1 Chronicles 19

1 And it came to pass after this, that Nachash the king of the children of 'Ammon died, and his son became king in his stead.

Some time later, Nahash, the king of the Ammon people-group, died. Then his son Hanun became their king.

2 And David said, I will show kindness unto Chanun the son of Nachash, because his father showed kindness unto me. And David sent messengers to comfort him concerning his father. And the servants of David came unto the land of the children of 'Ammon to Chanun, to comfort him.

[When] David [heard about that, he] thought [to himself], “Nahash was kind to me, so I will be kind to his son.” So David sent some officials there, to tell Hanun that he was sorry to hear that Hanun’s father [had died]. But when David’s officials came to Hanun in the land where the Ammon people-group lived,

3 And the princes of the children of 'Ammon said unto Chanun, Doth David honor thy father in thy eyes, that he hath sent comforters unto thee? are not his servants come unto thee in order to search out, and to overthrow, and to spy out the land?

the leaders of the Ammon people-group said to Hanun, “Do you think that it is really to honor your father that King David is sending these men to say that he is sorry that your father died? [We think that] his men have come to (look around/spy) our city in order to determine how his [army] can conquer us.”

4 Chanun thereupon took David's servants, and shaved them, and cut off their garments in the middle as far as the hip-bone, and sent them away.

Hanun [believed what they said, so he commanded some soldiers to] seize the officials whom David had sent, and shave off their beards, and [insult them by] cutting off the lower part of their robes, and then send them away. [So his soldiers did that].

5 And some people went and told David concerning these men. And he sent [persons] to meet them: because the men were greatly ashamed; and the king said, Tarry at Jericho until your beard be grown, and then return.

The officials were greatly humiliated/ashamed. When David found out about what had happened to his officials, he sent some messengers to them to tell them, “Stay at Jericho until your beards have grown again, and then return home.”

6 And when the children of 'Ammon saw that they were become in bad odor with David, Chanun and the children of 'Ammon sent a thousand talents of silver to hire for themselves from Mesopotamia, and from Syria-ma'achah, and from Zobah, chariots and horsemen.

Then the [leaders of the] Ammon people-group realized that they had greatly insulted [IDM] David. So Hanun and some of his officials sent about (37,000 pounds/34,000 kg.) of silver to hire chariots and chariot-drivers from [the] Aram-Naharaim, Aram-Maacah and Zobah [regions of Syria northeast of Israel].

7 And they hired for themselves thirty and two thousand [warriors in] chariots, and the king of Ma'achah and his people: and they came and encamped before Medeba. And the children of 'Ammon gathered themselves together out of their cities, and came to the battle.

They hired 32,000 chariots and chariot-drivers, as well as the king of [the] Maacah [region] and his army. They came and set up their tents near Medeba [town in Moab region]. The soldiers from the Ammon people-group also marched out and (stood in their positions/arranged themselves for battle) [at the entrance to their capital city, Rabbah].

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

When David heard about that, he sent Joab and all his army.

9 And the children of 'Ammon came out, and put themselves in battle array at the entrance of the city: and the kings that were come were by themselves in the field.

The soldiers of the Ammon people-group came out of their city and lined up for battle at the entrance to [their capital city, Rabbah]. Meanwhile, the other kings who had come [with their armies] stood in their positions in the open fields.

10 When now Joab saw that the front of battle was against him before and behind, he made a selection from all the chosen men of Israel, and arrayed himself against the Syrians.

Joab saw that there were groups of enemy soldiers in front of his troops and behind his troops. So he selected some of the best Israeli troops and put them in positions to fight against the soldiers of Syria.

11 And the rest of the people he delivered into the hand of Abshai his brother, and they arrayed themselves against the children of 'Ammon.

He appointed his [older] brother Abishai to be the commander of his other soldiers and he told them to (stand in their positions/arrange themselves) in front of [the army of] the Ammon people-group.

12 And he said, If the Syrians be too strong for me, then shalt thou bring me help; but if the children of 'Ammon be too strong for thee, then will I help thee.

Joab said to them, “If the soldiers from Syria are too strong for us to defeat them, then your soldiers must come and help us. But if the soldiers from the Ammon people-group are too strong for you to defeat them, then my soldiers will come and help your men.

13 Be strong, and let us strengthen ourselves in behalf of our people, and in behalf of the cities of our God, and may the Lord do that which seemeth good in his eyes.

We must be strong/courageous, and fight hard to [defend] our people and our cities (that belong to/where we worship) our God. I will pray that Yahweh will do what he considers to be good.”

14 And Joab drew nigh and the people that were with him in front of the Syrians unto the battle, and they fled from before him.

So Joab and his troops [advanced to] fight the army of Syria, and the soldiers from Syria ran away from them.

15 And when the children of 'Ammon saw that the Syrians were fled, then did they also fly before Abshai his brother, and entered into the city. And Joab went back to Jerusalem.

And when the soldiers of the Ammon people-group saw that the soldiers from Syria were running away, they also started to run away from Abishai and his army, and they retreated back inside the city. So Joab [and his army] returned to Jerusalem.

16 And when the Syrians saw that they were smitten before Israel, they sent messengers, and brought out the Syrians that were beyond the river: and Shophach the captain of the army of Hadar'ezer went before them.

After [the leaders of the army of] Syria realized that they had been defeated by [the army of] Israel, they sent messengers to [another part of Syria on] the east side of the [Euphrates] river, and brought troops from there [to the battle area], with Shophach, the commander of Hadadezer’s army, leading them.

17 And when it was told to David, he gathered all Israel together, and passed over the Jordan, and came up with them, and arrayed himself against them. So when David had arrayed himself against the Syrians [for] battle, they fought with him.

When David heard about that, he gathered all the Israeli soldiers, and they crossed the Jordan [River]. They advanced and took their battle positions to attack the army of Syria.

18 And the Syrians fled from before Israel: and David slew of the Syrians [the men of] seven thousand chariots, and forty thousand men on foot, and Shophach the captain of the army he put to death.

But the army of Syria ran away from the soldiers of Israel. However, David’s soldiers killed 7,000 of their chariot-drivers and 40,000 other soldiers. They also killed Shophach, their army commander.

19 And when the vassals of Hadar'ezer saw that they were smitten before Israel, they made peace with David, and served him: and the Syrians would not help the children of 'Ammon any more.

When the kings who had been ruled by Hadadezer realized that they had been defeated by the Israeli army, they made peace with David, and agreed to allow him to rule them. So the rulers of Syria did not want to help the rulers of the Ammon people-group any more.