²⁴ When David destroyed Zobah’s army, Rezon gathered a band of men around him and became their leader; they went to Damascus,^(A) where they settled and took control.

¹⁸ But they fled before Israel, and David killed seven hundred of their charioteers and forty thousand of their foot soldiers.^[a] He also struck down Shobak the commander of their army, and he died there.

⁸ The Ammonites came out and drew up in battle formation at the entrance of their city gate, while the Arameans of Zobah and Rehob and the men of Tob and Maakah were by themselves in the open country.

² and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus,^(A) so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way,^(B) whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem.

³⁴ “I will return the cities^(A) my father took from your father,” Ben-Hadad^(B) offered. “You may set up your own market areas^(C) in Damascus,^(D) as my father did in Samaria.”

Ahab said, “On the basis of a treaty^(E) I will set you free.” So he made a treaty with him, and let him go.

¹⁵ The Lord said to him, “Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael^(A) king over Aram.

¹⁵ During the night Abram divided his men^(A) to attack them and he routed them, pursuing them as far as Hobah, north of Damascus.^(B)