1And it happened after this that the king of the children of Ammon died, and Hanun his son reigned in his place.
2Then David said, I will show kindness to Hanun the son of Nahash, as his father showed kindness to me. So David sent to comfort him by the hand of his servants for his father. And David's servants came into the land of the children of Ammon.
3And the princes of the children of Ammon said to Hanun their lord, Do you think that David honors your father, that he has sent comforters to you? Has not David rather sent his servants to you to search the city, and to spy it out, and to overthrow it?
4Therefore Hanun took David's servants, shaved off half of their beards, and cut off their garments in the middle, even to their buttocks, and sent them away.
5When they told David, he sent to meet them, for the men were greatly ashamed: and the king said, Stay at Jericho until your beards have grown, and then return.
6And when the children of Ammon saw that they had become odious to David, the children of Ammon sent and hired the Syrians of Bethrehob, and the Syrians of Zoba, twenty thousand footmen, and of king Maacah a thousand men, and of Ishtob twelve thousand men.