1Nogen tid efter døde ammonitternes konge, Nahash, og han blev efterfulgt af sønnen Hanun. (2.Sam 10,1)2„Ham vil jeg vise venlighed,” tænkte David, „for hans far viste venlighed mod mig.” Så sendte David nogle sendebud af sted for at kondolere i anledning af faderens død.3Men de ammonitiske officerer sagde til Hanun: „De mænd er ikke kommet for at ære din fars minde! Nej, det er blot et påskud for at udspionere os, for i virkeligheden har David i sinde at angribe os.”4Derfor lod Hanun Davids mænd pågribe, hvorefter man vanærede dem ved at barbere deres skæg af. Samtidig blev deres tøj skåret af over bagdelen, og sådan blev de sendt hjem.5Da David fik at vide, at hans sendebud var blevet så groft ydmyget, sendte han nogle af sine embedsmænd ud for at møde dem og give dem besked på at blive i Jeriko, indtil deres skæg var vokset ud igen.6-7Ammonitterne blev klar over, at David var rasende på dem på grund af det, de havde gjort. Derfor hvervede Hanun for 1000 sække sølv aramæiske stridsvogne, ryttere og soldater fra områderne Aram-Naharajim, Aram-Ma’aka og Zoba foruden kongen af Ma’akas hær. Den aramæiske hærstyrke marcherede frem og gjorde holdt ved Medeba samtidig med, at ammonitterhæren blev mobiliseret.8Da David fik det at vide, sendte han straks Joab og Israels bedste styrker af sted imod dem.9Ammonitterne tog opstilling foran byporten, mens de allierede aramæiske konger tog opstilling på den åbne slette.10-11Derved blev Joab tvunget til at kæmpe på to fronter, så han delte styrkerne imellem sig og sin bror Abishaj. Selv tog han elitesoldaterne og rykkede ud mod aramæerne på sletten, mens han overlod resten af hæren til Abishaj, der skulle kæmpe imod ammonitterne foran byporten.12„Hvis jeg får brug for hjælp mod aramæerne, må du komme med det samme!” beordrede Joab. „Og hvis det viser sig, at du får besvær med ammonitterne, kommer jeg dig til hjælp.13Vær nu ved godt mod! Vi må være tapre, hvis vi skal gøre os håb om at redde vores folk og vores Guds byer. Herrens vilje ske!”14Så gik Joab og hans krigere til angreb, og aramæerne flygtede.15Da ammonitterne så det, flygtede de også og søgte tilflugt inden for bymuren. Derefter vendte Joab tilbage til Jerusalem med sin hær.16Da aramæerne indså, at de ikke kunne stå sig imod israelitterne, sendte de bud efter forstærkning fra de aramæiske tropper på den anden side af Eufratfloden. Hjælpetropperne var under kommando af Shofak, kong Hadadezers hærfører.17Da David hørte det, samlede han hele Israels hær og gik i spidsen for den over Jordanfloden, hvor de tog kampen op mod aramæerne.18Aramæerne led store tab og måtte igen tage flugten. David og hans hær dræbte 7000 aramæiske vognkæmpere og 40.000 fodfolk, deriblandt hærchefen Shofak.19Da Hadadezers vasalkonger så, at aramæerne var blevet slået, sluttede de fred med David og blev underlagt hans herredømme. Fra da af turde aramæerne ikke længere hjælpe ammonitterne.
1Now after this Nahash the king of the Ammonites died, and his son reigned in his place. (2.Sam 10,1)2And David said, “I will deal kindly with Hanun the son of Nahash, for his father dealt kindly with me.” So David sent messengers to console him concerning his father. And David’s servants came to the land of the Ammonites to Hanun to console him.3But the princes of the Ammonites said to Hanun, “Do you think, because David has sent comforters to you, that he is honoring your father? Have not his servants come to you to search and to overthrow and to spy out the land?”4So Hanun took David’s servants and shaved them and cut off their garments in the middle, at their hips, and sent them away;5and they departed. When David was told concerning the men, he sent messengers to meet them, for the men were greatly ashamed. And the king said, “Remain at Jericho until your beards have grown and then return.”6When the Ammonites saw that they had become a stench to David, Hanun and the Ammonites sent 1,000 talents[1] of silver to hire chariots and horsemen from Mesopotamia, from Aram-maacah, and from Zobah. (2.Sam 10,6; 1.Krøn 18,5; 1.Krøn 18,9)7They hired 32,000 chariots and the king of Maacah with his army, who came and encamped before Medeba. And the Ammonites were mustered from their cities and came to battle. (4.Mos 21,30; Josva 13,9; Josva 13,16)8When David heard of it, he sent Joab and all the army of the mighty men.9And the Ammonites came out and drew up in battle array at the entrance of the city, and the kings who had come were by themselves in the open country.
Ammonites and Syrians Defeated
10When Joab saw that the battle was set against him both in front and in the rear, he chose some of the best men of Israel and arrayed them against the Syrians.11The rest of his men he put in the charge of Abishai his brother, and they were arrayed against the Ammonites. (1.Krøn 18,12)12And he said, “If the Syrians are too strong for me, then you shall help me, but if the Ammonites are too strong for you, then I will help you.13Be strong, and let us use our strength for our people and for the cities of our God, and may the Lord do what seems good to him.”14So Joab and the people who were with him drew near before the Syrians for battle, and they fled before him.15And when the Ammonites saw that the Syrians fled, they likewise fled before Abishai, Joab’s brother, and entered the city. Then Joab came to Jerusalem. (1.Krøn 19,11)16But when the Syrians saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they sent messengers and brought out the Syrians who were beyond the Euphrates,[2] with Shophach the commander of the army of Hadadezer at their head. (2.Sam 10,16; 2.Sam 10,18)17And when it was told to David, he gathered all Israel together and crossed the Jordan and came to them and drew up his forces against them. And when David set the battle in array against the Syrians, they fought with him.18And the Syrians fled before Israel, and David killed of the Syrians the men of 7,000 chariots and 40,000 foot soldiers, and put to death also Shophach the commander of their army. (2.Sam 10,18; 1.Krøn 19,16)19And when the servants of Hadadezer saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they made peace with David and became subject to him. So the Syrians were not willing to save the Ammonites anymore. (1.Krøn 19,16)