4. So Hanun took David’s emissaries, shaved off half their beards, cut their clothes in half at the hips, and sent them away.
5. When this was reported to David, he sent someone to meet them, since they were deeply humiliated. The king said, “Stay in Jericho until your beards grow back; then return.”
6. When the Ammonites realized they had become repulsive to David, they hired 20,000 foot soldiers from the Arameans of Beth-rehob and Zobah, 1,000 men from the king of Maacah, and 12,000 men from Tob.
7. David heard about it and sent Joab and all the fighting men.
8. The Ammonites marched out and lined up in battle formation at the entrance to the city gate while the Arameans of Zobah and Rehob and the men of Tob and Maacah were in the field by themselves.
9. When Joab saw that there was a battle line in front of him and another behind him, he chose some men out of all the elite troops of Israel and lined up in battle formation to engage the Arameans.
10. He placed the rest of the forces under the command of his brother Abishai who lined up in battle formation to engage the Ammonites.