1 It happened after this that the king of the children of Ammon died, and Hanun his son reigned in his place.

2 And David said, I will show kindness to Hanun the son of Nahash, as his father showed kindness to me. So David sent by the hand of his servants to comfort him concerning his father. And David’s servants came into the land of the children of Ammon.

3 And the chiefs of the children of Ammon said to Hanun their lord, In your eyes, does David honor your father in sending comforters to you? Has David not sent his servants to you to search the city, to spy it out, and to overthrow it?

4 Therefore Hanun took David’s servants, shaved off half of their beards, cut off their garments in the middle, at their buttocks, and sent them away.

5 And when they reported it to David, he sent to meet them, because the men were greatly ashamed. And the king said, Stay at Jericho until your beards have grown, and then return.

6 And when the sons of Ammon saw that they had made themselves odious to David, the sons of Ammon sent and hired the Syrians of Beth Rehob and the Syrians of Zoba, twenty thousand foot soldiers; and from the king of Maacah one thousand men, and from Ish-Tob twelve thousand men.

7 And when David heard of it, he sent Joab and all the army of the mighty men.

8 And the sons of Ammon came out and set themselves in battle array at the entrance of the gate. And the Syrians of Zoba, Beth Rehob, Ish-Tob, and Maachah were by themselves in the field.

9 And when Joab saw that the battle line was against him before and behind, he chose some of Israel’s choicest and set them in battle array to meet the Syrians.

10 And the rest of the people he put into the hand of Abishai his brother, that he might set them in battle array to meet the sons of Ammon.

11 Then he said, If the Syrians are too strong for me, then you shall deliver me; but if the sons of Ammon are too strong for you, then I will come to deliver you.

12 Be strong, and let us be courageous for our people and for the cities of our God. And may Jehovah do what is good in His eyes.

13 So Joab and the people with him drew near for the battle against the Syrians, and they fled before him.

14 And when the sons of Ammon saw that the Syrians were fleeing, they also fled before Abishai, and entered the city. So Joab returned from the sons of Ammon and came to Jerusalem.

15 And when the Syrians saw that they had been struck down before Israel, they gathered together.

16 And Hadadezer sent and brought out the Syrians who were beyond the River, and they came to Helam. And Shobach the commander of Hadadezer’s army went before them.

17 And when it was reported to David, he gathered all Israel, crossed over the Jordan, and came to Helam. And the Syrians set themselves in battle array to meet David and fought with him.

18 And the Syrians fled before Israel; and David killed seven hundred in chariots and forty thousand horsemen of the Syrians, and struck Shobach the commander of their army, and he died there.

19 And when all the kings who were servants to Hadadezer saw that they had been smitten before Israel, they made peace with Israel and served them. So the Syrians feared to help the sons of Ammon anymore.

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.