2 Samuel 10

1 Now after this, death came to the king of the children of Ammon, and Hanun, his son, became king in his place.

Forsothe it was doon aftir these thingis, that Naas, kyng of the sones of Amon, diede; and Anoon, his sone, regnede for hym. And Dauid seide,

2 And David said, I will be a friend to Hanun, the son of Nahash, as his father was a friend to me. So David sent his servants, to give him words of comfort on account of his father. And David's servants came into the land of the children of Ammon.

Y schal do mercy with Anon, the sone of Naas, as his fadir dide mercy with me. Therfor Dauid sente coumfortynge hym by hise seruauntis on the deeth of the fadir. Sotheli whanne the seruauntis of Dauid hadden come in to the lond of the sones of Amon,

3 But the chiefs of the children of Ammon said to Hanun their lord, Does it seem to you that David is honouring your father by sending comforters to you? has he not sent his servants to go through the town and make secret observation of it, and overcome it?

princes of the sones of Amon seiden to Anon, her lord, Gessist thou that for the onour of thi fadir Dauid sente coumfortouris to thee; and not herfor Dauid sente hise seruauntis to thee, that he schulde aspie, and enserche the citee, and distrie it?

4 So Hanun took David's servants, and after cutting off half the hair on their chins, and cutting off the skirts of their robes up to the middle, he sent them away.

Therfor Anoon took the seruauntis of Dauid, and schauyde half the part of `the beerd of hem, and he kittide awey the myddil clothis of hem `til to the buttokis; and lefte hem.

5 When David had news of it, he sent men out with the purpose of meeting them on their way, for the men were greatly shamed: and the king said, Go to Jericho till your hair is long again, and then come back.

And whanne this was teld to Dauid, he sente in to the comyng of hem, for the men weren schent ful vilensly. And Dauid comaundide to hem, Dwelle ye in Jerico, til youre beerd wexe, and thanne turne ye ayen.

6 And when the children of Ammon saw that they had made themselves hated by David, they sent to the Aramaeans of Beth-rehob and Zobah, and got for payment twenty thousand footmen, and they got from the king of Maacah a thousand men, and from Tob twelve thousand.

Sotheli the sones of Amon sien, that thei hadden do wrong to Dauid, and thei senten, and hiriden bi meede Roob of Sirye, and Soba of Sirie, twenti thousynde of foot men, and of kyng Maacha, a thousynde men, and of Istob twelue thousynde of men.

7 And hearing of this, David sent Joab and all the army and the best fighting-men.

And whanne Dauid hadde herd this, he sent Joab and al the oost of fiyteris.

8 And the children of Ammon came out and put their forces in position at the way into the town: and the Aramaeans of Zobah and of Rehob, with the men of Tob and Maacah, were by themselves in the field.

Therfor the sones of Amon yeden out, and dressiden scheltrun bifor hem in the entryng of the yate. Forsothe Soba, and Roob of Sirie, and Istob, and Maacha weren asidis half in the feeld.

9 Now when Joab saw that their forces were in position against him in front and at his back, he took the best of the men of Israel and put them in line against the Aramaeans;

Therfor Joab siy, that batel was maad redi ayens hym, bothe euene ayens and bihynde the bak; and he chees to hym silf of alle the chosun men of Israel, and ordeynede scheltrun ayens Sirus.

10 And the rest of the people he put in position against the children of Ammon, with Abishai, his brother, at their head.

Forsothe he bitook to Abisai, his brothir, the tother part of the puple, which dresside scheltrun ayens the sones of Amon.

11 And he said, If the Aramaeans are stronger and get the better of me, then you are to come to my help; but if the children of Ammon get the better of you, I will come to your help.

And Joab seide, If men of Sirie han the maistrie ayens me, thou schalt be to me in to help; sotheli if the sones of Amon han the maistrie ayens thee, Y schal helpe thee;

12 Take heart, and let us be strong for our people and for the towns of our God, and may the Lord do what seems good to him.

be thou a strong man, and fiyte we for oure puple, and for the citee of oure God; forsothe the Lord schal do that, that is good in his siyt.

13 Then Joab and the people with him went forward to the fight against the Aramaeans, and they went in flight before him.

Therfor Joab and his puple that was with hym, bigan batel ayens men of Sirie, whiche fledden anoon fro his face.

14 And when the children of Ammon saw the flight of the Aramaeans, they themselves went in flight from Abishai, and came into the town. So Joab went back from fighting the children of Ammon and came to Jerusalem.

Forsothe the sones of Amon sien, that men of Sirie hadden fled; and thei fledden also fro the face of Abisai, and entriden in to the citee; and Joab turnede ayen fro the sones of Amon, and cam in to Jerusalem.

15 And when the Aramaeans saw that Israel had overcome them, they got themselves together.

Forsothe men of Sirye sien that thei hadden feld bifor Israel, and thei weren gaderid to gidere.

16 And Hadadezer sent for the Aramaeans who were on the other side of the River: and they came to Helam, with Shobach, the captain of Hadadezer's army, at their head.

And Adadezer sente, and ledde out men of Sirie that weren biyende the flood, and he brouyte the oost of hem; sotheli Sobach, mayster of the chyualrie of Adadezer, was the prince of hem.

17 And word of this was given to David: and he got all Israel together and went over Jordan and came to Helam. And the Aramaeans put their forces in position against David, and made an attack on him.

And whanne this was teld to Dauid, he drow togidere al Israel, and passide Jordan, and cam in to Helama. And men of Sirie dressiden scheltrun ayens Dauid, and fouyten ayens hym.

18 And the Aramaeans went in flight before Israel; and David put to the sword the men of seven hundred Aramaean war-carriages and forty thousand footmen, and Shobach, the captain of the army, was wounded, and came to his death there.

And Sireis fledden fro the face of Israel; and Dauid killide of Sireis seuene hundrid charis, and fourti thousynde of knyytis; and he smoot Sobach, the prince of chyualrie, which was deed anoon.

19 And when all the kings who were servants of Hadadezer saw that they were overcome by Israel, they made peace with Israel and became their servants. So the Aramaeans, in fear, gave no more help to the children of Ammon.

Forsothe alle kyngis, that weren in the help of Adadezer, siyen that thei weren ouercomun of Israel, and thei maden pees with Israel, and serueden hem; and Sireis dredden to yyue help to the sones of Amon.