דברי הימים א 19

1 וַֽיְהִי אַחֲרֵי־כֵן וַיָּמׇת נָחָשׁ מֶלֶךְ בְּנֵֽי־עַמּוֹן וַיִּמְלֹךְ בְּנוֹ תַּחְתָּֽיו׃

Now it happened that Nahash, the king of the sons of Ammon, died, and his son reigned in his place.

2 וַיֹּאמֶר דָּוִיד אֶעֱשֶׂה־חֶסֶד ׀ עִם־חָנוּן בֶּן־נָחָשׁ כִּֽי־עָשָׂה אָבִיו עִמִּי חֶסֶד וַיִּשְׁלַח דָּוִיד מַלְאָכִים לְנַחֲמוֹ עַל־אָבִיו וַיָּבֹאוּ עַבְדֵי דָוִיד אֶל־אֶרֶץ בְּנֵֽי־עַמּוֹן אֶל־חָנוּן לְנַחֲמֽוֹ׃

And David said: “I will act with mercy toward Hanun, the son of Nahash. For his father was gracious to me.” And so David sent messengers to console him over the death of his father. But when they had reached the land of the sons of Ammon, so that they might console Hanun,

3 וַיֹּאמְרוּ שָׂרֵי בְנֵֽי־עַמּוֹן לְחָנוּן הַֽמְכַבֵּד דָּוִיד אֶת־אָבִיךָ בְּעֵינֶיךָ כִּֽי־שָׁלַח לְךָ מְנַחֲמִים הֲלֹא בַּעֲבוּר לַחְקֹר וְלַהֲפֹךְ וּלְרַגֵּל הָאָרֶץ בָּאוּ עֲבָדָיו אֵלֶֽיךָ׃

the leaders of the sons of Ammon said to Hanun: “Do you think that perhaps David has sent them to console you in order to honor your father? Have you not noticed that his servants came to you so that they might explore, and investigate, and examine your land?”

4 וַיִּקַּח חָנוּן אֶת־עַבְדֵי דָוִיד וַֽיְגַלְּחֵם וַיִּכְרֹת אֶת־מַדְוֵיהֶם בַּחֵצִי עַד־הַמִּפְשָׂעָה וַֽיְשַׁלְּחֵֽם׃

And so Hanun shaved the heads and beards of the servants of David, and he cut away their tunics from the buttocks to the feet, and he sent them away.

5 וַיֵּלְכוּ וַיַּגִּידוּ לְדָוִיד עַל־הָאֲנָשִׁים וַיִּשְׁלַח לִקְרָאתָם כִּֽי־הָיוּ הָאֲנָשִׁים נִכְלָמִים מְאֹד וַיֹּאמֶר הַמֶּלֶךְ שְׁבוּ בִֽירֵחוֹ עַד אֲשֶׁר־יְצַמַּח זְקַנְכֶם וְשַׁבְתֶּֽם׃

And when they had gone, and had sent word to David, (for they had suffered a great disgrace, ) he sent to meet them, and he instructed them that they should remain at Jericho until their beards grew, and then they should return.

6 וַיִּרְאוּ בְּנֵי עַמּוֹן כִּי הִֽתְבָּאֲשׁוּ עִם־דָּוִיד וַיִּשְׁלַח חָנוּן וּבְנֵי עַמּוֹן אֶלֶף כִּכַּר־כֶּסֶף לִשְׂכֹּר לָהֶם מִן־אֲרַם נַהֲרַיִם וּמִן־אֲרַם מַֽעֲכָה וּמִצּוֹבָה רֶכֶב וּפָרָשִֽׁים׃

Then, when the sons of Ammon realized that they had committed an injury against David, both Hanun and the rest of the people sent one thousand talents of silver, so that they might hire for themselves chariots and horsemen from Mesopotamia, and from Syrian Maacah, and from Zobah.

7 וַיִּשְׂכְּרוּ לָהֶם שְׁנַיִם וּשְׁלֹשִׁים אֶלֶף רֶכֶב וְאֶת־מֶלֶךְ מַֽעֲכָה וְאֶת־עַמּוֹ וַיָּבֹאוּ וַֽיַּחֲנוּ לִפְנֵי מֵידְבָא וּבְנֵי עַמּוֹן נֶֽאֶסְפוּ מֵעָרֵיהֶם וַיָּבֹאוּ לַמִּלְחָמָֽה׃

And they hired thirty-two thousand chariots, and the king of Maacah with his people. When these had arrived, they made camp in the region opposite Medeba. Also, the sons of Ammon, gathering from their cities, went to war.

8 וַיִּשְׁמַע דָּוִיד וַיִּשְׁלַח אֶת־יוֹאָב וְאֵת כׇּל־צָבָא הַגִּבּוֹרִֽים׃

And when David had heard this, he sent Joab and the entire army of strong men.

9 וַיֵּֽצְאוּ בְּנֵי עַמּוֹן וַיַּעַרְכוּ מִלְחָמָה פֶּתַח הָעִיר וְהַמְּלָכִים אֲשֶׁר־בָּאוּ לְבַדָּם בַּשָּׂדֶֽה׃

And the sons of Ammon, going out, set up a battle line before the gate of the city. But the kings who had come to their aid stood separately in the field.

10 וַיַּרְא יוֹאָב כִּֽי־הָיְתָה פְנֵי־הַמִּלְחָמָה אֵלָיו פָּנִים וְאָחוֹר וַיִּבְחַר מִכׇּל־בָּחוּר בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל וַֽיַּעֲרֹךְ לִקְרַאת אֲרָֽם׃

And so Joab, understanding the war to be set facing him and behind his back, chose the strongest men from all of Israel, and he went out against the Syrians.

11 וְאֵת יֶתֶר הָעָם נָתַן בְּיַד אַבְשַׁי אָחִיו וַיַּעַרְכוּ לִקְרַאת בְּנֵי עַמּֽוֹן׃

But the remaining portion of the people he placed under the hand of his brother Abishai. And they went out against the sons of Ammon.

12 וַיֹּאמֶר אִם־תֶּחֱזַק מִמֶּנִּי אֲרָם וְהָיִיתָ לִּי לִתְשׁוּעָה וְאִם־בְּנֵי עַמּוֹן יֶחֶזְקוּ מִמְּךָ וְהוֹשַׁעְתִּֽיךָ׃

And he said: “If the Syrians prevail over me, then you shall be a help to me. But if the sons of Ammon prevail over you, I will be a safeguard for you.

13 חֲזַק וְנִֽתְחַזְּקָה בְּעַד־עַמֵּנוּ וּבְעַד עָרֵי אֱלֹהֵינוּ וַֽיהֹוָה הַטּוֹב בְּעֵינָיו יַעֲשֶֽׂה׃

Be strengthened, and let us act manfully on behalf of our people, and on behalf of the cities of our God. And the Lord will do what is good in his own sight.”

14 וַיִּגַּשׁ יוֹאָב וְהָעָם אֲשֶׁר־עִמּוֹ לִפְנֵי אֲרָם לַמִּלְחָמָה וַיָּנוּסוּ מִפָּנָֽיו׃

Therefore, Joab, and the people who were with him, went out to battle against the Syrians. And he put them to flight.

15 וּבְנֵי עַמּוֹן רָאוּ כִּֽי־נָס אֲרָם וַיָּנוּסוּ גַם־הֵם מִפְּנֵי אַבְשַׁי אָחִיו וַיָּבֹאוּ הָעִירָה וַיָּבֹא יוֹאָב יְרוּשָׁלָֽ͏ִם׃

Then the sons of Ammon, seeing that the Syrians had fled, also themselves fled from Abishai, his brother, and they entered into the city. And now Joab returned to Jerusalem.

16 וַיַּרְא אֲרָם כִּי נִגְּפוּ לִפְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וַֽיִּשְׁלְחוּ מַלְאָכִים וַיּוֹצִיאוּ אֶת־אֲרָם אֲשֶׁר מֵעֵבֶר הַנָּהָר וְשׁוֹפַךְ שַׂר־צְבָא הֲדַדְעֶזֶר לִפְנֵיהֶֽם׃

But the Syrians, seeing that they had fallen before Israel, sent messengers, and they brought the Syrians who were across the river. And Shophach, the leader of the military of Hadadezer, was their commander.

17 וַיֻּגַּד לְדָוִיד וַיֶּאֱסֹף אֶת־כׇּל־יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיַּעֲבֹר הַיַּרְדֵּן וַיָּבֹא אֲלֵהֶם וַֽיַּעֲרֹךְ אֲלֵהֶם וַיַּעֲרֹךְ דָּוִיד לִקְרַאת אֲרָם מִלְחָמָה וַיִּֽלָּחֲמוּ עִמּֽוֹ׃

When this had been reported to David, he gathered together all of Israel, and he crossed the Jordan. And he rushed toward them. And he set up a battle line facing them. And they fought against him.

18 וַיָּנׇס אֲרָם מִלִּפְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיַּהֲרֹג דָּוִיד מֵאֲרָם שִׁבְעַת אֲלָפִים רֶכֶב וְאַרְבָּעִים אֶלֶף אִישׁ רַגְלִי וְאֵת שׁוֹפַךְ שַֽׂר־הַצָּבָא הֵמִֽית׃

But the Syrians fled from Israel. And David killed of the Syrians seven thousand chariots, and forty thousand men on foot, and Shophach, the leader of the army.

19 וַיִּרְאוּ עַבְדֵי הֲדַדְעֶזֶר כִּי נִגְּפוּ לִפְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיַּשְׁלִימוּ עִם־דָּוִיד וַיַּעַבְדֻהוּ וְלֹֽא־אָבָה אֲרָם לְהוֹשִׁיעַ אֶת־בְּנֵֽי־עַמּוֹן עֽוֹד׃

Then the servants of Hadadezer, seeing themselves to be overwhelmed by Israel, crossed over to David, and they served him. And Syria was no longer willing to offer aid to the sons of Ammon.