١ أخبار 19

١ 1 وَكَانَ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ أَنَّ نَاحَاشَ مَلِكَ بَنِي عَمُّونَ مَاتَ، فَمَلَكَ ٱبْنُهُ عِوَضًا عَنْهُ.

Some time later, Nahash, king of the Ammonites, died and his son succeeded him.

٢ 2 فَقَالَ دَاوُدُ: «أَصْنَعُ مَعْرُوفًا مَعَ حَانُونَ بْنِ نَاحَاشَ، لِأَنَّ أَبَاهُ صَنَعَ مَعِي مَعْرُوفًا». فَأَرْسَلَ دَاوُدُ رُسُلًا لِيُعَزِّيَهُ بِأَبِيهِ. فَجَاءَ عَبِيدُ دَاوُدَ إِلَى أَرْضِ بَنِي عَمُّونَ إِلَى حَانُونَ لِيُعَزُّوهُ.

David said, “I will be kind to Hanun, son of Nahash, for his father was kind to me.” So David sent messengers to comfort him over his father's death. David's ambassadors arrived in the land of the Ammonites and went comfort Hanun.

٣ 3 فَقَالَ رُؤَسَاءُ بَنِي عَمُّونَ لِحَانُونَ: «هَلْ يُكْرِمُ دَاوُدُ أَبَاكَ فِي عَيْنَيْكَ حَتَّى أَرْسَلَ إِلَيْكَ مُعَزِّينَ؟ أَلَيْسَ إِنَّمَا لِأَجْلِ ٱلْفَحْصِ وَٱلْقَلْبِ وَتَجَسُّسِ ٱلْأَرْضِ جَاءَ عَبِيدُهُ إِلَيْكَ؟»

But the Ammonite princes said to Hanun, “Do you really think that David is honoring your father by sending comforters to you? Haven't these ‘comforters’ only come to spy out the land to find ways to conquer it?”

٤ 4 فَأَخَذَ حَانُونُ عَبِيدَ دَاوُدَ وَحَلَقَ لِحَاهُمْ وَقَصَّ ثِيَابَهُمْ مِنَ ٱلْوَسَطِ عِنْدَ ٱلسَّوْءَةِ ثُمَّ أَطْلَقَهُمْ.

So Hanun detained David's ambassadors and had them shaved, and their robes cut off at the buttocks. Then he sent them back.

٥ 5 فَذَهَبَ أُنَاسٌ وَأَخْبَرُوا دَاوُدَ عَنِ ٱلرِّجَالِ. فَأَرْسَلَ لِلِقَائِهِمْ لِأَنَّ ٱلرِّجَالَ كَانُوا خَجِلِينَ جِدًّا. وَقَالَ ٱلْمَلِكُ: «أَقِيمُوا فِي أَرِيحَا حَتَّى تَنْبُتَ لِحَاكُمْ ثُمَّ ٱرْجِعُوا».

A message was sent to David to explain what had happened to the men. David then sent messengers to the men to tell them, “Stay at Jericho until your beards grow, and then you can come back.”

٦ 6 وَلَمَّا رَأَى بَنُو عَمُّونَ أَنَّهُمْ قَدْ أَنْتَنُوا عِنْدَ دَاوُدَ، أَرْسَلَ حَانُونُ وَبَنُو عَمُّونَ أَلْفَ وَزْنَةٍ مِنَ ٱلْفِضَّةِ لِكَيْ يَسْتَأْجِرُوا لِأَنْفُسِهِمْ مِنْ أَرَامِ ٱلنَّهْرَيْنِ وَمِنْ أَرَامِ مَعْكَةَ وَمِنْ صُوبَةَ مَرْكَبَاتٍ وَفُرْسَانًا.

Then the Ammonites realized that they had really been offensive to David So Hanun and the Ammonites sent a thousand talents of silver to hire chariots and charioteers from Aram-naharaim, Aram-maacah, and Zobah.

٧ 7 فَٱسْتَأْجَرُوا لِأَنْفُسِهِمِ ٱثْنَيْنِ وَثَلَاثِينَ أَلْفَ مَرْكَبَةٍ، وَمَلِكَ مَعْكَةَ وَشَعْبَهُ. فَجَاءُوا وَنَزَلُوا مُقَابِلَ مَيْدَبَا. وَٱجْتَمَعَ بَنُو عَمُّونَ مِنْ مُدُنِهِمْ وَأَتَوْا لِلْحَرْبِ.

They also hired 32,000 chariots and the king of Maacah with his army. They came set up camp near Medeba. The Ammonites were also called up from their towns and prepared for battle.

٨ 8 وَلَمَّا سَمِعَ دَاوُدُ أَرْسَلَ يُوآبَ وَكُلَّ جَيْشِ ٱلْجَبَابِرَةِ.

When David learned of this, he sent Joab and the entire army to confront them.

٩ 9 فَخَرَجَ بَنُو عَمُّونَ وَٱصْطَفُّوا لِلْحَرْبِ عِنْدَ بَابِ ٱلْمَدِينَةِ، وَٱلْمُلُوكُ ٱلَّذِينَ جَاءُوا كَانُوا وَحْدَهُمْ فِي ٱلْحَقْلِ.

The Ammonites set up their battle lines near the town entrance, while the other kings who had joined them took up positions in the open fields.

١٠ 10 وَلَمَّا رَأَى يُوآبُ أَنَّ مُقَدِّمَةَ ٱلْحَرْبِ كَانَتْ نَحْوَهُ مِنْ قُدَّامٍ وَمِنْ وَرَاءٍ، ٱخْتَارَ مِنْ جَمِيعِ مُنْتَخَبِي إِسْرَائِيلَ وَصَفَّهُمْ لِلِقَاءِ أَرَامَ.

Joab realized he would have to fight both in front of him and behind him, he chose some of Israel's best troops and he took charge of them to lead the attack the Arameans.

١١ 11 وَسَلَّمَ بَقِيَّةَ ٱلشَّعْبِ لِيَدِ أَبْشَايَ أَخِيهِ، فَٱصْطَفُّوا لِلِقَاءِ بَنِي عَمُّونَ.

He put the rest of the army under the command of Abishai, his brother. They were to attack the Ammonites.

١٢ 12 وَقَالَ: «إِنْ قَوِيَ أَرَامُ عَلَيَّ تَكُونُ لِي نَجْدَةً، وَإِنْ قَوِيَ بَنُو عَمُّونَ عَلَيْكَ أَنْجَدْتُكَ.

Joab told him, “If the Arameans are stronger than me, you come and help me. If the Ammonites are stronger than you, I'll come and help you.

١٣ 13 تَجَلَّدْ، وَلْنَتَشَدَّدْ لِأَجْلِ شَعْبِنَا وَلِأَجْلِ مُدُنِ إِلَهِنَا، وَمَا يَحْسُنُ فِي عَيْنَيِ ٱلرَّبِّ يَفْعَلُ».

Be brave, and fight your best for our people and the towns of our God. May the Lord do what he sees as good!”

١٤ 14 وَتَقَدَّمَ يُوآبُ وَٱلشَّعْبُ ٱلَّذِينَ مَعَهُ نَحْوَ أَرَامَ لِلْمُحَارَبَةِ، فَهَرَبُوا مِنْ أَمَامِهِ.

Joab attacked the Arameans with his forces and they ran away from him.

١٥ 15 وَلَمَّا رَأَى بَنُو عَمُّونَ أَنَّهُ قَدْ هَرَبَ أَرَامُ هَرَبُوا هُمْ أَيْضًا مِنْ أَمَامِ أَبْشَايَ أَخِيهِ وَدَخَلُوا إِلَى ٱلْمَدِينَةِ. وَجَاءَ يُوآبُ إِلَى أُورُشَلِيمَ.

When the Ammonites saw that the Arameans had run away, they also ran away from Abishai, Joab's brother, and retreated into the town. So Joab went back to Jerusalem.

١٦ 16 وَلَمَّا رَأَى أَرَامُ أَنَّهُمْ قَدِ ٱنْكَسَرُوا أَمَامَ إِسْرَائِيلَ أَرْسَلُوا رُسُلًا، وَأَبْرَزُوا أَرَامَ ٱلَّذِينَ فِي عَبْرِ ٱلنَّهْرِ، وَأَمَامَهُمْ شُوبَكُ رَئِيسُ جَيْشِ هَدَرَ عَزَرَ.

As soon as the Arameans saw they had been defeated by the Israelites so they sent for reinforcements from the other side of the Euphrates River, under the leadership of Shobach, commander of Hadadezer's army.

١٧ 17 وَلَمَّا أُخْبِرَ دَاوُدُ جَمَعَ كُلَّ إِسْرَائِيلَ وَعَبَرَ ٱلْأُرْدُنَّ وَجَاءَ إِلَيْهِمْ وَٱصْطَفَّ ضِدَّهُمْ. اِصْطَفَّ دَاوُدُ لِلِقَاءِ أَرَامَ فِي ٱلْحَرْبِ فَحَارَبُوهُ.

When this was reported to David, he assembled all Israel together. He crossed the Jordan and approached the Aramean army, drawing up his forces in battle line against them. When David engaged in battle with them they fought with him.

١٨ 18 وَهَرَبَ أَرَامُ مِنْ أَمَامِ إِسْرَائِيلَ، وَقَتَلَ دَاوُدُ مِنْ أَرَامَ سَبْعَةَ آلَافِ مَرْكَبَةٍ وَأَرْبَعِينَ أَلْفَ رَاجِلٍ، وَقَتَلَ شُوبَكَ رَئِيسَ ٱلْجَيْشِ.

But the Aramean army ran away from the Israelites, and David killed 7,000 charioteers and 40,000 infantry, as well as Shobach, their army commander.

١٩ 19 وَلَمَّا رَأَى عَبِيدُ هَدَرَ عَزَرَ أَنَّهُمْ قَدِ ٱنْكَسَرُوا أَمَامَ إِسْرَائِيلَ صَالَحُوا دَاوُدَ وَخَدَمُوهُ. وَلَمْ يَشَأْ أَرَامُ أَنْ يُنْجِدُوا بَنِي عَمُّونَ بَعْدُ.

When Hadadezer's allies realized that they had been defeated by Israel, they made peace with David and became subject to him. As a result, the Arameans didn't want to help the Ammonites any more.