2 שְׁמוּאֵל 10

1 וַֽיְהִי֙ אַֽחֲרֵי־כֵ֔ן וַיָּ֕מָת מֶ֖לֶךְ בְּנֵ֣י עַמֹּ֑ון וַיִּמְלֹ֛ךְ חָנ֥וּן בְּנֹ֖ו תַּחְתָּֽיו׃

Sometime after this, Nahash, the Ammonite king died and his son Hanun succeeded him.

2 וַיֹּ֨אמֶר דָּוִ֜ד אֶעֱשֶׂה־חֶ֣סֶד ׀ עִם־חָנ֣וּן בֶּן־נָחָ֗שׁ כַּאֲשֶׁר֩ עָשָׂ֨ה אָבִ֤יו עִמָּדִי֙ חֶ֔סֶד וַיִּשְׁלַ֨ח דָּוִ֧ד לְנַחֲמֹ֛ו בְּיַד־עֲבָדָ֖יו אֶל־אָבִ֑יו וַיָּבֹ֙אוּ֙ עַבְדֵ֣י דָוִ֔ד אֶ֖רֶץ בְּנֵ֥י עַמֹּֽון׃

David said, “I will be kind to Hanun, son of Nahash, just as his father was kind to me.” So David sent representatives to take his condolences to Hanun regarding his father. But when they arrived in the country of the Ammonites,

3 וַיֹּאמְרוּ֩ שָׂרֵ֨י בְנֵֽי־עַמֹּ֜ון אֶל־חָנ֣וּן אֲדֹֽנֵיהֶ֗ם הַֽמְכַבֵּ֨ד דָּוִ֤ד אֶת־אָבִ֙יךָ֙ בְּעֵינֶ֔יךָ כִּֽי־שָׁלַ֥ח לְךָ֖ מְנַֽחֲמִ֑ים הֲ֠לֹוא בַּעֲב֞וּר חֲקֹ֤ור אֶת־הָעִיר֙ וּלְרַגְּלָ֣הּ וּלְהָפְכָ֔הּ שָׁלַ֥ח דָּוִ֛ד אֶת־עֲבָדָ֖יו אֵלֶֽיךָ׃

the Ammonite military leaders said to Hanun their king, “Do you really believe David sent condolences to you out of respect for your father? Isn't it more likely that David sent his representatives to scout out the city, spy on it, and then conquer it?”

4 וַיִּקַּ֨ח חָנ֜וּן אֶת־עַבְדֵ֣י דָוִ֗ד וַיְגַלַּח֙ אֶת־חֲצִ֣י זְקָנָ֔ם וַיִּכְרֹ֧ת אֶת־מַדְוֵיהֶ֛ם בַּחֵ֖צִי עַ֣ד שְׁתֹֽותֵיהֶ֑ם וַֽיְשַׁלְּחֵֽם׃

So Hanun had David's representatives detained, shaved off half of each man's beard, cut off their clothes at the buttocks, and then sent them back home.

5 וַיַּגִּ֤דוּ לְדָוִד֙ וַיִּשְׁלַ֣ח לִקְרָאתָ֔ם כִּֽי־הָי֥וּ הָאֲנָשִׁ֖ים נִכְלָמִ֣ים מְאֹ֑ד וַיֹּ֤אמֶר הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ שְׁב֣וּ בִֽירֵחֹ֔ו עַד־יְצַמַּ֥ח זְקַנְכֶ֖ם וְשַׁבְתֶּֽם׃

When David was told about this, he sent messengers to meet them, because they were very embarrassed. The king instructed them, “Stay in Jericho until your beards have re-grown, and then you can return.”

6 וַיִּרְאוּ֙ בְּנֵ֣י עַמֹּ֔ון כִּ֥י נִבְאֲשׁ֖וּ בְּדָוִ֑ד וַיִּשְׁלְח֣וּ בְנֵֽי־עַמֹּ֡ון וַיִּשְׂכְּרוּ֩ אֶת־אֲרַ֨ם בֵּית־רְחֹ֜וב וְאֶת־אֲרַ֣ם צֹובָ֗א עֶשְׂרִ֥ים אֶ֙לֶף֙ רַגְלִ֔י וְאֶת־מֶ֤לֶךְ מַֽעֲכָה֙ אֶ֣לֶף אִ֔ישׁ וְאִ֣ישׁ טֹ֔וב שְׁנֵים־עָשָׂ֥ר אֶ֖לֶף אִֽישׁ׃

When the Ammonites realized they had become like a bad smell to David, they sent a request to the Arameans and hired twenty thousand of their foot soldiers from Beth Rehob and Zobah, as well as one thousand men from the king of Maakah, and also twelve thousand men from Tob.

7 וַיִּשְׁמַ֖ע דָּוִ֑ד וַיִּשְׁלַח֙ אֶת־יֹואָ֔ב וְאֵ֥ת כָּל־הַצָּבָ֖א הַגִּבֹּרִֽים׃

When David learned of this, he sent Joab and the entire army to confront them.

8 וַיֵּֽצְאוּ֙ בְּנֵ֣י עַמֹּ֔ון וַיַּעַרְכ֥וּ מִלְחָמָ֖ה פֶּ֣תַח הַשָּׁ֑עַר וַאֲרַ֨ם צֹובָ֤א וּרְחֹוב֙ וְאִֽישׁ־טֹ֣וב וּמַֽעֲכָ֔ה לְבַדָּ֖ם בַּשָּׂדֶֽה׃

The Ammonites set up their battle lines near the entrance to their town gate, while the Arameans of Zobah and Rehob and the men of Tob and Maacah took up positions by themselves in the open fields.

9 וַיַּ֣רְא יֹואָ֗ב כִּֽי־הָיְתָ֤ה אֵלָיו֙ פְּנֵ֣י הַמִּלְחָמָ֔ה מִפָּנִ֖ים וּמֵֽאָחֹ֑ור וַיִּבְחַ֗ר מִכֹּל֙ בְּחוּרֵ֣י בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל (יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל) וַֽיַּעֲרֹ֖ךְ לִקְרַ֥את אֲרָֽם׃

Joab realized he would have to fight both in front of him and behind him, he chose some of Israel's best troops and he took charge of them to lead the attack the Arameans.

10 וְאֵת֙ יֶ֣תֶר הָעָ֔ם נָתַ֕ן בְּיַ֖ד אַבְשַׁ֣י אָחִ֑יו וַֽיַּעֲרֹ֕ךְ לִקְרַ֖את בְּנֵ֥י עַמֹּֽון׃

He put the rest of the army under the command of Abishai, his brother. They were to attack the Ammonites.

11 וַיֹּ֗אמֶר אִם־תֶּחֱזַ֤ק אֲרָם֙ מִמֶּ֔נִּי וְהָיִ֥תָה לִּ֖י לִֽישׁוּעָ֑ה וְאִם־בְּנֵ֤י עַמֹּון֙ יֶחֱזְק֣וּ מִמְּךָ֔ וְהָלַכְתִּ֖י לְהֹושִׁ֥יעַֽ לָֽךְ׃

Joab told him, “If the Arameans are stronger than me, you come and help me. If the Ammonites are stronger than you, I'll come and help you.

12 חֲזַ֤ק וְנִתְחַזַּק֙ בְּעַד־עַמֵּ֔נוּ וּבְעַ֖ד עָרֵ֣י אֱלֹהֵ֑ינוּ וַֽיהוָ֔ה יַעֲשֶׂ֥ה הַטֹּ֖וב בְּעֵינָֽיו׃

Be brave, and fight your best for our people and the towns of our God. May the Lord do what he sees as good!”

13 וַיִּגַּ֣שׁ יֹואָ֗ב וְהָעָם֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר עִמֹּ֔ו לַמִּלְחָמָ֖ה בּֽ͏ַאֲרָ֑ם וַיָּנֻ֖סוּ מִפָּנָֽיו׃

Joab attacked the Arameans with his forces and they ran away from him.

14 וּבְנֵ֨י עַמֹּ֤ון רָאוּ֙ כִּי־נָ֣ס אֲרָ֔ם וַיָּנֻ֙סוּ֙ מִפְּנֵ֣י אֲבִישַׁ֔י וַיָּבֹ֖אוּ הָעִ֑יר וַיָּ֣שָׁב יֹואָ֗ב מֵעַל֙ בְּנֵ֣י עַמֹּ֔ון וַיָּבֹ֖א יְרוּשָׁלָֽ͏ִם׃

When the Ammonites saw that the Arameans had run away, they also ran away from Abishai, and retreated into the town. So Joab went back to Jerusalem after fighting the Ammonites.

15 וַיַּ֣רְא אֲרָ֔ם כִּ֥י נִגַּ֖ף לִפְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וַיֵּאָסְפ֖וּ יָֽחַד׃

As soon as the Arameans saw they had been defeated by the Israelites they reassembled their forces.

16 וַיִּשְׁלַ֣ח הֲדַדְעֶ֗זֶר וַיֹּצֵ֤א אֶת־אֲרָם֙ אֲשֶׁר֙ מֵעֵ֣בֶר הַנָּהָ֔ר וַיָּבֹ֖אוּ חֵילָ֑ם וְשֹׁובַ֛ךְ שַׂר־צְבָ֥א הֲדַדְעֶ֖זֶר לִפְנֵיהֶֽם׃

Hadadezer sent for more Arameans to be brought from beyond the Euphrates River. They arrived in Helam under the leadership of Shobach, commander of Hadadezer's army.

17 וַיֻּגַּ֣ד לְדָוִ֗ד ס וַיֶּאֱסֹ֤ף אֶת־כָּל־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ וַיַּעֲבֹ֣ר אֶת־הַיַּרְדֵּ֔ן וַיָּבֹ֖א חֵלָ֑אמָה וַיַּעַרְכ֤וּ אֲרָם֙ לִקְרַ֣את דָּוִ֔ד וַיִּלָּחֲמ֖וּ עִמֹּֽו׃

When this was reported to David, he assembled all Israel together. He crossed the Jordan and advanced on Helam. The Arameans positioned themselves in battle line against David and fought him.

18 וַיָּ֣נָס אֲרָם֮ מִפְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵל֒ וַיַּהֲרֹ֨ג דָּוִ֜ד מֵאֲרָ֗ם שְׁבַ֤ע מֵאֹות֙ רֶ֔כֶב וְאַרְבָּעִ֥ים אֶ֖לֶף פָּרָשִׁ֑ים וְאֵ֨ת שֹׁובַ֧ךְ שַׂר־צְבָאֹ֛ו הִכָּ֖ה וַיָּ֥מָת שָֽׁם׃

But the Aramean army ran away from the Israelites, and David killed 700 charioteers and 40,000 infantry. He also attacked Shobach, their army commander, and he died there.

19 וַיִּרְא֨וּ כָֽל־הַמְּלָכִ֜ים עַבְדֵ֣י הֲדַדְעֶ֗זֶר כִּ֤י נִגְּפוּ֙ לִפְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וַיַּשְׁלִ֥מוּ אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל וַיַּֽעַבְד֑וּם וַיִּֽרְא֣וּ אֲרָ֔ם לְהֹושִׁ֥יעַ עֹ֖וד אֶת־בְּנֵ֥י עַמֹּֽון׃ פ

When all the kings allied with Hadadezer realized that they had been defeated by Israel, they made peace with David and became subject to him. As a result, the Arameans were afraid to help the Ammonites any more.