1 Algum tempo depois, o rei dos amonitas morreu, e seu filho Hanum foi o seu sucessor.2 Davi pensou: "Serei bondoso com Hanum, filho de Naás, como seu pai foi bondoso comigo". Então Davi enviou uma delegação para transmitir a Hanum seu pesar pela morte do pai. Mas, quando os mensageiros de Davi chegaram à terra dos amonitas,3 os líderes amonitas disseram a Hanum, seu senhor: "Achas que Davi está honrando teu pai ao enviar mensageiros para expressar condolências? Não é nada disso! Davi os enviou como espiões para examinar a cidade e destruí-la".4 Então Hanum prendeu os mensageiros de Davi, rapou metade da barba de cada um, cortou metade de suas roupas até as nádegas, e os mandou embora.5 Quando Davi soube disso, enviou mensageiros ao encontro deles, pois haviam sido profundamente humilhados, e lhes mandou dizer: "Fiquem em Jericó até que a barba cresça, e então voltem para casa".6 Vendo que tinham atraído sobre si o ódio de Davi, os amonitas contrataram vinte mil soldados de infantaria dos arameus de Bete-Reobe e de Zobá, e mais mil homens do rei de Maaca e doze mil dos homens de Tobe.7 Ao saber disso, Davi ordenou a Joabe que marchasse com todo o exército.8 Os amonitas saíram e se puseram em posição de combate na entrada da cidade, e os arameus de Zobá e de Reobe e os homens de Tobe e de Maaca posicionaram-se em campo aberto.9 Vendo Joabe que estava cercado pelas linhas de combate, escolheu alguns dos melhores soldados de Israel e os posicionou contra os arameus.10 Pôs o restante dos homens sob o comando de seu irmão Abisai e os posicionou contra os amonitas.11 E Joabe disse a Abisai: "Se os arameus forem fortes demais para mim, venha me ajudar; mas, se os amonitas forem fortes demais para você, eu irei ajudá-lo.12 Seja forte e lutemos com bravura pelo nosso povo e pelas cidades do nosso Deus. E que o Senhor faça o que for de sua vontade".13 Então Joabe e seus soldados avançaram contra os arameus, que fugiram dele.14 Quando os amonitas viram que os arameus estavam fugindo de Joabe, também fugiram de seu irmão Abisai e entraram na cidade. Assim, Joabe parou a batalha contra os amonitas e voltou para Jerusalém.15 Ao perceberem que haviam sido derrotados por Israel, os arameus tornaram a agrupar-se.16 Hadadezer mandou trazer os arameus que viviam do outro lado do Eufrates. Estes chegaram a Helã, tendo à frente Soboque, comandante do exército de Hadadezer.17 Informado disso, Davi reuniu todo o Israel, atravessou o Jordão e chegou a Helã. Os arameus estavam em posição de combate para enfrentá-lo,18 mas acabaram fugindo de diante de Israel. E Davi matou setecentos condutores de carros de guerra e quarenta mil soldados de infantaria dos arameus. Soboque, o comandante do exército, também foi ferido e morreu ali mesmo.19 Quando todos os reis vassalos de Hadadezer viram que tinham sido derrotados por Israel, fizeram a paz com os israelitas e sujeitaram-se a eles. E os arameus ficaram com medo de voltar a ajudar os amonitas.

1 Later the king of Ammon died. His son Hanun became king in his place.2 David thought: »I will show kindness to Hanun since his father Nahash showed me kindness.« David sent his servants to comfort Hanun after his father’s death. When David’s servants entered Ammonite territory,3 the Ammonite princes asked their master Hanun: »Do you think David is honoring your father because he sent men to comfort you? Perhaps David sent his men to explore the city, spy on it, and destroy it.«4 Hanun seized David’s men and shaved off half of each man’s beard. He cut off their clothes from the waist down, and sent them away.5 David was told what happened. He sent someone to meet them because they were deeply humiliated. The king said to them: »Stay at Jericho until your beards have grown back. Then return to Jerusalem.«6 The Ammonites realized they had made themselves repulsive to David. They hired the Arameans from Beth Rehob and Zobah, with twenty thousand foot soldiers. From the army of the king of Maacah they hired one thousand men, and twelve thousand men of Tob.7 After David heard about this, he sent Joab and all the elite troops.8 The Ammonites formed a battle line at the entrance of the city gate. The Arameans from Zobah and Rehob and the men from Tob and Maacah remained by themselves in the open country.9 Joab saw he was under attack in front and behind. He took the select troops of Israel and organized them for combat against the Arameans.10 He put his brother Abishai in command of the rest of the army and had them fight the Ammonites.11 Joab told his brother: »If the Arameans are too much for me to handle, you can come and help me. If the Ammonites are too strong for you, I will come and help you.12 »Be brave and fight hard to protect our people and the cities of our God. I pray that Jehovah will do whatever pleases him.«13 Joab and his men advanced to attack the Syrians. The Syrians retreated.14 The Ammonites saw the Syrians Arameans running away. They fled from Abishai and retreated into the city. Then Joab turned back from fighting the Ammonites and went back to Jerusalem.15 The Syrians knew they had been defeated by the Israelites. They called all their troops together.16 King Hadadezer sent for the Syrians Arameans who were on the east side of the Euphrates River. They came to Helam under the command of Shobach, commander of the army of King Hadadezer of Zobah.17 David heard of it. So he gathered the Israelite troops and crossed the Jordan River. They marched to Helam, where the Syrians took up their position facing him. The fighting began,18 and the Israelites drove the Syrian army back. David and his men killed seven hundred Syrian chariot drivers and forty thousand cavalry. They wounded Shobach, the enemy commander, who died on the battlefield.19 As soon as the kings who were subject to Hadadezer realized that they had been defeated by the Israelites, they made peace with them and became their subjects. The Syrians were afraid to help the Ammonites any more.