1st Dabar-Hayamym (1 Chronicles) — 19

The Ammunites and Syrians Defeated

1 It happened after this that Nahash the king of the people of Ammun died, and his son reigned in his place. 

2 Then Daud said, “I will show kindness to Hanun the son of Nahash, because his father showed kindness to me.” So Daud sent messengers to comfort him concerning his father. And Daud’s servants came to Hanun in the land of the people of Ammun to comfort him.

3 And the princes of the people of Ammun said to Hanun, “Do you think that Daud really honors your father because he has sent comforters to you? Did his servants not come to you to search and to overthrow and to spy out the land?”

4 Therefore Hanun took Daud’s servants, and shaved their beard, and cut off their garments in the middle, at their buttocks, and sent them away. 

5 Then someone went and told Daud about the men; and Daud sent to meet them, because the men were greatly ashamed. And the king said, “Wait at Yarichu until your beards have grown before you return.”

6 When the people of Ammun saw that they had made themselves repulsive to Daud, Hanun and the people of Ammun sent a thousand talents of silver to hire for themselves chariots and horsemen from Masuputamia, from Syrian Maacah, and from Zubah. 

7 So they hired for themselves thirty-two thousand chariots, with the king of Maacah and his people, who came and encamped before Madaba. Also the people of Ammun gathered together from their cities, and came to battle.

8 Now when Daud heard of it, he sent Yuab and all the army of the mighty men. 

9 Then the people of Ammun came out and put themselves in battle array before the gate of the city, and the kings who had come were by themselves in the field.

10 When Yuab saw that the battle line was against him all around, he chose some of Yashar'AL’s best and put them in battle array against the Syrians. 

11 And the rest of the people he put under the command of Abishai his brother, and they set themselves in battle array against the people of Ammun. 

12 Then he said, “If the Syrians are too strong for me, then you shall help me; but if the people of Ammun are too strong for you, then I will help you. 

13 Be of good courage, and let us be strong for our people and for the cities of our 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH. And may 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH  do what is good in His sight.”

14 So Yuab and the people who were with him drew near for the battle against the Syrians, and they fled before him. 

15 When the people of Ammun saw that the Syrians were fleeing, they also fled before Abishai his brother, and entered the city. So Yuab went to Yahushalam.

16 Now when the Syrians saw that they had been defeated by Yashar'AL, they sent messengers and brought the Syrians who were beyond the River, and Shuphach the commander of Hadadazar’s army went before them. 

17 When they told Daud, he gathered all Yashar'AL, crossed over the Yurdan and came upon them, and set up in battle array against them. So when Daud had set up in battle array against the Syrians, they fought with him. 

18 Then the Syrians fled before Yashar'AL; and Daud killed seven thousand charioteers and forty thousand foot soldiers of the Syrians, and killed Shuphach the commander of the army. 

19 And when the servants of Hadadazar saw that they were defeated by Yashar'AL, they made Shalum with Daud and became his servants. So the Syrians were not willing to help the people of Ammun anymore.