1 Chronicles 19:1-10 ▼

1 Some time later, King Nahash of Ammon died and his son succeeded him,

2 so David told himself, |I will be loyal to Nahash's son Hanun, since his father showed loyal, gracious love to me.| So David sent a delegation to console him about his loss of his father. But when David's delegation arrived to visit Hanun in Ammonite territory to console him,

3 the Ammonite officials asked 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 to search, overthrow, and scout the land, hasn't it?|

4 So Hanun arrested David's delegation, shaved off their beards, cut off their clothes at the waist line, and sent them away in disgrace.

5 After they had departed, David was informed about the men, so he sent word to them, since they had been deeply humiliated. He told them, |Stay at Jericho until your beards have grown back, and then return.|

6 When the Ammonites realized that they had created quite a stink with David, Hanun and the Ammonites spent 1,000 silver talents to hire chariots and mercenaries from Mesopotamia, from Aram-maacah, and from Zobah.

7 They hired 32,000 chariots, along with the king of Maacah and his army, who arrived and encamped at Medeba. The Ammonites also were mustered and came out to battle from their home cities.

8 In response, David sent out Joab and his entire army of elite soldiers.

9 The Ammonites went out in battle formation in front of the entrance to the city while the kings who had come stayed by themselves in the open fields.

10 When Joab observed that the battle lines were set up to oppose him both in front and behind, he appointed some special forces from Israel and arrayed them to oppose the Arameans,