2 Samuel 10
New English Translation
David and the Ammonites
10 Later the king of the Ammonites died and his son Hanun succeeded him.[a] 2 David said, “I will express my loyalty[b] to Hanun son of Nahash just as his father was loyal[c] to me.” So David sent his servants with a message expressing sympathy over his father’s death.[d] When David’s servants entered the land of the Ammonites, 3 the Ammonite officials said to their lord Hanun, “Do you really think David is trying to honor your father by sending these messengers to express his sympathy?[e] No, David has sent his servants to you to get information about the city and spy on it so they can overthrow it!”[f]
4 So Hanun seized David’s servants and shaved off half of each one’s beard. He cut the lower part of their robes off so that their buttocks were exposed,[g] and then sent them away. 5 Messengers[h] told David what had happened,[i] so he sent them to the men who were thoroughly humiliated. The king said, “Stay in Jericho until your beards have grown again; then you may come back.”
6 When the Ammonites realized that David was disgusted with them,[j] they[k] sent and hired 20,000 foot soldiers from Aram Beth Rehob and Aram Zobah,[l] in addition to 1,000 men from the king of Maacah and 12,000 men from Ish Tob.[m]
7 When David heard the news, he sent Joab and the entire army to meet them.[n] 8 The Ammonites marched out and were deployed for battle at the entrance of the city gate, while the men from Aram Zobah, Rehob, Ish Tob, and Maacah were by themselves in the field.
9 When Joab saw that the battle would be fought on two fronts, he chose some of Israel’s best men and deployed them against the Arameans.[o] 10 He put his brother Abishai in charge of the rest of the army[p] and they were deployed[q] against the Ammonites. 11 Joab[r] said, “If the Arameans start to overpower me,[s] you come to my rescue. If the Ammonites start to overpower you,[t] I will come to your rescue. 12 Be strong! Let’s fight bravely for the sake of our people and the cities of our God! The Lord will do what he decides is best!”[u]
13 So Joab and his men[v] marched out to do battle with the Arameans, and they fled before him. 14 When the Ammonites saw the Arameans flee, they fled before his brother Abishai and went into the city. Joab withdrew from fighting the Ammonites and returned to[w] Jerusalem.
15 When the Arameans realized that they had been defeated by Israel, they consolidated their forces.[x] 16 Then Hadadezer sent for Arameans from[y] beyond the Euphrates River,[z] and they came to Helam. Shobach, the general in command of Hadadezer’s army, led them.[aa]
17 When David was informed, he gathered all Israel, crossed the Jordan River,[ab] and came to Helam. The Arameans deployed their forces against David and fought with him. 18 The Arameans fled before Israel. David killed 700 Aramean charioteers and 40,000 foot soldiers.[ac] He also struck down Shobach, the general in command of the army, who died there. 19 When all the kings who were subject to Hadadezer[ad] saw they were defeated by Israel, they made peace with Israel and became subjects of Israel.[ae] The Arameans were no longer willing to help the Ammonites.
Footnotes
- 2 Samuel 10:1 tn Heb “reigned in his place.”
- 2 Samuel 10:2 tn Heb “do loyalty.”
- 2 Samuel 10:2 tn Heb “did loyalty.”
- 2 Samuel 10:2 tn Heb “and David sent to console him by the hand of his servants concerning his father.”
- 2 Samuel 10:3 tn Heb “Is David honoring your father in your eyes when he sends to you ones consoling?”
- 2 Samuel 10:3 tn Heb “Is it not to explore the city and to spy on it and to overthrow it [that] David has sent his servants to you?”
- 2 Samuel 10:4 tn Heb “and he cut their robes in the middle unto their buttocks.”
- 2 Samuel 10:5 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the messengers) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- 2 Samuel 10:5 tn The words “what had happened” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
- 2 Samuel 10:6 tn Heb “that they were a stench [i.e., disgusting] with David.”
- 2 Samuel 10:6 tn Heb “the Ammonites.”
- 2 Samuel 10:6 tn Or “Arameans of Beth Rehob and Arameans of Zobah.”
- 2 Samuel 10:6 tn Or perhaps “the men of Tob.” The ancient versions (the LXX, the Syriac Peshitta, and Vulgate) understand the name to be “Ish Tob.” It is possible that “Ish” is dittographic and that we should read simply “Tob,” a reading adopted by a number of recent English versions.
- 2 Samuel 10:7 tn The words “the news” and “to meet them” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons and for clarification.
- 2 Samuel 10:9 tn Heb “and Joab saw that the face of the battle was to him before and behind and he chose from all the best in Israel and arranged to meet Aram.”
- 2 Samuel 10:10 tn Heb “people.”
- 2 Samuel 10:10 tn Heb “he arranged.”
- 2 Samuel 10:11 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Joab) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- 2 Samuel 10:11 tn Heb “if Aram is stronger than me.”
- 2 Samuel 10:11 tn Heb “if the sons of Ammon are stronger than you.”
- 2 Samuel 10:12 tn Heb “and the Lord will do what is good in his eyes.”
- 2 Samuel 10:13 tn Heb “and the army which was with him.”
- 2 Samuel 10:14 tn Heb “and Joab returned from against the sons of Ammon and entered.”
- 2 Samuel 10:15 tn Heb “were gathered together.”
- 2 Samuel 10:16 tn Heb “and Hadadezer sent and brought out Aram which is.”
- 2 Samuel 10:16 tn Heb “from beyond the River.” The name “Euphrates” has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
- 2 Samuel 10:16 tn Heb “was before them.”
- 2 Samuel 10:17 tn The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
- 2 Samuel 10:18 tn Heb “horsemen” (so KJV, NASB, NCV, NRSV, NLT) but the Lucianic recension of the LXX reads “foot soldiers,” as does the parallel text in 1 Chr 19:18. Cf. NAB, NIV.
- 2 Samuel 10:19 tn Heb “the servants of Hadadezer.”
- 2 Samuel 10:19 tn Heb “and they served them.”
撒母耳记下 10
Chinese New Version (Traditional)
大衛的使者受辱(A)
10 後來,亞捫人的王死了,他的兒子哈嫩繼承他作王。 2 大衛說:“我要恩待拿轄的兒子哈嫩,像他父親恩待我一樣。”於是大衛差派自己的臣僕,為他喪父的事安慰他。大衛的臣僕到了亞捫人境內時, 3 亞捫人的眾領袖對他們的主哈嫩說:“大衛差派這些慰問的人到你這裡來,你以為他是尊敬你父親嗎?他派遣臣僕到你這裡來,不是為了要窺探這城,偵察清楚,然後把城傾覆嗎?” 4 於是哈嫩拿住大衛的臣僕,把他們的鬍鬚剃去一半,又把他們的外袍割去半截,露出臀部,然後才放他們走。 5 有人告訴大衛,他就派人去迎接他們,因為他們非常羞恥。王就說:“你們可以住在耶利哥,等到你們的鬍鬚長長了才回來。”
亞捫人備戰(B)
6 亞捫人知道大衛憎惡他們,就派人去招募伯.利合的亞蘭人和瑣巴的亞蘭人,步兵二萬,瑪迦王的人一千,陀伯人一萬二千。 7 大衛聽見了,就差派約押和全體勇士出去。 8 亞捫人出來,在城門前擺陣,瑣巴和利合的亞蘭人,陀伯人和瑪迦人,也分別在郊野擺陣。
亞蘭人與亞捫人敗退(C)
9 約押看見自己前後受敵,就從以色列所有的精兵中,挑選一部分出來,使他們擺陣去迎戰亞蘭人, 10 他把其餘的人交在他兄弟亞比篩手下,使他們擺陣去迎戰亞捫人。 11 約押對亞比篩說:“如果亞蘭人比我強,你就來幫助我。如果亞捫人比你強,我就去幫助你。 12 你要剛強;為了我們的人民和我們 神的眾城鎮,我們要剛強!願耶和華成全他看為美的事。” 13 於是約押和與他在一起的人前進,攻擊亞蘭人;亞蘭人在約押面前逃跑。 14 亞捫人看見亞蘭人逃跑,他們也在亞比篩面前逃跑,逃進城裡去了。約押就從亞捫人那裡回來,回到耶路撒冷去了。
15 亞蘭人見自己被以色列人擊敗,就再聚集起來。 16 哈大底謝差遣人把幼發拉底河那邊的亞蘭人調來。他們來到了希蘭,由哈大底謝的將軍朔法率領他們。 17 有人告訴了大衛,他就聚集所有的以色列人,渡過約旦河,來到了希蘭。亞蘭人擺好了陣迎擊大衛,與他交戰。 18 亞蘭人卻在以色列人面前逃跑。大衛殺了亞蘭七百名駕駛戰車的軍兵,四萬騎兵。又擊殺了亞蘭軍隊的將軍朔法,他就死在那裡。 19 所有臣服於哈大底謝的王看見自己被以色列人打敗,就與以色列人議和,臣服於他們。於是亞蘭人害怕,不敢再幫助亞捫人了。
2 Samuel 10
New King James Version
The Ammonites and Syrians Defeated(A)
10 It happened after this that the (B)king of the people of Ammon died, and Hanun his son reigned in his place. 2 Then David said, “I will show (C)kindness to Hanun the son of (D)Nahash, as his father showed kindness to me.”
So David sent by the hand of his servants to comfort him concerning his father. And David’s servants came into the land of the people of Ammon. 3 And the princes of the people of Ammon said to Hanun their lord, “Do you think that David really honors your father because he has sent comforters to you? Has David not rather sent his servants to you to search the city, to spy it out, and to overthrow it?”
4 Therefore Hanun took David’s servants, shaved off half of their beards, cut off their garments in the middle, (E)at their buttocks, and sent them away. 5 When they told David, he sent to meet them, because the men were greatly [a]ashamed. And the king said, “Wait at Jericho until your beards have grown, and then return.”
6 When the people of Ammon saw that they (F)had made themselves repulsive to David, the people of Ammon sent and hired (G)the Syrians of (H)Beth Rehob and the Syrians of Zoba, twenty thousand foot soldiers; and from the king of (I)Maacah one thousand men, and from (J)Ish-Tob twelve thousand men. 7 Now when David heard of it, he sent Joab and all the army of (K)the mighty men. 8 Then the people of Ammon came out and put themselves in battle array at the entrance of the gate. And (L)the Syrians of Zoba, Beth Rehob, Ish-Tob, and Maacah were by themselves in the field.
9 When Joab saw that the battle line was against him before and behind, he chose some of Israel’s best and put them in battle array against the Syrians. 10 And the rest of the people he put under the command of (M)Abishai his brother, that he might set them in battle array against the people of Ammon. 11 Then he said, “If the Syrians are too strong for me, then you shall help me; but if the people of Ammon are too strong for you, then I will come and help you. 12 (N)Be of good courage, and let us (O)be strong for our people and for the cities of our God. And may (P)the Lord do what is good in His sight.”
13 So Joab and the people who were with him drew near for the battle against the Syrians, and they fled before him. 14 When the people of Ammon saw that the Syrians were fleeing, they also fled before Abishai, and entered the city. So Joab returned from the people of Ammon and went to (Q)Jerusalem.
15 When the Syrians saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they gathered together. 16 Then [b]Hadadezer sent and brought out the Syrians who were beyond [c]the River, and they came to Helam. And [d]Shobach the commander of Hadadezer’s army went before them. 17 When it was told David, he gathered all Israel, crossed over the Jordan, and came to Helam. And the Syrians set themselves in battle array against David and fought with him. 18 Then the Syrians fled before Israel; and David killed seven hundred charioteers and forty thousand (R)horsemen of the Syrians, and struck Shobach the commander of their army, who died there. 19 And when all the kings who were servants to [e]Hadadezer saw that they were defeated by Israel, they made peace with Israel and (S)served them. So the Syrians were afraid to help the people of Ammon anymore.
Footnotes
- 2 Samuel 10:5 humiliated
- 2 Samuel 10:16 Heb. Hadarezer
- 2 Samuel 10:16 The Euphrates
- 2 Samuel 10:16 Shophach, 1 Chr. 19:16
- 2 Samuel 10:19 Heb. Hadarezer
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Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.