The Complete Jewish Bible CJB
King James Version KJV
1 Some time later, when the king of the people of 'Amon died, his son Hanun became king in his place.
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And it came to pass after this, that the king of the children of Ammon died, and Hanun his son reigned in his stead.
2 David said, "I will show grace to Hanun the son of Nachash, as his father showed grace to me." So David sent his servants to pass him a message of comfort concerning his father. David's servants entered the territory of the people of 'Amon;
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Then said David, I will shew kindness unto Hanun the son of Nahash, as his father shewed kindness unto me. And David sent to comfort him by the hand of his servants for his father. And David's servants came into the land of the children of Ammon.
3 but the leaders of the people of 'Amon said to Hanun their lord, "Do you really think David is honoring your father by sending people to comfort you? Hasn't David actually sent his servants to you in order to look the city over, reconnoiter it and overthrow it?"
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And the princes of the children of Ammon said unto Hanun their lord, Thinkest thou that David doth honour thy father, that he hath sent comforters unto thee? hath not David rather sent his servants unto thee, to search the city, and to spy it out, and to overthrow it?
4 So Hanun took David's servants, shaved off half their beards, cut off their clothes halfway up, at their buttocks, and then sent them away.
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Wherefore 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.
5 On hearing how they had been treated, David sent a delegation to meet them, because the men had been deeply humiliated. The king said, "Stay in Yericho until your beards have grown back, and then return."
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When they told it unto David, he sent to meet them, because the men were greatly ashamed: and the king said, Tarry at Jericho until your beards be grown, and then return.
6 Aware that they were utterly abhorrent to David, the people of 'Amon sent and hired 20,000 Aram foot soldiers from Beit-Rechov and Tzovah, the king of Ma'akhah with 1,000 men, and 12,000 soldiers from Tov.
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And when the children of Ammon saw that they stank before David, the children of Ammon sent and hired the Syrians of Bethrehob, and the Syrians of Zoba, twenty thousand footmen, and of king Maacah a thousand men, and of Ishtob twelve thousand men.
7 When David heard of it, he sent Yo'av with his entire army of trained soldiers.
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And when David heard of it, he sent Joab, and all the host of the mighty men.
8 The army of 'Amon came out and went into battle formation at the entrance to the city gate; the men of Aram from Tzovah and Rechov and the men of Tov and Ma'akhah were by themselves in the open countryside.
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And the children of Ammon came out, and put the battle in array at the entering in of the gate: and the Syrians of Zoba, and of Rehob, and Ishtob, and Maacah, were by themselves in the field.
9 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;
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When Joab saw that the front of the battle was against him before and behind, he chose of all the choice men of Israel, and put them in array against the Syrians:
10 while the rest of the army he put under the command of Avishai his brother to deploy against the army of 'Amon.
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And the rest of the people he delivered into the hand of Abishai his brother, that he might put them in array against the children of Ammon.
11 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 come and help you.
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And he said, If the Syrians be too strong for me, then thou shalt help me: but if the children of Ammon be too strong for thee, then I will come and help thee.
12 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."
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Be of good courage, and let us play the men for our people, and for the cities of our God: and the LORD do that which seemeth him good.
13 So Yo'av and the people with him went to battle Aram, and they fled before him.
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And Joab drew nigh, and the people that were with him, unto the battle against the Syrians: and they fled before him.
14 When the people of 'Amon saw that Aram had fled, they likewise fled before Avishai and retreated into the city. Yo'av returned from the people of 'Amon and went to Yerushalayim.
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And when the children of Ammon saw that the Syrians were fled, then fled they also before Abishai, and entered into the city. So Joab returned from the children of Ammon, and came to Jerusalem.
15 When Aram saw that Isra'el had gotten the better of them, they gathered themselves together.
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And when the Syrians saw that they were smitten before Israel, they gathered themselves together.
16 Hadad'ezer sent and brought out the people of Aram who lived beyond the [Euphrates] River. They came to Heilam with Shovakh the commander of Hadad'ezer's army at their head.
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And Hadarezer sent, and brought out the Syrians that were beyond the river: and they came to Helam; and Shobach the captain of the host of Hadarezer went before them.
17 It was reported to David; so he gathered all Isra'el together, crossed the Yarden and came to Heilam. Aram deployed themselves against David and fought him.
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And when it was told David, he gathered all Israel together, and passed over Jordan, and came to Helam. And the Syrians set themselves in array against David, and fought with him.
18 But Aram fled before Isra'el; David killed 700 chariot-drivers and 40,000 horsemen from Aram, and he struck Shovakh the commander of their army, so that he died there.
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And the Syrians fled before Israel; and David slew the men of seven hundred chariots of the Syrians, and forty thousand horsemen, and smote Shobach the captain of their host, who died there.
19 When all Hadad'ezer's vassal kings saw that they had been defeated by Isra'el, they made peace with Isra'el and became their subjects. So Aram was afraid to help the people of 'Amon any more.
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And when all the kings that were servants to Hadarezer saw that they were smitten before Israel, they made peace with Israel, and served them. So the Syrians feared to help the children of Ammon any more.
Complete Jewish Bible Copyright 1998 by David H. Stern. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
The King James Version is in the public domain.