2 Samuel 10
1 Forsothe it was doon aftir these thingis, that Naas, kyng of the sones of Amon, diede; and Anoon, his sone, regnede for hym. And Dauid seide,
It came about later that the king of the people of Ammon died, and that Hanun his son became king in his place.
2 Y schal do mercy with Anon, the sone of Naas, as his fadir dide mercy with me. Therfor Dauid sente coumfortynge hym by hise seruauntis on the deeth of the fadir. Sotheli whanne the seruauntis of Dauid hadden come in to the lond of the sones of Amon,
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 princes of the sones of Amon seiden to Anon, her lord, Gessist thou that for the onour of thi fadir Dauid sente coumfortouris to thee; and not herfor Dauid sente hise seruauntis to thee, that he schulde aspie, and enserche the citee, and distrie 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 Therfor Anoon took the seruauntis of Dauid, and schauyde half the part of `the beerd of hem, and he kittide awey the myddil clothis of hem `til to the buttokis; and lefte hem.
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 whanne this was teld to Dauid, he sente in to the comyng of hem, for the men weren schent ful vilensly. And Dauid comaundide to hem, Dwelle ye in Jerico, til youre beerd wexe, and thanne turne ye ayen.
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 Sotheli the sones of Amon sien, that thei hadden do wrong to Dauid, and thei senten, and hiriden bi meede Roob of Sirye, and Soba of Sirie, twenti thousynde of foot men, and of kyng Maacha, a thousynde men, and of Istob twelue thousynde of 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 whanne Dauid hadde herd this, he sent Joab and al the oost of fiyteris.
When David heard of it, he sent Joab and all the army of soldiers.
8 Therfor the sones of Amon yeden out, and dressiden scheltrun bifor hem in the entryng of the yate. Forsothe Soba, and Roob of Sirie, and Istob, and Maacha weren asidis half in the feeld.
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 Therfor Joab siy, that batel was maad redi ayens hym, bothe euene ayens and bihynde the bak; and he chees to hym silf of alle the chosun men of Israel, and ordeynede scheltrun ayens Sirus.
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 Forsothe he bitook to Abisai, his brothir, the tother part of the puple, which dresside scheltrun ayens the sones of Amon.
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 Joab seide, If men of Sirie han the maistrie ayens me, thou schalt be to me in to help; sotheli if the sones of Amon han the maistrie ayens thee, Y schal helpe thee;
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 thou a strong man, and fiyte we for oure puple, and for the citee of oure God; forsothe the Lord schal do that, that is good in his siyt.
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 Therfor Joab and his puple that was with hym, bigan batel ayens men of Sirie, whiche fledden anoon fro his face.
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 Forsothe the sones of Amon sien, that men of Sirie hadden fled; and thei fledden also fro the face of Abisai, and entriden in to the citee; and Joab turnede ayen fro the sones of Amon, and cam in 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 Forsothe men of Sirye sien that thei hadden feld bifor Israel, and thei weren gaderid to gidere.
When the Arameans saw that they were being defeated by Israel, they gathered themselves together again.
16 And Adadezer sente, and ledde out men of Sirie that weren biyende the flood, and he brouyte the oost of hem; sotheli Sobach, mayster of the chyualrie of Adadezer, was the prince of hem.
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 whanne this was teld to Dauid, he drow togidere al Israel, and passide Jordan, and cam in to Helama. And men of Sirie dressiden scheltrun ayens Dauid, and fouyten ayens hym.
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 Sireis fledden fro the face of Israel; and Dauid killide of Sireis seuene hundrid charis, and fourti thousynde of knyytis; and he smoot Sobach, the prince of chyualrie, which was deed anoon.
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 Forsothe alle kyngis, that weren in the help of Adadezer, siyen that thei weren ouercomun of Israel, and thei maden pees with Israel, and serueden hem; and Sireis dredden to yyue help to the sones of Amon.
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.
