1 Chronicles chapter .xix.
¶ After this it chanced that Nahas king of the children of Ammon died, and his son made king in his stead.
Then said David, I will shew kindness unto Hanon the son of Nahas, because his father dealt kindly with me: and thereupon David sent messengers to comfort him over the death of his father. And when the servants of David were come into the land of the children of Ammon to Hanon to comfort him,
the lords of the children of Ammon said to Hanon: thinkest thou that David doth honour thy father in thy sight, that he hath sent comforters unto thee? Nay, but it is to search and overthrow and to spy out the land, that his servants be come unto thee.
Whereupon Hanon took David's servants and shaved them, and cut off their coats hard by their buttocks and sent them away.
And there went that told David how the men were served. And the king sent to meet them (for the men were exceedingly ashamed) and said: tarry at Iericho until your beards be grown, and then return.
¶ And when the children of Ammon saw that they stank in the nose of David, Hanon, and the children of Ammon sent a thousand talents of silver to hire the chariots and horsemen out of Mesopotamia and out of Siria Maacah and out of Zobah.
And they hired thirty two thousand chariots, and the king of Maacah and his people, which came and pitched before Midba. And the children of Ammon gathered themselves to gether from their cities and went out to battle.
And as soon as David heard of it, he sent Ioab with all the host of strong men.
And the children of Ammon came out and put them in array to battle before the gate of the city. And the kings that were come kept them by themselves in the field.
When Ioab saw that the front of the battle was before him and after, he chose out of all the youth of Israel and put them in array against the Sirians.
And the rest of the people he delivered unto Abisai his brother, that they should put themselves in array against the children of Ammon,
and said: If the Sirians be too strong for me, succour me, and if the children of Ammon be too good for thee, I will help thee.
Pluck up thine heart and let us play the men for our people's sake, and for the cities of our God, and the LORD to do what seemeth him best.
And Ioab and the people that were with him drew nye to the Sirians, to fight, and they fled before him.
And when the children of Ammon saw that the Sirians were fled, they ran away likewise, from Abisai his brother and gat them into the city. And Ioab came to Ierusalem.
And when the Sirians saw that they were put to the worse of Israel, they sent messengers and fetched out the Sirians that are beyond the river with Sophach the Captain of the host of Hadadezer before them.
Which when it was told David, he gathered all Israel, and went over Iordan and went and set upon them. And David put himself in array against the Sirians, and they fought with him.
But the Sirians fled before Israel, and David destroyed of the Sirians seven thousand chariots, and slew forty thousand footmen and killed Sophach the Captain of the host.
And when the servants of Hadadezer saw that they were put to the worse of Israel, they made peace with David and served him. Neither would the Sirians help the children of Ammon any more.
Praise the Everlasting Lord for His Faithful Word.