<t /><p class="bodytext">The sons of Shem:p> <p class="bodytext">Elam, Asshur, Arphaxad, Lud, and Aram.p> <p class="bodytext">The sons of Aram:<n id="1" />p> <p class="bodytext">Uz, Hul, Gether, and Meshech.<n id="2" />p>

So Joab and his men<n id="1" /> marched toward the Arameans to do battle, and they fled before him.

Syria has plotted with Ephraim and the son of Remaliah to bring about your demise.<n id="1" />

Edom<n id="1" /> was your trade partner because of the abundance of your goods; they exchanged turquoise, purple, embroidered work, fine linen, coral, and rubies for your products.

<t /><p class="poetry">Jacob fled to the country of Aram,p> <p class="poetry">then Israel worked<n id="1" /> to acquire a wife;p> <p class="poetry">he tended sheep to pay for her.p>

The Arameans fled before Israel. David killed 700 Aramean charioteers and 40,000 foot soldiers.<n id="1" /> He also struck down Shobach, the general in command of the army, who died there.

<t /><p class="bodytext">Now Naaman, the commander of the king of Syria&#8217;s army, was esteemed and respected by his master,<n id="1" /> for through him the <sc>Lordsc> had given Syria military victories. But this great warrior had a skin disease.<n id="2" />

Elisha<n id="1" /> said, &#8220;Open the east window,&#8221; and he did so.<n id="2" /> Elisha said, &#8220;Shoot!&#8221; andp> <p class="bodytext">he did so.<n id="3" /> Elisha<n id="4" /> said, &#8220;This arrow symbolizes the victory the <sc>Lordsc> will give you over Syria.<n id="5" /> You will annihilate Syria in Aphek!&#8221;<n id="6" />

The prophet<n id="1" /> got angry at him and said, &#8220;If you had struck the ground five or six times, you would have annihilated Syria!<n id="2" /> But now, you will defeat Syria only three times.&#8221;p>

(At that time King Rezin of Syria<n id="1" /> recovered Elat for Syria; he drove the Judahites from there.<n id="2" /> Syrians<n id="3" /> arrived in Elat and live there to this very day.)

<p class="bodytext">When the Arameans realized they had been defeated by Israel, they sent for reinforcements from beyond the Euphrates River,<n id="1" /> led by Shophach the commanding general of Hadadezer&#8217;s army.<n id="2" />

The Arameans fled before Israel. David killed 7,000<n id="1" /> Aramean charioteers and 40,000 infantrymen; he also killed Shophach<n id="2" /> the commanding general.

<p class="bodytext">At that time Hanani the prophet<n id="1" /> visited King Asa of Judah and said to him: &#8220;Because you relied on the king of Syria and did not rely on the <sc>Lordsc> your God, the army of the king of Syria has escaped from your hand.

Then Balaam<n id="1" /> uttered<n id="2" /> his oracle, saying,p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;Balak, the king of Moab, brought me<n id="3" /> from Aram,p> <p class="poetry">out of the mountains of the east, saying,p> <p class="poetry">&#8216;Come, pronounce a curse on Jacob for me;p> <p class="poetry">come, denounce Israel.&#8217;<n id="4" />p>

The Ammonites marched out and were deployed for battle at the entrance of the city gate, while the men from Aram Zobah, Rehob, Ish-tob, and Maacah were by themselves in the field.p>

<p class="bodytext">When Joab saw that the battle would be fought on two fronts, he chose some of Israel&#8217;s best men and deployed them against the Arameans.<n id="1" />

Joab<n id="1" /> said, &#8220;If the Arameans start to overpower me,<n id="2" /> you come to my rescue. If the Ammonites start to overpower you,<n id="3" /> I will come to your rescue.

When the Ammonites saw the Arameans flee, they fled before his brother Abishai and went into the city. Joab withdrew from fighting the Ammonites and returned to<n id="1" /> Jerusalem.<n id="2" />p>

Then Hadadezer sent for Arameans from<n id="1" /> beyond the Euphrates River,<n id="2" /> and they came to Helam. Shobach, the general in command of Hadadezer&#8217;s army, led them.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="bodytext">When David was informed, he gathered all Israel, crossed the Jordan River,<n id="1" /> and came to Helam. The Arameans deployed their forces against David and fought with him.