David’s Messengers Disgraced (2 Samuel 10:1–8)
1 UDB Some time later, Nahash, the king of the Ammonite people, died. Then his son Hanun became their king. BSB BSB: Some time later, Nahash king of the Ammonites died and was succeeded by his son.
2 UDB When David heard about that, he thought to himself, "Nahash was kind to me, so I will be kind to his son." So David sent some officials there to tell Hanun that he was sorry to hear that Hanun's father had died. But when David's officials came to Hanun in the land where the Ammonites lived, BSB BSB: And David said, “I will show kindness to Hanun son of Nahash, because his father showed kindness to me.” So David sent messengers to console Hanun concerning his father. But when David’s servants arrived in the land of the Ammonites to console him,
3 UDB the leaders of the Ammonite people said to Hanun, "Do you think that it is really to honor your father that King David is sending these men to say that he is sorry that your father died? We think that his men have come to look around our city in order to determine how his army can conquer us." BSB BSB: the princes of the Ammonites said to Hanun, “Just because David has sent you comforters, do you really believe he is showing respect for your father? Have not his servants come to you to explore the land, spy it out, and overthrow it?”
4 UDB Hanun believed what they said, so he commanded some soldiers, who seized the officials whom David had sent, shaved off their beards, and insulted them by cutting off the lower part of their robes, and then sent them away. BSB BSB: So Hanun took David’s servants, shaved their beards, cut off their garments at the hips, and sent them away.
5 UDB The officials were greatly humiliated. When David found out about what had happened to his officials, he sent some messengers to them to tell them, "Stay at Jericho until your beards have grown again, and then return home." BSB BSB: When someone came and told David about his men, he sent messengers to meet them, since the men had been thoroughly humiliated. The king told them, “Stay in Jericho until your beards have grown back, and then return.”
6 UDB Then the leaders of the Ammonite people realized that they had greatly insulted David. So Hanun and some of his officials sent thirty-three thousand kilograms of silver to hire chariots and chariot drivers from the regions of Aram Naharaim, Aram Maakah, and Zobah northeast of Israel. BSB BSB: When the Ammonites realized that they had become a stench to David, Hanun and the Ammonites sent a thousand talents of silver to hire for themselves chariots and horsemen from Aram-naharaim, Aram-maacah, and Zobah.
7 UDB They hired thirty-two thousand chariots and chariot drivers, as well as the kings of the region of Maakah and their armies. They came and set up their tents near the city of Medeba in the region of Moab. The soldiers from the Ammonite people also marched out and stood in their positions at the entrance to their capital city, Rabbah. BSB BSB: So they hired for themselves thirty-two thousand chariots, as well as the king of Maacah with his troops, who came and camped near Medeba while the Ammonites were mustered from their cities and marched out for battle.
8 UDB When David heard about that, he sent Joab and all of his army. BSB BSB: On hearing this, David sent Joab and the entire army of mighty men.
9 UDB The soldiers of the Ammonite people came out of their city and lined up for battle at the entrance to their capital city, Rabbah. Meanwhile, the other kings who had come with their armies stood in their positions in the open fields. BSB BSB: The Ammonites marched out and arrayed themselves for battle at the entrance to the city, while the kings who had come stayed by themselves in the open country.
David Defeats Ammon and Aram (2 Samuel 10:9–19)
10 UDB Joab saw that there were groups of enemy soldiers in front of his troops and behind his troops. So he selected some of the best Israelite troops and put them in positions to fight against the soldiers of Aram. BSB BSB: When Joab saw the battle lines before him and behind him, he selected some of the best men of Israel and arrayed them against the Arameans.
11 UDB He appointed his older brother Abishai to be the commander of his other soldiers, and he told them to stand in their positions in front of the army of the Ammonite people. BSB BSB: And he placed the rest of the troops under the command of his brother Abishai, who arrayed them against the Ammonites.
12 UDB Joab said to them, "If the soldiers from Aram are too strong for us to defeat them, then your soldiers must come and help us. But if the soldiers from the Ammonite people are too strong for you to defeat them, then my soldiers will come and help your men. BSB BSB: “If the Arameans are too strong for me,” said Joab, “then you will come to my rescue. And if the Ammonites are too strong for you, then I will come to your rescue.
13 UDB We must be strong and fight hard to defend our people and our cities that belong to our God. Yahweh will do what he considers to be good." BSB BSB: Be strong and let us fight bravely for our people and for the cities of our God. May the LORD do what is good in His sight.”
14 UDB So Joab and his troops advanced to fight the army of Aram, and the soldiers from Aram were driven away by the army of Israel. BSB BSB: So Joab and his troops advanced to fight the Arameans, who fled before him.
15 UDB And when the soldiers of the Ammonite people saw that the soldiers from Aram were running away, they also started to run away from Abishai and his army, and they retreated back inside the city. So Joab and his army returned to Jerusalem. BSB BSB: When the Ammonites saw that the Arameans had fled, they too fled before Joab’s brother Abishai, and they entered the city. So Joab went back to Jerusalem.
16 UDB After the leaders of the army of Aram realized that they had been defeated by the army of Israel, they sent messengers to another part of Aram on the east side of the Euphrates River and brought troops from there to the battle area with Shophak, the commander of Hadadezer's army, leading them. BSB BSB: When the Arameans saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they sent messengers to bring more Arameans from beyond the Euphrates, with Shophach the commander of Hadadezer’s army leading them.
17 UDB When David heard about that, he gathered all the Israelite soldiers, and they crossed the Jordan River. They advanced and took their battle positions to attack the army of Aram. BSB BSB: When this was reported to David, he gathered all Israel, crossed the Jordan, advanced toward the Arameans, and arrayed for battle against them. When David lined up to engage them in battle, they fought against him.
18 UDB But the army of Aram ran away from the soldiers of Israel. However, David's soldiers killed seven thousand of their chariot drivers and forty thousand other soldiers. They also killed Shophak, their army commander. BSB BSB: But the Arameans fled before Israel, and David killed seven thousand of their charioteers and forty thousand foot soldiers. He also killed Shophach the commander of their army.
19 UDB When the kings who had been ruled by Hadadezer realized that they had been defeated by the Israelite army, they made peace with David and agreed to allow him to rule them. So the rulers of Aram did not want to help the rulers of the Ammonite people anymore. BSB BSB: When Hadadezer’s subjects saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they made peace with David and became subject to him. So the Arameans were unwilling to help the Ammonites anymore.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.