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,

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

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.

David said, “I will show kindness to Hanun son of Nahash, as his father showed kindness to me.” So David sent his servants to comfort Hanun concerning his father. His servants entered the land of the people 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?”

But the leaders of the people of Ammon said to Hanun their master, “Do you really think that David is honoring your father because he has sent men to comfort you? Has not David sent his servants to you to look at the city, to spy it out, in order to overthrow it?”

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;

So Hanun took David's servants, shaved off half their beards, cut off their garments up to their buttocks, and sent them away.

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.”

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 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;

When the people of Ammon saw that they had become a stench to David, the people of Ammon sent messengers and hired the Arameans of Beth Rehob and Zobah, twenty thousand foot soldiers, and the king of Maacah with a thousand men, and the men of Tob with twelve thousand men.

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

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

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;

The Ammonites came out and formed a line of battle at the entrance to their city gate, while the Arameans of Zobah and of Rehob, and the men of Tob and Maacah, stood by themselves in the open fields.

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,

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.

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.

The rest of his people he put into the hand of Abishai his brother, and he set them out in position to fight against the army 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;

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.

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 show ourselves to be strong for our people and for the cities of our God, for Yahweh will do what is good for his purpose.”

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

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.

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.

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

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

When the Arameans saw that they were being defeated by Israel, they gathered themselves together again.

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.

Then Hadarezer sent for Aramean troops from beyond the Euphrates River. They came to Helam, and Shobak, the commander of Hadarezer's army, went 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;

When David was told this, he gathered all Israel together, crossed the Jordan, and arrived at Helam. The Arameans arranged themselves in battle lines against David and fought 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.

The Arameans fled from Israel, and David killed seven hundred of their men in chariots and forty thousand horsemen. Shobak the commander of their army was wounded and 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.

When all the kings who were servants of Hadarezer saw that they were defeated by Israel, they made peace with Israel and became their subjects. So the Arameans were afraid to help the people of Ammon anymore.