History & Narratives Verses

Then said Ziba unto the king, According to all that my lord the king hath commanded his servant, so shall thy servant do. As for Mephibosheth, {said the king}, he shall eat at my table, as one of the king's sons.

And Mephibosheth had a young son, whose name {was} Micha. And all that dwelt in the house of Ziba {were} servants unto Mephibosheth.

So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem: for he did eat continually at the king's table; and was lame on both his feet.

And it came to pass after this, that the king of the children of Ammon died, and Hanun his son reigned in his stead.

Then said David, I will shew kindness unto Hanun the son of Nahash, as his father shewed kindness unto me. And 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.

And the princes of the children of Ammon said unto Hanun their lord, Thinkest thou that David doth honour thy father, that he hath sent comforters unto thee? hath not David {rather} sent his servants unto thee, to search the city, and to spy it out, and to overthrow it? {Thinkest...: Heb. In thine eyes doth David}

Wherefore Hanun took David's servants, and shaved off the one half of their beards, and cut off their garments in the middle, {even} to their buttocks, and sent them away.

When they told {it} unto David, he sent to meet them, because the men were greatly ashamed: and the king said, Tarry at Jericho until your beards be grown, and {then} return.

And when the children of Ammon saw that they stank before 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. {Ishtob: or, the men of Tob}

And when David heard of {it}, he sent Joab, and all the host of the mighty men.

And the children of Ammon came out, and put the battle in array at the entering in of the gate: and the Syrians of Zoba, and of Rehob, and Ishtob, and Maacah, {were} by themselves in the field.

When Joab saw that the front of the battle was against him before and behind, he chose of all the choice {men} of Israel, and put {them} in array against the Syrians: