5. After people told David ⌊what had happened⌋ to the men, 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⌋.”
6. The Ammonites realized that they had made themselves offensive to David. So Hanun and the Ammonites sent 75,000 pounds of silver to hire chariots and horses from the Arameans in Upper Mesopotamia, Maacah, and Zobah.
7. They hired 32,000 chariots and the king of Maacah with his army. They camped near Medeba. The Ammonites gathered for the battle from their cities.
8. After David heard about this, he sent Joab and all the elite troops.
9. The Ammonites formed a battle line at the entrance of the city, while the Arameans from Zobah and Rehob and the kings who had come remained by themselves in the open country.
10. When Joab saw he was under attack in front and behind, he took the select troops of Israel and organized them for combat against the Arameans.
11. He put his brother Abishai in charge of the rest of the troops. They organized for combat against the Ammonites.
12. Joab said, “If the Arameans are too strong for my ⌊troops⌋, be ready to help me. And if the Ammonites are too strong for your ⌊troops⌋, I’ll help you.
13. Be strong! Let’s prove ourselves strong for our people and for the cities of our God, and the Lord will do what he considers right.”
14. Then Joab and his troops advanced to fight the Arameans, and the Arameans fled.
15. When the Ammonites saw that the Arameans had fled, they, too, fled from Joab’s brother Abishai and went into the city. So Joab returned to Jerusalem.
16. Realizing that Israel had defeated them, the kings sent ⌊messengers⌋ to get ⌊other⌋ Arameans from beyond the Euphrates River. Shophach, the commander of Hadadezer’s army, led them.
17. When David was told ⌊about this⌋, he assembled Israel’s army, crossed the Jordan, and confronted them. David formed a battle line against the Arameans, and they fought him.