David’s Messengers Disgraced
(2 Samuel 10:1–8)

1And after this dyed Nahas ye kynge of the childre of Ammon, and his sonne was kynge in his steade. 2Then sayde Dauid: I wil do mercy vpon Hanun the sonne of Nahas, for his father dyd mercy vpon me: and so he sent messaungers to comforte him ouer his father. And wha Dauids seruauntes came in to the londe of the children of Ammon vnto Hanun to comforte him, 3the prynces of the children of Ammon sayde vnto Hanun: Thinkest thou that Dauid honoureth thy father in thy sighte, that he hath sent coforters vnto the? Yee his seruauntes are come vnto the, to search and to ouerthrowe, and to spye out the londe. 4Then toke Hanun the seruauntes of Dauid, and shoue them, & cut the halfe of their garmentes of, eue by the loynes, & so let the go. 5And they wente their waye, & sent men to tell Dauid. Neuertheles he sent to mete them (for ye men were put to greate shame) and the kynge sayde: Abyde at Iericho, tyll youre beerdes be growne, and then come agayne.

6Whan the childre of Ammon sawe, that they stynked in ye sighte of Dauid, both Hanun and the children of Ammon sent a thousande taletes of syluer, to hyre charettes and horsmen out of Mesopotamia, out of Maecha and out of Zoba: 7and hyred two and thirtie thousande charettes, & ye kynge of Maecha with his people, which came & pitched their tentes before Medba. And the children of Ammon gathered them selues together out of their cities, and came to the battayll. 8Whan Dauid herde that, he sent Ioab thither with all the hoost of the men of armes. 9And the childre of Ammon were gone forth, and prepared them selues to the battayll before the gate of the cite. But the kynges yt were come, kepte them asyde in the felde.

David Defeats Ammon and Aram
(2 Samuel 10:9–19)

10Now wha Ioab sawe that the battayll was agaynst him both before and behynde, he chose of all the best yonge men in Israel, and prepared him selfe agaynst ye Syrians. 11As for ye residue of the people, he put them vnder the hande of Abisai his brother, that they shulde prepare them selues agaynst the children of Ammon, 12and he sayde: Yf ye Syrias be to mightie for me, helpe thou me: but yf the childre of Ammon be to stroge for ye, I shall helpe the: 13take a good corage vnto the, and let vs quyte oure selues manly for oure people and for the cities of oure God: neuertheles the LORDE do what pleaseth him. 14And Ioab made him forth with ye people that was with him, to fighte agaynst ye Syrians: & they fled before him. 15And whan the children of Ammon sawe yt the Syrians fled, they fled also before Abisai his brother, and wente in to the cite. And Ioab came to Ierusalem.

16But whan the Syrians sawe that they were smytte before Israel, they sent messaungers, and broughte forth ye Syrians which were beyonde the water. And Sophach the chefe captayne of Hadad Eser wente before them. 17Wha this was tolde Dauid, he gathered all Israel together, and wente ouer Iordane. And whan he came at them, he set ye battayll in araye agaynst them. And Dauid prepared him selfe to ye battayll agaynst ye Syrians, & they foughte with him: 18but ye Syrias fled before Israel. And Dauid slewe of the Syrians seuen thousande charettes, & fortye thousande fote men. And Sophach the chefe captayne slewe he also. 19And whan Hadad Esers seruauntes sawe that they were smytte before Israel, they made peace wt Dauid & his seruauntes. And the Syrians wolde helpe the childre of Ammon nomore.