1 Chronicles 19 | New International Reader’s Version

New International Reader’s Version

David wins the battle over the Ammonites

1 Nahash was king of Ammon. After he died, his son became the next king after him. 2 David thought, ‘I’m going to be kind to Hanun. His father Nahash was kind to me.’ So David sent messengers to Hanun. He wanted them to tell Hanun how sad he was that Hanun’s father had died. David’s messengers went to the land of Ammon. They told Hanun how sad David was. 3 The Ammonite commanders spoke to Hanun. They said, ‘David has sent messengers to tell you he is sad. They say he wants to honour your father. But the real reason they’ve come is to look the land over. They want to destroy it.’ 4 So Hanun grabbed David’s messengers. He shaved them. He cut off their clothes just below the waist and left them half naked. Then he sent them away. 5 Someone came and told David what had happened to his men. So David sent messengers to them because they were filled with shame. King David said to them, ‘Stay at Jericho until your beards grow out again. Then come back here.’ 6 The Ammonites realised that what they had done had made David very angry with them. So Hanun and the Ammonites got 36 tonnes of silver. They used it to hire chariots and chariot riders from Aram Naharaim, Aram Maakah and Zobah. 7 They hired 32,000 chariots and riders. They also hired the king of Maakah and his troops. All of them came out and camped near Medeba. At the same time the Ammonites brought their troops together from their towns. Then they marched out to fight. 8 David heard about it. So he sent Joab out with the entire army of Israel’s fighting men. 9 The Ammonites marched out. They took up their battle positions at the entrance to their city. The kings who came to help them gathered their troops together in the open country. 10 Joab saw that there were lines of soldiers in front of him and behind him. So he chose some of the best troops in Israel. He sent them to march out against the Arameans. 11 He put the rest of the men under the command of his brother Abishai. They were sent to march out against the Ammonites. 12 Joab said, ‘Suppose the Arameans are too strong for me. Then you must come and help me. But suppose the Ammonites are too strong for you. Then I’ll come and help you. 13 Be strong. Let’s be brave as we fight for our people and the cities of our God. The LORD will do what he thinks is best.’ 14 Then Joab and the troops with him marched out to attack the Arameans. They ran away from him. 15 The Ammonites realised that the Arameans were running away. So they also ran away from Joab’s brother Abishai. They went inside the city. Then Joab went back to Jerusalem. 16 The Arameans saw that they had been driven away by Israel. So they sent messengers to get some Arameans from east of the River Euphrates. The Arameans were under the command of Shophak. He was the commander of Hadadezer’s army. 17 David was told about it. So he gathered together the whole army of Israel. They went across the River Jordan. David marched out against the Arameans. He lined up his soldiers opposite them. He lined them up to meet the Arameans in battle. The Arameans began to fight against him. 18 But then they ran away from Israel. David killed 7,000 of their chariot riders. He killed 40,000 of their soldiers who were on foot. He also killed Shophak, the commander of their army. 19 The people who were under the rule of Hadadezer saw that Israel had won the battle over them. So they made a peace treaty with David. They were brought under his rule. After that, the Arameans wouldn’t help the Ammonites anymore.

English Standard Version

The Ammonites Disgrace David’s Men

1 Now after this Nahash the king of the Ammonites died, and his son reigned in his place. (2Sa 10:1) 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^[1] of silver to hire chariots and horsemen from Mesopotamia, from Aram-maacah, and from Zobah. (2Sa 10:6; 1Ch 18:5; 1Ch 18:9) 7 They hired 32,000 chariots and the king of Maacah with his army, who came and encamped before Medeba. And the Ammonites were mustered from their cities and came to battle. (Nu 21:30; Jos 13:9; Jos 13:16) 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 Abishai his brother, and they were arrayed against the Ammonites. (1Ch 18:12) 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 Abishai, Joab’s brother, and entered the city. Then Joab came to Jerusalem. (1Ch 19:11) 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,^[2] with Shophach the commander of the army of Hadadezer at their head. (2Sa 10:16; 2Sa 10:18) 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 7,000 chariots and 40,000 foot soldiers, and put to death also Shophach the commander of their army. (2Sa 10:18; 1Ch 19:16) 19 And when the servants of 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. (1Ch 19:16)