صَمُوئِيلَ ٱلثَّانِي 10

١ 1 وَكَانَ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ أَنَّ مَلِكَ بَنِي عَمُّونَ مَاتَ، وَمَلَكَ حَانُونُ ٱبْنُهُ عِوَضًا عَنْهُ.

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

٢ 2 فَقَالَ دَاوُدُ: «أَصْنَعُ مَعْرُوفًا مَعَ حَانُونَ بْنِ نَاحَاشَ كَمَا صَنَعَ أَبُوهُ مَعِي مَعْرُوفًا». فَأَرْسَلَ دَاوُدُ بِيَدِ عَبِيدِهِ يُعَزِّيهِ عَنْ أَبِيهِ. فَجَاءَ عَبِيدُ دَاوُدَ إِلَى أَرْضِ بَنِي عَمُّونَ.

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,

٣ 3 فَقَالَ رُؤَسَاءُ بَنِي عَمُّونَ لِحَانُونَ سَيِّدِهِمْ: «هَلْ يُكْرِمُ دَاوُدُ أَبَاكَ فِي عَيْنَيْكَ حَتَّى أَرْسَلَ إِلَيْكَ مُعَزِّينَ؟ أَلَيْسَ لِأَجْلِ فَحْصِ ٱلْمَدِينَةِ وَتَجَسُّسِهَا وَقَلْبِهَا، أَرْسَلَ دَاوُدُ عَبِيدَهُ إِلَيْكَ؟»

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?”

٤ 4 فَأَخَذَ حَانُونُ عَبِيدَ دَاوُدَ وَحَلَقَ أَنْصَافَ لِحَاهُمْ، وَقَصَّ ثِيَابَهُمْ مِنَ ٱلْوَسَطِ إِلَى أَسْتَاهِهِمْ، ثُمَّ أَطْلَقَهُمْ.

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.

٥ 5 وَلَمَّا أَخْبَرُوا دَاوُدَ أَرْسَلَ لِلِقَائِهِمْ، لِأَنَّ ٱلرِّجَالَ كَانُوا خَجِلِينَ جِدًّا. وَقَالَ ٱلْمَلِكُ: «أَقِيمُوا فِي أَرِيحَا حَتَّى تَنْبُتَ لِحَاكُمْ ثُمَّ ٱرْجِعُوا».

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.”

٦ 6 وَلَمَّا رَأَى بَنُو عَمُّونَ أَنَّهُمْ قَدْ أَنْتَنُوا عِنْدَ دَاوُدَ، أَرْسَلَ بَنُو عَمُّونَ وَٱسْتَأْجَرُوا أَرَامَ بَيْتِ رَحُوبَ وَأَرَامَ صُوبَا، عِشْرِينَ أَلْفَ رَاجِلٍ، وَمِنْ مَلِكِ مَعْكَةَ أَلْفَ رَجُلٍ، وَرِجَالَ طُوبَ ٱثْنَيْ عَشَرَ أَلْفَ رَجُلٍ.

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.

٧ 7 فَلَمَّا سَمِعَ دَاوُدُ أَرْسَلَ يُوآبَ وَكُلَّ جَيْشِ ٱلْجَبَابِرَةِ.

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

٨ 8 وَخَرَجَ بَنُو عَمُّونَ وَٱصْطَفُّوا لِلْحَرْبِ عْنْدَ مَدْخَلِ ٱلْبَابِ، وَكَانَ أَرَامُ صُوبَا وَرَحُوبُ وَرِجَالُ طُوبَ وَمَعْكَةَ وَحْدَهُمْ فِي ٱلْحَقْلِ.

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.

٩ 9 فَلَمَّا رَأَى يُوآبُ أَنَّ مُقَدَّمَةَ ٱلْحَرْبِ كَانَتْ نَحْوَهُ مِنْ قُدَّامٍ وَمِنْ وَرَاءٍ، ٱخْتَارَ مِنْ جَمِيعِ مُنْتَخَبِي إِسْرَائِيلَ وَصَفَّهُمْ لِلِقَاءِ أَرَامَ

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.

١٠ 10 وَسَلَّمَ بَقِيَّةَ ٱلشَّعْبِ لِيَدِ أَخِيهِ أَبِيشَايَ، فَصَفَّهُمْ لِلِقَاءِ بَنِي عَمُّونَ.

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

١١ 11 وَقَالَ: «إِنْ قَوِيَ أَرَامُ عَلَيَّ تَكُونُ لِي مُنْجِدًا، وَإِنْ قَوِيَ عَلَيْكَ بَنُو عَمُّونَ أَذْهَبُ لِنَجْدَتِكَ.

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.

١٢ 12 تَجَلَّدْ وَلْنَتَشَدَّدْ مِنْ أَجْلِ شَعْبِنَا وَمِنْ أَجْلِ مُدُنِ إِلَهِنَا، وَٱلرَّبُّ يَفْعَلُ مَا يَحْسُنُ فِي عَيْنَيْهِ».

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

١٣ 13 فَتَقَدَّمَ يُوآبُ وَٱلشَّعْبُ ٱلَّذِينَ مَعَهُ لِمُحَارَبَةِ أَرَامَ فَهَرَبُوا مِنْ أَمَامِهِ.

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

١٤ 14 وَلَمَّا رَأَى بَنُو عَمُّونَ أَنَّهُ قَدْ هَرَبَ أَرَامُ، هَرَبُوا مِنْ أَمَامِ أَبِيشَايَ وَدَخَلُوا ٱلْمَدِينَةَ. فَرَجَعَ يُوآبُ عَنْ بَنِي عَمُّونَ وَأَتَى إِلَى أُورُشَلِيمَ.

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.

١٥ 15 وَلَمَّا رَأَى أَرَامُ أَنَّهُمْ قَدِ ٱنْكَسَرُوا أَمَامَ إِسْرَائِيلَ، ٱجْتَمَعُوا مَعًا.

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

١٦ 16 وَأَرْسَلَ هَدَرُ عَزَرَ فَأَبْرَزَ أَرَامَ ٱلَّذِي فِي عَبْرِ ٱلنَّهْرِ، فَأَتَوْا إِلَى حِيلَامَ وَأَمَامَهُمْ شُوبَكُ رَئِيسُ جَيْشِ هَدَرِ عَزَرَ.

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.

١٧ 17 وَلَمَّا أُخْبِرَ دَاوُدُ، جَمَعَ كُلَّ إِسْرَائِيلَ وَعَبَرَ ٱلْأُرْدُنَّ وَجَاءَ إِلَى حِيلَامَ، فَٱصْطَفَّ أَرَامُ لِلِقَاءِ دَاوُدَ وَحَارَبُوهُ.

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.

١٨ 18 وَهَرَبَ أَرَامُ مِنْ أَمَامِ إِسْرَائِيلَ، وَقَتَلَ دَاوُدُ مِنْ أَرَامَ سَبْعَ مِئَةِ مَرْكَبَةٍ وَأَرْبَعِينَ أَلْفَ فَارِسٍ، وَضَرَبَ شُوبَكَ رَئِيسَ جَيْشِهِ فَمَاتَ هُنَاكَ.

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.

١٩ 19 وَلَمَّا رَأَى جَمِيعُ ٱلْمُلُوكِ، عَبِيدُ هَدَرِ عَزَرَ أَنَّهُمُ ٱنْكَسَرُوا أَمَامَ إِسْرَائِيلَ، صَالَحُوا إِسْرَائِيلَ وَٱسْتُعْبِدُوا لَهُمْ، وَخَافَ أَرَامُ أَنْ يُنْجِدُوا بَنِي عَمُّونَ بَعْدُ.

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.