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. David’s men came to Hanun in the land of the Ammonites to express sympathy to him.3 The Ammonite nobles said to Hanun: »Do you think David honors your father by sending men to you to express sympathy? Or have his men come to you to explore and spy out the country and overthrow it?«4 Therefore Hanun seized David’s men, shaved them, cut off their garments in the middle at the buttocks, and sent them away.5 When David was told 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 The Ammonites realized that they had become a stench in David’s nostrils. Then Hanun and the Ammonites sent seventy-five thousand pounds of silver to hire chariots and charioteers from Aram Naharaim, Northwest Mesopotamia Aram Maacah and Zobah.7 They hired thirty-two thousand chariots and charioteers, as well as the king of Maacah with his troops, who came and camped near Medeba, while the Ammonites were mustered from their towns and moved out for battle.8 David heard about this and 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. Jehovah 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 saw that the Arameans were fleeing, they too fled before his brother Abishai and went inside the city. So Joab went back to Jerusalem.16 The Arameans saw that they had been routed by Israel. So they sent messengers and had Arameans brought from beyond the Euphrates River, with Shophach the commander of Hadadezer’s army leading them.17 David was told of this, so 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 Shophach the commander of their army.19 When the vassals of Hadadezer saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they made peace with David and became subject to him. So the Arameans were not willing to help the Ammonites anymore.

1 Aconteceu, depois disto, que Naás, rei dos amonitas, morreu; e seu filho reinou em seu lugar.2 Então disse Davi: usarei de benevolência para com Hanum, filho de Naás, porque seu pai usou de benevolência para comigo. Pelo que Davi enviou mensageiros para o consolarem acerca de seu pai. Mas quando os servos de Davi chegaram à terra dos amonitas, a Hanum, para o consolarem,3 disseram os príncipes dos amonitas a Hanum: Pensas que Davi quer honrar a teu pai, porque te mandou consoladores? Não vieram ter contigo os seus servos a esquadrinhar, a transtornar e a espiar a terra?4 Pelo que Hanum tomou os servos de Davi, raspou-lhes a barba, e lhes cortou as vestes pelo meio até o alto das coxas, e os despediu.5 Então foram alguns e avisaram a Davi acerca desses homens; pelo que ele mandou mensageiros ao seu encontro, pois estavam sobremaneira envergonhados. Disse o rei: Ficai em Jericó até que vos torne a crescer a barba, e então voltai.6 Vendo os amonitas que se tinham feito odiosos para com Davi, Hanum e os amonitas enviaram mil talentos de prata, para alugarem para si carros e cavaleiros de Mesopotâmia, de Arã-Maacá e de Zobá.7 E alugaram para si trinta e dois mil carros e o rei de Maacá com a sua gente, os quais vieram e se acamparam diante de Medeba; também os amonitas se ajuntaram das suas cidades e vieram para a guerra.8 Davi, quando soube disto, enviou Joabe e todo o exército de homens valentes.9 Os amonitas saíram e ordenaram a batalha à porta da cidade; porém os reis que tinham vindo se puseram à parte no campo.10 Ora, quando Joabe viu que a batalha estava ordenada contra ele pela frente e pela retaguarda, escolheu os melhores dentre os homens de Israel, e os pôs em ordem contra os sírios;11 e o resto do povo entregou na mão de Abisai, seu irmão; e eles se puseram em ordem de batalha contra os amonitas.12 E disse Joabe: Se os sírios forem mais fortes do que eu, tu virás socorrer-me; e, se os amonitas forem mais fortes do que tu, então eu te socorrerei a ti.13 Esforça-te, e pelejemos varonilmente pelo nosso povo e pelas cidades do nosso Deus; e faça o Senhor o que bem lhe parecer.14 Então se chegou Joabe, e o povo que estava com ele, diante dos sírios, para a batalha; e estes fugiram de diante dele.15 Vendo, pois, os amonitas que os sírios tinham fugido, fugiram eles também de diante de Abisai, irmão de Joabe, e entraram na cidade. Então Joabe voltou para Jerusalém.16 Ora, vendo-se os sírios derrotados diante de Israel, enviaram mensageiros, e fizeram sair os sírios que habitavam além do rio; e tinham por comandante Sofaque, chefe do exército de Hadadézer.17 Avisado disto, Davi ajuntou todo o Israel, passou o Jordão e, indo ao encontro deles, ordenou contra eles a batalha. Tendo Davi ordenado a batalha contra os sírios, pelejaram estes contra ele.18 Mas os sírios fugiram de diante de Israel; e Davi matou deles os homens de sete mil carros, e quarenta mil homens da infantaria; matou também Sofaque, chefe do exército.19 Vendo, pois, os servos de Hadadézer que tinham sido derrotados diante de Israel, fizeram paz cem Davi, e serviram; e os sírios nunca mais quiseram socorrer os amonitas.