2 Samuel 10

1 Und es geschah danach, daß der König der Söhne Ammons starb, und Chanun, sein Sohn, ward König an seiner Statt.

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

2 Und David sprach: Ich will Barmherzigkeit tun an Chanun, dem Sohne des Nachasch, wie sein Vater an mir Barmherzigkeit getan hat. Und David sandte hin, ihn durch die Hand seiner Knechte über seinen Vater zu trösten, und die Knechte Davids kamen in das Land der Söhne Ammons.

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,

3 Und die Obersten der Söhne Ammons sprachen zu Chanun, ihrem Herrn: Hat wohl David in deinen Augen deinen Vater verherrlichen wollen, daß er Tröster an dich sendet? Hat David nicht vielmehr seine Knechte an dich gesandt, auf daß er erforsche und sie auskundschafte und dann sie umkehre.

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!”

4 Und Chanun nahm die Knechte Davids und schor ihnen die Hälfte ihres Bartes ab und schnitt ihnen die Waffenröcke halb ab, bis an das Gesäß, und entließ sie.

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.

5 Und sie sagten es dem David an, und er sandte ihnen entgegen; denn die Männer waren sehr geschändet, und der König sagte: Bleibet in Jericho, bis euer Bart wieder gewachsen ist, und dann kehrt zurück.

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.”

6 Und die Söhne Ammons sahen, daß sie bei David stinkend geworden, und die Söhne Ammons sandten und dingten Aram von Beth-Rechob und Aram von Zobah zwanzigtausend Mann zu Fuß, und den König von Maachah mit tausend Mann, und Männer von Tob, zwölftausend Mann.

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].

7 Und David hörte es und sandte Joab und das ganze Heer der Helden.

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

8 Und die Söhne Ammons zogen aus und stellten sich auf zum Streite am Eingang des Tores; und die aus Aram Zobah und Rechob und die Männer von Tob und Maachas, besonders auf dem Felde.

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.

9 Und Joab sah, daß der Streit wider ihn war von vorn und von hinten, und er wählte von allen Auserwählten in Israel aus und stellte sie auf, dem Aram entgegen.

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.

10 Und das übrige Volk gab er in die Hand Abischais, seines Bruders, und stellte sie auf, den Söhnen Ammons entgegen.

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.

11 Und er sprach: Wenn Aram mir zu stark wird, so sei du mir zur Hilfe, und wenn dir die Söhne Ammons zu stark werden, so komme ich dir zu Hilfe.

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.

12 Sei stark und laß uns stark sein für unser Volk und für die Städte unseres Gottes, und Jehovah wird tun, was gut in Seinen Augen ist.

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.”

13 Und Joab und das Volk mit ihm kam herzu gegen Aram zum Streite, und sie flohen vor ihm.

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

14 Und die Söhne Ammons sahen, daß Aram floh, und sie flohen vor Abischai und kamen in die Stadt. Und Joab kehrte zurück von den Söhnen Ammons und kam nach 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’s [army] stopped fighting against [the army of] the Ammon people-group, and Joab [and his army] returned to Jerusalem.

15 Und Aram sah, daß er vor Israel geschlagen war, und sie sammelten sich allzumal.

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

16 Und Hadareser sandte hin und brachte Aram jenseits des Flusses heraus, und sie kamen mit ihrer Streitmacht, und Schobach, der Oberste des Heeres Hadaresers, vor ihnen her.

[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.

17 Und es ward David angesagt, und er sammelte ganz Israel und zog über den Jordan hinüber und kam nach Chelam; und Aram stellten sich auf, dem David entgegen, und stritt mit ihm.

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.

18 Und Aram floh vor Israel, und David erwürgte von Aram siebenhundert Streitwagen und vierzigtausend Reiter; und Schobach, den Obersten seines Heeres, schlug er und er starb allda.

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.

19 Und alle Könige, die Knechte Hadaresers, sahen, daß sie vor Israel geschlagen waren und machten Frieden mit Israel und wurden ihnen zu Knechten, und Aram fürchtete sich, den Söhnen Ammons weiter zu helfen.

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.