1 Chronicles 19
Legacy Standard Bible
The Ammonites Dishonor David’s Men
19 (A)Now it happened afterwards, that Nahash the king of the sons of Ammon died, and his son became king in his place. 2 So David said, “I will show lovingkindness to Hanun the son of Nahash, because his father showed lovingkindness to me.” So David sent messengers to comfort him concerning his father. And David’s servants came into the land of the sons of Ammon to Hanun to comfort him. 3 But the princes of the sons of Ammon said to Hanun, “In your eyes, is David honoring your father because 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 dishonored. And the king said, “[a]Stay at Jericho until your beards grow, and then return.”
6 Then the sons of Ammon saw that they had made themselves odious to David. So Hanun and the sons of Ammon sent [b]1,000 talents of silver to hire for themselves chariots and horsemen from Mesopotamia, from Aram-maacah, and (B)from Zobah. 7 So they hired for themselves 32,000 chariots, and the king of Maacah and his people, who came and camped before (C)Medeba. And the sons of Ammon gathered together from their cities and came to battle. 8 Then David heard of it, and he sent Joab and all the army, the mighty men. 9 And the sons of Ammon came out and arranged themselves for battle at the entrance of the city. But the kings who had come were by themselves in the field.
David Defeats Ammon and Aram
10 Then Joab saw that the [c]battle was set against him in front and in the rear. So he chose from all the choice men of Israel and [d]they arranged themselves to meet the Arameans. 11 But the remainder of the people he put in the hand of [e]Abshai his brother; and they arranged themselves to meet the sons of Ammon. 12 And he said, “If the Arameans are too strong for me, then you shall save me; but if the sons of Ammon are too strong for you, then I will save you. 13 Be strong, and let us show strength for the sake of our people and for the cities of our God; and may Yahweh do what is good in His sight.” 14 So Joab and the people who were with him drew near before the Arameans for the battle, and they fled before him. 15 Now the sons of Ammon saw that the Arameans fled. So they themselves also fled before Abshai his brother and came into the city. Then Joab came to Jerusalem.
16 Then the Arameans saw that they had been [f]defeated by Israel. So they sent messengers and brought out the Arameans who were beyond the [g]River, and Shophach the commander of the army of Hadadezer [h]led them. 17 And it was told to David, so he gathered all Israel together and crossed the Jordan, and came upon them and arranged for battle against them. So David arranged them in battle to meet the Arameans. And they fought against him. 18 But 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 Then the servants of Hadadezer saw that they were [i]defeated by Israel. So they made peace with David and served him. And the Arameans were not willing to save the sons of Ammon anymore.
Footnotes
- 1 Chronicles 19:5 Lit Return to
- 1 Chronicles 19:6 Approx. 38 tons or 34 metric tons, a talent was approx. 75 lb. or 34 kg
- 1 Chronicles 19:10 Lit the face of the battle
- 1 Chronicles 19:10 Lit he...himself
- 1 Chronicles 19:11 In 2 Sam 10:10, Abishai
- 1 Chronicles 19:16 Lit smitten before
- 1 Chronicles 19:16 The Euphrates River
- 1 Chronicles 19:16 Lit before
- 1 Chronicles 19:19 Lit smitten before
1 Chronicles 19
Common English Bible
War with the Ammonites and Arameans
19 Some time later, the Ammonite King Nahash died, and his son succeeded him as king. 2 “I’ll be loyal to Nahash’s son Hanun,” David said, “because his father was loyal to me.” So David sent messengers with condolences about his father’s death.
But when David’s servants arrived in the Ammonite territory to express his sympathy to Hanun, 3 the Ammonite leaders asked Hanun, “Do you really believe David is honoring your father because he has sent you condolences? Of course not! His servants have come to search the city, spy it out, and overthrow it!” 4 So Hanun took David’s servants, shaved them, cut off half their garments from their buttocks down, and sent them off.
5 When this was reported to David, he sent messengers to the men because they were completely ashamed. The king said, “Stay in Jericho until your beards have grown. Then you can come back.”
6 When the Ammonites realized that they had offended David, Hanun and the Ammonites sent one thousand kikkars of silver to hire chariots and cavalry for themselves from Aram-naharaim, Aram-maacah, and Zobah. 7 They hired thirty-two thousand chariots, as well as King Maacah and his army, who came and camped in front of Medeba, while the Ammonites left their cities and came together ready for battle. 8 When David heard this, he sent Joab and the entire army of warriors. 9 The Ammonites marched out and formed a battle line at the entrance to the city, while the kings who had come remained in the countryside.
10 When Joab saw that the battle would be fought on two fronts, he chose some of Israel’s finest warriors and deployed them to meet the Arameans. 11 The rest of the army Joab placed under the command of his brother Abishai. When they took up their positions to meet the Arameans, 12 Joab said, “If the Arameans prove too strong for me, you must help me, and if the Ammonites prove too strong for you, I’ll help you. 13 Be brave! We must be courageous for the sake of our people and the cities of our God. The Lord will do what is good in his eyes.”
14 When Joab and the troops who were with him advanced into battle against the Arameans, they fled from him. 15 When the Ammonites saw that the Arameans had fled, they also fled from his brother Abishai and retreated into the city. So Joab returned to Jerusalem.
16 The Arameans saw that they had been defeated by Israel. They sent out messengers to bring Aramean reinforcements from the other side of the river, with Shophach the commander of Hadadezer’s army at their head. 17 Upon hearing this, David gathered all Israel and crossed the Jordan. David advanced and took up positions against the Arameans to meet them in battle. After initiating the battle, 18 the Arameans fled before Israel, and David killed seven thousand Aramean chariot drivers and forty thousand foot soldiers. Shophach the commander of their army was killed too. 19 When the servants of Hadadezer saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they made peace with David and served him. Never again would the Arameans come to the aid of the Ammonites.
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