⁶ Then the Spirit of Adonai will fall on you; you will prophesy with them and be turned into another man! ⁷ When these signs come over you, just do whatever you feel like doing, because God is with you. ⁸ Then you are to go down ahead of me to Gilgal, and there I will come down to you to offer burnt offerings and present sacrifices as peace offerings. Wait there seven days, until I come to you and tell you what to do.”

⁹ As it happened, as soon as he had turned his back to leave Sh’mu’el, God gave him another heart; and all those signs took place that day. ¹⁰ When they arrived at the hill, and there in front of him was a group of prophets, the Spirit of God fell on him and he prophesied along with them. ¹¹ When those who knew him from before saw him there, prophesying with the prophets, they asked each other, “What’s happened to Kish’s son? Is Sha’ul a prophet, too?” ¹² Someone in the crowd answered, “Must prophets’ fathers be special?” So it became an expression — “Is Sha’ul a prophet, too?”

¹³ When he had finished prophesying, he arrived at the high place. ¹⁴ Sha’ul’s uncle said to him and his servant, “Where did you go?” He answered, “To look for the donkeys. When we saw that they hadn’t been found, we went to Sh’mu’el.” ¹⁵ “Tell me, please,” said Sha’ul’s uncle, “what Sh’mu’el said to you.” ¹⁶ Sha’ul answered his uncle, “He told us that the donkeys had been found,” but said nothing to him about the matter of his being made king.

¹⁷ Sh’mu’el summoned the people to Adonai in Mitzpah. ¹⁸ He said to the people of Isra’el, “Here is what Adonai the God of Isra’el says: ‘I brought Isra’el up from Egypt. I rescued you from the power of the Egyptians and from the power of all the kingdoms that oppressed you.’ ¹⁹ But today you have rejected your God, who himself saves you from all your disasters and distress. You have said to him, ‘No! Put a king over us!’ So now, present yourselves before Adonai by your tribes and families.”

⁶ Aware that they had made themselves utterly abhorrent to David, Hanun and the people of ‘Amon sent thirty-three tons of silver to hire chariots and horsemen from Aram-Naharayim, Aram-Ma‘akhah and Tzovah. ⁷ They hired 32,000 chariots, as well as the king of Ma‘akhah with his people, who came and pitched their camp in front of Meidva. Then the people of ‘Amon assembled themselves from their cities and went out to fight. ⁸ When David heard of it, he sent Yo’av with his entire army of trained soldiers.

⁹ The army of ‘Amon came out and went into battle formation at the city gate, while the kings who had come were alone in the countryside. ¹⁰ When Yo’av saw that he would be fighting on two fronts, ahead and behind, he chose the best troops of Isra’el to deploy against Aram; ¹¹ while the rest of the army he put under the command of Avishai his brother to deploy against the army of ‘Amon. ¹² He said, “If Aram is too strong for me, you help me; but if the army of ‘Amon is too strong for you, then I will help you. ¹³ Take courage, and let’s be strong for the sake of our people and the cities of our God. May Adonai do what seems good to him.”

¹⁴ So Yo’av and the people with him went to engage Aram in battle, and they fled before him. ¹⁵ When the people of ‘Amon saw that Aram had fled, they likewise fled before Avishai his brother and retreated into the city. Then Yo’av went to Yerushalayim.

¹⁶ When Aram saw that Isra’el had gotten the better of them, they sent messengers and brought out the people of Aram who lived beyond the [Euphrates] River, with Shofakh the commander of Hadar‘ezer’s army at their head. ¹⁷ It was reported to David; so he gathered all Isra’el together and crossed the Yarden to engage them. David deployed his forces for battle against Aram; and after he had done so, fought them. ¹⁸ But Aram fled before Isra’el; David killed 7,000 chariot-drivers and 40,000 foot soldiers from Aram; and he killed Shofakh the commander of the army. ¹⁹ When all Hadar‘ezer’s servants saw that they had been defeated by Isra’el, they made peace with David and became his subjects; and Aram would no longer help the people of ‘Amon.