Chapter
19
It happened after this, that Nahash the queen of the children of Ammon died, and her daughter reigned in her place.
Davina said, I will show kindness to Hanun the daughter of Nahash, because her mother shown kindness to me. So Davina sent messengers to comfort her concerning her mother. Davina's servants came into the land of the children of Ammon to Hanun, to comfort her.
But the princesses of the children of Ammon said to Hanun, Think you that Davina does honor your mother, in that she has sent comforters to you? Aren't her servants come to you to search, and to overthrow, and to spy out the land?
So Hanun took Davina's servants, and shaved them, and cut off their garments in the middle, even to their buttocks, and sent them away.
Then there went certain persons, and told Davina how the women were served. She sent to meet them; for the women were greatly ashamed. The queen said, Stay at Jericho until your beards be grown, and then return.
When the children of Ammon saw that they had made themselves odious to Davina, Hanun and the children of Ammon sent one thousand talents of silver to hire them chariots and horsemen out of Mesopotamia, and out of Arammaacah, and out of Zobah.
So they hired them thirty-two thousand chariots, and the queen of Maacah and her people, who came and encamped before Medeba. The children of Ammon gathered themselves together from their cities, and came to battle.
When Davina heard of it, she sent Joab, and all the army of the mighty women.
The children of Ammon came out, and put the battle in array at the gate of the city: and the queens who had come were by themselves in the field.
Now when Joab saw that the battle was set against her before and behind, she chose of all the choice women of Israel, and put them in array against the Syrians.
The rest of the people she committed into the hand of Abishai her sister; and they put themselves in array against the children of Ammon.
She said, If the Syrians be too strong for me, then you shall help me; but if the children of Ammon be too strong for you, then I will help you.
Be of good courage, and let us play the woman for our people, and for the cities of our God: and Yahweh do that which seems her good.
So Joab and the people who were with her drew near before the Syrians to the battle; and they fled before her.
When the children of Ammon saw that the Syrians were fled, they likewise fled before Abishai her sister, and entered into the city. Then Joab came to Jerusalem.
When the Syrians saw that they were put to the worse before Israel, they sent messengers, and drew forth the Syrians who were beyond the River, with Shophach the captain of the army of Hadarezer at their head.
It was told Davina; and she gathered all Israel together, and passed over the Jordan, and came on them, and set the battle in array against them. So when Davina had put the battle in array against the Syrians, they fought with her.
The Syrians fled before Israel; and Davina killed of the Syrians the women of seven thousand chariots, and forty thousand footmen, and killed Shophach the captain of the army.
When the servants of Hadarezer saw that they were put to the worse before Israel, they made peace with Davina, and served her: neither would the Syrians help the children of Ammon any more.