1 Depois disto morreu o rei dos filhos de Amom, e em seu lugar reinou seu filho Hanum.2 Então disse Davi: Usarei de beneficência para com Hanum, filho de Naás, como seu pai usou de beneficência para comigo. Davi enviou os seus servos para o consolar acerca de seu pai. Os servos de Davi foram à terra dos filhos de Amom.3 Mas disseram os príncipes dos filhos de Amom ao seu senhor Hanum: Cuidas tu que em honra de teu pai Davi te enviou consoladores? não te enviou ele os seus servos para reconhecerem a cidade, a espiarem e a derrubarem?4 Tomou Hanum os servos de Davi, e mandou-lhes rapar a metade da barba e, cortando-lhe a metade dos vestidos até o alto das coxas, despediu-os.5 Quando isso foi dito a Davi, enviou a encontrá-los, porque estavam os homens sobremaneira envergonhados. Mandou o rei dizer-lhes: Deixai-vos estar em Jericó, até que vos cresça a barba, e então voltareis.6 Vendo os filhos de Amom que se haviam feito abomináveis para com Davi, enviaram e alugaram dos filhos dos siros de Bete-Reobe, e dos siros de Zobá, vinte mil homens de pé, e do rei de Maaca mil homens, e dos homens de Tobe doze mil.7 O que ouvindo Davi, enviou Joabe com toda a hoste dos valentes.8 Saíram os filhos de Amom, e ordenaram a batalha à entrada da porta, e os siros de Zobá e de Reobe, e os homens de Tobe e Maaca estavam à parte no campo.9 Vendo Joabe que estava preparada a batalha contra ele, assim pela frente como pela retaguarda, escolheu dentre toda a flor de Israel um corpo, que formou em linha de batalha contra os siros;10 e o resto do povo, entregou-o a seu irmão Abisai, que o formou em linha de batalha contra os filhos de Amom.11 Ele disse: Se os siros prevalecerem contra mim, tu me virás em socorro; mas se os filhos de Amom prevalecerem contra ti, eu irei ao teu socorro.12 Tem bom ânimo, e sejamos corajosos pelo nosso povo e pelas cidades do nosso Deus; e faça Jeová o que bem lhe parecer.13 Travou Joabe, e o povo que estava com ele, a peleja contra os siros, que fugiram de diante dele.14 Vendo os filhos de Amom que os siros tinham fugido, fugiram também eles de diante de Abisai, e entraram na cidade. Então Joabe voltou dos filhos de Amom, e foi a Jerusalém.15 Vendo os siros que tinham sido desbaratados diante de Israel, tornaram a refazer-se.16 Enviou Hadadezer, e fez sair os siros que estavam da outra banda do rio; vieram a Helã, e diante deles marchava Soboque, general do exército de Hadadezer.17 Davi, informado disso, ajuntou a todo o Israel, passou o Jordão e foi a Helã. Os siros dispuseram-se em linha de batalha contra Davi e pelejaram contra ele.18 Mas os siros fugiram de diante de Israel; Davi matou deles os homens de setecentos carros, e quarenta mil homens de cavalo, e feriu a Soboque, general do exército, de sorte que morreu ali.19 Vendo todos os reis, servos de Hadadezer, que estavam desbaratados diante de Israel, fizeram pazes com Israel, e os serviram. Temeram os siros de socorrer mais aos filhos de Amom.

1 And it came to pass after this, that the king of the children of Ammon died, and Hanon his son reigned in his stead.2 And David said: I Will shew kindness to Hanon the son of Daas, as his father shewed kindness to me. So David sent his servants to comfort him for the death of his father. But when the servants of David were come into the land of the children of Ammon,3 The princes of the children of Ammon said to Hanon their lord: Thinkest thou that for the honour of thy father, David hath sent comforters to thee, and hath not David rather sent his servants to thee to search, and spy into the city, and overthrow it?4 Wherefore Hanon took the servants of David, and shaved off the one half of their beards, and cut away half of their garments even to the buttocks, and sent them away.5 When this was told David, he sent to meet them: for the men were sadly put to confusion, and David commanded them, saying: Stay at Jericho, till your beards be grown, and then return.6 And the children of Ammon seeing that they had done an injury to David, Bent and hired the Syrians of Rohob, and the Syrians of Soba, twenty thousand footmen, and of the king of Maacha a thousand men, and of Istob twelve thousand men.7 And when David heard this, he sent Joab and the whole army of warriors.8 And the children of Ammon came out, and set their men in array at the entering in of the gate: but the Syrians of Soba, and of Rohob, and of Istob, and of Maacha were by themselves in the field.9 Then Joab seeing that the battle was prepared against him, both before and behind, chose of all the choice men of Israel, and put them in array against the Syrians:10 And the rest of the people he delivered to Abisai his brother, who set them in array against the children of Ammon.11 And Joab said: If the Syrians are too strong for me, then thou shalt help me: but if the children of Ammon are too strong for thee, then I will help thee.12 Be of good courage, and let us fight for our people, and for the city of our God: and the Lord will do what is good in his sight.13 And Joab and the people that were with him, began to fight against the Syrians: and they immediately fled before him.14 And the children of Ammon seeing that the Syrians were fled, they fled also before Abisai, and entered into the city: and Joab returned from the children of Ammon, and came to Jerusalem.15 Then the Syrians seeing that they had fallen before Israel, gathered themselves together.16 And Adarezer sent and fetched the Syrians, that were beyond the river, and brought over their army: and Sobach, the captain of the host of Adarezer, was their general.17 And when this was told David, 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 against 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 Sobach the captain of the army, who presently died.19 And all the kings that were auxiliaries of Adarezer, seeing themselves overcome by Israel, were afraid and fled away, eight and fifty thousand men before Israel. And they made peace with Israel: and served them, and all the Syrians were afraid to help the children of Ammon any more.