Read the Bible

¹ NOW it came to pass after this that Nahash the king of the children of Ammon died, and his son Hanun reigned in his stead.² And David said, I will show kindness to Hanun the son of Nahash, just as his father showed kindness to me. So David sent messengers to comfort him concerning his father. So Davids servants 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 their lord, Do you think that David really did honor your father when he was alive and that he has truly sent comforters to you? It is for the purpose of spying the city and knowing the entrances and the exits that David has sent his servants to us.⁴ So Hanun took Davids servants and shaved half of their beards and half of their heads and cut off their garments in the midst as far as their buttocks, and sent them away.⁵ And when they had told David, he sent men to meet them, for the men were greatly ashamed. And the king said to them, Remain at Jericho until your beards have grown, and then return.

⁶ And when the children of Ammon saw that they had made themselves odious to Davids servants, Hanun and the children of Ammon sent a thousand talents of silver to hire for themselves chariots and horsemen from Aram-nahrin, from Haran, from Nisibin, and from Edom.⁷ So they hired thirty-two thousand horsemen, and the king of Haran, the king of Edom, the king of Aram-nahrin, and the king of Nisibin, and all their armies; who came and encamped 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 army of the mighty men.⁹ And the children of Ammon came out and set the battle in array before the gate of the city; and the kings who had come to them and their armies were encamping by themselves in the fields.¹⁰ Now when Joab saw that the battle was fierce against him in front and in the rear, he chose some of all the valiant men of Israel and arrayed them against the Arameans.¹¹ And the rest of the people he placed under the command of Abishai his brother, and they pitched battle against the children of Ammon.¹² And he said to him, If the Arameans are too strong for me, then you shall come to my help; but if the children of Ammon are too strong for you, then I will come to help you.¹³ Be of good courage, and let us be strong for the sake of our people and for the sake of the cities of our God; and let the LORD do that which is good in his sight.¹⁴ So Joab and the people who were with him drew near against the Arameans to battle, and they fled before him.¹⁵ And when the children of Ammon saw that the Arameans had fled, they likewise fled before Abishai his brother, and entered into the city. Then Joab returned to Jerusalem.¹⁶ And when the Arameans saw that they had been defeated before Israel, they sent messengers and brought out the Arameans who were beyond the river; and they came to Hilam, and Shobach the commander of the army of Hadarezer went before them.¹⁷ And it was told David; and he gathered all Israel and came against them, and set the battle in array against the Arameans and fought with them.¹⁸ And the Arameans fled before Israel; and David slew of the Arameans seven thousand men who fought in chariots and four thousand footmen, and killed there Shobach the commander of the army of Hadarezer.¹⁹ And when the servants of Hadarezer saw that they had been defeated before Israel, they made peace with David and served him; and the Arameans were not willing to help the children of Ammon any more.