大卫击败亚扪人和亚兰人

19 后来,亚扪王拿辖死了,他儿子继位。 大卫说:“我要恩待拿辖的儿子哈嫩,因为他父亲曾经恩待我。”他便派臣仆去安慰丧父的哈嫩。大卫的臣仆来到亚扪境内要安慰哈嫩, 亚扪的官长却对哈嫩说:“大卫派人来安慰你,你以为他是来吊唁你父亲吗?他的臣仆来见你不过是来探听虚实,想征服这地方。” 哈嫩便把大卫的臣仆抓起来,剃去他们一半胡子,割去他们下身的衣服,然后放走他们。 消息传到大卫那里,他就派人去迎接他们,告诉他们住在耶利哥,等胡须长好了再回来,因为他们倍觉羞辱。

哈嫩及其他亚扪人知道得罪了大卫,就派人用三十四吨银子从美索不达米亚、亚兰玛迦和琐巴招兵买马, 雇了三万二千辆战车和玛迦王及其军队。他们在米底巴附近扎营,亚扪人也从各城出来准备作战。 大卫听见消息后,就派约押率领全体勇士出战。 亚扪人在城门前列阵,来助战的诸王在郊野列阵。

10 约押见自己前后受敌,就从以色列军中挑选一些精兵迎战亚兰人, 11 把余下的军兵交给他的兄弟亚比筛领导,迎战亚扪人。 12 他对亚比筛说:“倘若我胜不过亚兰人,你便过来支援我;倘若你胜不过亚扪人,我便过去支援你。 13 我们要刚强,为我们的人民和我们上帝的城邑而奋勇作战。愿耶和华成全祂自己的旨意!” 14 于是,约押率领军兵进攻亚兰人,亚兰人败逃。 15 见亚兰人败逃,亚扪人也逃离亚比筛,退回城中。约押便回师耶路撒冷。

16 亚兰人见自己败在以色列人手下,就派使者调来幼发拉底河那边的亚兰人,由哈大底谢的将军朔法率领。 17 大卫听到消息后,就召集以色列全军,渡过约旦河,列阵与亚兰人交战。 18 他们击溃了亚兰人,杀了七千名战车兵、四万步兵,还杀了他们的将军朔法。 19 哈大底谢的属下见自己败于以色列人,便向大卫求和,臣服于他。从此,亚兰人不敢再支援亚扪人了。

19 След това, царят на амонците, Наас, умря, и вместо него се възцари син му Анун .

Тогава Давид каза: Ще покажа благост към Ануна Наасовия син, понеже баща му показа благост към мене. И така, Давид прати посланици да го утешат за баща му. А когато Давидовите слуги дойдоха при Ануна в земята на амонците за да го утешат,

първенците на амонците рекоха на Ануна: Мислиш ли, че от почит към баща ти, Давид ти е изпратил утешители? Не дойдоха ли слугите му при тебе за да разузнаят да разорят и да съгледат земята?

Затова , Анун хвана Давидовите слуги та ги обръсна, отряза дрехите им до половина - до бедрата им, и ги отпрати.

И някои отидоха та известиха на Давида за стореното на мъжете; и той изпрати човеци да ги посрещнат, (понеже мъжете се крайно срамуваха), и да им рекат от царя: Седете в Ерихон, догде пораснат брадите ви, и тогава се върнете.

А като видяха амонците, че бяха станали омразни на Давида, Анун и амонците пратиха хиляда таланта сребро за да си наемат колесници и конници от Месопотамия, от Сириямаах и от Сова.

И наеха си тридесет и две хиляди колесници, също и царя на Мааха с людете му, които дойдоха та разположиха стан срещу Медева. И амонците, като се събраха от градовете си, дойдоха да воюват.

И когато чу това Давид, прати Иоава и цялото множество силни мъже.

А амонците излязоха та се строиха за бой при градската порта; а надошлите царе бяха отделно на полето.

10 А Иоав, като видя, че бяха се строили за бой против него отпред и отзад, избра между всичките отбрани Израилеви мъже, та ги опълчи против сирийците;

11 а останалите люде даде в ръката на брата си Ависея; и те се опълчиха против амонците.

12 И рече: ако сирийците надделеят над мене, тогава ти ще ми помогнеш; а ако амонците надделеят над тебе, тогава аз ще ти помогна.

13 Дързай, и нека бъдем мъжествени за людете си и за градовете на нашия Бог; а Господ нека извърши каквото Му се вижда угодно.

14 И тъй, Иоав и людете, които бяха с него, стъпиха в сражение против сирийците; и те побягнаха пред него.

15 А когато амонците видяха, че сирийците побягнаха, тогава и те побягнаха пред брата му Ависей и влязоха в града. Тогава Иоав си дойде в Ерусалим.

16 А сирийците, като видяха, че бидоха победени пред Израиля, пратиха посланици да изведат сирийците, които бяха оттатък реката Евфрат , със Совака, военачалника на Ададезера, на чело.

17 И когато се извести на Давида, той събра целият Израил, и като премина Иордан, дойде до тях и се опълчи против тях. И тъй, като се опълчи Давид на бой против сирийците, те се биха с него.

18 Но сирийците побягнаха пред Израиля; и Давид изби от сирийците мъжете на седем хиляди колесници и четиридесет хиляди пешаци; уби и военачалника Совак.

19 И слугите на Ададезера, като видяха, че бяха победени от Израиля, сключиха мир с Давида и му се подчиниха. И сирийците отказаха да помагат вече на амонците.

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. 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, 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?” So Hanun seized David’s envoys, shaved them, cut off their garments at the buttocks, and sent them away.

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.”

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) 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.

On hearing this, David sent Joab out with the entire army of fighting men. 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. 1 Chronicles 19:6 That is, about 38 tons or about 34 metric tons
  2. 1 Chronicles 19:6 That is, Northwest Mesopotamia

Chapter 19

David’s Battles with the Ammonites. Sometime after this, Nahash, the king of the Ammonites, died, and his son reigned in his stead. David said, “I will show kindness to Hanun, the son of Nahash, because his father showed kindness to me.” So David sent emissaries to console him with regard to his father. David’s servants came to the land of Ammon, to console Hanun.

The Ammonite nobles said to Hanun, “Do you really think that David is honoring your father by sending men to console you? Do you not see that David has sent his servants to overthrow you and to spy out the land?” Hanun, therefore, seized David’s servants, shaving them and cutting their garments up to their hips. He then sent them away.

Some men came in and told David about what had happened to the men, so he sent someone to meet them, for the men were terribly embarrassed. The king told them, “Wait at Jericho until your beards grow back, and then return.”

The Ammonites realized that they had become abhorrent to David, so Hanun and the Ammonites sent one thousand talents of silver to hire chariots and horsemen from Mesopotamia, Aram, and Zobah. They hired thirty-two thousand chariots for themselves along with the king of Maacah and his people. They came and camped in front of Medeba. The Ammonites also assembled from out of their cities and went out to fight.

David heard about this, so he sent Joab and his army of brave warriors out. The Ammonites came and arranged themselves in battle line at the gate to the city while the kings who had come with them stood in the fields by themselves.

10 Joab saw that they were arranged in battle line both in front of him and behind him, so he chose some of the best men in Israel and placed them up against the Arameans. 11 He placed the rest of the people under the command of Abishai, his brother, and they lined up against the Ammonites. 12 He said, “If the Arameans are too strong for me, then you help me, but if the Ammonites are too strong for you, then I will help you. 13 Be brave and let us be strong for our people and the cities of God. May the Lord do what he judges to be right.”

14 Joab and the people who were with him drew up to fight against the Arameans, and they fled before him. 15 When the Ammonites saw that the Arameans were fleeing, they also fled before Abishai, his brother. They went into the city, and Joab returned to Jerusalem.

16 When the Arameans realized that they had been defeated by Israel, they sent messengers to summon the Arameans who lived beyond the river. Shophach, the commander of Hadadezer’s army, led them.

17 When David was told, he gathered all of Israel together and crossed over the Jordan. He came upon them and lined up for battle against them. David set up his troops, and they fought against him.

18 The Arameans fled from before David, and he slew seven thousand charioteers and forty thousand foot soldiers. He also killed Shophach, the commander of the army.

19 When Hadadezer’s servants saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they made peace with David and became his vassals. The Arameans were no longer willing to help the Ammonites.