| [an error occurred while processing this directive] | International Standard Version |
| 1[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 1Sometime later, the Ammonite king died and his son Hanun succeeded him as king, |
| 2[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 2so David told himself, "I will be loyal to Nahash's son Hanun, since in his loyalty his father showed gracious love to me." So David sent a delegation to Hanun to console him about his loss of his father. But when David's delegation arrived in Ammonite territory, |
| 3[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 3the Ammonite officials asked their lord Hanun, "Do you think that because David has sent a delegation of consolers to you that he is honoring your father? His delegation has arrived intending to search, scout the land, and then overthrow it, hasn't it?" |
| 4[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 4So Hanun arrested David's delegation, shaved off half of their beards, cut off their clothes at the waist line, and sent them away in disgrace. |
| 5[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 5When David had been informed about the incident, he sent word to them, since the men had been deeply humiliated. The king told them, "Stay at Jericho until your beards have grown back, and then return." |
| 6[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 6When the Ammonites realized that they had created quite a stink with David, they hired 20,000 Aramean mercenaries from Beth-rehob and Zobah, along with the king of Maacah and 1,000 men, and 12,000 men from Tob. |
| 7[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 7In response, David sent out Joab and his entire army of elite soldiers. |
| 8[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 8The Ammonites went out in battle formation at the entrance to the city gate, while the Arameans from Zobah and Rehob, along with the army from Tob and Maacah, were out by themselves in the open fields. |
| 9[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 9When Joab observed that the battle lines were set up to oppose him both in front and behind, he appointed the best troops in Israel and arrayed them to oppose the Arameans, |
| 10[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 10putting the rest of his forces under the command of his brother Abishai, who arrayed them to oppose the Ammonites. |
| 11[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 11He said, "If the Arameans prove too strong for me, then you are to help me. If the Ammonites prove too strong for you, then I will come help you. |
| 12[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 12Be strong, be courageous on behalf of our people and for the cities of our God, and may the LORD do what he thinks is best." |
| 13[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 13So Joab and the soldiers who were with him attacked the Arameans in battle formation, and the Arameans retreated in front of him. |
| 14[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 14When the Ammonites saw the Arameans retreating, they also retreated from Abishai back to the city. Then Joab broke off his attack against the Ammonites and went back to Jerusalem. |
| 15[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 15After the Arameans realized that they had been defeated by Israel, they regrouped. |
| 16[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 16Hadadezer sent for the Arameans who lived beyond the Euphrates River, and they set out for Helam, with Shobach leading them as commander of Hadadezer's army. |
| 17[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 17When David learned this, he mustered all of Israel, crossed the Jordan River, and approached Helam. The Arameans assembled in battle array to attack David, and started their assault. |
| 18[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 18But the Arameans retreated from Israel, and David's forces killed 700 of their charioteers, 40,000 soldiers, and mortally wounded Shobach, the commander of their army. As a result, Shobach died there. |
| 19[an error occurred while processing this directive] | 19When all the kings who were allied with Hadadezer saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they sought terms of peace with the Israelis and became subservient to them. Furthermore, the Arameans were afraid to help the Ammonites anymore. |
| [an error occurred while processing this directive] | The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. |
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