1 Chronicles 19

1 And it comes to pass after this, that Nahash king of the sons of Ammon dies, and his son reigns in his stead,

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.

2 and David says, “I do kindness with Hanun son of Nahash, for his father did kindness with me”; and David sends messengers to comfort him concerning his father. And the servants of David come to the land of the sons of Ammon, to Hanun, to comfort him,

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.

3 and the heads of the sons of Ammon say to Hanun, “Is David honoring your father in your eyes because he has sent comforters to you? Have his servants not come to you in order to search, and to overthrow, and to spy out the land?”

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?

4 And Hanun takes the servants of David and shaves them, and cuts their long robes in the midst, to the buttocks, and sends them away.

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.

5 And [some] go and declare to David concerning the men, and he sends to meet them—for the men have been greatly ashamed—and the king says, “Dwell in Jericho until your beard is grown, then you have returned.”

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.

6 And the sons of Ammon see that they have made themselves abhorred by David, and Hanun and the sons of Ammon send one thousand talents of silver, to hire for themselves, from Aram-Naharaim, and from Aram-Maachah, and from Zobah, chariots and horsemen;

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.

7 and they hire for themselves thirty-two thousand chariots, and the king of Maachah and his people, and they come in and encamp before Medeba, and the sons of Ammon have been gathered out of their cities, and come to the battle.

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.

8 And David hears, and sends Joab, and all the host of the mighty men,

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

9 and the sons of Ammon come out and set in array [for] battle at the opening of the city, and the kings who have come [are] by themselves in the field.

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.

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

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.

11 and he has given the remnant of the people into the hand of his brother Abishai, and they set in array to meet the sons of Ammon.

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

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

15 and the sons of Ammon have seen that Aram has fled, and they flee—they also—from the face of his brother Abishai, and go into the city. And Joab comes to Jerusalem.

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.

16 And Aram sees that they have been struck before Israel, and send messengers, and bring out Aram that [is] beyond the River, and Shophach head of the host of Hadarezer [is] before them.

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.

17 And it is declared to David, and he gathers all Israel, and passes over the Jordan, and comes to them, and sets in array against them; indeed, David sets in array [for] battle to meet Aram, and they fight with him;

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.

18 and Aram flees from the face of Israel, and David slays seven thousand charioteers and forty thousand footmen of Aram, and he has put Shophach head of the host to death.

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.

19 And the servants of Hadarezer see that they have been struck before Israel, and they make peace with David and serve him, and Aram has not been willing to help the sons of Ammon anymore.

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.