Chronicles I 19

1 And it came to pass after this, [that] Naas the king of the children of Ammon died, and Anan his son reigned in his stead.

It came about later that Nahash, king of the people of Ammon, died, and that his son became king in his place.

2 And David said, I will act kindly towards Anan the son of Naas, as his father acted kindly towards me. And David sent messengers to condole with him on the death of his father. So the servants of David came into the land of the children of Ammon to Anan, to comfort him.

David said, “I will show kindness to Hanun son of Nahash, because his father showed kindness to me.” So David sent messengers to console him concerning his father. David's servants entered the land of the Ammonites and went to Hanun, in order to console him.

3 And the chiefs of the children of Ammon said to Anan, Is it to honour your father before you, that David has sent comforters to you? Have not his servants come to you that they might search the city, and to spy out the land?

But the Ammonite princes said to Hanun, “Do you think that David is honoring your father because he has sent men to comfort you? Do not his servants come to you to explore and examine the land in order to overthrow it?”

4 And Anan took the servants of David, and shaved them, and cut off the half of their garments as far as their tunic, and sent them away.

So Hanun seized David's servants, shaved them, cut off their garments to the waist, up to their buttocks, and sent them away.

5 And there came men to report to David concerning the men: and he sent to meet them, for they were greatly disgraced: and the king said, Dwell in Jericho until your beards have grown, and return.

When they explained this to David, he sent to meet with them, for the men were deeply ashamed. The king said, “Stay at Jericho until your beards have grown back, and then return.”

6 And the children of Ammon saw that the people of David were ashamed, and Anan and the children of Ammon sent a thousand talents of silver to hire for themselves chariots and horsemen out of Syria of Mesopotamia, and out of Syria Maacha, and from Sobal.

When the Ammonites saw that they had become a stench to David, Hanun and the Ammonites sent a thousand talents of silver to hire Aramean chariots and horsemen from Naharaim, Maacah, and Zobah.

7 And they hired for themselves two and thirty thousand chariots, and the king of Maacha and his people; and they came and encamped before Medaba: and the children of Ammon assembled out of their cities, and came to fight.

They hired thirty-two thousand chariots and the king of Maacah and his army, who came and encamped before Medeba. Then the Ammonites gathered themselves together from their cities and came out to battle.

8 And David heard, and sent Joab and all the host of mighty men.

When David heard of it, he sent Joab and his entire army to meet them.

9 And the children of Ammon came forth, and set themselves in array for battle by the gate of the city: and the kings that were come forth encamped by themselves in the plain.

The people of Ammon came out and lined up for battle at the city gate, while the kings who had come were by themselves in the field.

10 And Joab saw that they were fronting [him] to fight against him before and behind, and he chose [some] out of all the young men of Israel, and they set themselves in array against the Syrian.

When Joab saw the battle lines facing him both in front and behind, he chose some of Israel's best fighters and arranged them against the Arameans.

11 And the rest of the people he gave into the hand of his brother Abesai, and they set themselves in array against the children of Ammon.

As for the rest of the army, he gave it into the command of Abishai his brother, and he put them into battle lines against the army of Ammon.

12 And he said, If the Syrian should prevail against me, then shall you deliver me: and if the children of Ammon should prevail against you, then will I deliver you.

Joab said, “If the Arameans are too strong for me, then you, Abishai, must rescue me. But if the army of Ammon is too strong for you, then I will come and rescue you.

13 Be of good courage, and let us be strong, for our people, and for the cities of our God: and the Lord shall do what [is] good in his eyes.

Be strong, and let us show ourselves to be strong for our people and for the cities of our God, for Yahweh will do what is good in his eyes.”

14 So Joab and the people that were with him set themselves in battle array against the Syrians, and they fled from them.

So Joab and the soldiers of his army advanced to the battle against the Arameans, who were forced to flee before the army of Israel.

15 And the children of Ammon saw that the Syrians fled, and they also fled from before Abesai, and from before Joab his brother, and they came to the city: and Joab came to Jerusalem.

When the army of Ammon saw that the Arameans had fled, they also fled from Joab's brother Abishai and went back into the city. Then Joab returned from the people of Ammon and went back to Jerusalem.

16 And the Syrian saw that Israel had defeated him, and he sent messengers, and they brought out the Syrians from beyond the river; and Sophath the commander-in-chief of the forces of Adraazar [was] before them.

When the Arameans saw that they were being defeated by Israel, they sent for reinforcements from beyond the Euphrates River, with Shophak the commander of Hadadezer's army.

17 And it was told David; and he gathered all Israel, and crossed over Jordan, and came upon them, and set the battle in array against them. So David set [his army] in array to fight against the Syrians, and they fought against him.

When David was told this, he gathered all Israel together, crossed the Jordan, and came upon them. He arranged the army for battle against the Arameans, and they fought him.

18 And the Syrians fled from before Israel; and David killed of the Syrians seven thousand [riders in] chariots, and forty thousand infantry, and he killed Sophath the commander-in-chief of the forces.

The Arameans fled from Israel, and David killed seven thousand Aramean charioteers and forty thousand foot soldiers. He also killed Shophak, the commander of the army.

19 And the servants of Adraazar saw that they were defeated before Israel, and they made peace with David and served him: and the Syrians would not any more help the children of Ammon.

When all the kings who were servants of Hadadezer saw that they were defeated by Israel, they made peace with David and served them. So the people of Aram were no longer willing to help the Ammonites.