1 Chronicles 19
1 And it cometh to pass after this, that Nahash king of the sons of Ammon dieth, and his son reigneth in his stead,
It came about later that Nahash, king of the people of Ammon, died, and that his son became king in his place.
2 and David saith, 'I do kindness with Hanun son of Nahash, for his father did with me kindness;' and David sendeth messengers to comfort him concerning his father. And the servants of David come in unto the land of the sons of Ammon, unto Hanun, to comfort him,
David said, “I will show kindness to Hanun son of Nahash, because his father showed kindness to me.” So David sent messengers to console him concerning his father. David's servants entered the land of the Ammonites and went to Hanun, in order to console him.
3 and the heads of the sons of Ammon say to Hanun, 'Is David honouring thy father, in thine eyes, because he hath sent to thee comforters? in order to search, and to overthrow, and to spy out, the land, have not his servants come in unto thee?'
But the Ammonite princes said to Hanun, “Do you think that David is honoring your father because he has sent men to comfort you? Do not his servants come to you to explore and examine the land in order to overthrow it?”
4 And Hanun taketh the servants of David, and shaveth them, and cutteth their long robes in the midst, unto the buttocks, and sendeth them away.
So Hanun seized David's servants, shaved them, cut off their garments to the waist, up to their buttocks, and sent them away.
5 And [some] go, and declare to David concerning the men, and he sendeth to meet them — for the men have been greatly ashamed — and the king saith, 'Dwell in Jericho till that your beard is grown, then ye have returned.'
When they explained this to David, he sent to meet with them, for the men were deeply ashamed. The king said, “Stay at Jericho until your beards have grown back, and then return.”
6 And the sons of Ammon see that they have made themselves abhorred by David, and Hanun and the sons of Ammon send a thousand talents of silver, to hire to them, from Aram-Naharaim, and from Aram-Maachah, and from Zobah, chariots and horsemen;
When the Ammonites saw that they had become a stench to David, Hanun and the Ammonites sent a thousand talents of silver to hire Aramean chariots and horsemen from Naharaim, Maacah, and Zobah.
7 and they hire to them two and thirty thousand chariots, and the king of Maachah and his people, and they come in and encamp before Medeba, and the sons of Ammon have been gathered out of their cities, and come in to the battle.
They hired thirty-two thousand chariots and the king of Maacah and his army, who came and encamped before Medeba. Then the Ammonites gathered themselves together from their cities and came out to battle.
8 And David heareth, and sendeth Joab, and all the host of the mighty men,
When David heard of it, he sent Joab and his entire army to meet them.
9 and the sons of Ammon come out and set battle in array at the opening of the city, and the kings who have come [are] by themselves in the field.
The people of Ammon came out and lined up for battle at the city gate, while the kings who had come were by themselves in the field.
10 And Joab seeth that the front of the battle hath been unto him, before and behind, and he chooseth out of all the choice in Israel, and setteth in array to meet Aram,
When Joab saw the battle lines facing him both in front and behind, he chose some of Israel's best fighters and arranged them against the Arameans.
11 and the remnant of the people he hath given into the hand of Abishai his brother, and they set in array to meet the sons of Ammon.
As for the rest of the army, he gave it into the command of Abishai his brother, and he put them into battle lines against the army of Ammon.
12 And he saith, 'If Aram be stronger than I, then thou hast been to me for salvation; and if the sons of Ammon be stronger than thou, then I have saved thee;
Joab said, “If the Arameans are too strong for me, then you, Abishai, must rescue me. But if the army of Ammon is too strong for you, then I will come and rescue you.
13 be strong, and we strengthen ourselves, for our people, and for the cities of our God, and Jehovah doth that which is good in His eyes.'
Be strong, and let us show ourselves to be strong for our people and for the cities of our God, for Yahweh will do what is good in his eyes.”
14 And Joab draweth nigh, and the people who [are] with him, before Aram to battle, and they flee from his face;
So Joab and the soldiers of his army advanced to the battle against the Arameans, who were forced to flee before the army of Israel.
15 and the sons of Ammon have seen that Aram hath fled, and they flee — they also — from the face of Abishai his brother, and go in to the city. And Joab cometh in to Jerusalem.
When the army of Ammon saw that the Arameans had fled, they also fled from Joab's brother Abishai and went back into the city. Then Joab returned from the people of Ammon and went back to Jerusalem.
16 And Aram seeth that they have been smitten before Israel, and send messengers, and bring out Aram that [is] beyond the River, and Shophach head of the host of Hadarezer [is] before them.
When the Arameans saw that they were being defeated by Israel, they sent for reinforcements from beyond the Euphrates River, with Shophak the commander of Hadadezer's army.
17 And it is declared to David, and he gathereth all Israel, and passeth over the Jordan, and cometh in unto them, and setteth in array against them; yea, David setteth in array the battle to meet Aram, and they fight with him;
When David was told this, he gathered all Israel together, crossed the Jordan, and came upon them. He arranged the army for battle against the Arameans, and they fought him.
18 and Aram fleeth from the face of Israel, and David slayeth of Aram seven thousand charioteers, and forty thousand footmen, and Shophach head of the host he hath put to death.
The Arameans fled from Israel, and David killed seven thousand Aramean charioteers and forty thousand foot soldiers. He also killed Shophak, the commander of the army.
19 And the servants of Hadarezer see that they have been smitten before Israel, and they make peace with David and serve him, and Aram hath not been willing to help the sons of Ammon any more.
When all the kings who were servants of Hadadezer saw that they were defeated by Israel, they made peace with David and served them. So the people of Aram were no longer willing to help the Ammonites.
