2 Samuel 10

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

And it came to pass, after this, that the king of the sons of Ammon died, —and that Hanun his son reigned in his stead.

2 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.

Then said David—I will shew lovingkindness unto Hanun son of Nahash, as his father shewed, unto me, lovingkindness. So David sent to comfort him, by the hand of his servants, as to his father, —and the servants of David came into the land of the sons of Ammon.

3 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?”

Then said the rulers of the sons of Ammon unto Hanun their lord—Is David honouring thy father, in thine eyes, that he hath sent unto thee comforters? Is it not, for the sake of exploring the city, and spying it out, and overthrowing it, that David hath sent his servants unto thee?

4 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;

Wherefore Hanun took David’s servants, and shaved off half their beards, and cut off their upper garments in the middle, as far as their buttocks, —and let them go.

5 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.”

And, when they told David, he sent to meet them, because the men were greatly ashamed, —and the king said—Tarry at Jericho, until your beards be grown, then shall ye return.

6 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;

And, when the sons of Ammon saw that they had made themselves odious with David, the sons of Ammon sent and hired the Syrians of Beth-rehob, and the Syrians of Zoba—twenty thousand footmen, and of king Maacah—a thousand men, and men of Tob—twelve thousand men.

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

And, when David heard of it, he sent Joab and all the army of heroes,

8 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;

And the sons of Ammon came out, and set in array for battle, at the entrance of the gate, —whereas, the Syrians of Zoba, and of Rehob, and the men of Tob and of Maacah, were by themselves, in the field.

9 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,

And, when Joab saw that the front of the battle was towards him, before and behind, he chose out of all the chosen men of Israel, and set them in array against the Syrians;

10 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.

while, the rest of the people, he delivered into the hand of Abishai his brother, —and set [them] in array against the sons of Ammon.

11 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;

And he said—If the Syrians be too strong for me, then shalt thou become my deliverance, —but, if, the sons of Ammon, be too strong for thee, then will I come with deliverance to thee.

12 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.”

Be strong, and let us put forth our strength, for the sake of our people, and for the sake of the cities of our God, —and, Yahweh, do what is good in his own eyes.

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

And Joab drew nigh, and the people that were with him, to fight against the Syrians, —and they fled before him.

14 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.

And, when, the sons of Ammon, saw that the Syrians had fled, then fled they before Abishai, and entered the city, —so Joab returned from the sons of Ammon, and entered Jerusalem.

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

And, when the Syrians saw that they were defeated before Israel, they gathered themselves together;

16 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.

and Hadadezer sent and brought out the Syrians that were beyond the River, and they entered Helam, —Shobach the prince of the host of Hadadezer being before them.

17 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;

And, when it was told David, he gathered together all Israel, and passed over the Jordan, and entered Helam, —and the Syrians set themselves in array to meet David, and fought with him.

18 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.

Then fled the Syrians before Israel, and David slew of the Syrians seven hundred chariots, and forty thousand horsemen, —Shobach also, prince of their host, smote he, that he died, there.

19 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.

And, when all the kings who were servants to Hadadezer saw that they were defeated before Israel, they made peace with Israel, and served them, —and the Syrians feared to give help any more unto the sons of Ammon.