CLV(i)
1 And it comes to pass afterwards, that the king of the Bene-Ammon dies, and Hanun his son reigns in his stead,
2 and David said, `I do kindness with Hanun son of Nahash, as his father did with me kindness;' and David sends to comfort him by the hand of his servants concerning his father, and the servants of David come in to the land of the Bene-Ammon.
3 And the heads of the Bene-Ammon say unto Hanun their lord, `Is David honoring your father in your eyes because he has sent to you comforters? for to search the city, and to spy it, and to overthrow it, has not David sent his servants unto you?.
4 And Hanun takes the servants of David, and shaves off the half of their beard, and cuts off their long robes in the midst--unto their buttocks, and sends them away;"
5 and they declare [it] to David, and he sends to meet them, for the men have been greatly ashamed, and the king said, `Abide in Jericho till your beard does spring up--then you have returned..
6 And the Bene-Ammon see that they have been abhorred by David, and the Bene-Ammon send and hire Aram of Beth-Rehob, and Aram of Zoba, twenty thousand footmen, and the king of Maacah [with] a thousand men, and Ish-Tob [with] twelve thousand men;"
7 and David hears, and sends Joab, and all the host--the mighty men.
8 And the Bene-Ammon come out, and set battle in array, at the opening of the gate, and Aram of Zoba, and Rehob, and Ish-Tob, and Maacah, [are] by themselves in the field;"
9 and Joab sees that the front of the battle has been unto him before and behind, and he chooses of all the chosen in Israel, and sets in array to meet Aram,
10 and the rest of the people he has given into the hand of Abishai his brother, and sets in array to meet the Bene-Ammon.
11 And he said, `If Aram be stronger than I, then you have been to me for salvation, and if the Bene-Ammon be stronger than you, then I have come to give salvation to you;"
12 be strong and strengthen yourself for our people, and for the cities of our Elohim, and Yahweh does that which is good in His eyes..
13 And Joab draws nigh, and the people who [are] with him, to battle against Aram, and they flee from his presence;"
14 and the Bene-Ammon have seen that Aram has fled, and they flee from the presence of Abishai, and go in to the city; and Joab turns back from the Bene-Ammon, and comes in to Jerusalem.
15 And Aram sees that it is smitten before Israel, and they are gathered together;"
16 and Hadadezer sends, and brings out Aram which [is] beyond the River, and they come in to Helam, and Shobach head of the host of Hadadezer [is] before them.
17 And it is declared to David, and he gathers all Israel, and passes over the Jordan, and comes in to Helam, and Aram sets itself in array to meet David, and they fight with him;"
18 and Aram flees from the presence of Israel, and David slays of Aram seven hundred charioteers, and forty thousand horsemen, and Shobach head of its host he has smitten, and he dies there.
19 And all the kings--servants of Hadadezer--see that they have been smitten before Israel, and make peace with Israel, and serve them; and Aram is afraid to help any more the Bene-Ammon.