² David thought, “I will show kindness to Hanun son of Nahash, because his father showed kindness to me.” So David sent a delegation to express his sympathy to Hanun concerning his father.

When David’s envoys came to Hanun in the land of the Ammonites to express sympathy to him,

²⁶ When David reached Ziklag, he sent some of the plunder to the elders of Judah, who were his friends, saying, “Here is a gift^(A) for you from the plunder of the Lord’s enemies.”

³ No Ammonite^(A) or Moabite or any of their descendants may enter the assembly of the Lord, not even in the tenth generation.^{(B) 4} For they did not come to meet you with bread and water^(C) on your way when you came out of Egypt, and they hired Balaam^(D) son of Beor from Pethor in Aram Naharaim^[a](E) to pronounce a curse on you.^{(F) 5} However, the Lord your God would not listen to Balaam but turned the curse^(G) into a blessing for you, because the Lord your God loves^(H) you. ⁶ Do not seek a treaty^(I) of friendship with them as long as you live.^(J)

³⁷ The older daughter had a son, and she named him Moab^[a];^(A) he is the father of the Moabites^(B) of today. ³⁸ The younger daughter also had a son, and she named him Ben-Ammi^[b]; he is the father of the Ammonites^[c](C) of today.

¹⁵ Now there lived in that city a man poor but wise, and he saved the city by his wisdom. But nobody remembered that poor man.^(A)

³ “What honor and recognition has Mordecai received for this?” the king asked.

“Nothing has been done for him,”^(A) his attendants answered.

Nehemiah’s Final Reforms

13 On that day the Book of Moses was read aloud in the hearing of the people and there it was found written that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever be admitted into the assembly of God,^(A)

⁷ But when Sanballat, Tobiah,^(A) the Arabs, the Ammonites and the people of Ashdod heard that the repairs to Jerusalem’s walls had gone ahead and that the gaps were being closed, they were very angry.

³ Tobiah^(A) the Ammonite, who was at his side, said, “What they are building—even a fox climbing up on it would break down their wall of stones!”^(B)