The Ammonites Disgrace David's Men
1 1Now after this Nahash the king of the Ammonites died, and his son reigned in his place.
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 of silver to hire chariots and horsemen
2from Mesopotamia, from Aram-maacah, and from
3Zobah.
7
They hired 32,000 chariots and the king of Maacah with his army, who came and encamped before
4Medeba. And the Ammonites were mustered from their cities and came to battle.
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.