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.

1 وكان بعد ذلك ان ناحاش ملك بني عمون مات فملك ابنه عوضا عنه.2 فقال داود اصنع معروفا مع حانون بن ناحاش لان اباه صنع معي معروفا. فارسل داود رسلا ليعزيه بابيه. فجاء عبيد داود الى ارض بني عمون الى حانون ليعزّوه.3 فقال رؤساء بني عمون لحانون هل يكرم داود اباك في عينيك حتى ارسل اليك معزّين. أليس انما لاجل الفحص والقلب وتجسس الارض جاء عبيده اليك.4 فاخذ حانون عبيد داود وحلق لحاهم وقصّ ثيابهم من الوسط عند السوءة ثم اطلقهم.5 فذهب اناس واخبروا داود عن الرجال. فارسل للقائهم لان الرجال كانوا خجلين جدا. وقال الملك اقيموا في اريحا حتى تنبت لحاكم ثم ارجعوا6 ولما رأى بنو عمون انهم قد انتنوا عند داود ارسل حانون وبنو عمون الف وزنة من الفضة لكي يستأجروا لانفسهم من ارام النهرين ومن ارام معكة ومن صوبة مركبات وفرسانا.7 فاستأجروا لانفسهم اثنين وثلاثين الف مركبة وملك معكة وشعبه فجاءوا ونزلوا مقابل ميدبا. واجتمع بنو عمون من مدنهم وأتوا للحرب.8 ولما سمع داود ارسل يوآب وكل جيش الجبابرة.9 فخرج بنو عمون واصطفوا للحرب عند باب المدينة والملوك الذين جاءوا كانوا وحدهم في الحقل.10 ولما رأى يوآب ان مقدمة الحرب كانت نحوه من قدام ومن وراء اختار من جميع منتخبي اسرائيل وصفّهم للقاء ارام.11 وسلّم بقية الشعب ليد ابشاي اخيه فاصطفوا للقاء بني عمون.12 وقال ان قوي ارام عليّ تكون لي نجدة وان قوي بنو عمون عليك انجدتك.13 تجلّد ولنتشدد لاجل شعبنا ولاجل مدن الهنا وما يحسن في عيني الرب يفعل.14 وتقدم يوآب والشعب الذين معه نحو ارام للمحاربة فهربوا من امامه.15 ولما رأى بنو عمون انه قد هرب ارام هربوا هم ايضا من امام ابشاي اخيه ودخلوا الى المدينة. وجاء يوآب الى اورشليم16 ولما رأى ارام انهم قد انكسروا امام اسرائيل ارسلوا رسلا وابرزوا ارام الذين في عبر النهر وامامهم شوبك رئيس جيش هدرعزر.17 ولما أخبر داود جمع كل اسرائيل وعبر الاردن وجاء اليهم واصطف ضدّهم. اصطف داود للقاء ارام في الحرب فحاربوه.18 وهرب ارام من امام اسرائيل وقتل داود من ارام سبعة آلاف مركبة واربعين الف راجل وقتل شوبك رئيس الجيش.19 ولما رأى عبيد هدرعزر انهم قد انكسروا امام اسرائيل صالحوا داود وخدموه. ولم يشأ ارام ان ينجدوا بني عمون بعد