2 Samuel 10:1-9 ▼

1 Now it happened afterwards, that the king of the sons of Ammon died, and Hanun his son became king in his place.

2 So David said, “I will show lovingkindness to Hanun the son of Nahash, just as his father showed lovingkindness to me.” So David sent to comfort him concerning his father by the hand of his servants. And David’s servants came to the land of the sons of Ammon.

3 But the princes of the sons of Ammon said to Hanun their lord, “In your eyes, is David honoring your father because he has sent comforters to you? Has David not sent his servants to you in order to search the city, to spy it out and overthrow it?”

4 So Hanun took David’s servants and shaved off half of their beards, and cut off their garments in the middle as far as their hips, and sent them away.

5 Then they told it to David. And he sent to meet them, for the men were greatly dishonored. And the king said, “Stay at Jericho until your beards grow, and then return.”

6 Then the sons of Ammon saw that they had become odious to David. So the sons of Ammon sent and hired the Arameans of Beth-rehob and the Arameans of Zobah, 20,000 foot soldiers, and the king of Maacah with 1,000 men, and the men of Tob with 12,000 men.

7 Then David heard of it and sent Joab and all the army, the mighty men.

8 And the sons of Ammon came out and arranged themselves for battle at the entrance of the gate of the city. But the Arameans of Zobah and of Rehob and the men of Tob and Maacah were by themselves in the field.

9 Then Joab saw that the battle was set against him from the front and from the rear. So he chose from all the choice men of Israel, and they arranged themselves to meet the Arameans.