10 Some time later, the Ammonite king died, and his son Hanun replace him as king. 2 “I’ll be kind to Nahash’s son Hanun,” David said, “just like his father was kind to me.” So he sent servants to Hanun to convey his condolences.

When they arrived in the Ammon region, 3 the Ammonite commanders said to their master Hanun, “Do you think that David really sent condolences to honour your late father? Isn’t it more likely because he wanted them to spy on us, and to explore the city so he could more easily conquer it?”

4 So Hanun seized David’s servants and had half of their beards shaved off and their robes cut in half all the way up to their buttocks, then he sent them off. 5 They sent messengers ahead to tell David because they were very humiliated, and the king told them to stay in Yeriho before returning when their beards grew back.

6 Then the Ammonite leaders realised that they’d now caused David to despise them, so they hired twenty thousand Aramean (or Syrian) mercenaries from Beyt-Rehob and Tsovah, and another one thousand from Maakah and twelve thousand from Tov. 7 When David heard that, he sent Yoav in with the entire army. 8 The Ammonites came out the city gate and organised themselves for battle at the entrance, while their hired mercenaries stood apart out in the countryside.

9 When Yoav saw that he was disadvantaged with enemy lines both in front and behind, he selected certain Israeli warriors and placed them to battle the Aramean mercenaries, 10 leaving the others to face the Ammonites under the command of his brother Avishay, 11 telling him, “If the Arameans are too strong for me, then you come and rescue us, but if the Ammonites are too strong for you, then I’ll come and rescue you. 12 Be strong and courageous for the sake of our people and our God’s cities, and Yahweh will do whatever he considers right.”

13 So Yoav and his men advanced to attack the Aramean mercenaries but they fled away from them. 14 When the Ammonites saw the Arameans running away, they started retreating from Abishai and went back into the city, so Yoav withdrew from attacking the Ammonites and returned to Yerushalem.

15 When the Arameans realised that they’d been defeated by Israel, they assembled all their warriors together again. 16 King Hadadezer (from Tsovah) called for Aramean warriors from beyond the Euphrates River and they came to Heylam. Shovak was Hadadezer’s army commander. 17 When David heard that, he assembled all the Israeli warriors and they crossed the Yordan going towards Helam. The Arameans came out to meet David and the two sides fought each other. 18 But again the Arameans fled from the Israelis, and David killed seven hundred Aramean charioteers and forty thousand cavalry, and their commander Shobak was struck and died there also. 19 Then all the kings associated with Hadadezer realised they couldn’t defeat Israel, so they made peace with the Israelis and served them, and so the Arameans were afraid to try to rescue the Ammonites again.