¹It happened after this that the king of the children of Ammon died, and Hanun his son reigned in his place.

²David said, I will do loyal love with Hanun the son of Nahash, just as his father did loyal love with me. And David sent, by the hand of his slaves, to comfort him concerning his father, and the slaves of David came to the land of the children of Ammon.

³The officials of the children of Ammon said to Hanun their lord, Is David honoring your father in your eyes, that he has sent comforters to you? Is it not for the sake of searching the city, and spying it out, and overturning it, that David has sent his slaves to you.

⁴Hanun took the slaves of David and shaved off half of their beards, and cut off their garments at the middle, as far as their buttocks, and sent them away.

⁵They told David, and he sent to meet them, for the men were greatly humiliated; and the king said, Dwell in Jericho until your beards sprout, then return.

⁶The children of Ammon saw that they had made themselves a stench with David, and the children of Ammon sent and hired Aram of Beth-rehob and Aram of Zobah, twenty thousand foot soldiers, and the king of Maacah, a thousand men, and the men of Tob, twelve thousand men.

⁷David heard, and sent Joab and all the host, the mighty men.

⁸The children of Ammon went out and drew up in battle order at the door of the gate, while Aram of Zobah and Rehob and the men of Tob and Maacah were by themselves in the field.

⁹Joab saw that the face of the battle was against him, in front and behind; so he chose some of all the chosen men of Israel and drew them up to meet Aram.

¹⁰The rest of the people he put into the hand of Abishai his brother, and drew them up to meet the children of Ammon.

¹¹He said, If Aram is too strong for me, then you will become deliverance for me; and if the children of Ammon are too strong for you, then I will go to deliver you.

¹²Be strong, and let us show ourselves strong for our people and for the cities of our God; and Yahweh will do what is good in his eyes.

¹³Joab and the people who were with him drew near to the battle against Aram, and they fled from his face.

¹⁴When the children of Ammon saw that Aram had fled, they fled from the face of Abishai and came into the city. Then Joab returned from against the children of Ammon and came to Jerusalem.

¹⁵Aram saw that it had been smitten before Israel, and they gathered themselves together.

¹⁶Hadadezer sent and brought out Aram who were from the far side of the River; they came to Helam, and Shobach, captain of the host of Hadadezer, was before them.

¹⁷It was told to David, and he gathered all Israel and crossed the Jordan and came to Helam. And Aram drew up to meet David and fought against him.

¹⁸Aram fled from the face of Israel, and David killed of Aram seven hundred chariots, and forty thousand horsemen, and struck down Shobach, the captain of its host, and he died there.

¹⁹All the kings, the slaves of Hadadezer saw that they had been smitten before Israel, and they made friends with Israel and served them. So Aram was afraid to deliver the children of Ammon any more.