Sotah 085

Ahaz was twenty years old when he began to reign; and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem: and he didn't do that which was right in the eyes of God, like David his father; but he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel… Therefore God delivered him into the hand of the king of … Israel, who struck him with a great slaughter. For Pekaĥ the son of Remaliah [the king of Israel] killed in Judah one hundred and twenty thousand in one day, all of them valiant men… The children of Israel carried away captive of their brothers [from Judah] two hundred thousand, women, sons, and daughters, and took also away much spoil from them, and brought the spoil to Samaria. But a prophet of God was there, whose name was Oded: and he went out to meet the army that came to Samaria, and said to them, Behold, because the God of your fathers was angry with Judah, he has delivered them into your hand, and you have slain them in a rage which has reached up to heaven. Now you purpose to keep under the children of Judah and Jerusalem for bondservants and bondmaids to you: but aren't there even with you trespasses of your own against your God? Now hear me therefore, and send back the captives, that you have taken captive of your brothers; for the fierce wrath of God is on you. Then certain of the heads of the children of Ephraim, Azariah the son of Joĥanan, Berekhiah the son of Meshillemoth, and Jeĥizkiah the son of Shallum, and Amasa the son of Hadlai, stood up against those who came from the war, and said to them, You shall not bring in the captives here: for you purpose that which will bring on us a trespass against God, to add to our sins and to our trespass; for our trespass is great, and there is fierce wrath against Israel. So the armed men left the captives and the spoil before the princes and all the assembly. The men who have been mentioned by name rose up, and took the captives, and with the spoil clothed all who were naked among them, and arrayed them, and shod them, and gave them to eat and to drink, and anointed them, and carried all the feeble of them on donkeys, and brought them to Jericho, the city of palm trees, to their brothers: then they returned to Samaria.

When David heard of it, he sent Joab, and all the army of the mighty men. The Ammonites came out, and put the battle in array at the entrance of the gate: and the Syrians… were by themselves in the field. Now when Joab saw that the battle was set against him before and behind, he chose of all the choice men of Israel, and put them in array against the Syrians: The rest of the people he committed into the hand of Abishai his brother; and he put them in array against the Ammonites. He said, If the Syrians be too strong for me, then you shall help me; but if the Ammonites be too strong for you, then I will come and help you. Be of good courage, and let us play the man for our people, and for the cities of our God: and may God do that which seems him good. So Joab and the people who were with him drew near to the battle against the Syrians: and they fled before him. When the Ammonites saw that the Syrians were fled, they likewise fled before Abishai… When the Syrians saw that they were worsted by Israel, they gathered themselves together. Hadarezer sent, and brought out the Syrians who were beyond the River: and they came to Helam, with Shovakh the captain of the army … at their head. It was told David; and he gathered all Israel together, and passed over the Jordan, and came to Helam. The Syrians set themselves in array against David, and fought with him. The Syrians fled before Israel; and David felled of the Syrians seven hundred chariots, and forty thousand horsemen, and struck Shovakh the captain of their army, so that he died there. When all the kings who were servants to Hadarezer saw that they were put to the worse before Israel, they made peace with Israel, and served them. So the Syrians feared to help the children of Ammon any more.