8 The Ammonite troops came out and got ready to fight in front of the gate to their city. The Arameans from Zobah and Rehob and the soldiers from Tob and Maacah formed a separate group in the nearby fields.
9 Joab saw that he had to fight in front and behind at the same time, and he picked some of the best Israelite soldiers to fight the Arameans.
10 He put his brother Abishai in command of the rest of the army and made them fight the Ammonites.
11 Joab told his brother, “If the Arameans are too much for me to handle, you can come and help me. If the Ammonites are too strong for you, I'll come and help you.
12 Be brave and fight hard to protect our people and the cities of our God. I pray that the Lord will do whatever pleases him.”
13 Joab and his soldiers attacked the Arameans, and the Arameans ran from them.
14 When the Ammonite soldiers saw that the Arameans had run away, they ran from Abishai's soldiers and went back into their own city. Joab stopped fighting the Ammonites and returned to Jerusalem.