1 Chronicles, Chapter 19:
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Verses from 1 Chronicles, Chapter 19 of the book of 1 Samuel in the Bible.
War against the Ammonites
- 1. After some time, Nahash, king of the Ammonites, died, and his son succeeded him as king.
- 2. David thought, “I will show kindness to Hanun son of Nahash, because his father showed kindness to me.” So David sent messengers to express condolences to Hanun on the death of his father. But when David's messengers arrived in the land of the Ammonites to offer their condolences to Hanun,
- 3. The leaders of the Ammonites said to Hanun, “We think that David sent these messengers to spy out the land and investigate it, not to express condolences. They are here to watch us and destroy us.”
- 4. Then Hanun arrested David's messengers, shaved their beards, cut their clothes in half down to their buttocks, and sent them back.
- 5. When David heard about this, he sent messengers to meet them, for they were deeply ashamed, and he said to them, “Stay in Jericho until your beard grows back, and then return home.”
- 6. When Hanun and the Ammonites realized that they had provoked David's wrath, they gathered thirty-three thousand talents of silver from Mesopotamia, Aram-Maachah and Zobah, and hired chariots and chariot drivers for that amount of silver.
- 7. They hired thirty-two thousand chariots, and the king of Maacah with his army, who camped near Medeba. Also the Ammonites were summoned from their cities and marched to battle.
- 8. When David heard this, he sent Joab with all the mighty army.
- 9. The Ammonites went out and took up battle positions at the entrance to the city, while the kings who had come took positions in the open field.
- 10. When Joab saw that the battle was being fought both against him in front and against the Arameans, he chose some of Israel's best soldiers and positioned them against the Arameans.
- 11. And he placed the rest of the army under the command of his brother Abishai, who set them against the Ammonites.
- 12. Joab said to Abishai, “If the Arameans are too strong for me, come and help me; but if the Ammonites are too strong for you, I will come to help you.
- 13. Let us be courageous and fight with determination for our people and for the cities of our God. May the Lord do what seems best to Him.”
- 13. Then Joab and his soldiers advanced against the Arameans, who fled before them.
- 15. When the Ammonites saw that the Arameans were fleeing from Joab, they also fled from Abishai and entered the city. Then Joab returned to Jerusalem.
- 16. Seeing that they had been defeated by Israel, the Arameans sent messengers and brought Arameans from beyond the Euphrates River, with Shaphak, commander of Hadadezer's army, leading them.
- 17. When David heard this, he gathered all Israel together, crossed the Jordan, and stood before them. The fight began,
- 18. The Arameans fled before Israel, and David killed seven thousand chariot drivers and forty thousand foot soldiers. He also killed Shofak, the commander of their army.
- 19. When Hadadezer's vassals saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they made peace with David and became his vassals. The Arameans were no longer willing to help the Ammonites.
