A Prayer After a Defeat

For the director of music. To the tune of “Lily of the Agreement.” A miktam of David. For teaching. When David fought the Arameans of Northwest Mesopotamia and Zobah, and when Joab returned and defeated twelve thousand Edomites at the Valley of Salt.

David Wins Many Wars

8 Later, David defeated the Philistines, conquered them, and took the city of Metheg Ammah.

² He also defeated the people of Moab. He made them lie on the ground, and then he used a rope to measure them. Those who were measured within two rope lengths were killed, but those who were within the next rope length were allowed to live. So the people of Moab became servants of David and gave him the payment he demanded.

³ David also defeated Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah, as he went to take control again at the Euphrates River. ⁴ David captured one thousand chariots, seven thousand men who rode in chariots, and twenty thousand foot soldiers. He crippled all but a hundred of the chariot horses.

⁵ Arameans from Damascus came to help Hadadezer king of Zobah, but David killed twenty-two thousand of them. ⁶ Then David put groups of soldiers in Damascus in Aram. The Arameans became David’s servants and gave him the payment he demanded. The Lord gave David victory everywhere he went.

⁷ David took the shields of gold that had belonged to Hadadezer’s officers and brought them to Jerusalem. ⁸ David also took many things made of bronze from Tebah and Berothai, which had been cities under Hadadezer’s control.

⁹ Toi king of Hamath heard that David had defeated all the army of Hadadezer. ¹⁰ So Toi sent his son Joram to greet and congratulate King David for defeating Hadadezer. (Hadadezer had been at war with Toi.) Joram brought items made of silver, gold, and bronze. ¹¹ King David gave them to the Lord, along with the silver and gold he had taken from the other nations he had defeated. ¹² These nations were Edom, Moab, Ammon, Philistia, and Amalek. David also gave the Lord what he had taken from Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah.

¹³ David was famous after he returned from defeating eighteen thousand Arameans in the Valley of Salt. ¹⁴ He put groups of soldiers all over Edom, and all the Edomites became his servants. The Lord gave David victory everywhere he went.

War with the Ammonites and Arameans

10 When Nahash king of the Ammonites died, his son Hanun became king after him. ² David said, “Nahash was loyal to me, so I will be loyal to his son Hanun.” So David sent his messengers to comfort Hanun about his father’s death.

David’s officers went to the land of the Ammonites. ³ But the Ammonite leaders said to Hanun, their master, “Do you think David wants to honor your father by sending men to comfort you? No! David sent them to study the city and spy it out and capture it!” ⁴ So Hanun arrested David’s officers. To shame them he shaved off half their beards and cut off their clothes at the hips. Then he sent them away.

⁵ When the people told David, he sent messengers to meet his officers because they were very ashamed. King David said, “Stay in Jericho until your beards have grown back. Then come home.”

⁶ The Ammonites knew that they had insulted David. So they hired twenty thousand Aramean foot soldiers from Beth Rehob and Zobah. They also hired the king of Maacah with a thousand men and twelve thousand men from Tob.

⁷ When David heard about this, he sent Joab with the whole army. ⁸ The Ammonites came out and prepared for battle at the city gate. The Arameans from Zobah and Rehob and the men from Tob and Maacah were out in the field by themselves.

⁹ Joab saw that there were enemies both in front of him and behind him. So he chose some of the best soldiers of Israel and sent them out to fight the Arameans. ¹⁰ Joab put the rest of the army under the command of Abishai, his brother. Then he sent them out to fight the Ammonites. ¹¹ Joab said to Abishai, “If the Arameans are too strong for me, you must help me. Or, if the Ammonites are too strong for you, I will help you. ¹² Be strong. We must fight bravely for our people and the cities of our God. The Lord will do what he thinks is right.”

¹³ Then Joab and the army with him went to attack the Arameans, and the Arameans ran away. ¹⁴ When the Ammonites saw that the Arameans were running away, they also ran away from Abishai and went back to their city. So Joab returned from the battle with the Ammonites and came to Jerusalem.

¹⁵ When the Arameans saw that Israel had defeated them, they came together into one big army. ¹⁶ Hadadezer sent messengers to bring the Arameans from east of the Euphrates River, and they went to Helam. Their leader was Shobach, the commander of Hadadezer’s army.

¹⁷ When David heard about this, he gathered all the Israelites together. They crossed over the Jordan River and went to Helam. There the Arameans prepared for battle and attacked him. ¹⁸ But the Arameans ran away from the Israelites. David killed seven hundred Aramean chariot drivers and forty thousand Aramean horsemen. He also killed Shobach, the commander of the Aramean army.

¹⁹ When the kings who served Hadadezer saw that the Israelites had defeated them, they made peace with the Israelites and served them. And the Arameans were afraid to help the Ammonites again.

War with the Ammonites and Arameans

19 When Nahash king of the Ammonites died, his son became king after him. ² David said, “Nahash was loyal to me, so I will be loyal to his son Hanun.” So David sent messengers to comfort Hanun about his father’s death.

David’s officers went to the land of the Ammonites to comfort Hanun. ³ But the Ammonite leaders said to Hanun, “Do you think David wants to honor your father by sending men to comfort you? No! David sent them to study the land and capture it and spy it out.” ⁴ So Hanun arrested David’s officers. To shame them he shaved their beards and cut off their clothes at the hips. Then he sent them away.

⁵ When the people told David what had happened to his officers, he sent messengers to meet them, because they were very ashamed. King David said, “Stay in Jericho until your beards have grown back. Then come home.”

⁶ The Ammonites knew that they had insulted David. So Hanun and the Ammonites sent about seventy-four thousand pounds of silver to hire chariots and chariot drivers from Northwest Mesopotamia, Aram Maacah, and Zobah. ⁷ The Ammonites hired thirty-two thousand chariots and the king of Maacah and his army. So they came and set up camp near the town of Medeba. The Ammonites themselves came out of their towns and got ready for battle.

⁸ When David heard about this, he sent Joab with the whole army. ⁹ The Ammonites came out and prepared for battle at the city gate. The kings who had come to help were out in the field by themselves.

¹⁰ Joab saw that there were enemies both in front of him and behind him. So he chose some of the best soldiers of Israel and sent them out to fight the Arameans. ¹¹ Joab put the rest of the army under the command of Abishai, his brother. Then they went out to fight the Ammonites. ¹² Joab said to Abishai, “If the Arameans are too strong for me, you must help me. Or, if the Ammonites are too strong for you, I will help you. ¹³ Be strong. We must fight bravely for our people and the cities of our God. The Lord will do what he thinks is right.”

¹⁴ Then Joab and the army with him went to attack the Arameans, and the Arameans ran away. ¹⁵ When the Ammonites saw that the Arameans were running away, they also ran away from Joab’s brother Abishai and went back to their city. So Joab went back to Jerusalem.

¹⁶ When the Arameans saw that Israel had defeated them, they sent messengers to bring other Arameans from east of the Euphrates River. Their leader was Shophach, the commander of Hadadezer’s army.

¹⁷ When David heard about this, he gathered all the Israelites, and they crossed over the Jordan River. He prepared them for battle, facing the Arameans. The Arameans fought with him, ¹⁸ but they ran away from the Israelites. David killed seven thousand Aramean chariot drivers and forty thousand Aramean foot soldiers. He also killed Shophach, the commander of the Aramean army.

¹⁹ When those who served Hadadezer saw that the Israelites had defeated them, they made peace with David and served him. So the Arameans refused to help the Ammonites again.