2Sam 10
1
And it came to pass after this, that the king of the children of Ammon died, and Hanon
his son reigned in his stead.
2
And David said: I Will shew kindness to Hanon the son of Daas, as his father shewed
kindness to me. So David sent his servants to comfort him for the death of his father.
But when the servants of David were come into the land of the children of Ammon,
3
The princes of the children of Ammon said to Hanon their lord: Thinkest thou that
for the honour of thy father, David hath sent comforters to thee, and hath not David
rather sent his servants to thee to search, and spy into the city, and overthrow it?
4
Wherefore Hanon took the servants of David, and shaved off the one half of their beards,
and cut away half of their garments even to the buttocks, and sent them away.
5
When this was told David, he sent to meet them: for the men were sadly put to confusion,
and David commanded them, saying: Stay at Jericho, till your beards be grown, and
then return.
6
And the children of Ammon seeing that they had done an injury to David, Bent and hired
the Syrians of Rohob, and the Syrians of Soba, twenty thousand footmen, and of the
king of Maacha a thousand men, and of Istob twelve thousand men.
7
And when David heard this, he sent Joab and the whole army of warriors.
8
And the children of Ammon came out, and set their men in array at the entering in
of the gate: but the Syrians of Soba, and of Rohob, and of Istob, and of Maacha were
by themselves in the field.
9
Then Joab seeing that the battle was prepared against him, both before and behind,
chose of all the choice men of Israel, and put them in array against the Syrians:
10
And the rest of the people he delivered to Abisai his brother, who set them in array
against the children of Ammon.
11
And Joab said: If the Syrians are too strong for me, then thou shalt help me: but
if the children of Ammon are too strong for thee, then I will help thee.
12
Be of good courage, and let us fight for our people, and for the city of our God:
and the Lord will do what is good in his sight.
13
And Joab and the people that were with him, began to fight against the Syrians: and
they immediately fled before him.
14
And the children of Ammon seeing that the Syrians were fled, they fled also before
Abisai, and entered into the city: and Joab returned from the children of Ammon, and
came to Jerusalem.
15
Then the Syrians seeing that they had fallen before Israel, gathered themselves together.
16
And Adarezer sent and fetched the Syrians, that were beyond the river, and brought
over their army: and Sobach, the captain of the host of Adarezer, was their general.
17
And when this was told David, he gathered all Israel together, and passed over the
Jordan, and came to Helam: and the Syrians set themselves in array against David,
and fought against him.
18
And the Syrians fled before Israel, and David slew of the Syrians the men of seven
hundred chariots, and forty thousand horsemen: and smote Sobach the captain of the
army, who presently died.
19
And all the kings that were auxiliaries of Adarezer, seeing themselves overcome by
Israel, were afraid and fled away, eight and fifty thousand men before Israel. And
they made peace with Israel: and served them, and all the Syrians were afraid to help
the children of Ammon any more.