set themselves in battle array against the Syrians, and they fled from them. 15 And the children of Ammon saw that the Syrians fled, and they also fled from before Abishai, and from before Joab his brother, and they came to the city; and Joab came to Jerusalem. 16 And the Syrians saw that Israel had defeated them, and they sent messengers, and they brought out the Syrians from beyond the river; and Shophach the commander-in-chief of the forces of Hadadezer was before them. 17 And it was told David. And he gathered all Israel, and crossed over the Jordan, and came upon them, and set the battle in array against them. So David set his army in array to fight against the Syrians, and they fought against him. 18 And the Syrians fled from before Israel; and David slew of the Syrians seven thousand riders in chariots, and forty thousand infantry men, and he slew Shophach the commander-in-chief of the forces. 19 And the servants of Hadadezer saw that they were defeated before Israel, and they made peace with David and served him. And the Syrians would no longer help the children of Ammon.