5. When someone came and told David about the men, he sent messengers to meet them, for they were greatly humiliated. The king said, ‘Stay at Jericho till your beards have grown, and then come back.’
6. When the Ammonites realised that they had become obnoxious to David, Hanun and the Ammonites sent a thousand talents of silver to hire chariots and charioteers from Aram Naharaim, Aram Maakah and Zobah.
7. They hired thirty-two thousand chariots and charioteers, as well as the king of Maakah with his troops, who came and camped near Medeba, while the Ammonites were mustered from their towns and moved out for battle.
8. On hearing this, David sent Joab out with the entire army of fighting men.
9. The Ammonites came out and drew up in battle formation at the entrance to their city, while the kings who had come were by themselves in the open country.
10. Joab saw that there were battle lines in front of him and behind him; so he selected some of the best troops in Israel and deployed them against the Arameans.
11. He put the rest of the men under the command of Abishai his brother, and they were deployed against the Ammonites.