1 Chronicles 19

¹And it came to pass after this that Nahash king of the children of Ammon died, and his son reigned in his stead.

²And David said, I will shew kindness to Hanun the son of Nahash, because his father shewed kindness to me. And David sent messengers to comfort him concerning his father. And David's servants came into the land of the children of Ammon to Hanun, to comfort him.

³And the princes of the children of Ammon said to Hanun, Is it, in thine eyes, to honour thy father that David has sent comforters to thee? Is it not to search and overthrow, and to spy out the land that his servants are come to thee?

⁴And Hanun took David's servants, and had them shaved, and their raiment cut off in the midst, as far as the hip, and sent them away.

⁵And [certain] went and told David concerning the men; and he sent to meet them, for the men were greatly ashamed. And the king said, Abide at Jericho until your beards be grown, and then return.

⁶And the children of Ammon saw that they had made themselves odious to David; and Hanun and the children of Ammon sent a thousand talents of silver to hire them chariots and horsemen out of Mesopotamia, and from the Syrians of Maacah, and from Zobah.

⁷And they hired thirty-two thousand chariots, and the king of Maacah and his people; and they came and encamped before Medeba. And the children of Ammon gathered together from their cities, and came to battle.

⁸And David heard [of it], and he sent Joab, and all the host, the mighty men.

⁹And the children of Ammon came out, and put the battle in array at the entrance of the city; and the kings that had come were by themselves on the field.