The Second Book of Samuel, Chapter 10שמואל ב 10

וַֽיְהִי֙ אַֽחֲרֵי כֵ֔ן וַיָּ֕מָת מֶ֖לֶךְ בְּנֵ֣י עַמּ֑וֹן וַיִּמְלֹ֛ךְ חָנ֥וּן בְּנ֖וֹ תַּחְתָּֽיו

And it came to pass after this, that the king of the children of Ammon died, and Hanun his son reigned in his stead.

וַיֹּ֨אמֶר דָּוִ֜ד אֶעֱשֶׂה חֶ֣סֶד עִם חָנ֣וּן בֶּן נָחָ֗שׁ כַּאֲשֶׁר֩ עָשָׂ֨ה אָבִ֤יו עִמָּדִי֙ חֶ֔סֶד וַיִּשְׁלַ֨ח דָּוִ֧ד לְנַחֲמ֛וֹ בְּיַד עֲבָדָ֖יו אֶל אָבִ֑יו וַיָּבֹ֨אוּ֙ עַבְדֵ֣י דָוִ֔ד אֶ֖רֶץ בְּנֵ֥י עַמּֽוֹן

Then said David, I will shew kindness to Hanun the son of Nahash, as his father shewed kindness to me. And David sent to comfort him by the hand of his servants for his father. And David's servants came into the land of the children of Ammon.

וַיֹּאמְרוּ֩ שָׂרֵ֨י בְנֵֽי עַמּ֜וֹן אֶל חָנ֣וּן אֲדֹֽנֵיהֶ֗ם הַֽמְכַבֵּ֨ד דָּוִ֤ד אֶת אָבִ֨יךָ֙ בְּעֵינֶ֔יךָ כִּֽי שָׁלַ֥ח לְךָ֖ מְנַֽחֲמִ֑ים הֲ֠לוֹא בַּעֲב֞וּר חֲק֤וֹר אֶת הָעִיר֙ וּלְרַגְּלָ֣הּ וּלְהָפְכָ֔הּ שָׁלַ֥ח דָּוִ֛ד אֶת עֲבָדָ֖יו אֵלֶֽיךָ

And the princes of the children of Ammon said to Hanun their lord, Thinkest you that David does honour your father, that he has sent comforters to you? has not David sent his servants to you, to search the city, and to spy it out, and to overthrow it?

וַיִּקַּ֨ח חָנ֜וּן אֶת עַבְדֵ֣י דָוִ֗ד וַיְגַלַּח֙ אֶת חֲצִ֣י זְקָנָ֔ם וַיִּכְרֹ֧ת אֶת מַדְוֵיהֶ֛ם בַּחֵ֖צִי עַ֣ד שְׁתֽוֹתֵיהֶ֑ם וַֽיְשַׁלְּחֵֽם

Wherefore Hanun took David's servants, and shaved off the one half of their beards, and cut off their garments in the middle, to their buttocks, and sent them away.

וַיַּגִּ֤דוּ לְדָוִד֙ וַיִּשְׁלַ֣ח לִקְרָאתָ֔ם כִּֽי הָי֥וּ הָאֲנָשִׁ֖ים נִכְלָמִ֣ים מְאֹ֑ד וַיֹּ֤אמֶר הַמֶּ֨לֶךְ֙ שְׁב֣וּ בִֽירֵח֔וֹ עַד יְצַמַּ֥ח זְקַנְכֶ֖ם וְשַׁבְתֶּֽם

When they told to David, he sent to meet them, because the men were greatly ashamed: and the king said, Tarry at Jericho until your beards be grown, and return.

וַיִּרְאוּ֙ בְּנֵ֣י עַמּ֔וֹן כִּ֥י נִבְאֲשׁ֖וּ בְּדָוִ֑ד וַיִּשְׁלְח֣וּ בְנֵֽי עַמּ֡וֹן וַיִּשְׂכְּרוּ֩ אֶת אֲרַ֨ם בֵּית רְח֜וֹב וְאֶת אֲרַ֣ם צוֹבָ֗א עֶשְׂרִ֥ים אֶ֨לֶף֙ רַגְלִ֔י וְאֶת מֶ֤לֶךְ מַֽעֲכָה֙ אֶ֣לֶף אִ֔ישׁ וְאִ֣ישׁ ט֔וֹב שְׁנֵים עָשָׂ֥ר אֶ֖לֶף אִֽישׁ

And when the children of Ammon saw that they stank before David, the children of Ammon sent and hired the Syrians of Bethrehob, and the Syrians of Zoba, twenty thousand footmen, and of king Maacah a thousand men, and of Ishtob twelve thousand men.

וַיִּשְׁמַ֖ע דָּוִ֑ד וַיִּשְׁלַח֙ אֶת יוֹאָ֔ב וְאֵ֥ת כָּל הַצָּבָ֖א הַגִּבֹּרִֽים

And when David heard of , he sent Joab, and all the host of the mighty men.

וַיֵּֽצְאוּ֙ בְּנֵ֣י עַמּ֔וֹן וַיַּעַרְכ֥וּ מִלְחָמָ֖ה פֶּ֣תַח הַשָּׁ֑עַר וַאֲרַ֨ם צוֹבָ֤א וּרְחוֹב֙ וְאִֽישׁ ט֣וֹב וּמַֽעֲכָ֔ה לְבַדָּ֖ם בַּשָּׂדֶֽה

And the children of Ammon came out, and put the battle in array at the entering in of the gate: and the Syrians of Zoba, and of Rehob, and Ishtob, and Maacah, by themselves in the field.

וַיַּ֣רְא יוֹאָ֗ב כִּֽי הָיְתָ֤ה אֵלָיו֙ פְּנֵ֣י הַמִּלְחָמָ֔ה מִפָּנִ֖ים וּמֵֽאָח֑וֹר וַיִּבְחַ֗ר מִכֹּל֙ בְּחוּרֵ֣י בישראל יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וַֽיַּעֲרֹ֖ךְ לִקְרַ֥את אֲרָֽם

When Joab saw that the front of the battle was against him before and behind, he chose of all the choice of Israel, and put in array against the Syrians:

וְאֵת֙ יֶ֣תֶר הָעָ֔ם נָתַ֕ן בְּיַ֖ד אַבְשַׁ֣י אָחִ֑יו וַֽיַּעֲרֹ֕ךְ לִקְרַ֖את בְּנֵ֥י עַמּֽוֹן

And the rest of the people he delivered into the hand of Abishai his brother, that he might put in array against the children of Ammon.

וַיֹּ֗אמֶר אִם תֶּחֱזַ֤ק אֲרָם֙ מִמֶּ֔נִּי וְהָיִ֥תָה לִּ֖י לִֽישׁוּעָ֑ה וְאִם בְּנֵ֤י עַמּוֹן֙ יֶחֱזְק֣וּ מִמְּךָ֔ וְהָלַכְתִּ֖י לְהוֹשִׁ֥יעַֽ לָֽךְ

And he said, If the Syrians be too strong for me, then you shall help me: but if the children of Ammon be too strong for you, then I will come and help you.

חֲזַ֤ק וְנִתְחַזַּק֙ בְּעַד עַמֵּ֔נוּ וּבְעַ֖ד עָרֵ֣י אֱלֹהֵ֑ינוּ וַֽיהוָ֔ה יַעֲשֶׂ֥ה הַטּ֖וֹב בְּעֵינָֽיו

Be of good courage, and let us play the men for our people, and for the cities of our God: and YHWH do that which seemeth him good.

וַיִּגַּ֣שׁ יוֹאָ֗ב וְהָעָם֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר עִמּ֔וֹ לַמִּלְחָמָ֖ה בַּֽאֲרָ֑ם וַיָּנֻ֖סוּ מִפָּנָֽיו

And Joab drew nigh, and the people that with him, to the battle against the Syrians: and they fled before him.

וּבְנֵ֨י עַמּ֤וֹן רָאוּ֙ כִּי נָ֣ס אֲרָ֔ם וַיָּנֻ֨סוּ֙ מִפְּנֵ֣י אֲבִישַׁ֔י וַיָּבֹ֖אוּ הָעִ֑יר וַיָּ֣שָׁב יוֹאָ֗ב מֵעַל֙ בְּנֵ֣י עַמּ֔וֹן וַיָּבֹ֖א יְרוּשָׁלִָֽם

And when the children of Ammon saw that the Syrians were fled, then fled they also before Abishai, and entered into the city. So Joab returned from the children of Ammon, and came to Jerusalem.

וַיַּ֣רְא אֲרָ֔ם כִּ֥י נִגַּ֖ף לִפְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וַיֵּאָסְפ֖וּ יָֽחַד

And when the Syrians saw that they were smitten before Israel, they gathered themselves together.

וַיִּשְׁלַ֣ח הֲדַדְעֶ֗זֶר וַיֹּצֵ֤א אֶת אֲרָם֙ אֲשֶׁר֙ מֵעֵ֣בֶר הַנָּהָ֔ר וַיָּבֹ֖אוּ חֵילָ֑ם וְשׁוֹבַ֛ךְ שַׂר צְבָ֥א הֲדַדְעֶ֖זֶר לִפְנֵיהֶֽם

And Hadarezer sent, and brought out the Syrians that beyond the river: and they came to Helam; and Shobach the captain of the host of Hadarezer before them.

וַיֻּגַּ֣ד לְדָוִ֗ד וַיֶּאֱסֹ֤ף אֶת כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ וַיַּעֲבֹ֣ר אֶת הַיַּרְדֵּ֔ן וַיָּבֹ֖א חֵלָ֑אמָה וַיַּעַרְכ֤וּ אֲרָם֙ לִקְרַ֣את דָּוִ֔ד וַיִּלָּחֲמ֖וּ עִמּֽוֹ

And when it was told David, he gathered all Israel together, and passed over Jordan, and came to Helam. And the Syrians set themselves in array against David, and fought with him.

וַיָּ֣נָס אֲרָם֮ מִפְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵל֒ וַיַּהֲרֹ֨ג דָּוִ֜ד מֵאֲרָ֗ם שְׁבַ֤ע מֵאוֹת֙ רֶ֔כֶב וְאַרְבָּעִ֥ים אֶ֖לֶף פָּרָשִׁ֑ים וְאֵ֨ת שׁוֹבַ֧ךְ שַׂר צְבָא֛וֹ הִכָּ֖ה וַיָּ֥מָת שָֽׁם

And the Syrians fled before Israel; and David slew seven hundred chariots of the Syrians, and forty thousand horsemen, and smote Shobach the captain of their host, who died there.

וַיִּרְא֨וּ כָֽל הַמְּלָכִ֜ים עַבְדֵ֣י הֲדַדְעֶ֗זֶר כִּ֤י נִגְּפוּ֙ לִפְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וַיַּשְׁלִ֥מוּ אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל וַיַּֽעַבְד֑וּם וַיִּֽרְא֣וּ אֲרָ֔ם לְהוֹשִׁ֥יעַ ע֖וֹד אֶת בְּנֵ֥י עַמּֽוֹן

And when all the kings servants to Hadarezer saw that they were smitten before Israel, they made peace with Israel, and served them. So the Syrians feared to help the children of Ammon any more.