1 Chronicles 19

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

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

2 Then said David—I will show lovingkindness unto Hanun, son of Nahash, —for his father shewed unto me lovingkindness. So David sent messengers to console him concerning his father, —and the servants of David came into the land of the sons of Ammon unto Hanun, to console 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 Then said the rulers of the sons of Ammon unto Hanun, Doth David honour thy father in thine eyes, that he hath sent to thee comforters? Is it not, for the sake of exploring and overthrowing, and spying out the land, that his servants have come to thee?

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 So Hanun took the servants of David, and shaved them, and cut off their upper garments in the middle, as far as their parts of shame, —and let them go.

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 people went and told David, concerning the men, so he sent to meet them, because the men were greatly ashamed, —and the king said—Tarry at Jericho, until your beards 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 sons of Ammon saw, that they had made themselves odious with David, Hanun and the sons of Ammon sent a thousand talents of silver, to hire for themselves—out of Mesopotamia, and out of Aram-maacah, and out of 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 So they hired for themselves thirty-two thousand chariots, and the king of Maacah, and his people, who came and pitched before Medeba, —and the sons of Ammon gathered themselves together out of their cities, and entered into the war.

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 Now, when David heard, he sent Joab and all the army of heroes.

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

9 And the sons of Ammon came out, and set in array for the battle, at the opening of the city, —whereas, the kings who had 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 So, when Joab saw that the battle confronted him, before and behind, —he chose out of all the choice in Israel, and set in array to meet 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, delivered he into the hand of Abishai his brother, —and they set in array, to meet the sons 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, too strong for me, be the Syrians, then shalt thou come to my help, —but, if, the sons 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 put forth our strength, for the sake of our people, and for the sake of the cities of our God, —and let, Yahweh, do, what is good in his own 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 Then did Joab, and all the people who were with him, draw near before 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 sons of Ammon, saw that the Syrians had fled, then fled, they also, from before Abishai his brother, and entered the city, —and Joab came 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 had been defeated before Israel, then sent they messengers, and brought out the Syrians who were Beyond the River, —with Shophach captain of the army of Hadarezer, 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 it was told David, and he gathered together all Israel, and crossed the Jordan, and came unto them, and set in array against them, —and, when David had set in array 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 footmen, —and, Shophach 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 servants of Hadarezer saw that they were defeated before Israel, they made peace with David and served him, —neither would the Syrians help the sons 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.