1 Chronicles 19
King James Version
19 Now it came to pass after this, that Nahash the king of the children of Ammon died, and his son reigned in his stead.
2 And David said, I will shew kindness unto Hanun the son of Nahash, because his father shewed kindness to me. And David sent messengers to comfort him concerning his father. So the servants of David came into the land of the children of Ammon to Hanun, to comfort him.
3 But the princes of the children of Ammon said to Hanun, Thinkest thou that David doth honour thy father, that he hath sent comforters unto thee? are not his servants come unto thee for to search, and to overthrow, and to spy out the land?
4 Wherefore Hanun took David's servants, and shaved them, and cut off their garments in the midst hard by their buttocks, and sent them away.
5 Then there went certain, and told David how the men were served. And he sent to meet them: for the men were greatly ashamed. And the king said, Tarry at Jericho until your beards be grown, and then return.
6 And when the children of Ammon saw that they had made themselves odious to David, Hanun and the children of Ammon sent a thousand talents of silver to hire them chariots and horsemen out of Mesopotamia, and out of Syriamaachah, and out of Zobah.
7 So they hired thirty and two thousand chariots, and the king of Maachah and his people; who came and pitched before Medeba. And the children of Ammon gathered themselves together from their cities, and came to battle.
8 And when David heard of it, he sent Joab, and all the host of the mighty men.
9 And the children of Ammon came out, and put the battle in array before the gate of the city: and the kings that were come were by themselves in the field.
10 Now when Joab saw that the battle was set against him before and behind, he chose out of all the choice of Israel, and put them in array against the Syrians.
11 And the rest of the people he delivered unto the hand of Abishai his brother, and they set themselves in array against the children of Ammon.
12 And he said, If the Syrians be too strong for me, then thou shalt help me: but if the children of Ammon be too strong for thee, then I will help thee.
13 Be of good courage, and let us behave ourselves valiantly for our people, and for the cities of our God: and let the Lord do that which is good in his sight.
14 So Joab and the people that were with him drew nigh before the Syrians unto the battle; and they fled before him.
15 And when the children of Ammon saw that the Syrians were fled, they likewise fled before Abishai his brother, and entered into the city. Then Joab came to Jerusalem.
16 And when the Syrians saw that they were put to the worse before Israel, they sent messengers, and drew forth the Syrians that were beyond the river: and Shophach the captain of the host of Hadarezer went before them.
17 And it was told David; and he gathered all Israel, and passed over Jordan, and came upon them, and set the battle in array against them. So when David had put the battle in array against the Syrians, they fought with him.
18 But the Syrians fled before Israel; and David slew of the Syrians seven thousand men which fought in chariots, and forty thousand footmen, and killed Shophach the captain of the host.
19 And when the servants of Hadarezer saw that they were put to the worse before Israel, they made peace with David, and became his servants: neither would the Syrians help the children of Ammon any more.
1 Chronicles 19
Wycliffe Bible
19 Forsooth it befelled, that Nahash, [the] king of the sons of Ammon, died, and his son reigned for him. (And it befell, that Nahash, the king of the Ammonites, died, and his son reigned for him.)
2 And David said, I shall do mercy with Hanun, the son of Nahash; for his father gave mercy to me. And David sent messengers, to comfort him on the death of his father. And when they were come into the land of the sons of Ammon, for to comfort Hanun (And when they were come into the land of the Ammonites, to comfort Hanun),
3 the princes of the sons of Ammon said to Hanun, In hap thou guessest, that David, for cause of honour into thy father, sent men, that should comfort thee; and thou perceivest not, that his servants be come to thee to espy, and inquire, and to seek (through) thy land. (the princes of the Ammonites/the leaders of the Ammonites said to Hanun, Perhaps thou guessest that David, in honour of thy father, sent these men to comfort thee; and thou perceivest not, that his servants came to thee to spy, and to inquire, and to search out thy land.)
4 Therefore Hanun made bald and shaved the servants of David, and cutted the coats off them from the buttocks of them till to the feet; and let go them (and then he let them go).
5 And when they had gone forth, and had sent this to David, he sent into the meeting of them; for they had suffered great despite; and he commanded, that they should dwell in Jericho, till their beard(s) waxed, and then they should turn again. (And when they had gone forth, and had sent word about this to David, he sent a message to them; for they had suffered great despising, or great shame; and he commanded, that they should live in Jericho, until their beards grew again, and then they could return home.)
6 And the sons of Ammon saw, that they had done wrong to David, both Hanun and the other people, and they sent a thousand talents of silver, for to hire to them chariots and horsemen of Mesopotamia, and of Syria, of Maachah, and of Zobah; (And when the Ammonites saw that they had wronged David, Hanun and the other people sent a thousand talents of silver, to hire for themselves chariots and horsemen from Mesopotamia, and Syriamaachah, and Zobah;)
7 and they hired to them two and thirty thousand of chariots, and the king of Maachah with his people. And when they were come, they set their tents even against Medeba; and the sons of Ammon were gathered together from their cities, and came to battle. (and they hired for themselves thirty-two thousand chariots, and the king of Maachah with his people. And when they were come, they pitched their tents opposite, or near, Medeba; and the Ammonites were gathered together from their cities, and came to do battle.)
8 And when David heard this, he sent Joab, and all the host of strong men. (And when David heard of this, he sent Joab, and all his army of strong men.)
9 And the sons of Ammon went out, and dressed battle array beside the gate of the city; but the kings, that were come to help them, stood asides-half in the field. (And the Ammonites went out, and directed the battle array beside the gate of the city; and the kings, who had come to help them, stood half-aside in the field.)
10 Therefore Joab understood, that [the] battle was made against him even against and behind his back, and he chose the strongest men of all Israel, and went against (the) Syrians; (And so Joab understood, that the battle was made against him both in front, and behind his back, and he chose the strongest men out of all Israel, and went out against the Syrians;)
11 soothly he gave the residue part of the people under the hand of Abishai, his brother; and they went forth against the sons of Ammon. (and he left the rest of the people under the hand, or the power, of his brother Abishai; and then they went forth against the Ammonites.)
12 And Joab said, If Syrians shall overcome me, thou shalt help me; and if the sons of Ammon shall overcome thee, I shall help thee; (And Joab said, If the Syrians overcome me, thou shalt help me; and if the Ammonites overcome thee, I shall help thee;)
13 be thou comforted, and do we manly for our people, and for the cities of our God; and the Lord do that, that is good in his sight. (be thou strengthened, and be thou confident, for our people, and for the cities of our God; and may the Lord do what is good in his sight.)
14 Therefore Joab went forth, and the people that was with him, against (the) Syrians to (the) battle, and he drove them away. (And so Joab, and the people who were with him, went forth to do battle against the Syrians, and they drove them away.)
15 And the sons of Ammon saw, that (the) Syrians had fled, and they [also] fled from Abishai, his brother, and entered into the city; and Joab turned again into Jerusalem. (And when the Ammonites saw that the Syrians had fled, then they also fled from his brother Abishai, and entered into the city; and then Joab returned to Jerusalem.)
16 And (the) Syrians saw, that he had fallen down before Israel, and he sent messengers, and brought [forth] to them (the) Syrians, that was beyond the flood; and Shophach, the prince of [the] chivalry of Hadadezer[a], was the duke of them. (And when the Syrians saw that they had fallen down before Israel, they sent messengers, and brought over to themselves the Syrians who were on the east side of the Euphrates River; and Shophach, the prince of Hadadezer’s cavalry, or of his army, was their leader.)
17 And when this was told to David, he gathered all Israel, and passed (over the) Jordan; and he felled in on them, and dressed (the) battle array even against them, fighting on the contrary. (And when this was told to David, he gathered all Israel, and crossed the Jordan River; and he fell in on them, and directed the battle array opposite them, and began to fight.)
18 And (the) Syrians fled from Israel, and David killed of the men of Syria seven thousand of chariots, that is, seven thousand men fighting in chariots[b], and forty thousand of footmen, and Shophach, the prince of the host (and also Shophach, the leader of the army).
19 And the servants of Hadadezer saw, that they were overcome of Israel, and they fled over to David, and served him; and Syria would no more give help to the sons of Ammon. (And the servants of Hadadezer saw that they were overcome by Israel, and they fled over to David, and served him; and from that time on, Syria no longer gave any help to the Ammonites.)
Footnotes
- 1 Chronicles 19:16 Also known as Hadarezer.
- 1 Chronicles 19:18 For there were seven hundred of chariots, (as it says) in the second book of Kings, 10th chapter (that is, as it says in the 10th chapter of 2nd Samuel), and in each chariot were 10 men, and these make seven thousand men fighting in chariots.
1 Chronicles 19
English Standard Version
The Ammonites Disgrace David's Men
19 (A)Now after this Nahash the king of the Ammonites died, and his son reigned in his place. 2 And David said, “I will deal kindly with Hanun the son of Nahash, for his father dealt kindly with me.” So David sent messengers to console him concerning his father. And David's servants came to the land of the Ammonites to Hanun to console him. 3 But the princes of the Ammonites said to Hanun, “Do you think, because David has sent comforters to you, that he is honoring your father? 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, at their hips, and sent them away; 5 and they departed. When David was told concerning the men, he sent messengers to meet them, for the men were greatly ashamed. And the king said, “Remain at Jericho until your beards have grown and then return.”
6 When the Ammonites saw that they had become a stench to David, Hanun and the Ammonites sent 1,000 talents[a] of silver to hire chariots and horsemen (B)from Mesopotamia, from Aram-maacah, and from (C)Zobah. 7 They hired 32,000 chariots and the king of Maacah with his army, who came and encamped before (D)Medeba. And the Ammonites were mustered from their cities and came to battle. 8 When David heard of it, he sent Joab and all the army of the mighty men. 9 And the Ammonites 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 open country.
Ammonites and Syrians Defeated
10 When Joab saw that the battle was set against him both in front and in the rear, he chose some of the best men of Israel and arrayed them against the Syrians. 11 The rest of his men he put in the charge of (E)Abishai his brother, and they were arrayed against the Ammonites. 12 And he said, “If the Syrians are too strong for me, then you shall help me, but if the Ammonites are too strong for you, then I will help you. 13 Be strong, and let us use our strength for our people and for the cities of our God, and may the Lord do what seems good to him.” 14 So Joab and the people who were with him drew near before the Syrians for battle, and they fled before him. 15 And when the Ammonites saw that the Syrians fled, they likewise fled before (F)Abishai, Joab's brother, and entered the city. Then Joab came to Jerusalem.
16 But when the Syrians saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they sent messengers and brought out the Syrians who were beyond the Euphrates,[b] with (G)Shophach the commander of the army of (H)Hadadezer at their head. 17 And when it was told to David, he gathered all Israel together and crossed the Jordan and came to them and drew up his forces against them. And when David set the battle in array against the Syrians, they fought with him. 18 And the Syrians fled before Israel, and David killed of the Syrians the men of (I)7,000 chariots and 40,000 (J)foot soldiers, and put to death also (K)Shophach the commander of their army. 19 And when the servants of (L)Hadadezer saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they made peace with David and became subject to him. So the Syrians were not willing to save the Ammonites anymore.
Footnotes
- 1 Chronicles 19:6 A talent was about 75 pounds or 34 kilograms
- 1 Chronicles 19:16 Hebrew the River
2001 by Terence P. Noble
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
