1. And after this it came to be that Naḥash the sovereign of the children of Ammon died, and his son reigned in his place.
2. And Dawiḏ said, “Let me show kindness to Ḥanun son of Naḥash, because his father showed kindness to me.” So Dawiḏ sent messengers to comfort him concerning his father. And the servants of Dawiḏ came to Ḥanun in the land of the children of Ammon to comfort him.
3. And the chiefs of the children of Ammon said to Ḥanun, “Is Dawiḏ esteeming your father, in your eyes, because he has sent comforters to you? Have his servants not come to you to search and to overthrow and to spy out the land?”
4. So Ḥanun took Dawiḏ’s servants, and shaved them, and cut off their garments in the middle, at their buttocks, and sent them away.
5. And when some went and informed Dawiḏ about the men, he sent to meet them, because the men were greatly ashamed. And the sovereign said, “Remain at Yeriḥo until your beards have grown, then return.”
6. And when the children of Ammon saw that they had made themselves a stench to Dawiḏ, Ḥanun and the children of Ammon sent a thousand talents of silver to hire chariots and horsemen from Aram-Naharayim, and from Aram-Ma‛aḵah, and from Tsoḇah.
7. So they hired for themselves thirty-two thousand chariots, with the sovereign of Ma‛aḵah and his people, who came and encamped before Mĕyḏeḇa. And the children of Ammon had gathered from their cities, and came to battle.
8. And when Dawiḏ heard, he sent Yo’aḇ and the entire army of the mighty men,
9. and the children of Ammon came out and put themselves in battle array before the gate of the city, and the sovereigns who had come were by themselves in the field.