1 Depois disto, morreu o rei dos filhos de Amom, e seu filho Hanum reinou em seu lugar. 2 Então, disse Davi: Usarei de bondade para com Hanum, filho de Naás, como seu pai usou de bondade para comigo. E enviou Davi servos seus para o consolar acerca de seu pai; e vieram os servos de Davi à terra dos filhos de Amom. 3 Mas os príncipes dos filhos de Amom disseram a seu senhor, Hanum: Pensas que, por Davi te haver mandado consoladores, está honrando a teu pai? Porventura, não te enviou ele os seus servos para reconhecerem a cidade, espiá-la e destruí-la? 4 Tomou, então, Hanum os servos de Davi, e lhes rapou metade da barba, e lhes cortou metade das vestes até às nádegas, e os despediu. 5 Sabedor disso, enviou Davi 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, mandaram mensageiros tomar a soldo vinte mil homens de pé dos siros de Bete-Reobe e dos siros de Zobá, mil homens do rei de Maaca e doze mil de Tobe. 7 O que ouvindo Davi, enviou contra eles a Joabe com todo o exército dos valentes. 8 Saíram os filhos de Amom e ordenaram a batalha à entrada da porta, e os siros de Zobá e Reobe e os homens de Tobe e Maaca estavam à parte no campo.
9 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; 10 e o resto do povo, entregou-o a Abisai, seu irmão, o qual o formou em linha contra os filhos de Amom. 11 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. 12 Sê forte, pois; pelejemos varonilmente pelo nosso povo e pelas cidades de nosso Deus; e faça o Senhor o que bem lhe parecer. 13 Então, avançou Joabe com o povo que estava com ele, e travaram peleja contra os siros; e estes fugiram de diante deles. 14 Vendo os filhos de Amom que os siros fugiam, também eles fugiram de diante de Abisai e entraram na cidade; voltou Joabe dos filhos de Amom e tornou a Jerusalém. 15 Vendo, pois, os siros que tinham sido desbaratados diante de Israel, tornaram a refazer-se. 16 E Hadadezer fez sair os siros que estavam do outro lado do rio, e vieram a Helã; Sobaque, chefe do exército de Hadadezer, marchava adiante deles. 17 Informado Davi, ajuntou a todo o Israel, passou o Jordão e foi a Helã; os siros se puseram em ordem de batalha contra Davi e pelejaram contra ele. 18 Porém os siros fugiram de diante de Israel, e Davi matou dentre os siros os homens de setecentos carros e quarenta mil homens de cavalo; também feriu a Sobaque, chefe do exército, de tal sorte que morreu ali. 19 Vendo, pois, todos os reis, servos de Hadadezer, que foram vencidos, fizeram paz com Israel e o serviram; e temeram os siros de ainda socorrer aos filhos de Amom.
1 And it came to pass after this, that the king of the children of Ammon died, and Hanun his son reigned in his stead. 2 And David said, I will show kindness unto Hanun the son of Nahash, as his father showed kindness unto me. So David sent by his servants to comfort him concerning his father. And David’s servants came into the land of the children of Ammon. 3 But the princes of the children of Ammon said unto Hanun their lord, Thinkest thou that David doth honor thy father, in that he hath sent comforters unto thee? hath not David sent his servants unto thee to search the city, and to spy it out, and to overthrow it? 4 So Hanun took David’s servants, and shaved off the one half of their beards, and cut off their garments in the middle, even to their buttocks, and sent them away. 5 When they told it unto David, 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 were become odious to David, the children of Ammon sent and hired the Syrians of Beth-rehob, and the Syrians of Zobah, twenty thousand footmen, and the king of Maacah with a thousand men, and the men of Tob twelve thousand men. 7 And when David heard of it, he sent Joab, and all the host of the mighty men. 8 And the children of Ammon came out, and put the battle in array at the entrance of the gate: and the Syrians of Zobah and of Rehob, and the men of Tob and Maacah, were by themselves in the field.
9 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: 10 and the rest of the people he committed into the hand of Abishai his brother; and he put them in array against the children of Ammon. 11 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 come and help thee. 12 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. 13 So Joab and the people that were with him drew nigh unto the battle against the Syrians: and they fled before him. 14 And when the children of Ammon saw that the Syrians were fled, they likewise fled before Abishai, and entered into the city. Then Joab returned from the children of Ammon, and came to Jerusalem.
15 And when the Syrians saw that they were put to the worse before Israel, they gathered themselves together. 16 And Hadarezer sent, and brought out the Syrians that were beyond the River: and they came to Helam, with Shobach 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 to Helam. And the Syrians set themselves in array against David, and fought with him. 18 And the Syrians fled before Israel; and David slew of the Syrians the men of seven hundred chariots, and forty thousand horsemen, and smote Shobach the captain of their host, so that he died there. 19 And when all the kings that 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.
1 In the course of time, the king of the Ammonites died, and his son Hanun succeeded him as king.
2 David thought, "I will show kindness to Hanun son of Nahash, just as his father showed kindness to me." So David sent a delegation to express his sympathy to Hanun concerning his father. When David's men came to the land of the Ammonites,
3 the Ammonite commanders said to Hanun their lord, "Do you think David is honoring your father by sending envoys to you to express sympathy? Hasn't David sent them to you only to explore the city and spy it out and overthrow it?"
4 So Hanun seized David's envoys, shaved off half of each man's beard, cut off their garments at the buttocks, and sent them away.
5 When David was told about this, he sent messengers to meet the men, 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, they hired twenty thousand Aramean foot soldiers from Beth Rehob and Zobah, as well as the king of Maakah with a thousand men, and also twelve thousand men from Tob.
7 On hearing this, David sent Joab out with the entire army of fighting men.
8 The Ammonites came out and drew up in battle formation at the entrance of their city gate, while the Arameans of Zobah and Rehob and the men of Tob and Maakah were by themselves in the open country.
9 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.
10 He put the rest of the men under the command of Abishai his brother and deployed them against the Ammonites.
11 Joab said, "If the Arameans are too strong for me, then you are to come to my rescue; but if the Ammonites are too strong for you, then I will come to rescue you.
12 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."
13 Then Joab and the troops with him advanced to fight the Arameans, and they fled before him.
14 When the Ammonites realized that the Arameans were fleeing, they fled before Abishai and went inside the city. So Joab returned from fighting the Ammonites and came to Jerusalem.
15 After the Arameans saw that they had been routed by Israel, they regrouped.
16 Hadadezer had Arameans brought from beyond the Euphrates River; they went to Helam, with Shobak the commander of Hadadezer's army leading them.
17 When David was told of this, he gathered all Israel, crossed the Jordan and went to Helam. The Arameans formed their battle lines to meet David and fought against him.
18 But they fled before Israel, and David killed seven hundred of their charioteers and forty thousand of their foot soldiers. "He also struck down Shobak the commander of their army, and he died there.
19 When all the kings who were vassals of Hadadezer saw that they had been routed by Israel, they made peace with the Israelites and became subject to them. So the Arameans were afraid to help the Ammonites anymore.