1 Cronache 19
La Nuova Diodati
19 Dopo queste cose avvenne che Nahash, re dei figli di Ammon, morí e suo figlio regnò al suo posto.
2 Davide disse: «lo voglio usare con Hanun figlio di Nahash, la stessa benevolenza che suo padre usò con me». Così Davide inviò messaggeri per consolarlo della perdita del padre. Ma quando i servi di Davide giunsero nel paese dei figli di Ammon presso Hanun per consolarlo,
3 i capi dei figli di Ammon dissero a Hanun: «Credi che Davide ti abbia mandato dei consolatori per onorare tuo padre? I suoi servi non sono forse venuti da te per esplorare, distruggere e spiare il paese?».
4 Allora Hanun prese i servi di Davide, li fece radere e fece tagliare le loro vesti a metà fino alle natiche, poi li lasciò andare.
5 Intanto alcuni andarono a riferire a Davide ciò che era accaduto a quegli uomini; allora Davide mandò ad incontrarli, perché essi erano pieni di vergogna. Il re fece dire loro: «Rimanete a Gerico, finché vi ricresca la barba, poi tornerete».
6 Quando i figli di Ammon si accorsero di essersi resi odiosi a Davide. Hanun e gli Ammoniti mandarono mille talenti, d'argento per assoldare al loro servizio carri e cavalieri dalla Mesopotamia, dai Siri di Maakah e da Tsobah.
7 Assoldarono pure trentaduemila carri e il re di Maakah con il suo popolo, che vennero ad accamparsi di fronte a Medeba. Intanto i figli di Ammon si erano radunati dalle loro città per andare a combattere.
8 Quando Davide udí questo, inviò contro di loro Joab e tutto l'esercito di uomini valorosi.
9 I figli di Ammon uscirono e si schierarono in ordine di battaglia alla porta della città, mentre i re che erano venuti in loro aiuto stavano a parte nella campagna.
10 Quando Joab si rese conto che aveva contro di sé due fronti di battaglia, uno davanti e l'altro dietro, scelse alcuni fra gli uomini migliori d'Israele, e li dispose in ordine di battaglia contro i Siri;
11 affidò quindi il resto del popolo agli ordini di suo fratello Abishai; questi si schierarono contro i figli di Ammon;
12 poi gli disse: «Se i Siri sono piú forti di me, tu mi verrai in aiuto; se invece i figli di Ammon sono piú forti di te, allora verrò io in tuo aiuto.
13 Sii coraggioso e mostriamoci forti per il nostro popolo e per le città del nostro DIO; e l'Eterno faccia ciò che a lui piacerà».
14 Poi Joab con la gente che aveva con sé avanzò per dar battaglia ai Siri; ma essi fuggirono davanti a lui.
15 Quando i figli di Ammon videro che i Siri erano fuggiti, fuggirono anch'essi davanti ad Abishai, fratello di Joab, e rientrarono nella città. Allora Joab tornò a Gerusalemme.
16 I Siri, visto che erano stati sconfitti da Israele, inviarono messaggeri e fecero venire i Siri che stavano al di là del fiume. Alla loro testa era Shofak, capo dell'esercito di Hadarezer.
17 Quando Davide fu informato della cosa, radunò tutto Israele, passò il Giordano, marciò contro di loro e si schierò in ordine di battaglia contro di loro. Come Davide si fu schierato in ordine di battaglia contro i Siri, questi gli diedero battaglia.
18 Ma i Siri fuggirono davanti a Israele; e Davide uccise ai Siri settemila cavalieri e quarantamila fanti; uccise pure Shofak, capo dell'esercito.
19 Quando i servi di Hadarezer si videro sconfitti da Israele fecero pace con Davide e furono a lui sottoposti. Cosí i Siri, non vollero piú prestare aiuto ai figli di Ammon.
1 Chronicles 19
New International Version
David Defeats the Ammonites(A)
19 In the course of time, Nahash king of the Ammonites(B) died, and his son succeeded him as king. 2 David thought, “I will show kindness to Hanun son of Nahash, because his father showed kindness to me.” So David sent a delegation to express his sympathy to Hanun concerning his father.
When David’s envoys came to Hanun in the land of the Ammonites to express sympathy to him, 3 the Ammonite commanders said to Hanun, “Do you think David is honoring your father by sending envoys to you to express sympathy? Haven’t his envoys come to you only to explore and spy out(C) the country and overthrow it?” 4 So Hanun seized David’s envoys, shaved them, cut off their garments at the buttocks, and sent them away.
5 When someone came and told David about the men, he sent messengers to meet them, for they were greatly humiliated. The king said, “Stay at Jericho till your beards have grown, and then come back.”
6 When the Ammonites realized that they had become obnoxious(D) to David, Hanun and the Ammonites sent a thousand talents[a] of silver to hire chariots and charioteers from Aram Naharaim,[b] Aram Maakah and Zobah.(E) 7 They hired thirty-two thousand chariots and charioteers, as well as the king of Maakah with his troops, who came and camped near Medeba,(F) while the Ammonites were mustered from their towns and moved out for battle.
8 On hearing this, David sent Joab out with the entire army of fighting men. 9 The Ammonites came out and drew up in battle formation at the entrance to their city, while the kings who had come were by themselves in the open country.
10 Joab saw that there were battle lines in front of him and behind him; so he selected some of the best troops in Israel and deployed them against the Arameans. 11 He put the rest of the men under the command of Abishai(G) his brother, and they were deployed against the Ammonites. 12 Joab said, “If the Arameans are too strong for me, then you are to rescue me; but if the Ammonites are too strong for you, then I will rescue you. 13 Be strong, and let us fight bravely for our people and the cities of our God. The Lord will do what is good in his sight.”
14 Then Joab and the troops with him advanced to fight the Arameans, and they fled before him. 15 When the Ammonites realized that the Arameans were fleeing, they too fled before his brother Abishai and went inside the city. So Joab went back to Jerusalem.
16 After the Arameans saw that they had been routed by Israel, they sent messengers and had Arameans brought from beyond the Euphrates River, with Shophak the commander of Hadadezer’s army leading them.
17 When David was told of this, he gathered all Israel(H) and crossed the Jordan; he advanced against them and formed his battle lines opposite them. David formed his lines to meet the Arameans in battle, and they fought against him. 18 But they fled before Israel, and David killed seven thousand of their charioteers and forty thousand of their foot soldiers. He also killed Shophak the commander of their army.
19 When the vassals of Hadadezer saw that they had been routed by Israel, they made peace with David and became subject to him.
So the Arameans were not willing to help the Ammonites anymore.
Footnotes
- 1 Chronicles 19:6 That is, about 38 tons or about 34 metric tons
- 1 Chronicles 19:6 That is, Northwest Mesopotamia
1 Chronicles 19
Jubilee Bible 2000
19 ¶ Now it came to pass after this that Nahash the king of the sons of Ammon, died, and his son reigned in his stead.
2 And David said, I will show mercy unto Hanun, the son of Nahash, because his father showed mercy to me. And David sent ambassadors to comfort him concerning his father. So the slaves of David came into the land of the sons of Ammon to Hanun, to comfort him.
3 But the princes of the sons of Ammon said to Hanun, Does it seem unto thee that David honours thy father, that he has sent comforters unto thee? Are not his slaves come unto thee to search and to overthrow and to spy out the land?
4 Then Hanun took David’s slaves and shaved them, and cut off their garments in half, exposing their buttocks and sent them away.
5 Then they left, and it was told David how the men were served. And he sent to meet them, for the men were greatly ashamed. And the king said, Tarry at Jericho until your beards are grown and then return.
6 ¶ And when the sons of Ammon saw that they had made themselves odious to David, Hanun and the sons of Ammon sent a thousand talents of silver to hire chariots and horsemen out of Syria of the rivers (Mesopotamia), and out of Syria of Maachah and out of Zobah.
7 So they hired thirty-two thousand chariots, and the king of Maachah and his people, who came and pitched camp before Medeba. And the sons of Ammon gathered themselves together from their cities and came to battle.
8 And when David heard of it, he sent Joab and all the host of the mighty men.
9 And the sons of Ammon came out and put the battle in order before the gate of the city, and the kings that had come were by themselves in the field.
10 Now when Joab saw that the battle was set against him before and behind, he chose out of all the choice of Israel and put them in order against the Syrians.
11 And he put the rest of the people into the hand of Abishai, his brother, putting them in order against the sons of Ammon.
12 And he said, If the Syrians are too strong for me, then thou shalt save me; but if the sons of Ammon are too strong for thee, then I will save thee.
13 Be of good courage, and let us behave ourselves valiantly for our people and for the cities of our God; and let the LORD do that which is good in his sight.
14 So Joab and the people that were with him drew near before the Syrians unto the battle; and they fled before him.
15 And when the sons of Ammon saw that the Syrians had fled, they likewise fled before Abishai, his brother, and entered into the city. Then Joab returned to Jerusalem.
16 And when the Syrians saw that they were smitten before Israel, they sent ambassadors and drew forth the Syrians that were beyond the river, whose captain was Shophach, the prince of the host of Hadarezer.
17 And when it was told David, he gathered all Israel and passed over the Jordan and came upon them and ordered his host against them. And when David had put his troops in order against the Syrians, they fought with him.
18 But the Syrians fled before Israel, and David slew of the Syrians those of seven thousand chariots, and forty thousand footmen; likewise he killed Shophach, the captain of the host.
19 And when the slaves of Hadarezer saw that they were smitten before Israel, they made peace with David and became his servants; neither would the Syrians help the sons of Ammon any more.
Copyright © 1991 by La Buona Novella s.c.r.l.
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.
Copyright © 2013, 2020 by Ransom Press International
