I Paralipomenon 19
1 Accidit autem ut moreretur Naas rex filiorum Ammon, et regnaret filius eius pro eo.
Some time later, Nahash king of the Ammonites died and was succeeded by his son.
2 Dixitque David: Faciam misericordiam cum Hanon filio Naas: praestitit enim mihi pater eius gratiam. Misitque David nuncios ad consolandum eum super morte patris sui. Qui cum pervenissent in terram filiorum Ammon, ut consolarentur Hanon,
And David said, “I will show kindness to Hanun son of Nahash, because his father showed kindness to me.” So David sent messengers to console Hanun concerning his father. But when David’s servants arrived in the land of the Ammonites to console him,
3 dixerunt principes filiorum Ammon ad Hanon: Tu forsitan putas, quod David honoris causa in patrem tuum miserit qui consolentur te: nec animadvertis quod ut explorent, et investigent, et scrutentur terram tuam, venerint ad te servi eius.
the princes of the Ammonites said to Hanun, “Just because David has sent you comforters, do you really believe he is showing respect for your father? Have not his servants come to you to explore the land, spy it out, and overthrow it?”
4 Igitur Hanon pueros David decalvavit, et rasit, et praecidit tunicas eorum a natibus usque ad pedes, et dimisit eos.
So Hanun took David’s servants, shaved their beards, cut off their garments at the hips, and sent them away.
5 Qui cum abiissent, et hoc amandassent David, misit in occursum eorum (grandem enim contumeliam sustinuerant) et praecepit ut manerent in Iericho, donec cresceret barba eorum, et tunc reverterentur.
When someone came and told David about his men, he sent messengers to meet them, since the men had been thoroughly humiliated. The king told them, “Stay in Jericho until your beards have grown back, and then return.”
6 Videntes autem filii Ammon, quod iniuriam fecissent David, tam Hanon, quam reliquus populus, miserunt mille talenta argenti, ut conducerent sibi de Mesopotamia, et de Syria Maacha, et de Soba currus et equites.
When the Ammonites realized that they had become a stench to David, Hanun and the Ammonites sent a thousand talents of silver to hire for themselves chariots and horsemen from Aram-naharaim, Aram-maacah, and Zobah.
7 Conduxeruntque triginta duo millia curruum, et regem Maacha cum populo eius. Qui cum venissent, castrametati sunt e regione Medaba. Filii quoque Ammon congregati de urbibus suis, venerunt ad bellum.
So they hired for themselves thirty-two thousand chariots, as well as the king of Maacah with his troops, who came and camped near Medeba while the Ammonites came from their cities and marched out for battle.
8 Quod cum audisset David, misit Ioab, et omnem exercitum virorum fortium:
On hearing this, David sent Joab and the entire army of mighty men.
9 egressique filii Ammon, direxerunt aciem iuxta portam civitatis: reges autem, qui ad auxilium eius venerant, separatim in agro steterunt.
The Ammonites marched out and arrayed themselves for battle at the entrance to the city, while the kings who had come stayed by themselves in the open country.
10 Igitur Ioab intelligens bellum ex adverso, et post tergum contra se fieri, elegit viros fortissimos de universo Israel, et perrexit contra Syrum.
When Joab saw the battle lines before him and behind him, he selected some of the best men of Israel and arrayed them against the Arameans.
11 Reliquam autem partem populi dedit sub manu Abisai fratris sui; et perrexerunt contra filios Ammon.
And he placed the rest of the forces under the command of his brother Abishai, who arrayed them against the Ammonites.
12 Dixitque: Si vicerit me Syrus, auxilio eris mihi: si autem superaverint te filii Ammon, ero tibi in praesidium.
“If the Arameans are too strong for me,” said Joab, “then you will come to my rescue. And if the Ammonites are too strong for you, then I will come to your rescue.
13 Confortare, et agamus viriliter pro populo nostro, et pro urbibus Dei nostri: Dominus autem quod in conspectu suo bonum est, faciet.
Be strong and let us fight bravely for our people and for the cities of our God. May the LORD do what is good in His sight.”
14 Perrexit ergo Ioab, et populus qui cum eo erat, contra Syrum ad praelium: et fugavit eos.
So Joab and his troops advanced to fight the Arameans, who fled before him.
15 Porro filii Ammon videntes quod fugisset Syrus, ipsi quoque fugerunt Abisai fratrem eius, et ingressi sunt civitatem: reversusque est etiam Ioab in Ierusalem.
When the Ammonites saw that the Arameans had fled, they too fled before Joab’s brother Abishai, and they entered the city. So Joab went back to Jerusalem.
16 Videns autem Syrus quod cecidisset coram Israel, misit nuncios, et adduxit Syrum, qui erat trans fluvium: Sophach autem princeps militiae Adarezer, erat dux eorum.
When the Arameans saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they sent messengers to bring more Arameans from beyond the Euphrates, with Shophach the commander of Hadadezer’s army leading them.
17 Quod cum annunciatum esset David, congregavit universum Israel, et transivit Iordanem, irruitque in eos, et direxit ex adverso aciem, illis contra pugnantibus.
When this was reported to David, he gathered all Israel, crossed the Jordan, advanced toward the Arameans, and arrayed for battle against them. When David lined up to engage them in battle, they fought against him.
18 Fugit autem Syrus Israel: et interfecit David de Syris septem millia curruum, et quadraginta millia peditum, et Sophach exercitus principem.
But the Arameans fled before Israel, and David killed seven thousand of their charioteers and forty thousand foot soldiers. He also killed Shophach the commander of their army.
19 Videntes autem servi Adarezer se ab Israel esse superatos, transfugerunt ad David, et servierunt ei: noluitque ultra Syria auxilium praebere filiis Ammon.
When Hadadezer’s subjects saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they made peace with David and became subject to him. So the Arameans were unwilling to help the Ammonites anymore.
