¹Later the king of Ammon died, and his son Hanun became king in his place. ²David thought, “I will show kindness to Hanun as his father Nahash showed me kindness.” So David sent his servants to comfort Hanun after his father’s ⸤death⸥. But when David’s servants entered Ammonite territory, ³the Ammonite princes asked their master Hanun, “Do you think David is honoring your father because he sent men to comfort you? Hasn’t David sent his men to explore the city, spy on it, and destroy it?” ⁴So Hanun took David’s men, shaved off half of each man’s beard, cut off their clothes from the waist down, and sent them away.

⁵After David was told ⸤what had happened⸥, he sent ⸤someone⸥ to meet them because they were deeply humiliated. The king said to them, “Stay in Jericho until your beards have grown back, and then return ⸤to Jerusalem⸥.”

⁶The Ammonites realized that they had made themselves offensive to David. So they hired the Arameans from Beth Rehob and Zobah (20,000 foot soldiers), ⸤the army of⸥ the king of Maacah (1,000 men), and the men of Tob (12,000 men).

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