2 Samuel 10

1 After this, the king of the children of Ammon died, and Hanun his son reigned in his place.

And it comes to pass afterward, that the king of the sons of Ammon dies, and his son Hanun reigns in his stead,

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

and David says, “I do kindness with Hanun son of Nahash, as his father did kindness with me”; and David sends to comfort him by the hand of his servants concerning his father, and the servants of David come into the land of the sons of Ammon.

3 But the princes of the children of Ammon said to Hanun their lord, “Do you think that David honors your father, in that he has sent comforters to you? Has not David sent his servants to you to search the city, to spy it out, and to overthrow it?”

And the heads of the sons of Ammon say to their lord Hanun, “Is David honoring your father in your eyes because he has sent comforters to you? For has David not sent his servants to you to search the city, and to spy it, and to overthrow it?”

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

And Hanun takes the servants of David, and shaves off the half of their beard, and cuts off their long robes in the midst—to their buttocks, and sends them away;

5 When they told David this, he sent to meet them, for the men were greatly ashamed. The king said, “Wait at Jericho until your beards have grown, and then return.”

and they declare [it] to David, and he sends to meet them, for the men have been greatly ashamed, and the king says, “Abide in Jericho until your beard springs up—then you have returned.”

6 When the children of Ammon saw that they had become odious to David, the children of Ammon sent and hired the Syrians of Beth Rehob and the Syrians of Zobah, twenty thousand footmen, and the king of Maacah with one thousand men, and the men of Tob twelve thousand men.

And the sons of Ammon see that they have been abhorred by David, and the sons of Ammon send and hire Aram of Beth-Rehob, and Aram of Zoba, twenty thousand footmen, and the king of Maacah [with] one thousand men, and Ish-Tob [with] twelve thousand men;

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

and David hears, and sends Joab, and all the host—the mighty men.

8 The children of Ammon came out, and put the battle in array at the entrance of the gate. The Syrians of Zobah and of Rehob and the men of Tob and Maacah were by themselves in the field.

And the sons of Ammon come out, and set in array [for] battle, at the opening of the gate, and Aram of Zoba, and Rehob, and Ish-Tob, and Maacah, [are] by themselves in the field;

9 Now when Joab saw that the battle was set against him before and behind, he chose of all the choice men of Israel and put them in array against the Syrians.

and Joab sees that the front of the battle has been to him before and behind, and he chooses [out] of all the chosen in Israel, and sets in array to meet Aram,

10 The rest of the people he committed into the hand of Abishai his brother; and he put them in array against the children of Ammon.

and he has given the rest of the people into the hand of his brother Abishai, and sets in array to meet the sons of Ammon.

11 He said, “If the Syrians are too strong for me, then you shall help me; but if the children of Ammon are too strong for you, then I will come and help you.

And he says, “If Aram is stronger than I, then you have been for salvation to me, and if the sons of Ammon are stronger than you, then I have come to give salvation to you;

12 Be courageous, and let’s be strong for our people and for the cities of our God; and may the LORD do what seems good to him.”

be strong and strengthen yourself for our people, and for the cities of our God, and YHWH does that which is good in His eyes.”

13 So Joab and the people who were with him came near to the battle against the Syrians, and they fled before him.

And Joab draws near, and the people who [are] with him, to battle against Aram, and they flee from his presence;

14 When the children of Ammon saw that the Syrians had fled, they likewise fled before Abishai, and entered into the city. Then Joab returned from the children of Ammon and came to Jerusalem.

and the sons of Ammon have seen that Aram has fled, and they flee from the presence of Abishai, and go into the city; and Joab turns back from the sons of Ammon, and comes to Jerusalem.

15 When the Syrians saw that they were defeated by Israel, they gathered themselves together.

And Aram sees that it is struck before Israel, and they are gathered together;

16 Hadadezer sent and brought out the Syrians who were beyond the River; and they came to Helam, with Shobach the captain of the army of Hadadezer at their head.

and Hadadezer sends, and brings out Aram which [is] beyond the River, and they come to Helam, and Shobach, head of the host of Hadadezer, [is] before them.

17 David was told that; and he gathered all Israel together, passed over the Jordan, and came to Helam. The Syrians set themselves in array against David and fought with him.

And it is declared to David, and he gathers all Israel, and passes over the Jordan, and comes to Helam, and Aram sets itself in array to meet David, and they fight with him;

18 The Syrians fled before Israel; and David killed seven hundred charioteers of the Syrians and forty thousand horsemen, and struck Shobach the captain of their army, so that he died there.

and Aram flees from the presence of Israel, and David slays seven hundred charioteers and forty thousand horsemen of Aram, and he has struck Shobach, [the] head of its host, and he dies there.

19 When all the kings who were servants to Hadadezer saw that they were defeated before Israel, they made peace with Israel and served them. So the Syrians were afraid to help the children of Ammon any more.

And all the kings—servants of Hadadezer—see that they have been struck before Israel, and make peace with Israel, and serve them; and Aram is afraid to help the sons of Ammon anymore.