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David battles with the Ammonites

David's messengers are humiliated by the Ammonites.
Contributed by Sweet Publishing
Story also available on our translated websites: Spanish, Portuguese, Polish, Romanian, German, French, Hindi, Simplified Chinese
1
King David was told that King Nahash of the Ammonites had died and his son Hanun had succeeded him as King. – Slide 1
2
The Ammonites lived in the Kingdom of Ammon to the East of King David’s kingdom on the other side of the River Jordan. King Nahash had shown kindness to David so David sent envoys from Jerusalem to express his sympathy to Hanun. – Slide 2
3
However when the envoys arrived, King Hanun’s commanders warned him. ‘Do you think David is honouring your father by sending envoys to express sympathy? They are only here to spy out the city and overthrow it’  – Slide 3
4
So King Hanun humiliated King David’s envoys by shaving off half of each man’s beard and cutting off their garments just below the waist. – Slide 4
5
When David heard how his envoys had been humiliated, he told them to stay in Jericho until their beards had grown again. The Ammonites knew David would retaliate so they hired 33,000 fighting men from the nearby Aramean tribes. These men assembled in the plain outside the city. – Slide 5
6
The Ammonites came out of the city and took up their positions. – Slide 6
7
David sent Joab with his entire army of fighting men into Ammon. Joab split his soldiers into two groups, one under his command and the other under the command of his brother Abishai. The best fighters were put in the group to fight the Arameans. The other group faced the Ammonites. Joab then announced, ‘Be strong, and fight bravely for our people and our God. The Lord will do what is good in his sight.’ – Slide 7
8
Joab and the troops with him advanced to fight the Arameans, and they fled before him.  – Slide 8
9
Abishai attacked the Ammonites. – Slide 9
10
When the Ammonites realised that the Arameans were fleeing, they fled and went back inside the city. – Slide 10
11
Joab returned to Jerusalem. The Arameans who had been routed by Israel, then regrouped. They sent messengers beyond the River Euphrates to gather more Aramean troops. – Slide 11
12
Their army gathered at Helam on the border of David’s Kingdom. King David assembled all his soldiers and headed for Helam to do battle with them. – Slide 12
13
David attacked the Aramean battle lines and they fled before him. David’s soldiers killed seven hundred of their charioteers and forty thousand of their foot soldiers. Shobak, the commander of their army, was struck down and died. – Slide 13
14
When all the Kings of the Arameans saw they were defeated they made peace with the Israelites and became subject to them. They no longer fought for the Ammonites against Israel. – Slide 14
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Slide 15