David's Kindness Returned With Shame
David sends condolences to a new Ammonite king, whose advisers call the envoys spies; they are humiliated and half-shaved. What began as kindness becomes a two-front war with hired chariots, and ends with Aram refusing to help Ammon again.
19 1 Some time later, Nahash king of the Ammonites died, and his son became king in his place. 2 David said, "I'll show kindness to Hanun son of Nahash, since his father showed kindness to me." So David sent messengers to comfort him over his father. But when David's servants came to the land of the Ammonites, to Hanun, to comfort him, 3 Ammon's commanders told Hanun, "Does David really honor your father by sending you comforters? Haven't his servants come to you to search out, overthrow, and spy on the land?" 4 Hanun seized David's servants, shaved them, cut their garments in half at the hips, sent them away. 5 When they told David about the men, he sent to meet them, since they were badly ashamed. The king said, "Stay in Jericho till your beards grow, then return."
6 When the Ammonites saw they'd become a stench to David, Hanun and the Ammonites sent about thirty-eight tons of silver to hire chariots and horsemen from Aram-naharaim, Aram-maacah, and Zobah. 7 They hired thirty-two thousand chariots, plus the king of Maacah and his troops, who came and camped opposite Medeba. The Ammonites gathered from their cities and came out to fight. 8 When David heard of it, he sent Joab and the whole army of fighting men. 9 The Ammonites marched out and lined up for battle at the city's entrance, while the kings who had come stood alone in the field.
10 Joab saw the battle was set against him, front and rear, so he chose Israel's best troops and lined them up against the Arameans. 11 He put the rest of the troops under his brother Abishai, who lined up against the Ammonites. 12 Joab said, "If Aram overpowers me, rescue me; if Ammon overpowers you, I'll rescue you." 13 Be strong; let us strengthen ourselves for our people and our Father's cities, and may our Father do what is good in his eyes.
14 Then Joab and the troops with him advanced to fight the Arameans, and they fled before him. 15 Seeing Aram had fled, the Ammonites also fled before Abishai his brother and came into the city. Joab then came to Jerusalem.
16 When the Arameans saw that Israel had defeated them, they sent messengers and brought out the Arameans from beyond the Euphrates, with Shophach, commander of Hadadezer's army, at their head. 17 David was told; he gathered all Israel, crossed the Jordan, came against them, and lined up for battle. David lined up for battle against the Arameans, and they fought him. 18 The Arameans fled before Israel. David killed seven thousand of their charioteers and forty thousand foot soldiers, then killed Shophach, commander of their army. 19 When Hadadezer's servants saw Israel had defeated them, they made peace with David and served him. Aram was no longer willing to help the Ammonites.
