2 Samuel 10

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

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

2 David thought, “Nahash was kind to me, so I will be kind to his son.” So David sent some officials there, to tell Hanun that David was sorry that Hanun’s father [had died]. When those messengers arrived in the land where the Ammon people-group lived,

And David said, I will show mercy to Annon the son of Naas, as his father dealt mercifully with me. And David sent to comfort him concerning his father by the hand of his servants; and the servants of David came into the land of the children of Ammon.

3 the leaders of the Ammon people-group said to Hanun, “Do you think that it is to honor your father that King David has sent these men to say that he is sorry that your father died [RHQ]? [We think that] he has sent them here to look around the city to determine how his [army] can conquer us!”

And the princes of the children of Ammon said to Annon their lord, [Is it] to honor your father before you that David has sent comforters to you? Has not David rather sent his servants to you that they should search the city, and spy it out and examine it?

4 Hanun [believed what they said; so he commanded some soldiers to] seize David’s officials and [insult them by] shaving off one side of each man’s beard, and [by] cutting off the lower part of their robes, [with the result that their buttocks could be seen], and then they sent them away.

And Annon took the servants of David, and shaved their beards, and cut off their garments in the midst as far as their haunches, and sent them away.

5 The men were very humiliated/ashamed, [so they did not want to return home]. When David found out about what had happened to his officials, he sent someone to tell them, “Stay at Jericho until your beards have grown again, and then return home.”

And they brought David word concerning the men; and he sent to meet them, for the men were greatly dishonored: and the king said, Remain in Jericho till your beards have grown, and [then] you shall return.

6 Then [the leaders of] the Ammon people-group realized that they had greatly insulted [IDM] David [IDM]. So they sent some men to hire/pay some soldiers [from other nearby areas to help defend them]. They hired 20,000 soldiers from [the] Beth-Rehob and Zobah [regions northeast of Israel], and 12,000 soldiers from [the] Tob [region], and 1,000 soldiers from [the army of] the king of Maacah [region].

And the children of Ammon saw that the people of David were ashamed; and the children of Ammon sent, and hired the Syrians of Baethraam, and the Syrians of Suba, and Roob, twenty thousand footmen, and the king of Amalec with a thousand men, and Istob with twelve thousand men.

7 When David heard about that, he sent Joab with all of the army [that Joab commanded], to fight against them.

And David heard, and sent Joab and all his host, [even] the mighty men.

8 The soldiers of the Ammon people-group marched out and (stood in their positions/arranged themselves for battle) at the entrance [to their capital city, Rabbah]. The other soldiers from Syria and Tob and Maacah stood by themselves (in their positions/arranged themselves for battle) in the nearby fields.

And the children of Ammon went forth, and set the battle in array by the door of the gate: [those] of Syria, Suba, and Roob, and Istob, and Amalec, being by themselves in the field.

9 Joab saw that there were groups of enemy soldiers in front of his troops and behind his troops. So he chose some of the best Israeli soldiers, and put them in positions to fight against the soldiers of Syria.

And Joab saw that the front of the battle was against him from that which was opposed in front and from behind, and he chose out [some] of all the young men of Israel, and they set themselves in array against Syria.

10 He appointed his [older] brother Abishai to be the commander of all the other soldiers, and he told them to (stand in their positions/arrange themselves) in front of [the army of] the Ammon people-group.

And the rest of the people he gave into the hand of Abessa his brother, and they set the battle in array opposite to the children of Ammon.

11 Then Joab said, “If the soldiers from Syria are too strong for us to defeat them, your men must come and help us. But if the soldiers from the Ammon people-group are too strong for you to defeat, we will come and help your men.

And he said, If Syria be too strong for me, then shall you help me: and if the children of Ammon be too strong for you, then will we be ready to help you.

12 We must be strong, and fight hard [IDM] to [defend] our people and the cities [(that belong to/where we worship)] our God. I will pray/request that Yahweh do what he considers to be good.”

Be you courageous, and let us be strong for our people, and for the sake of the cities of our God, and the Lord shall do that which is good in his eyes.

13 So Joab and his army [advanced to] attack the army of Syria, and the soldiers from Syria ran away from them.

And Joab and his people with him advanced to battle against Syria, and they fled from before him.

14 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’s [army] stopped fighting against [the army of] the Ammon people-group, and Joab [and his army] returned to Jerusalem.

And the children of Ammon saw that the Syrians were fled, and they fled from before Abessa, and entered into the city: and Joab returned from the children of Ammon, and came to Jerusalem.

15 After [the leaders of] the army of Syria saw that the Israeli army had defeated them, they gathered all their troops together.

And the Syrians saw that they were worsted before Israel, and they gathered themselves together.

16 [Their king, ] Hadadezer, summoned the soldiers of Syria who lived on the east side of the [Euphrates] River. They gathered at Helam [city]. Their commander was Shobach.

And Adraazar sent and gathered the Syrians from the other side of the river Chalamak, and they came to Aelam; and Sobac the captain of the host of Adraazar [was] at their head.

17 When David heard about that, he gathered all the Israeli soldiers, and they crossed the Jordan [River] and marched to Helam. There, the army of Syria (took their positions/arranged themselves for battle), and the battle started.

And it was reported to David, and he gathered all Israel, and went over Jordan, and came to Aelam: and the Syrians set the battle in array against David, and fought with him.

18 But the soldiers of Syria ran away from the Israeli soldiers. David [and his army] killed 700 of their chariot-drivers and 40,000 other soldiers. They also wounded Shobach, their commander, and he died there.

And Syria fled from before Israel, and David destroyed of Syria seven hundred chariots, and forty thousand horsemen, and he struck Sobac the captain of his host, and he died there.

19 When all the kings who had been ruled by Hadadezer realized that they had been defeated by the Israeli [army], they made peace with the Israelis and agreed to accept David as their king. So [the army of] Syria was afraid to help [the army of] the Ammon people-group any more.

And all the kings the servants of Adraazar saw that they were put to the worse before Israel, and they went over to Israel, and served them: and Syria was afraid to help the children of Ammon any more.