< 1 Chronicles 19 >

1 Some time later, Nahash, the king of the Ammon people-group, died. Then his son Hanun became their king.
וַיְהִי֙ אַחֲרֵי־כֵ֔ן וַיָּ֕מָת נָחָ֖שׁ מֶ֣לֶךְ בְּנֵי־עַמֹּ֑ון וַיִּמְלֹ֥ךְ בְּנֹ֖ו תַּחְתָּֽיו׃
2 [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,
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר דָּוִ֜יד אֶֽעֱשֶׂה־חֶ֣סֶד ׀ עִם־חָנ֣וּן בֶּן־נָחָ֗שׁ כִּֽי־עָשָׂ֨ה אָבִ֤יו עִמִּי֙ חֶ֔סֶד וַיִּשְׁלַ֥ח דָּוִ֛יד מַלְאָכִ֖ים לְנַחֲמֹ֣ו עַל־אָבִ֑יו וַיָּבֹאוּ֩ עַבְדֵ֨י דָוִ֜יד אֶל־אֶ֧רֶץ בְּנֵי־עַמֹּ֛ון אֶל־חָנ֖וּן לְנַחֲמֹֽו׃
3 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.”
וַיֹּאמְרוּ֩ שָׂרֵ֨י בְנֵי־עַמֹּ֜ון לְחָנ֗וּן הַֽמְכַבֵּ֨ד דָּוִ֤יד אֶת־אָבִ֙יךָ֙ בְּעֵינֶ֔יךָ כִּֽי־שָׁלַ֥ח לְךָ֖ מְנַחֲמִ֑ים הֲלֹ֡א בַּ֠עֲבוּר לַחְקֹ֨ר וְלַהֲפֹ֤ךְ וּלְרַגֵּל֙ הָאָ֔רֶץ בָּ֥אוּ עֲבָדָ֖יו אֵלֶֽיךָ׃ פ
4 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].
וַיִּקַּ֨ח חָנ֜וּן אֶת־עַבְדֵ֤י דָוִיד֙ וַֽיְגַלְּחֵ֔ם וַיִּכְרֹ֧ת אֶת־מַדְוֵיהֶ֛ם בַּחֵ֖צִי עַד־הַמִּפְשָׂעָ֑ה וַֽיְשַׁלְּחֵֽם׃
5 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.”
וַיֵּלְכוּ֩ וַיַּגִּ֨ידוּ לְדָוִ֤יד עַל־הָֽאֲנָשִׁים֙ וַיִּשְׁלַ֣ח לִקְרָאתָ֔ם כִּי־הָי֥וּ הָאֲנָשִׁ֖ים נִכְלָמִ֣ים מְאֹ֑ד וַיֹּ֤אמֶר הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ שְׁב֣וּ בִֽירֵחֹ֔ו עַ֛ד אֲשֶׁר־יְצַמַּ֥ח זְקַנְכֶ֖ם וְשַׁבְתֶּֽם׃
6 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].
וַיִּרְאוּ֙ בְּנֵ֣י עַמֹּ֔ון כִּ֥י הִֽתְבָּאֲשׁ֖וּ עִם־דָּוִ֑יד וַיִּשְׁלַ֣ח חָ֠נוּן וּבְנֵ֨י עַמֹּ֜ון אֶ֣לֶף כִּכַּר־כֶּ֗סֶף לִשְׂכֹּ֣ר לָ֠הֶם מִן־אֲרַ֨ם נַהֲרַ֜יִם וּמִן־אֲרַ֤ם מַעֲכָה֙ וּמִצֹּובָ֔ה רֶ֖כֶב וּפָרָשִֽׁים׃
7 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].
וַיִּשְׂכְּר֣וּ לָהֶ֡ם שְׁנַיִם֩ וּשְׁלֹשִׁ֨ים אֶ֜לֶף רֶ֗כֶב וְאֶת־מֶ֤לֶךְ מַעֲכָה֙ וְאֶת־עַמֹּ֔ו וַיָּבֹ֕אוּ וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּ לִפְנֵ֣י מֵידְבָ֑א וּבְנֵ֣י עַמֹּ֗ון נֶאֶסְפוּ֙ מֵעָ֣רֵיהֶ֔ם וַיָּבֹ֖אוּ לַמִּלְחָמָֽה׃ פ
8 When David heard about that, he sent Joab and all his army.
וַיִּשְׁמַ֖ע דָּוִ֑יד וַיִּשְׁלַח֙ אֶת־יֹואָ֔ב וְאֵ֥ת כָּל־צָבָ֖א הַגִּבֹּורִֽים׃
9 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.
וַיֵּצְאוּ֙ בְּנֵ֣י עַמֹּ֔ון וַיַּֽעַרְכ֥וּ מִלְחָמָ֖ה פֶּ֣תַח הָעִ֑יר וְהַמְּלָכִ֣ים אֲשֶׁר־בָּ֔אוּ לְבַדָּ֖ם בַּשָּׂדֶֽה׃
10 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.
וַיַּ֣רְא יֹואָ֗ב כִּֽי־הָיְתָ֧ה פְנֵי־הַמִּלְחָמָ֛ה אֵלָ֖יו פָּנִ֣ים וְאָחֹ֑ור וַיִּבְחַ֗ר מִכָּל־בָּחוּר֙ בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וַֽיַּעֲרֹ֖ךְ לִקְרַ֥את אֲרָֽם׃
11 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.
וְאֵת֙ יֶ֣תֶר הָעָ֔ם נָתַ֕ן בְּיַ֖ד אַבְשַׁ֣י אָחִ֑יו וַיַּ֣עַרְכ֔וּ לִקְרַ֖את בְּנֵ֥י עַמֹּֽון׃
12 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.
וַיֹּ֗אמֶר אִם־תֶּחֱזַ֤ק מִמֶּ֙נִּי֙ אֲרָ֔ם וְהָיִ֥יתָ לִּ֖י לִתְשׁוּעָ֑ה ס וְאִם־בְּנֵ֥י עַמֹּ֛ון יֶֽחֶזְק֥וּ מִמְּךָ֖ וְהֹושַׁעְתִּֽיךָ׃
13 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.”
חֲזַ֤ק וְנִֽתְחַזְּקָה֙ בְּעַד־עַמֵּ֔נוּ וּבְעַ֖ד עָרֵ֣י אֱלֹהֵ֑ינוּ וַֽיהוָ֔ה הַטֹּ֥וב בְּעֵינָ֖יו יַעֲשֶֽׂה׃
14 So Joab and his troops [advanced to] fight the army of Syria, and the soldiers from Syria ran away from them.
וַיִּגַּ֨שׁ יֹואָ֜ב וְהָעָ֧ם אֲשֶׁר־עִמֹּ֛ו לִפְנֵ֥י אֲרָ֖ם לַמִּלְחָמָ֑ה וַיָּנ֖וּסוּ מִפָּנָֽיו׃
15 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.
וּבְנֵ֨י עַמֹּ֤ון רָאוּ֙ כִּי־נָ֣ס אֲרָ֔ם וַיָּנ֣וּסוּ גַם־הֵ֗ם מִפְּנֵי֙ אַבְשַׁ֣י אָחִ֔יו וַיָּבֹ֖אוּ הָעִ֑ירָה וַיָּבֹ֥א יֹואָ֖ב יְרוּשָׁלָֽ͏ִם׃ פ
16 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.
וַיַּ֣רְא אֲרָ֗ם כִּ֣י נִגְּפוּ֮ לִפְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵל֒ וַֽיִּשְׁלְחוּ֙ מַלְאָכִ֔ים וַיֹּוצִ֣יאוּ אֶת־אֲרָ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֖ר מֵעֵ֣בֶר הַנָּהָ֑ר וְשֹׁופַ֛ךְ שַׂר־צְבָ֥א הֲדַדְעֶ֖זֶר לִפְנֵיהֶֽם׃
17 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.
וַיֻּגַּ֣ד לְדָוִ֗יד וַיֶּאֱסֹ֤ף אֶת־כָּל־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ וַיַּעֲבֹ֣ר הַיַּרְדֵּ֔ן וַיָּבֹ֣א אֲלֵהֶ֔ם וַֽיַּעֲרֹ֖ךְ אֲלֵהֶ֑ם וַיַּעֲרֹ֨ךְ דָּוִ֜יד לִקְרַ֤את אֲרָם֙ מִלְחָמָ֔ה וַיִּֽלָּחֲמ֖וּ עִמֹּֽו׃
18 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.
וַיָּ֣נָס אֲרָם֮ מִלִּפְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵל֒ וַיַּהֲרֹ֨ג דָּוִ֜יד מֵאֲרָ֗ם שִׁבְעַ֤ת אֲלָפִים֙ רֶ֔כֶב וְאַרְבָּעִ֥ים אֶ֖לֶף אִ֣ישׁ רַגְלִ֑י וְאֵ֛ת שֹׁופַ֥ךְ שַֽׂר־הַצָּבָ֖א הֵמִֽית׃
19 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.
וַיִּרְא֞וּ עַבְדֵ֣י הֲדַדְעֶ֗זֶר כִּ֤י נִגְּפוּ֙ לִפְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וַיַּשְׁלִ֥ימוּ עִם־דָּוִ֖יד וַיַּֽעַבְדֻ֑הוּ וְלֹא־אָבָ֣ה אֲרָ֔ם לְהֹושִׁ֥יעַ אֶת־בְּנֵי־עַמֹּ֖ון עֹֽוד׃ פ

< 1 Chronicles 19 >