2Samuel:10

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* And it came to pass after this , that the king of the children of Ammon died , and Hanon his son reigned in his stead . * And David said : I Will shew kindness to Hanon the son of Daas , as his father shewed kindness to me . So David sent his servants to comfort him for the death of his father . But when the servants of David were come into the land of the children of Ammon , * The princes of the children of Ammon said to Hanon their lord : Thinkest thou that for the honour of thy father , David hath sent comforters to thee , and hath not David rather sent his servants to thee to search , and spy into the city , and overthrow it ? * Wherefore Hanon took the servants of David , and shaved off the one half of their beards , and cut away half of their garments even to the buttocks , and sent them away . * When this was told David , he sent to meet them : for the men were sadly put to confusion , and David commanded them , saying : Stay at Jericho , till your beards be grown , and then return . * And the children of Ammon seeing that they had done an injury to David , Bent and hired the Syrians of Rohob , and the Syrians of Soba , twenty thousand footmen , and of the king of Maacha a thousand men , and of Istob twelve thousand men . * And when David heard this , he sent Joab and the whole army of warriors . * And the children of Ammon came out , and set their men in array at the entering in of the gate : but the Syrians of Soba , and of Rohob , and of Istob , and of Maacha were by themselves in the field . * Then Joab seeing that the battle was prepared against him , both before and behind , chose of all the choice men of Israel , and put them in array against the Syrians : * And the rest of the people he delivered to Abisai his brother , who set them in array against the children of Ammon . * And Joab said : If the Syrians are too strong for me , then thou shalt help me : but if the children of Ammon are too strong for thee , then I will help thee . * Be of good courage , and let us fight for our people , and for the city of our God : and the Lord will do what is good in his sight . * And Joab and the people that were with him , began to fight against the Syrians : and they immediately fled before him . * And the children of Ammon seeing that the Syrians were fled , they fled also before Abisai , and entered into the city : and Joab returned from the children of Ammon , and came to Jerusalem . * Then the Syrians seeing that they had fallen before Israel , gathered themselves together . * And Adarezer sent and fetched the Syrians , that were beyond the river , and brought over their army : and Sobach , the captain of the host of Adarezer , was their general . * And when this was told David , he gathered all Israel together , and passed over the Jordan , and came to Helam : and the Syrians set themselves in array against David , and fought against him . * And the Syrians fled before Israel , and David slew of the Syrians the men of seven hundred chariots , and forty thousand horsemen : and smote Sobach the captain of the army , who presently died . * And all the kings that were auxiliaries of Adarezer , seeing themselves overcome by Israel , were afraid and fled away , eight and fifty thousand men before Israel . And they made peace with Israel : and served them , and all the Syrians were afraid to help the children of Ammon any more .

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