2 صَمُوئيل 10

١ 1 ثُمَّ مَاتَ مَلِكُ بَنِي عَمُّونَ، وَاعْتَلَى الْعَرْشَ ابْنُهُ حَانُونُ.

Sometime after this, Nahash, the Ammonite king died and his son Hanun succeeded him.

٢ 2 فَقَال دَاوُدُ فِي نَفْسِهِ: «لأَصْنَعَنَّ خَيْراً لِحَانُونَ بْنِ نَاحَاشَ كَمَا صَنَعَ أَبُوهُ مَعِي»، فَبَعَثَ دَاوُدُ وَفْداً لِيُعَزِّيَهُ فِي وَفَاةِ أَبِيهِ. وَعِنْدَمَا بَلَغَ وَفْدُ دَاوُدَ أَرْضَ بَنِي عَمُّونَ

David said, “I will be kind to Hanun, son of Nahash, just as his father was kind to me.” So David sent representatives to take his condolences to Hanun regarding his father. But when they arrived in the country of the Ammonites,

٣ 3 قَالَ رُؤَسَاءُ بَنِي عَمُّونَ لِسَيِّدِهِمْ: «أَتَظُنُّ أَنَّ دَاوُدَ يَسْتَهْدِفُ إِكْرَامَ أَبِيكَ فِي عَيْنَيْكَ بِإِرْسَالِهِ هَذَا الْوَفْدِ لِلتَّعْزِيَةِ؟ إِنَّهُ لَمْ يُرْسِلْ هَذَا الْوَفْدَ إِلّا لاِسْتِطْلاعِ أَحْوَالِ الْمَدِينَةِ وَالتَّجَسُّسِ عَلَيْهَا وَقَلْبِهَا».

the Ammonite military leaders said to Hanun their king, “Do you really believe David sent condolences to you out of respect for your father? Isn't it more likely that David sent his representatives to scout out the city, spy on it, and then conquer it?”

٤ 4 فَقَبَضَ حَانُونُ عَلَى أَعْضَاءِ وَفْدِ دَاوُدَ وَحَلَقَ أَنْصَافَ لِحَاهُمْ وَقَصَّ ثِيَابَهُمْ إِلَى مُنْتَصَفِ ظُهُورِهِمْ، ثُمَّ أَطْلَقَهُمْ.

So Hanun had David's representatives detained, shaved off half of each man's beard, cut off their clothes at the buttocks, and then sent them back home.

٥ 5 وَلَمَّا عَلِمَ دَاوُدُ بِالأَمْرِ أَرْسَلَ مَنِ اسْتَقْبَلَهُمْ، لأَنَّ أَعْضَاءَ الْوَفْدِ اعْتَراهُمْ خَجَلٌ شَدِيدٌ. وَأَمَرَهُمُ الْمَلِكُ أَنْ يَمْكُثُوا فِي أَرِيحَا رَيْثَمَا تَنْبُتُ لِحَاهُمْ ثُمَّ يَرْجِعُونَ.

When David was told about this, he sent messengers to meet them, because they were very embarrassed. The king instructed them, “Stay in Jericho until your beards have re-grown, and then you can return.”

٦ 6 وَعِنْدَمَا تَبَيَّنَ الْعَمُّونِيُّونَ أَنَّ دَاوُدَ قَدْ أَضْمَرَ لَهُمُ الْبَغْضَاءَ، اسْتَأْجَرُوا مِنْ أَرَامِ بَيْتِ رَحُوبَ وَأَرَامِ صُوبَا عِشْرِينَ أَلْفَ رَاجِلٍ، وَمِنْ مَلِكِ مَعْكَةَ أَلْفَ رَجُلٍ، وَمِنْ رِجَالِ طُوبَ اثْنَيْ عَشَرَ أَلْفَ رَاجِلٍ.

When the Ammonites realized they had become like a bad smell to David, they sent a request to the Arameans and hired twenty thousand of their foot soldiers from Beth Rehob and Zobah, as well as one thousand men from the king of Maakah, and also twelve thousand men from Tob.

٧ 7 فَحِينَ بَلَغَ الْخَبَرُ دَاوُدَ أَرْسَلَ يُوآبَ وَسَائِرَ قُوَّاتِهِ الأَبَطَالِ،

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

٨ 8 فَخَرَجَ بَنُو عَمُّونَ وَاصْطَفُّوا لِلْقِتَالِ عِنْدَ مَدْخَلِ بَابِ الْمَدِينَةِ، أَمَّا أَرَامِيُّو صُوبَا وَرَحُوبَ وَرِجَالُ طُوبَ وَمَعْكَةَ فَقَدِ احْتَشَدُوا فِي الْحُقُولِ.

The Ammonites set up their battle lines near the entrance to their town gate, while the Arameans of Zobah and Rehob and the men of Tob and Maacah took up positions by themselves in the open fields.

٩ 9 وَعِنْدَمَا أَدْرَكَ يُوآبُ أَنَّهُ مُحَاصَرٌ بِجَبْهَتَيْ قِتَالٍ مِنْ أَمَامٍ وَمِنْ خَلْفٍ، انْتَخَبَ مِنْ صَفْوَةِ جَيْشِهِ رِجَالاً صَفَّهُمْ لِلِقَاءِ الأَرَامِيِّينَ،

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.

١٠ 10 وَعَهِدَ بِبَقِيَّةِ الْجَيْشِ إِلَى أَخِيهِ أَبِيشَايَ، فَصَفَّهُمْ هَذَا لِمُوَاجَهَةِ بَنِي عَمُّونَ.

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

١١ 11 وَقَالَ يُوآبُ: «إِنْ تَغَلَّبَ عَلَيَّ الأَرَامِيُّونَ تُسْرِعْ لِنْجَدتِي، وَإِنْ قَوِيَ عَلَيْكَ الْعَمُّونِيُّونَ أَخِفُّ لإِغَاثَتِكَ.

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.

١٢ 12 لِتَتَشَجَّعْ وَلْتَتَقَوَّ مِنْ أَجْلِ شَعْبِنَا وَمِنْ أَجْلِ مُدُنِ إِلَهِنَا، وَالرَّبُّ يُجْرِي مَا يَشَاءُ».

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

١٣ 13 وَتَقَدَّمَ يُوآبُ بِقُوَّاتِهِ لِمُحَارَبَةِ الأَرَامِيِّينَ فَلاذُوا بِالْفِرَارِ.

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

١٤ 14 وَعِنْدَمَا شَاهَدَ الْعَمُّونِيُّونَ الأَرَامِيِّينَ يُوَلُّونَ الأَدْبَارَ، هَرَبُوا هُمْ أَيْضاً مِنْ أَمَامَ أَبِيشَايَ وَدَخَلُوا الْمَدِينَةَ، فَرَجَعَ يُوآبُ عَنْ بَنِي عَمُّونَ وَعَادَ إِلَى أُورُشَلِيمَ.

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

١٥ 15 وَبَعْدَ أَنْ رَأَى الأَرَامِيُّونَ أَنَّهُمْ قَدِ انْهَزَمُوا أَمَامَ جَيْشِ إِسْرَائِيلَ اجْتَمَعُوا مَعاً.

As soon as the Arameans saw they had been defeated by the Israelites they reassembled their forces.

١٦ 16 فَأَرْسَلَ هَدَدُ عَزَرَ وَاسْتَدْعَى أَرَامِييِّ نَهْرِ الْفُرَاتِ، فَتَجَمَّعُوا فِي حِيلامَ تَحْتَ قِيَادَةِ شُوبَكَ رَئيِسِ جَيْشِ هَدَدْعَزَرَ.

Hadadezer sent for more Arameans to be brought from beyond the Euphrates River. They arrived in Helam under the leadership of Shobach, commander of Hadadezer's army.

١٧ 17 فَلَمَّا عَلِمَ دَاوُدُ، حَشَدَ جُيُوشَهُ وَاجْتَازَ نَهْرَ الأُرْدُنِّ حَتَّى قَدِمَ إِلَى حِيلامَ فَالْتَقَى الْجَيْشَانِ فِي حَرْبٍ ضَرُوسٍ.

When this was reported to David, he assembled all Israel together. He crossed the Jordan and advanced on Helam. The Arameans positioned themselves in battle line against David and fought him.

١٨ 18 وَمَا لَبِثَ الأَرَامِيُّونَ أَنِ انْدَحَرُوا أَمَامَ الإِسْرَائِيلِيِّينَ، فَقَتَلَتْ قُوَّاتُ دَاوُدَ رِجَالَ سَبْعِ مِئَةِ مَرْكَبَةٍ، وَأَرْبَعِينَ أَلْفَ فَارِسٍ. وَأُصِيبَ شُوبَكُ رَئِيسُ الْجَيْشِ وَمَاتَ هُنَاكَ.

But the Aramean army ran away from the Israelites, and David killed 700 charioteers and 40,000 infantry. He also attacked Shobach, their army commander, and he died there.

١٩ 19 وَحِينَ أَدْرَكَ جَمِيعُ حُلَفَاءِ هَدَدْعَزَرَ أَنَّهُمُ انْدَحَرُوا أَمَامَ الإِسْرَائِيلِيِّينَ، عَقَدُوا صُلْحاً مَعَهُمْ وَأَصْبَحُوا تَابِعِينَ لَهُمْ وَلَمْ يَجْرُؤُوا عَلَى نَجْدَةِ بَنِي عَمُّونَ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ.

When all the kings allied with Hadadezer realized that they had been defeated by Israel, they made peace with David and became subject to him. As a result, the Arameans were afraid to help the Ammonites any more.