| א וַיְהִי, אַחֲרֵי-כֵן, וַיָּמָת, מֶלֶךְ בְּנֵי עַמּוֹן; וַיִּמְלֹךְ חָנוּן בְּנוֹ, תַּחְתָּיו. | 1 And it came to pass after this, that the king of the children of Ammon died, and Hanun his son reigned in his stead. |
| ב וַיֹּאמֶר דָּוִד אֶעֱשֶׂה-חֶסֶד עִם-חָנוּן בֶּן-נָחָשׁ, כַּאֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה אָבִיו עִמָּדִי חֶסֶד, וַיִּשְׁלַח דָּוִד לְנַחֲמוֹ בְּיַד-עֲבָדָיו, אֶל-אָבִיו; וַיָּבֹאוּ עַבְדֵי דָוִד, אֶרֶץ בְּנֵי עַמּוֹן. | 2 And David said: 'I will show kindness unto Hanun the son of Nahash, as his father showed kindness unto me.' So David sent by the hand of his servants to comfort him concerning his father. And David's servants came into the land of the children of Ammon. |
| ג וַיֹּאמְרוּ שָׂרֵי בְנֵי-עַמּוֹן אֶל-חָנוּן אֲדֹנֵיהֶם, הַמְכַבֵּד דָּוִד אֶת-אָבִיךָ בְּעֵינֶיךָ--כִּי-שָׁלַח לְךָ, מְנַחֲמִים; הֲלוֹא בַּעֲבוּר חֲקֹר אֶת-הָעִיר, וּלְרַגְּלָהּ וּלְהָפְכָהּ, שָׁלַח דָּוִד אֶת-עֲבָדָיו, אֵלֶיךָ. | 3 But the princes of the children of Ammon said unto Hanun their lord: 'Thinkest thou that David doth honour thy father, that he hath sent comforters unto thee? hath not David sent his servants unto thee to search the city, and to spy it out, and to overthrow it?' |
| ד וַיִּקַּח חָנוּן אֶת-עַבְדֵי דָוִד, וַיְגַלַּח אֶת-חֲצִי זְקָנָם, וַיִּכְרֹת אֶת-מַדְוֵיהֶם בַּחֵצִי, עַד שְׁתוֹתֵיהֶם; וַיְשַׁלְּחֵם. | 4 So Hanun took David's servants, and shaved off the one half of their beards, and cut off their garments in the middle, even to their buttocks, and sent them away. |
| ה וַיַּגִּדוּ לְדָוִד וַיִּשְׁלַח לִקְרָאתָם, כִּי-הָיוּ הָאֲנָשִׁים נִכְלָמִים מְאֹד; וַיֹּאמֶר הַמֶּלֶךְ שְׁבוּ בִירֵחוֹ, עַד-יְצַמַּח זְקַנְכֶם וְשַׁבְתֶּם. | 5 When they told it unto David, he sent to meet them; for the men were greatly ashamed. And the king said: 'Tarry at Jericho until your beards be grown, and then return.' |
| ו וַיִּרְאוּ בְּנֵי עַמּוֹן, כִּי נִבְאֲשׁוּ בְּדָוִד; וַיִּשְׁלְחוּ בְנֵי-עַמּוֹן וַיִּשְׂכְּרוּ אֶת-אֲרַם בֵּית-רְחוֹב וְאֶת-אֲרַם צוֹבָא, עֶשְׂרִים אֶלֶף רַגְלִי, וְאֶת-מֶלֶךְ מַעֲכָה אֶלֶף אִישׁ, וְאִישׁ טוֹב שְׁנֵים-עָשָׂר אֶלֶף אִישׁ. | 6 And when the children of Ammon saw that they were become odious to David, the children of Ammon sent and hired the Arameans of Beth-rehob, and the Arameans of Zobah, twenty thousand footmen, and the king of Maacah with a thousand men, and the men of Tob twelve thousand men. |
| ז וַיִּשְׁמַע, דָּוִד; וַיִּשְׁלַח, אֶת-יוֹאָב, וְאֵת כָּל-הַצָּבָא, הַגִּבֹּרִים. | 7 And when David heard of it, he sent Joab, and all the host of the mighty men. |
| ח וַיֵּצְאוּ בְּנֵי עַמּוֹן, וַיַּעַרְכוּ מִלְחָמָה פֶּתַח הַשָּׁעַר; וַאֲרַם צוֹבָא וּרְחוֹב וְאִישׁ-טוֹב וּמַעֲכָה, לְבַדָּם בַּשָּׂדֶה. | 8 And the children of Ammon came out, and put the battle in array at the entrance of the gate; and the Arameans of Zobah, and of Rehob, and the men of Tob and Maacah, were by themselves in the field. |
| ט וַיַּרְא יוֹאָב, כִּי-הָיְתָה אֵלָיו פְּנֵי הַמִּלְחָמָה, מִפָּנִים, וּמֵאָחוֹר; וַיִּבְחַר, מִכֹּל בְּחוּרֵי בישראל יִשְׂרָאֵל, וַיַּעֲרֹךְ, לִקְרַאת אֲרָם. | 9 Now when Joab saw that the battle was set against him before and behind, he chose of all the choice men of Israel, and put them in array against the Arameans; |
| י וְאֵת, יֶתֶר הָעָם, נָתַן, בְּיַד אַבְשַׁי אָחִיו; וַיַּעֲרֹךְ, לִקְרַאת בְּנֵי עַמּוֹן. | 10 and the rest of the people he committed into the hand of Abishai his brother, and he put them in array against the children of Ammon. |
| יא וַיֹּאמֶר, אִם-תֶּחֱזַק אֲרָם מִמֶּנִּי--וְהָיִתָה לִּי, לִישׁוּעָה; וְאִם-בְּנֵי עַמּוֹן יֶחֶזְקוּ מִמְּךָ, וְהָלַכְתִּי לְהוֹשִׁיעַ לָךְ. | 11 And he said: 'If the Arameans be too strong for me, then thou shalt help me, but if the children of Ammon be too strong for thee, then I will come and help thee. |
| יב חֲזַק וְנִתְחַזַּק בְּעַד-עַמֵּנוּ, וּבְעַד עָרֵי אֱלֹהֵינוּ; וַיהוָה, יַעֲשֶׂה הַטּוֹב בְּעֵינָיו. | 12 Be of good courage, and let us prove strong for our people, and for the cities of our God; and the LORD do that which seemeth Him good.' |
| יג וַיִּגַּשׁ יוֹאָב, וְהָעָם אֲשֶׁר עִמּוֹ, לַמִּלְחָמָה, בַּאֲרָם; וַיָּנֻסוּ, מִפָּנָיו. | 13 So Joab and the people that were with him drew nigh unto the battle against the Arameans; and they fled before him. |
| יד וּבְנֵי עַמּוֹן רָאוּ, כִּי-נָס אֲרָם, וַיָּנֻסוּ מִפְּנֵי אֲבִישַׁי, וַיָּבֹאוּ הָעִיר; וַיָּשָׁב יוֹאָב, מֵעַל בְּנֵי עַמּוֹן, וַיָּבֹא, יְרוּשָׁלִָם. | 14 And when the children of Ammon saw that the Arameans were fled, they likewise fled before Abishai, and entered into the city. Then Joab returned from the children of Ammon, and came to Jerusalem. |
| טו וַיַּרְא אֲרָם, כִּי נִגַּף לִפְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל; וַיֵּאָסְפוּ, יָחַד. | 15 And when the Arameans saw that they were put to the worse before Israel, they gathered themselves together. |
| טז וַיִּשְׁלַח הֲדַדְעֶזֶר, וַיֹּצֵא אֶת-אֲרָם אֲשֶׁר מֵעֵבֶר הַנָּהָר, וַיָּבֹאוּ, חֵילָם; וְשׁוֹבַךְ שַׂר-צְבָא הֲדַדְעֶזֶר, לִפְנֵיהֶם. {ס} | 16 And Hadadezer sent, and brought out the Arameans that were beyond the River; and they came to Helam, with Shobach the captain of the host of Hadadezer at their head. {S} |
| יז וַיֻּגַּד לְדָוִד, וַיֶּאֱסֹף אֶת-כָּל-יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיַּעֲבֹר אֶת-הַיַּרְדֵּן, וַיָּבֹא, חֵלָאמָה; וַיַּעַרְכוּ אֲרָם לִקְרַאת דָּוִד, וַיִּלָּחֲמוּ עִמּוֹ. | 17 And it was told David; and he gathered all Israel together, and passed over the Jordan, and came to Helam. And the Arameans set themselves in array against David, and fought with him. |
| יח וַיָּנָס אֲרָם, מִפְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, וַיַּהֲרֹג דָּוִד מֵאֲרָם שְׁבַע מֵאוֹת רֶכֶב, וְאַרְבָּעִים אֶלֶף פָּרָשִׁים; וְאֵת שׁוֹבַךְ שַׂר-צְבָאוֹ הִכָּה, וַיָּמָת שָׁם. | 18 And the Arameans fled before Israel; and David slew of the Arameans seven hundred drivers of chariots, and forty thousand horsemen, and smote Shobach the captain of their host, so that he died there. |
| יט וַיִּרְאוּ כָל-הַמְּלָכִים עַבְדֵי הֲדַדְעֶזֶר, כִּי נִגְּפוּ לִפְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, וַיַּשְׁלִמוּ אֶת-יִשְׂרָאֵל, וַיַּעַבְדוּם; וַיִּרְאוּ אֲרָם, לְהוֹשִׁיעַ עוֹד אֶת-בְּנֵי עַמּוֹן. {פ} | 19 And when all the kings that were servants to Hadadezer saw that they were put to the worse before Israel, they made peace with Israel, and served them. So the Arameans feared to help the children of Ammon any more. {P} |