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1 Chronicles 19
1599 Geneva Bible
1 Chronicles 19
1599 Geneva Bible
19 4 Hanun King of the children of Ammon doeth great injuries to the servants of David. 6 He prepareth an army against David, 15 and is overcome.
1 After this also (A)Nahash the king of the children of Ammon died, and his son reigned in his stead.
2 And David said, I will show kindness unto Hanun the son of Nahash, because his [a]father showed kindness unto me. And David sent messengers to comfort him for his father. So the servants of David came into the land of the children of Ammon to Hanun, to comfort him.
3 And the princes of the children of Ammon said to Hanun, Thinkest thou that David doth honor thy father, that he hath sent comforters unto thee? Are not his servants come to thee to [b]search, to seek and to spy out the land?
4 Wherefore Hanun took David’s servants, and [c]shaved them, and cut off their [d]garments by the half unto the buttocks, and sent them away.
5 And there went certain and told David concerning the men: and he sent to meet them (for the men were exceedingly ashamed) and the King said, Tarry at Jericho, until your beards be grown: then return.
6 ¶ When the children of Ammon saw that they [e]stank in the sight of David, then sent Hanun and the children of Ammon a thousand talents of silver, to hire them chariots and horsemen out (B)of Aram Naharaim, and out of Aram Maacah, and out of [f]Zobah.
7 And they hired them two and thirty thousand chariots, and the king of Maacah and his people, which came and pitched before [g]Medeba: and the children of Ammon gathered themselves together from their cities, and came to the battle.
8 ¶ And when David heard it, he sent Joab and all the host of the valiant men.
9 And the children of Ammon came out, and set their battle in array at the gate of the city. And the kings that were come, were by themselves in the field.
10 When Joab saw that the front of the battle was against him before and behind, then he chose out of all the choice of Israel, and set himself in array to meet the Aramites.
11 And the rest of the people he delivered unto the hand of Abishai his brother, and they put themselves in array against the children of Ammon.
12 And he said, If Aram be too strong for me, then thou shalt succor me: and if the children of Ammon prevail against thee, then I will succor thee.
13 Be strong, and let us show ourselves valiant for our [h]people, and for the cities of our God, and let the Lord do that which is good in his own sight.
14 So Joab and the people that was with him, came near before the Aramites unto the battle, and they fled before him.
15 And when the children of Ammon saw that the Aramites fled, they fled also before Abishai his brother, and entered into the city: so Joab came to Jerusalem.
16 ¶ And when the Aramites saw that they were discomfited before Israel, they sent messengers, and caused the Aramites to come forth that were beyond the [i]river: and Shophach the captain of the host of Hadadezer went before them.
17 And when it was showed David, he gathered all Israel, and went over Jordan, and came unto them, and put himself in array against them: And when David had put himself in battle array to meet the Aramites, they fought with him.
18 But the Aramites fled before Israel, and David destroyed of the Aramites [j]seven thousand chariots, and forty thousand footmen, and killed Shophach the captain of the host.
19 And when the servants of Hadadezer saw that they fell before Israel, they made peace with David, and served him. And the Aramites would no more succor the children of Ammon.
Footnotes
- 1 Chronicles 19:2 Because Nahash received David and his company, when Saul persecuted him he would now show pleasure to his son for the same.
- 1 Chronicles 19:3 Thus the malicious ever interpret the purpose of the godly in the worst sense.
- 1 Chronicles 19:4 They shaved off the half of their beards, 2 Sam. 10:4.
- 1 Chronicles 19:4 To put them to shame and villainy, whereas the ambassadors ought to have been honored: and because the Jews used to wear side garments and beards, they thus disfigured them, to make them odious to others.
- 1 Chronicles 19:6 Or, had made themselves to be abhorred of David.
- 1 Chronicles 19:6 Which were five in all.
- 1 Chronicles 19:7 Which was a city of the tribe of Reuben beyond Jordan.
- 1 Chronicles 19:13 He declareth that where the cause is evil, the courage cannot be valiant, and that in good causes men ought to be courageous, and commit the success to God.
- 1 Chronicles 19:16 That is, Euphrates.
- 1 Chronicles 19:18 For this place, read 2 Sam. 10:18.
1 Chronicles 19
New International Version
1 Chronicles 19
New International Version
David Defeats the Ammonites(A)
19 In the course of time, Nahash king of the Ammonites(B) 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 a delegation to express his sympathy to Hanun concerning his father.
When David’s envoys came to Hanun in the land of the Ammonites to express sympathy to him, 3 the Ammonite commanders said to Hanun, “Do you think David is honoring your father by sending envoys to you to express sympathy? Haven’t his envoys come to you only to explore and spy out(C) the country and overthrow it?” 4 So Hanun seized David’s envoys, shaved them, cut off their garments at the buttocks, and sent them away.
5 When someone came and told David about the men, he sent messengers to meet them, for they were greatly humiliated. The king said, “Stay at Jericho till your beards have grown, and then come back.”
6 When the Ammonites realized that they had become obnoxious(D) to David, Hanun and the Ammonites sent a thousand talents[a] of silver to hire chariots and charioteers from Aram Naharaim,[b] Aram Maakah and Zobah.(E) 7 They hired thirty-two thousand chariots and charioteers, as well as the king of Maakah with his troops, who came and camped near Medeba,(F) while the Ammonites were mustered from their towns and moved out for battle.
8 On hearing this, David sent Joab out with the entire army of fighting men. 9 The Ammonites came out and drew up in battle formation at the entrance to their city, while the kings who had come were by themselves in the open country.
10 Joab saw that there were battle lines in front of him and behind him; so he selected some of the best troops in Israel and deployed them against the Arameans. 11 He put the rest of the men under the command of Abishai(G) his brother, and they were deployed against the Ammonites. 12 Joab said, “If the Arameans are too strong for me, then you are to rescue me; but if the Ammonites are too strong for you, then I will rescue you. 13 Be strong, and let us fight bravely for our people and the cities of our God. The Lord will do what is good in his sight.”
14 Then Joab and the troops with him advanced to fight the Arameans, and they fled before him. 15 When the Ammonites realized that the Arameans were fleeing, they too fled before his brother Abishai and went inside the city. So Joab went back to Jerusalem.
16 After the Arameans saw that they had been routed by Israel, they sent messengers and had Arameans brought from beyond the Euphrates River, with Shophak the commander of Hadadezer’s army leading them.
17 When David was told of this, he gathered all Israel(H) and crossed the Jordan; he advanced against them and formed his battle lines opposite them. David formed his lines to meet the Arameans in battle, and they fought against him. 18 But they fled before Israel, and David killed seven thousand of their charioteers and forty thousand of their foot soldiers. He also killed Shophak the commander of their army.
19 When the vassals of Hadadezer saw that they had been routed by Israel, they made peace with David and became subject to him.
So the Arameans were not willing to help the Ammonites anymore.
Footnotes
- 1 Chronicles 19:6 That is, about 38 tons or about 34 metric tons
- 1 Chronicles 19:6 That is, Northwest Mesopotamia
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