1Nogen tid efter døde ammonitternes konge, Nahash, og han blev efterfulgt af sønnen Hanun.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 den ene side af 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.6Ammonitterne blev klar over, at David var rasende på dem på grund af det, de havde gjort. Derfor hvervede de 20.000 aramæiske lejesoldater fra områderne ved Rehob og Zoba, 1000 mand fra kongen af Ma’aka og 12.000 mand fra Tob.7Da David fik det at vide, sendte han straks Joab og Israels bedste styrker af sted imod dem.8Ammonitterne tog opstilling foran byporten, mens mændene fra Zoba, Rehob, Tob og Ma’aka tog opstilling på den åbne slette.9-10Derved blev Joab tvunget til at kæmpe på to fronter, så han delte styrkerne imellem sig selv 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.11„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.12Vær 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!”13Så gik Joab og hans krigere til angreb, og aramæerne flygtede.14Da ammonitterne så det, flygtede de også og søgte tilflugt inden for bymuren. Derefter vendte Joab tilbage til Jerusalem med sin hær.15Da aramæerne indså, at de ikke kunne stå sig mod israelitterne, søgte de forstærkning.16Kong Hadadezer fik samlet en hær af aramæere fra den anden side af Eufratfloden, og de ankom til Helam, anført af Shobak, kong Hadadezers hærfører.17Da David hørte det, samlede han hele Israels hær og gik i spidsen for den over Jordanfloden til Helam, hvor de blev angrebet af aramæerne.18Aramæerne led store tab og måtte igen tage flugten. David og hans hær dræbte 700[1] aramæiske vognkæmpere og 40.000 fodfolk, deriblandt hærføreren Shobak. (1.Krøn 19,18)19Da Hadadezers vasalkonger så, at aramæerne var blevet slået, sluttede de fred med israelitterne og blev underlagt Israels herredømme. Fra da af turde aramæerne ikke længere hjælpe ammonitterne.
1After this the king of the Ammonites died, and Hanun his son reigned in his place. (1.Krøn 19,1)2And David said, “I will deal loyally[1] with Hanun the son of Nahash, as his father dealt loyally with me.” So David sent by his servants to console him concerning his father. And David’s servants came into the land of the Ammonites. (1.Sam 11,1)3But the princes of the Ammonites said to Hanun their lord, “Do you think, because David has sent comforters to you, that he is honoring your father? Has not David sent his servants to you to search the city and to spy it out and to overthrow it?”4So Hanun took David’s servants and shaved off half the beard of each and cut off their garments in the middle, at their hips, and sent them away. (Es 20,4)5When it was told David, he sent 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, the Ammonites sent and hired the Syrians of Beth-rehob, and the Syrians of Zobah, 20,000 foot soldiers, and the king of Maacah with 1,000 men, and the men of Tob, 12,000 men. (Josva 13,11; Josva 13,13; Dom 11,3; Dom 11,5; Dom 18,28; 2.Sam 8,3; 2.Sam 8,5)7And when David heard of it, he sent Joab and all the host of the mighty men. (2.Sam 23,8)8And the Ammonites came out and drew up in battle array at the entrance of the gate, and the Syrians of Zobah and of Rehob and the men of Tob and Maacah were by themselves in the open country. (2.Sam 10,6)9When 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.10The rest of his men he put in the charge of Abishai his brother, and he arrayed them against the Ammonites.11And 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 come and help you.12Be of good courage, and let us be courageous for our people, and for the cities of our God, and may the Lord do what seems good to him.” (5.Mos 31,6; 1.Sam 3,18; 1.Sam 4,9; 1.Kor 16,13)13So Joab and the people who were with him drew near to battle against the Syrians, and they fled before him.14And when the Ammonites saw that the Syrians fled, they likewise fled before Abishai and entered the city. Then Joab returned from fighting against the Ammonites and came to Jerusalem.15But when the Syrians saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they gathered themselves together.16And Hadadezer sent and brought out the Syrians who were beyond the Euphrates.[2] They came to Helam, with Shobach the commander of the army of Hadadezer at their head. (2.Sam 8,3; 1.Krøn 19,16)17And when it was told David, he gathered all Israel together and crossed the Jordan and came to Helam. The Syrians arrayed themselves against David and fought with him.18And the Syrians fled before Israel, and David killed of the Syrians the men of 700 chariots, and 40,000 horsemen, and wounded Shobach the commander of their army, so that he died there. (1.Krøn 19,18)19And when all the kings who were servants of Hadadezer saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they made peace with Israel and became subject to them. So the Syrians were afraid to save the Ammonites anymore. (2.Sam 8,6)