1
And it came to pass afterward that the king of the sons of Ammon died, and Chanun his son reigned in his place.
2
And Daviyd said, “I will deal in Covenant-Faithfulness with Chanun son of Nachash, just as his father dealt in covenant-faithfulness with me.” And Daviyd sent by the hand of his servants to comfort him concerning his father. And the servants of Daviyd came into the land of the sons of Ammon.
3
And the rulers of the sons of Ammon said to Chanun their master, “Is Daviyd honoring your father in your eyes because he sent comforters to you? Has Daviyd not sent his servants to you in order to search the city, and to spy it out, and to overthrow it?”
4
And Chanun took the servants of Daviyd and shaved off half of their beards and cut off their garments in the middle, as far as their buttocks, and sent them away.
5
And they declared it to Daviyd, and he sent to meet them, for the men were exceedingly humiliated. And the king said, “Remain at Yericho until your beards grow, and then return.”
6
And the sons of Ammon saw that they had become odious to Daviyd. And the sons of Ammon sent and hired Aram of Beit-Rechov and Aram of Tzovah, twenty thousand ish on foot, and the king of Maakhah with one thousand ish, and the men of Tov, twelve thousand ish.
7
And Daviyd heard and sent Yoav and all the host, the mighty men.
8
And the sons of Ammon went out and arranged themselves for battle at the entrance of the gate. And Aram of Tzovah and Rechov, and the men of Tov and Maakhah, were by themselves in the field.
9
And Yoav saw that the face of the battle was against him from before and from behind. And he chose from all the chosen men of Yisra’el and arranged them against Aram.
10
And the remainder of the people he gave into the hand of Avishai his brother, and he arranged them against the sons of Ammon.
11
And he said, “If Aram is too strong for me, then you shall be for me for salvation. And if the sons of Ammon are too strong for you, then I will come to save you.
12
Be strong, and let us strengthen ourselves for our people and for the cities of our Elohim; and may Yahuah do what is good in His eyes.”
13
And Yoav drew near, and the people who were with him, to the battle against Aram. And they fled from before his face.
14
And the sons of Ammon saw that Aram had fled, and they also fled from before Avishai and entered the city. And Yoav returned from the sons of Ammon and came to Yerushalayim.
15
And Aram saw that they had been struck before Yisra’el, and they gathered themselves together.
16
And Hadadezer sent and brought out Aram who were beyond the River, and they came to Chelam. And Shovakh, commander of the host of Hadadezer, was before them.
17
And it was declared to Daviyd. And he gathered all Yisra’el, crossed the Yarden, and came to Chelam. And Aram arranged themselves against Daviyd and fought with him.
18
And Aram fled from before Yisra’el. And Daviyd put to death from Aram seven hundred charioteers and forty thousand horsemen; and he struck Shovakh, commander of their host, and he died there.
19
And all the kings who were servants of Hadadezer saw that they had been struck before Yisra’el, and they made shalom with Yisra’el and served them. And Aram feared to save the sons of Ammon any longer.