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.
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;
10
while the rest of the army he put under the command of Avishai his brother to deploy against the army of 'Amon.
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.
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."
13
So Yo'av and the people with him went to battle Aram, 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.
15
When Aram saw that Isra'el had gotten the better of them, 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.
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.
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.