1 Depois disso, Naas, rei dos amonitas, faleceu, e seu filho lhe sucedeu.2 Davi disse: Eu mostrarei afeto benigno a Hanon, filho de Naas, porque seu pai o mostrou para comigo. E Davi enviou-lhe, por meio de mensageiros, suas condolências por causa da morte de seu pai. Mas quando os servos de Davi chegaram à terra dos amonitas, junto de Hanon, para o consolarem,3 os chefes dos amonitas disseram: Pensas que é para honrar teu pai que Davi te enviou consoladores? Não é antes para reconhecer e explorar a terra, e preparar-lhe a ruína, que seus servos vieram à tua casa?4 Hanon, então, prendeu os servos de Davi, raspou-os, e lhes cortou as vestes à meia altura, até o alto das coxas; em seguida, despediu-os.5 Quando Davi foi informado do que tinha acontecido a esses homens, enviou-lhes homens ao encontro, pois estavam sumamente confundidos. O rei mandava-lhes dizer: Ficai em Jericó, esperando que vossa barba cresça, em seguida voltai.6 Viram os amonitas que se tinham tornado odiosos a Davi. Então Hanon e os filhos de Amon enviaram mil talentos de prata para assalariar carros e cavaleiros entre os sírios da Mesopotâmia, de Maaca e de Soba.7 Assalariaram trinta e dois mil carros e o rei de Maaca com seu exército, o qual veio acampar perto de Medaba, enquanto os amonitas, deixando suas cidades, se reuniam e iam para a guerra.8 Davi o soube, e mandou contra eles Joab com todo o exército de homens valentes.9 Os amonitas saíram e formaram-se em linha de batalha à porta da cidade. Os reis que tinham vindo mantinham-se à parte, no campo.10 Vendo Joab que o ataque contra ele tinha sido disposto pela frente e pela retaguarda, escolheu dentre o escol de Israel um batalhão, e o colocou em linha de batalha diante dos sírios;11 colocou sob o comando de seu irmão Abisai o resto do povo para fazer frente aos amonitas.12 E disse: Se os sírios forem mais fortes que eu, virás em meu socorro; se os amonitas forem mais fortes que tu, eu te socorrerei.13 Sê forte; combate valentemente pelo nosso povo e pelas cidades de nosso Deus, e faça o Senhor o que lhe parecer bom!14 Joab, pois, avançou com o exército que o acompanhava, ao encontro dos sírios, para travar o combate, e estes fugiram diante dele.15 Quando os amonitas viram que os sírios se punham em fuga, fugiram eles próprios diante de Abisai, irmão de Joab, e tornaram a entrar na cidade. E Joab entrou em Jerusalém.16 Vendo-se derrotados por Israel, os sírios enviaram mensageiros para fazer vir os sírios que estavam do outro lado do rio: Sofac, comandante do exército de Adarezer, estava à frente deles.17 Davi, informado disso, reuniu todo o Israel, atravessou o Jordão, dirigiu-se a eles e preparou-se para atacá-los, colocando o seu exército em linha de batalha contra os sírios.18 Estes começaram o combate contra ele, mas fugiram diante de Israel, e Davi matou os cavalos de seus sete mil carros e quarenta mil soldados de infantaria, e matou também Sofac, comandante do exército.19 Os súditos de Adarezer, vendo-se vencidos por Israel, fizeram paz com Davi e sujeitaram-se a ele. E os sírios não mais quiseram prestar auxílio aos amonitas.

1 Now it came to pass after this that Nahash the king of the sons of Ammon, died, and his son reigned in his stead.2 And David said, I will show mercy unto Hanun, the son of Nahash, because his father showed mercy to me. And David sent ambassadors to comfort him concerning his father. So the servants of David came into the land of the sons of Ammon to Hanun, to comfort him.3 But the princes of the sons of Ammon said to Hanun, Does it seem unto thee that David honours thy father, that he has sent comforters unto thee? Are not his servants come unto thee to search and to overthrow and to spy out the land?4 Then Hanun took David's servants and shaved them, and cut off their garments in half, exposing their buttocks and sent them away.5 Then they left, and it was told David how the men were served. And he sent to meet them, for the men were greatly ashamed. And the king said, Tarry at Jericho until your beards are grown and [then] return.6 And when the sons of Ammon saw that they had made themselves odious to David, Hanun and the sons of Ammon sent a thousand talents of silver to hire chariots and horsemen out of Syria of the rivers ([Mesopotamia]), and out of Syria of Maachah and out of Zobah.7 So they hired thirty-two thousand chariots, and the king of Maachah and his people, who came and pitched camp before Medeba. And the sons of Ammon gathered themselves together from their cities and came to battle.8 And when David heard [of it], he sent Joab and all the host of the mighty men.9 And the sons of Ammon came out and put the battle in order before the gate of the city, and the kings that had come [were] by themselves in the field.10 Now when Joab saw that the battle was set against him before and behind, he chose out of all the choice of Israel and put [them] in order against the Syrians.11 And he put the rest of the people into the hand of Abishai, his brother, putting them in order against the sons of Ammon.12 And he said, If the Syrians are too strong for me, then thou shalt save me; but if the sons of Ammon are too strong for thee, then I will save thee.13 Be of good courage, and let us behave ourselves valiantly for our people and for the cities of our God; and let the LORD do [that which is] good in his sight.14 So Joab and the people that [were] with him drew near before the Syrians unto the battle; and they fled before him.15 And when the sons of Ammon saw that the Syrians had fled, they likewise fled before Abishai, his brother, and entered into the city. Then Joab returned to Jerusalem.16 And when the Syrians saw that they were smitten before Israel, they sent ambassadors and drew forth the Syrians that [were] beyond the river, whose captain was Shophach, the prince of the host of Hadarezer.17 And when it was told David, he gathered all Israel and passed over the Jordan and came upon them and ordered his host against them. And when David had put his troops in order against the Syrians, they fought with him.18 But the Syrian fled before Israel, and David slew of the Syrians [those of] seven thousand chariots, and forty thousand footmen; likewise he killed Shophach, the captain of the host.19 And when the servants of Hadarezer saw that they were smitten before Israel, they made peace with David and became his servants; neither would the Syrians help the sons of Ammon any more.: