10:1 Later the king of the Ammonites died and his son Hanun succeeded him. 1 10:2 David said, “I will express my loyalty 2 to Hanun son of Nahash just as his father was loyal 3 to me.” So David sent his servants with a message expressing sympathy over his father’s death. 4 When David’s servants entered the land of the Ammonites, 10:3 the Ammonite officials said to their lord Hanun, “Do you really think David is trying to honor your father by sending these messengers to express his sympathy? 5 No, David has sent his servants to you to get information about the city and spy on it so they can overthrow it!” 6
10:4 So Hanun seized David’s servants and shaved off half of each one’s beard. He cut the lower part of their robes off so that their buttocks were exposed, 7 and then sent them away.
1 tn Heb “reigned in his place.”
2 tn Heb “do loyalty.”
3 tn Heb “did loyalty.”
4 tn Heb “and David sent to console him by the hand of his servants concerning his father.”
5 tn Heb “Is David honoring your father in your eyes when he sends to you ones consoling?”
6 tn Heb “Is it not to explore the city and to spy on it and to overthrow it [that] David has sent his servants to you?”
7 tn Heb “and he cut their robes in the middle unto their buttocks.”