^S1/C1And it came to pass after this, that Nahash the king of the children of Ammon died, and Hanun his son reigned in his stead. ^S2/C2Then said David, I will shew kindness unto Hanun the son of Nahash, because his father shewed kindness unto me. And David sent messengers to comfort him by the hand of his servants for his father. And David’s servants came into the land of the children of Ammon to Hanun, to comfort him. ^S3/C3And the princes of the children of Ammon said unto Hanun their lord, Thinkest thou that David doth honour thy father, that he hath sent comforters unto thee? hath not David rather sent his servants unto thee, are not his servants come unto thee for to search the city, and to spy out the land, and to overthrow it? ^S4/C4Wherefore Hanun took David’s servants, and shaved off the one half of their beards, and cut off their garments in the middle, even hard by their buttocks, and sent them away. ^S5/C5Then there went certain, and when they told it unto David how the men were served, he sent to meet them, because the men were greatly ashamed. And the king said, Tarry at Jericho until your beards be grown, and then return. ^S6/C6And when the children of Ammon saw that they stank before David, [and] had made themselves odious to [him], Hanun and the children of Ammon sent a thousand talents of silver to hire them chariots and horsemen out of Bethrehob in Mesopotamia, and out of Syriamaachah, the Syrians of Zobah. ^C7 So they hired thirty and two thousand chariots, and twenty thousand footmen, and of king Maacah a thousand men, and of Ishtob twelve thousand men. And the children of Ammon gathered themselves together from their cities, and came to battle. ^S7/C8And when David heard of it, he sent Joab, and all the host of the mighty men. ^S8/C9And the children of Ammon came out, and put the battle in array before the entering in of the gate: and the Syrians of Zoba, and of Rehob, and Ishtob, and Maacah, and the kings that were come were by themselves in the field. ^S9/C10Now when Joab saw that the front of the battle was set against him before and behind, he chose out of all the choice men of Israel, and put them in array against the Syrians. ^S10/C11And the rest of the people he delivered into the hand of Abishai his brother, that he might put them in array against the children of Ammon. ^S11/C12And he said, If the Syrians be too strong for me, then thou shalt help me: but if the children of Ammon be too strong for thee, then I will come and help thee. ^S12/C13Be of good courage, and let us play the men, behave ourselves valiantly for our people, and for the cities of our God: and let YHVH do that which seemeth good in his sight. ^S13/C14And so Joab drew nigh, and the people that were with him, unto the battle against the Syrians: and they fled before him. ^S14/C15And when the children of Ammon saw that the Syrians were fled, then likewise fled they also before Abishai his brother, and entered into the city. So Joab returned from the children of Ammon, and came to Jerusalem. ^S15/C16And when the Syrians saw that they were smitten [and] put to the worse before Israel, they gathered themselves together. ^S16And Hadarezer sent messengers, and drew forth and brought out the Syrians that were beyond the river: and they came to Helam; and Shobach {or} Shophach the captain of the host of Hadarezer went before them. ^S17/C17And when it was told David, he gathered all Israel together, and passed over Jordan, and came upon them [in] Helam. And the Syrians set themselves in array against them. So when David had put the battle in array against the Syrians, they fought with him. ^S18/C18And the Syrians fled before Israel; and David slew the men of seven hundred [or] thousand men which fought in chariots of the Syrians, and forty thousand horsemen, and forty thousand footmen, and smote Shobach [or] Shophach the captain of their host, who died there. ^S19/S20And when all the kings that were servants to Hadarezer saw that they were [and] put to the worse smitten before Israel, they made peace with David [and] with Israel, and became his servants and served them. So the Syrians feared to help the children of Ammon, [and] neither would they help them any more.