1 Chronicles 19

Modern

Literal

David’s Messengers Disgraced

¹Some time later, Nahash king of the Ammonites died and was succeeded by his son.

¹And it came to pass after this, that Nahash the king of the sons of Ammon died, and his son reigned in his place.

²And David said, “I will show kindness to Hanun son of Nahash, because his father showed kindness to me.”

So David sent messengers to console Hanun concerning his father. But when David’s servants arrived in the land of the Ammonites to console him,

²And David said, “I will show kindness to Hanun son of Nahash, because his father showed kindness to me.” And David sent messengers to comfort him concerning his father, and the servants of David came to the land of the sons of Ammon to Hanun, to comfort him.

³the princes of the Ammonites said to Hanun, “Just because David has sent you comforters, do you really believe he is showing respect for your father? Have not his servants come to you to explore the land, spy it out, and overthrow it?”

³And the princes of the sons of Ammon said to Hanun, “Is David honoring your father in your eyes because he has sent to you comforters? Is it not in order to search out and to overthrow and to spy out the land that his servants have come to you?”

⁴So Hanun took David’s servants, shaved their beards, cut off their garments at the hips, and sent them away.

⁴And Hanun took the servants of David and shaved them and cut off their garments in the middle at their buttocks, and he sent them away.

⁵When someone came and told David about his men, he sent messengers to meet them, since the men had been thoroughly humiliated. The king told them, “Stay in Jericho until your beards have grown back, and then return.”

⁵And some went and declared to David concerning the men, and he sent to meet them because the men were greatly ashamed. And the king said, “Dwell at Jericho until that your beards have grown; and return.”

⁶When the Ammonites realized that they had become a stench to David, Hanun and the Ammonites sent a thousand talents of silver^a to hire for themselves chariots and horsemen from Aram-naharaim,^b Aram-maacah, and Zobah.

⁶And the sons of Ammon saw that they were a stench to David, and Hanun and the sons of Ammon sent a thousand talents of silver to hire for themselves from Aram-naharaim, and from Aram-maacah, and from Zobah, chariots and horsemen.

⁷So they hired for themselves thirty-two thousand chariots, as well as the king of Maacah with his troops, who came and camped near Medeba while the Ammonites were mustered from their cities and marched out for battle.

⁷And they hired for themselves two and thirty thousand chariots, and the king of Maacah and his people, and they came in and encamped before the face of Medeba. And the sons of Ammon gathered together from their cities and came in to the battle.

⁸On hearing this, David sent Joab and the entire army of mighty men.

⁸And David heard, and he sent Joab and all the host of the mighty men.

⁹The Ammonites marched out and arrayed themselves for battle at the entrance to the city, while the kings who had come stayed by themselves in the open country.

⁹And the sons of Ammon came out for battle and arrayed themselves before the gate of the city, and the kings who had come were by themselves in the field.

David Defeats Ammon and Aram

¹⁰When Joab saw the battle lines before him and behind him, he selected some of the best men of Israel and arrayed them against the Arameans.

¹⁰And Joab saw that the front of the battle was to him before and behind, and he chose some of the choice in Israel, and he arrayed against Aram.

¹¹And he placed the rest of the troops under the command of his brother Abishai, who arrayed them against the Ammonites.

¹¹And the rest of the people he put under the command of Abishai his brother, and they arrayed against the sons of Ammon.

¹²“If the Arameans are too strong for me,” said Joab, “then you will come to my rescue. And if the Ammonites are too strong for you, then I will come to your rescue.

¹²And he said, “If Aram is too strong for me, you shall be to me for salvation. And if the sons of Ammon are too strong for you, then I will save you.

¹³Be strong and let us fight bravely for our people and for the cities of our God. May the LORD do what is good in His sight.”

¹³Be strong, and let us strengthen ourselves for our people and for the cities of our God. And YHWH shall do good in His sight.”

¹⁴So Joab and his troops advanced to fight the Arameans, who fled before him.

¹⁴And Joab drew near, and the people who were with him, against Aram to battle; and they fled from his face.

¹⁵When the Ammonites saw that the Arameans had fled, they too fled before Joab’s brother Abishai, and they entered the city. So Joab went back to Jerusalem.

¹⁵And the sons of Ammon saw that Aram was fleeing, and fled they also before Abishai his brother and entered the city. And Joab went to Jerusalem.

¹⁶When the Arameans saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they sent messengers to bring more Arameans from beyond the Euphrates,^a with Shophach^b the commander of Hadadezer’s army leading them.

¹⁶And Aram saw that they had been struck by Israel, and they sent messengers and brought out Aram which was beyond the River, and Shophach the commander of the army of Hadadezer before them.

¹⁷When this was reported to David, he gathered all Israel, crossed the Jordan, advanced toward the Arameans, and arrayed for battle against them. When David lined up to engage them in battle, they fought against him.

¹⁷And it was declared to David, and he gathered all Israel and passed over the Jordan, and he came toward them and arrayed against them. And David arrayed in battle against Aram, and they fought with him.

¹⁸But the Arameans fled before Israel, and David killed seven thousand of their charioteers and forty thousand foot soldiers. He also killed Shophach the commander of their army.

¹⁸And Aram fled before Israel, and David killed of Aram seven thousand charioteers and forty thousand soldiers on foot. And he killed Shophach the commander of the army.

¹⁹When Hadadezer’s subjects saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they made peace with David and became subject to him. So the Arameans were unwilling to help the Ammonites anymore.

¹⁹And the servants of Hadadezer saw that they were defeated by Israel, and they made peace with David and became his servants. And Aram was not willing to help the people of Ammon anymore.