1 And after this it came to be that the sovereign of the children of Ammon died, and Ḥanun his son reigned in his place.
2 And Dawiḏ said, “Let me show kindness to Ḥanun son of Naḥash, as his father showed kindness to me.” So Dawiḏ sent by the hand of his servants to comfort him concerning his father. And when Dawiḏ’s servants came into the land of the children of Ammon,
3 the chiefs of the children of Ammon said to Ḥanun their master, “Is Dawiḏ esteeming your father in your eyes in that he has sent comforters to you? Has Dawiḏ not rather sent his servants to you to search the city, and to spy it out, and to overthrow it?”
4 So Ḥanun took Dawiḏ’s servants and shaved off half of their beards, and cut off their garments in the middle, as far as their buttocks, and sent them away.
5 And they informed Dawiḏ, and he sent to meet them, because the men were greatly ashamed. And the sovereign said, “Wait at Yeriḥo until your beards have grown, and then return.”
6 And when the children of Ammon saw that they had become a stench to Dawiḏ, the children of Ammon sent and hired Arameans of Bĕyth Reḥoḇ and Arameans of Tsoḇa, twenty thousand foot soldiers, and the sovereign of Ma‛aḵah, one thousand men, and men of Toḇ, twelve thousand men.
7 And Dawiḏ heard, and sent Yo’aḇ and the entire army, the mighty men.