^aSucedió después de esto que murió Nahas, rey de los hijos de Amón, y su hijo reinó en su lugar. 2 Y David dijo: Seré bondadoso con Hanún, hijo de Nahas, porque su padre fue bondadoso conmigo. Envió, pues, David mensajeros para consolarlo por la muerte de su padre. Pero cuando los siervos de David llegaron a la tierra de los amonitas a ver a Hanún para consolarlo, 3 los príncipes de los amonitas dijeron a Hanún: ¿Crees tú que David está¹ honrando a tu padre porque te ha enviado consoladores? ¿No han venido a ti sus siervos para reconocer, para destruir y para espiar la tierra? 4 Entonces Hanún tomó a los siervos de David y los rapó, les cortó los vestidos por la mitad hasta las caderas, y los despidió. 5 Y algunos fueron y le avisaron a David acerca de los hombres. Y él envió gente a su encuentro, porque los hombres estaban muy humillados. Y el rey dijo: Quedaos en¹ Jericó hasta que os crezca la barba, y después volved.

6 Y viendo los hijos de Amón que se habían hecho odiosos a David, Hanún y los hijos de Amón enviaron mil talentos¹ de plata para tomar a sueldo carros y hombres de a caballo de Mesopotamia, de Aram-maaca y de Soba^a. 7 Y tomaron a sueldo treinta y dos mil carros, y al rey de Maaca y a su pueblo, los cuales vinieron y acamparon delante de Medeba^a. También los hijos de Amón se reunieron desde sus ciudades y vinieron a la batalla. 8 Cuando David se enteró, envió a Joab y a todo el ejército de los valientes. 9 Y los hijos de Amón salieron y se pusieron en orden de batalla a la entrada de la ciudad, y los reyes que habían venido estaban aparte en el campo.

10 Viendo Joab que se le presentaba batalla¹ por el frente y por la retaguardia, escogió de entre los mejores hombres de Israel y los puso en orden de batalla contra los arameos. 11 Al resto del pueblo lo colocó al mando de su hermano Abisai; y se pusieron en orden de batalla contra los hijos de Amón. 12 Y dijo: Si los arameos son demasiado fuertes para mí, entonces tú me ayudarás, y si los hijos de Amón son demasiado fuertes para ti, entonces yo te ayudaré. 13 Esfuérzate, y mostrémonos valientes por amor a nuestro pueblo y por amor a las ciudades de nuestro Dios; y que el SEÑOR haga lo que le parezca bien¹. 14 Entonces se acercó Joab con el pueblo que estaba con él para enfrentarse en combate con los arameos, yestos huyeron delante de él. 15 Cuando los hijos de Amón vieron que los arameos huían, ellos también huyeron delante de su hermano Abisai y entraron en la ciudad. Entonces Joab volvió a Jerusalén.

16 Al ver los arameos que habían sido derrotados por¹ Israel, enviaron mensajeros, y trajeron a los arameos que estaban al otro lado del Río², con Sofac, comandante del ejército de Hadad-ezer, al frente de ellos. 17 Cuando se dio aviso a David,este reunió a todo Israel, cruzó el Jordán y llegó frente a ellos y se puso en orden de batalla contra ellos. Y cuando David se puso en orden de batalla para enfrentarse a los arameos,estos pelearon contra él. 18 Pero los arameos huyeron delante de Israel, y David mató de los arameos a siete mil¹ hombres de los carros y cuarenta mil hombres de a pie, también dio muerte a Sofac, comandante del ejército. 19 Cuando los siervos de Hadad-ezer vieron que habían sido derrotados por¹ Israel, hicieron la paz con David y le sirvieron. Y los arameos no quisieron ayudar más a los hijos de Amón.

^aNow it came about after this, that Nahash the king of the sons of Ammon died, and his son became king in his place. 2 Then David said, “I will show kindness to Hanun the son of Nahash, because his father showed kindness to me.” So David sent messengers to console him concerning his father. And David’s servants came into the land of the sons of Ammon to Hanun to console him. 3 But the commanders among the sons of Ammon said to Hanun, “¹Do you think that David is honoring your father, in that he has sent comforters to you? Have his servants not come to you to search, to demolish, and to spy out the land?” 4 So Hanun took David’s servants and shaved them, and cut off their robes in the middle as far as their buttocks, and sent them away. 5 Then certain people went and told David about the men. And he sent messengers to meet them, because the men were very humiliated. And the king said, “Stay at Jericho until your beards grow back, then return.”

6 When the sons of Ammon saw that they had made themselves repulsive to David, Hanun and the sons of Ammon sent ¹a thousand talents of silver to hire for themselves chariots and horsemen from Mesopotamia, Aram-maacah, and ^aZobah. 7 So they hired for themselves thirty-two thousand chariots, and the king of Maacah and his people, who came and camped opposite ^aMedeba. And the sons of Ammon gathered together from their cities and came to the battle. 8 When David heard about it, he sent Joab and all the army, the mighty men. 9 The sons of Ammon came out and drew up in battle formation at the entrance of the city; and the kings who had come were by themselves in the field.

10 Now when Joab saw that the ¹battle was set against him at the front and at the rear, he selected warriors from all the choice men in Israel and lined them up against the Arameans. 11 But the remainder of the people he placed ¹under the command of ²Abshai his brother; and they lined up against the sons of Ammon. 12 He said, “If the Arameans are too strong for me, then you shall help me; but if the sons of Ammon are too strong for you, then I will help you. 13 Be strong, and let’s show ourselves courageous for the benefit of our people and the cities of our God; and may the LORD do what is good in His sight.” 14 So Joab and the people who were with him advanced to battle against the Arameans, and they fled from him. 15 When the sons of Ammon saw that the Arameans had fled, they also fled from his brother Abshai and entered the city. Then Joab came to Jerusalem.

16 When the Arameans saw that they had been ¹defeated by Israel, they sent messengers and brought out the Arameans who were beyond the Euphrates River, with Shophach the commander of the army of Hadadezer ²leading them. 17 When it was reported to David, he gathered all Israel together and crossed the Jordan, and came upon them and drew up in formation against them. And when David drew up in battle formation against the Arameans, they fought against him. 18 And the Arameans fled from Israel, and David killed of the Arameans seven thousand charioteers and forty thousand foot soldiers; and he put Shophach the commander of the army to death. 19 So when the servants of Hadadezer saw that they had been ¹defeated by Israel, they made peace with David and served him. So the Arameans were not willing to help the sons of Ammon anymore.

^aNow it came about after this, that Nahash the king of the sons of Ammon died, and his son became king in his place. 2 Then David said, “I will show kindness to Hanun the son of Nahash, because his father showed kindness to me.” So David sent messengers to console him concerning his father. And David’s servants came into the land of the sons of Ammon to Hanun to console him. 3 But the princes of the sons of Ammon said to Hanun, “¹Do you think that David is honoring your father, in that he has sent comforters to you? Have not his servants come to you to search and to overthrow and to spy out the land?” 4 So Hanun took David’s servants and shaved them and cut off their garments in the middle as far as their hips, and sent them away. 5 Then certain persons went and told David about the men. And he sent to meet them, for the men were greatly humiliated. And the king said, “¹Stay at Jericho until your beards grow, and then return.”

6 When the sons of Ammon saw that they had made themselves odious to David, Hanun and the sons of Ammon sent 1,000 talents of silver to hire for themselves chariots and horsemen from Mesopotamia, from Aram-maacah and ^afrom Zobah. 7 So they hired for themselves 32,000 chariots, and the king of Maacah and his people, who came and camped before ^aMedeba. And the sons of Ammon gathered together from their cities and came to battle. 8 When David heard of it, he sent Joab and all the army, the mighty men. 9 The sons of Ammon came out and drew up in battle array at the entrance of the city, and the kings who had come were by themselves in the field.

10 Now when Joab saw that the ¹battle was set against him in front and in the rear, he selected from all the choice men of Israel and they arrayed themselves against the Arameans. 11 But the remainder of the people he placed in the hand of ¹Abshai his brother; and they arrayed themselves against the sons of Ammon. 12 He said, “If the Arameans are too strong for me, then you shall help me; but if the sons of Ammon are too strong for you, then I will help you. 13 Be strong, and let us show ourselves courageous for the sake of our people and for the cities of our God; and may the LORD do what is good in His sight.” 14 So Joab and the people who were with him drew near to the battle against the Arameans, and they fled before him. 15 When the sons of Ammon saw that the Arameans fled, they also fled before Abshai his brother and entered the city. Then Joab came to Jerusalem.

16 When the Arameans saw that they had been ¹defeated by Israel, they sent messengers and brought out the Arameans who were beyond the ²River, with Shophach the commander of the army of Hadadezer ³leading them. 17 When it was told David, he gathered all Israel together and crossed the Jordan, and came upon them and drew up in formation against them. And when David drew up in battle array against the Arameans, they fought against him. 18 The Arameans fled before Israel, and David killed of the Arameans 7,000 charioteers and 40,000 foot soldiers, and put to death Shophach the commander of the army. 19 So when the servants of Hadadezer saw that they were ¹defeated by Israel, they made peace with David and served him. Thus the Arameans were not willing to help the sons of Ammon anymore.