1 Depois disto, morreu Naás, rei dos filhos de Amom; e seu filho reinou em seu lugar. 2 Então, disse Davi: Usarei de bondade para com Hanum, filho de Naás, porque seu pai usou de bondade para comigo. Pelo que Davi enviou mensageiros para o consolar acerca de seu pai; e vieram 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 que, por te haver Davi mandado consoladores, está honrando a teu pai? Não vieram seus servos a ti para reconhecerem, destruírem e espiarem a terra? 4 Tomou, então, Hanum os servos de Davi, e rapou-os, e lhes cortou metade das vestes até às nádegas, e os despediu. 5 Foram-se alguns e avisaram a Davi acerca destes homens; então, enviou mensageiros a encontrá-los, porque estavam sobremaneira envergonhados. Mandou o rei dizer-lhes: Deixai-vos estar em Jericó, até que vos torne a crescer a barba; e, então, vinde.

6 Vendo, pois, os filhos de Amom que se haviam tornado odiosos a Davi, então, Hanum e os filhos de Amom tomaram mil talentos de prata, para alugarem para si carros e cavaleiros da Mesopotâmia, e dos siros de Maaca, e de Zoba. 7 Alugaram para si trinta e dois mil carros, o rei de Maaca e a sua gente, 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 contra eles a Joabe com todo o exército dos valentes. 9 Saíram os filhos de Amom e ordenaram a batalha à entrada da porta da cidade; porém os reis que vieram estavam à parte, no campo.

10 Vendo, pois, Joabe que estava preparada contra ele a batalha, tanto pela frente como pela retaguarda, escolheu dentre todos o que havia de melhor em Israel e os formou em linha contra os siros; 11 e o resto do povo entregou a Abisai, seu irmão, e puseram-se em linha contra os filhos de Amom. 12 Disse Joabe: Se os siros forem mais fortes do que eu, tu me virás em socorro; e, se os filhos de Amom forem mais fortes do que tu, eu irei ao teu socorro. 13 Sê forte, pois; pelejemos varonilmente pelo nosso povo e pelas cidades de nosso Deus; e faça o Senhor o que bem lhe parecer. 14 Então, avançou Joabe com o povo que estava com ele, e travaram peleja contra os siros; e estes fugiram de diante dele. 15 Vendo os filhos de Amom que os siros fugiam, também eles fugiram de diante de Abisai, irmão de Joabe, e entraram na cidade; voltou Joabe dos filhos de Amom e tornou a Jerusalém.

16 Vendo, pois, os siros que tinham sido desbaratados diante de Israel, enviaram mensageiros e fizeram sair os siros que habitavam do lado dalém do rio; Sofaque, capitão do exército de Hadadezer, marchava adiante deles. 17 Informado Davi, ajuntou a todo o Israel, passou o Jordão, veio ter com eles e ordenou contra eles a batalha; e, tendo Davi ordenado a batalha contra os siros, pelejaram estes contra ele. 18 Porém os siros fugiram de diante de Israel, e Davi matou dentre os siros os homens de sete mil carros e quarenta mil homens de pé; a Sofaque, chefe do exército, matou. 19 Vendo, pois, os servos de Hadadezer que foram feridos diante de Israel, fizeram paz com Davi e o serviram; e os siros nunca mais quiseram socorrer aos filhos de Amom.

1 And it came to pass after this, that Nahash the king of the children of Ammon died, and his son reigned in his stead. 2 And David said, I will show kindness unto Hanun the son of Nahash, because his father showed kindness to me. So David sent messengers to comfort him concerning his father. And David’s servants came into the land of the children of Ammon to Hanun, to comfort him. 3 But the princes of the children of Ammon said to Hanun, Thinkest thou that David doth honor thy father, in that he hath sent comforters unto thee? are not his servants come unto thee to search, and to overthrow, and to spy out the land? 4 So Hanun took David’s servants, and shaved them, and cut off their garments in the middle, even to their buttocks, and sent them away. 5 Then there went certain persons, and told David how the men were served. And he sent to meet them; for the men were greatly ashamed. And the king said, Tarry at Jericho until your beards be grown, and then return.

6 And when the children of Ammon saw that they had made themselves odious to David, Hanun and the children of Ammon sent a thousand talents of silver to hire them chariots and horsemen out of Mesopotamia, and out of Aram-maacah, and out of Zobah. 7 So they hired them thirty and two thousand chariots, and the king of Maacah and his people, who came and encamped before Medeba. And the children of Ammon gathered themselves together from their cities, and came to battle. 8 And when David heard of it, he sent Joab, and all the host of the mighty men. 9 And the children of Ammon came out, and put the battle in array at the gate of the city: and the kings that were come were by themselves in the field.

10 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. 11 And the rest of the people he committed into the hand of Abishai his brother; and they put themselves in array against the children of Ammon. 12 And he said, If the Syrians be too strong for me, then thou shalt help me; but if the children of Ammon be too strong for thee, then I will help thee. 13 Be of good courage, and let us play the man for our people, and for the cities of our God: and Jehovah do that which seemeth him good. 14 So Joab and the people that were with him drew nigh before the Syrians unto the battle; and they fled before him. 15 And when the children of Ammon saw that the Syrians were fled, they likewise fled before Abishai his brother, and entered into the city. Then Joab came to Jerusalem.

16 And when the Syrians saw that they were put to the worse before Israel, they sent messengers, and drew forth the Syrians that were beyond the River, with Shophach the captain of the host of Hadarezer at their head. 17 And it was told David; and he gathered all Israel together, and passed over the Jordan, and came upon them, and set the battle in array against them. So when David had put the battle in array against the Syrians, they fought with him. 18 And the Syrians fled before Israel; and David slew of the Syrians the men of seven thousand chariots, and forty thousand footmen, and killed Shophach the captain of the host. 19 And when the servants of Hadarezer saw that they were put to the worse before Israel, they made peace with David, and served him: neither would the Syrians help the children of Ammon any more.

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.