10 When Joab saw that the battle would be fought on two fronts, he chose some of Israel’s finest warriors and deployed them to meet the Arameans.
11 The rest of the army Joab placed under the command of his brother Abishai. When they took up their positions to meet the Arameans,
12 Joab said, "If the Arameans prove too strong for me, you must help me, and if the Ammonites prove too strong for you, I’ll help you.
13 Be brave! We must be courageous for the sake of our people and the cities of our God. The Lord will do what is good in his eyes."
14 When Joab and the troops who were with him advanced into battle against the Arameans, they fled from him.
15 When the Ammonites saw that the Arameans had fled, they also fled from his brother Abishai and retreated into the city. So Joab returned to Jerusalem.
16 The Arameans saw that they had been defeated by Israel. They sent out messengers to bring Aramean reinforcements from the other side of the river, with Shophach the commander of Hadadezer’s army at their head.