1 E aconteceu, depois disto que Naás, rei dos filhos de Amom, morreu; e seu filho reinou em seu lugar.

2 Então disse Davi: Usarei de benevolência com Hanum, filho de Naás, porque seu pai usou de benevolência comigo. Por isso Davi enviou mensageiros para o consolarem acerca de seu pai. E, chegando os servos de Davi à terra dos filhos de Amom, a Hanum, para o consolarem,

3 Disseram os príncipes dos filhos de Amom a Hanum: Pensas porventura, que foi para honrar teu pai aos teus olhos, que Davi te mandou consoladores? Não vieram seus servos a ti, a esquadrinhar, e a transtornar, e a espiar a terra?

4 Por isso Hanum tomou os servos de Davi, e raspou-os, e cortou-lhes as vestes no meio até à coxa da perna, e os despediu.

5 E foram-se, e avisaram a Davi acerca daqueles homens; e enviou ele mensageiros a encontrá-los; porque aqueles homens estavam sobremaneira envergonhados. Disse, pois, o rei: Deixai-vos ficar em Jericó, até que vos torne a crescer a barba, e então voltai.

6 Vendo, pois, os filhos de Amom que se tinham feito odiosos para com Davi, enviou Hanum, e os filhos de Amom, mil talentos de prata para alugarem para si carros e cavaleiros da Mesopotâmia, e da Síria de Maaca, e de Zobá.

7 E alugaram para si trinta e dois mil carros, e o rei de Maaca e o seu povo, e eles vieram, e se acamparam diante de Medeba; também os filhos de Amom se ajuntaram das suas cidades, e vieram para a guerra.

8 O que ouvindo Davi, enviou Joabe e todo o exército dos homens valentes.

9 E, saindo os filhos de Amom, ordenaram a batalha à porta da cidade; porém os reis que vieram se puseram à parte no campo.

10 E, vendo Joabe que a batalha estava preparada contra ele, pela frente e pela retaguarda, separou dentre os mais escolhidos de Israel, e os ordenou contra os sírios.

11 E o resto do povo entregou na mão de Abisai, seu irmão; e puseram-se em ordem de batalha contra os filhos de Amom.

12 E disse: Se os sírios forem mais fortes do que eu, tu virás socorrer-me; e, se os filhos de Amom forem mais fortes do que tu, então eu te socorrerei.

13 Esforça-te, e esforcemo-nos pelo nosso povo, e pelas cidades do nosso Deus, e faça o Senhor o que parecer bem aos seus olhos.

14 Então se chegou Joabe, e o povo que tinha consigo, diante dos sírios, para a batalha; e fugiram de diante dele.

15 Vendo, pois, os filhos de Amom que os sírios fugiram, também eles fugiram de diante de Abisai, seu irmão, e entraram na cidade; e veio Joabe para Jerusalém.

16 E, vendo os sírios que foram derrotados diante de Israel, enviaram mensageiros, e fizeram sair os sírios que habitavam do outro lado do rio; e Sofaque, capitão do exército de Hadar-Ezer, marchava diante deles.

17 Do que avisado Davi, ajuntou a todo o Israel, e passou o Jordão, e foi ter com eles, e ordenou contra eles a batalha; e, tendo Davi ordenado a batalha contra os sírios, pelejaram contra ele.

18 Porém os sírios fugiram de diante de Israel, e feriu Davi, dos sírios, os homens de sete mil carros, e quarenta mil homens de pé; e a Sofaque, capitão do exército, matou.

19 Vendo, pois, os servos de Hadar-Ezer que tinham sido feridos diante de Israel, fizeram paz com Davi, e o serviram; e os sírios nunca mais quiseram socorrer os filhos de Amom.

1 In the course of time, Nahash king of the Ammonites died, and his son succeeded him as king.

2 David thought, "I will show kindness to Hanun son of Nahash, because his father showed kindness to me." So David sent a delegation to express his sympathy to Hanun concerning his father. When David's envoys came to Hanun in the land of the Ammonites to express sympathy to him,

3 the Ammonite commanders said to Hanun, "Do you think David is honoring your father by sending envoys to you to express sympathy? Haven't his envoys come to you only to explore and spy out the country and overthrow it?"

4 So Hanun seized David's envoys, shaved them, cut off their garments at the buttocks, and sent them away.

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 realized 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.

12 Joab said, "If the Arameans are too strong for me, then you are to rescue me; but if the Ammonites are too strong for you, then I will rescue you.

13 Be strong, and let us fight bravely for our people and the cities of our God. The LORD will do what is good in his sight."

14 Then Joab and the troops with him advanced to fight the Arameans, and they fled before him.

15 When the Ammonites realized that the Arameans were fleeing, they too fled before his brother Abishai and went inside the city. So Joab went back to Jerusalem.

16 After the Arameans saw that they had been routed by Israel, they sent messengers and had Arameans brought from beyond the Euphrates River, with Shophak the commander of Hadadezer's army leading them.

17 When David was told of this, he gathered all Israel and crossed the Jordan; he advanced against them and formed his battle lines opposite them. David formed his lines to meet the Arameans in battle, and they fought against him.

18 But they fled before Israel, and David killed seven thousand of their charioteers and forty thousand of their foot soldiers. He also killed Shophak the commander of their army.

19 When the vassals of Hadadezer saw that they had been routed by Israel, they made peace with David and became subject to him. So the Arameans were not willing to help the Ammonites anymore.