Ammon and Aram Defeated

10 (A)Now it happened afterward that (B)the king of the Ammonites died, and his son Hanun became king in his place. Then David said, “I will show kindness to Hanun the son of (C)Nahash, just as his father showed kindness to me.” So David sent [a]some of his servants to console him about his father. But when David’s servants came to the land of the Ammonites, the commanders of the Ammonites said to their lord Hanun, “[b]Do you think that David is simply honoring your father since he has sent you servants [c]to console you? (D)Has David not sent his servants to you in order to explore the city, to spy it out and overthrow it?” So Hanun took David’s servants and (E)shaved off half of their beards, and (F)cut off their robes in the middle as far as their buttocks, and sent them away. When messengers informed David, he sent servants to meet them, because the men were extremely humiliated. And the king said, “Stay in Jericho until your beards grow back, and then you shall return.”

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Samuel 10:2 Lit by the hand of
  2. 2 Samuel 10:3 Lit In your eyes is David honoring
  3. 2 Samuel 10:3 Lit consoling

10 And it came to pass after this, that the king of the children of Ammon died, and Hanun his son reigned in his stead. And David said, I will show kindness unto Hanun the son of Nahash, as his father showed kindness unto me. So David sent by his servants to comfort him concerning his father. And David’s servants came into the land of the children of Ammon. But the princes of the children of Ammon said unto Hanun their lord, Thinkest thou that David doth honor thy father, in that he hath sent comforters unto thee? hath not David sent his servants unto thee to search the city, and to spy it out, and to overthrow it? So Hanun took David’s servants, and shaved off the one half of their beards, and cut off their garments in the middle, even to their buttocks, and sent them away. When they told it unto David, 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.

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