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,

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

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,

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

But the princes of the children of Ammon said to Hanun, “Do you think that David honors your father, in that he has sent comforters to you? Haven’t his servants come to you to search, 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.

So Hanun took David’s servants, shaved them, and cut off their garments in the middle at their buttocks, 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.”

Then some people went and told David how the men were treated. He sent to meet them; for the men were greatly humiliated. The king said, “Stay at Jericho until your beards have 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;

When the children of Ammon saw that they had made themselves odious to David, Hanun and the children of Ammon sent one thousand talents of silver to hire chariots and horsemen out of Mesopotamia, out of Aram-maacah, and out of Zobah.

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.

So they hired for themselves thirty-two thousand chariots, and the king of Maacah with his people, who came and encamped near Medeba. The children of Ammon gathered themselves together from their cities, and came to battle.

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

When David heard of it, he sent Joab with all the army of 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.

The children of Ammon came out, and put the battle in array at the gate of the city; and the kings who had 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,

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

The rest of the people he committed into the hand of Abishai his brother; and they put themselves in array 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;

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

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 courageous, and let’s be strong for our people and for the cities of our God. May Yahweh do that which seems good to him.”

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

So Joab and the people who were with him came near to the front of the Syrians to the battle; and they fled 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.

When the children of Ammon saw that the Syrians had fled, they likewise fled before Abishai his brother, and entered into the city. Then Joab came 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.

When the Syrians saw that they were defeated by Israel, they sent messengers and called out the Syrians who were beyond the River, with Shophach the captain of the army of Hadadezer leading 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;

David was told that, so he gathered all Israel together, passed over the Jordan, came to them, and set the battle in array against them. So when David had put the battle in array against the Syrians, 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.

The Syrians fled before Israel; and David killed of the Syrian men seven thousand charioteers and forty thousand footmen, and also killed Shophach the captain of the army.

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.

When the servants of Hadadezer saw that they were defeated by Israel, they made peace with David and served him. The Syrians would not help the children of Ammon any more.