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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

  1. 2 Samuel 10:1 tn Heb “reigned in his place.”
  2. 2 Samuel 10:2 tn Heb “do loyalty.”
  3. 2 Samuel 10:2 tn Heb “did loyalty.”
  4. 2 Samuel 10:2 tn Heb “and David sent to console him by the hand of his servants concerning his father.”
  5. 2 Samuel 10:3 tn Heb “Is David honoring your father in your eyes when he sends to you ones consoling?”
  6. 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?”
  7. 2 Samuel 10:4 tn Heb “and he cut their robes in the middle unto their buttocks.”
  8. 2 Samuel 10:5 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the messengers) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  9. 2 Samuel 10:5 tn The words “what had happened” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
  10. 2 Samuel 10:6 tn Heb “that they were a stench [i.e., disgusting] with David.”
  11. 2 Samuel 10:6 tn Heb “the Ammonites.”
  12. 2 Samuel 10:6 tn Or “Arameans of Beth Rehob and Arameans of Zobah.”
  13. 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.
  14. 2 Samuel 10:7 tn The words “the news” and “to meet them” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons and for clarification.
  15. 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.”
  16. 2 Samuel 10:10 tn Heb “people.”
  17. 2 Samuel 10:10 tn Heb “he arranged.”
  18. 2 Samuel 10:11 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Joab) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  19. 2 Samuel 10:11 tn Heb “if Aram is stronger than me.”
  20. 2 Samuel 10:11 tn Heb “if the sons of Ammon are stronger than you.”
  21. 2 Samuel 10:12 tn Heb “and the Lord will do what is good in his eyes.”
  22. 2 Samuel 10:13 tn Heb “and the army which was with him.”
  23. 2 Samuel 10:14 tn Heb “and Joab returned from against the sons of Ammon and entered.”
  24. 2 Samuel 10:15 tn Heb “were gathered together.”
  25. 2 Samuel 10:16 tn Heb “and Hadadezer sent and brought out Aram which is.”
  26. 2 Samuel 10:16 tn Heb “from beyond the River.” The name “Euphrates” has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
  27. 2 Samuel 10:16 tn Heb “was before them.”
  28. 2 Samuel 10:17 tn The word “River” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
  29. 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.
  30. 2 Samuel 10:19 tn Heb “the servants of Hadadezer.”
  31. 2 Samuel 10:19 tn Heb “and they served them.”
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2 Samuel 10
International Children’s Bible

War with Ammonites and Arameans

10 Later Nahash king of the Ammonites died. His son Hanun became king after him. 2 David said, “Nahash was kind to me. So I will be kind to his son Hanun.” So David sent his officers to comfort Hanun about his father’s death.

David’s servants went to the land of the Ammonites. 3 But the important men of Ammon spoke to Hanun, their master. They said, “Do you think David wants to honor your father by sending men to comfort you? No! David sent them to study the city and to spy it out. They plan to capture it!” 4 So Hanun took David’s officers and shaved off half their beards to shame them. He cut their clothes off at the hips to insult them. Then he sent them away.

5 When the people told David, he sent messengers to meet his officers. He did this because these men were very ashamed. King David said, “Wait at Jericho until your beards have grown out. Then come back to Jerusalem.”

6 Now the Ammonites saw that they had become David’s enemies. So they hired 20,000 Aramean foot soldiers from Beth Rehob and Zobah. They also hired the king of Maacah with 1,000 men. And they hired 12,000 men from Tob.

7 David heard about this. So he sent Joab with the whole army of warriors. 8 The Ammonites came out and got ready for the battle. They stood at the city gate. The Arameans from Zobah and Rehob and the men from Tob and Maacah were out in the field. They were standing away from the Ammonites.

9 Joab saw that there were enemies both in front of him and behind him. So he chose some of the best men from the Israelites. He got them ready for battle against the Arameans. 10 Then Joab gave the other men to his brother Abishai to lead against the Ammonites. 11 Joab said to Abishai, “If the Arameans are too strong for me, come help me. If the Ammonites are too strong for you, I will come and help you. 12 Be strong. Let us fight bravely for our people and for the cities of our God. The Lord will do what he decides is right.”

13 Then Joab and his men attacked the Arameans, and they ran away. 14 The Ammonites saw that the Arameans were running away. So they ran away from Abishai and went back to their city. So Joab returned from the battle with the Ammonites and came to Jerusalem.

15 The Arameans saw that the Israelites had defeated them. So they came together into one big army. 16 Hadadezer sent messengers to bring the Arameans who lived on the other side of the Euphrates River. These Arameans went to Helam. Their leader was Shobach, the commander of Hadadezer’s army.

17 When David heard about this, he gathered all the Israelites together. They crossed over the Jordan River and went to Helam. There the Arameans prepared for battle and attacked. 18 But David defeated the Arameans, and they ran away from the Israelites. David killed 700 Aramean chariot drivers and 40,000 Aramean horsemen. He also killed Shobach, the commander of the Aramean army.

19 The kings who served Hadadezer saw that the Israelites had defeated them. So they made peace with the Israelites and served them. And the Arameans were afraid to help the Ammonites again.

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2 Samuel 10
New International Version

David Defeats the Ammonites(A)

10 In the course of time, the king of the Ammonites died, and his son Hanun succeeded him as king. 2 David thought, “I will show kindness to Hanun son of Nahash,(B) just as his father showed kindness to me.” So David sent a delegation to express his sympathy to Hanun concerning his father.

When David’s men came to the land of the Ammonites, 3 the Ammonite commanders said to Hanun their lord, “Do you think David is honoring your father by sending envoys to you to express sympathy? Hasn’t David sent them to you only to explore the city and spy it out(C) and overthrow it?” 4 So Hanun seized David’s envoys, shaved off half of each man’s beard,(D) cut off their garments at the buttocks,(E) and sent them away.

5 When David was told about this, he sent messengers to meet the men, 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(F) to David, they hired twenty thousand Aramean(G) foot soldiers from Beth Rehob(H) and Zobah,(I) as well as the king of Maakah(J) with a thousand men, and also twelve thousand men from Tob.(K)

7 On hearing this, David sent Joab(L) out with the entire army of fighting men. 8 The Ammonites came out and drew up in battle formation at the entrance of their city gate, while the Arameans of Zobah and Rehob and the men of Tob and Maakah were by themselves in the open country.

9 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. 10 He put the rest of the men under the command of Abishai(M) his brother and deployed them against the Ammonites. 11 Joab said, “If the Arameans are too strong for me, then you are to come to my rescue; but if the Ammonites are too strong for you, then I will come to rescue you. 12 Be strong,(N) and let us fight bravely for our people and the cities of our God. The Lord will do what is good in his sight.”(O)

13 Then Joab and the troops with him advanced to fight the Arameans, and they fled before him. 14 When the Ammonites(P) realized that the Arameans were fleeing, they fled before Abishai and went inside the city. So Joab returned from fighting the Ammonites and came to Jerusalem.

15 After the Arameans saw that they had been routed by Israel, they regrouped. 16 Hadadezer had Arameans brought from beyond the Euphrates River; they went to Helam, with Shobak the commander of Hadadezer’s army leading them.

17 When David was told of this, he gathered all Israel, crossed the Jordan and went to Helam. The Arameans formed their battle lines to meet David and fought against him. 18 But they fled before Israel, and David killed seven hundred of their charioteers and forty thousand of their foot soldiers.[a] He also struck down Shobak the commander of their army, and he died there. 19 When all the kings who were vassals of Hadadezer saw that they had been routed by Israel, they made peace with the Israelites and became subject(Q) to them.

So the Arameans(R) were afraid to help the Ammonites anymore.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Samuel 10:18 Some Septuagint manuscripts (see also 1 Chron. 19:18); Hebrew horsemen
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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

  1. 2 Samuel 10:5 humiliated
  2. 2 Samuel 10:16 Heb. Hadarezer
  3. 2 Samuel 10:16 The Euphrates
  4. 2 Samuel 10:16 Shophach, 1 Chr. 19:16
  5. 2 Samuel 10:19 Heb. Hadarezer
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2 Samuel 10
King James Version

10 And it came to pass after this, that the king of the children of Ammon died, and Hanun his son reigned in his stead.

2 Then said David, I will shew kindness unto Hanun the son of Nahash, as his father shewed kindness unto me. And David sent to comfort him by the hand of his servants for his father. And David's servants came into the land of the children of Ammon.

3 And the princes of the children of Ammon said unto Hanun their lord, Thinkest thou that David doth honour thy father, that he hath sent comforters unto thee? hath not David rather sent his servants unto thee, to search the city, and to spy it out, and to overthrow it?

4 Wherefore Hanun took David's servants, and shaved off the one half of their beards, and cut off their garments in the middle, even to their buttocks, and sent them away.

5 When they told it unto David, he sent to meet them, because the men were greatly ashamed: and the king said, Tarry at Jericho until your beards be grown, and then return.

6 And when the children of Ammon saw that they stank before David, the children of Ammon sent and hired the Syrians of Bethrehob and the Syrians of Zoba, twenty thousand footmen, and of king Maacah a thousand men, and of Ishtob twelve thousand men.

7 And when David heard of it, he sent Joab, and all the host of the mighty men.

8 And the children of Ammon came out, and put the battle in array at the entering in of the gate: and the Syrians of Zoba, and of Rehob, and Ishtob, and Maacah, were by themselves in the field.

9 When Joab saw that the front of the battle was against him before and behind, he chose of all the choice men of Israel, and put them in array against the Syrians:

10 And the rest of the people he delivered into the hand of Abishai his brother, that he might put them in array against the children of Ammon.

11 And he said, If the Syrians be too strong for me, then thou shalt help me: but if the children of Ammon be too strong for thee, then I will come and help thee.

12 Be of good courage, and let us play the men for our people, and for the cities of our God: and the Lord do that which seemeth him good.

13 And Joab drew nigh, and the people that were with him, unto the battle against the Syrians: and they fled before him.

14 And when the children of Ammon saw that the Syrians were fled, then fled they also before Abishai, and entered into the city. So Joab returned from the children of Ammon, and came to Jerusalem.

15 And when the Syrians saw that they were smitten before Israel, they gathered themselves together.

16 And Hadarezer sent, and brought out the Syrians that were beyond the river: and they came to Helam; and Shobach the captain of the host of Hadarezer went before them.

17 And when it was told David, he gathered all Israel together, and passed over Jordan, and came to Helam. And the Syrians set themselves in array against David, and fought with him.

18 And the Syrians fled before Israel; and David slew the men of seven hundred chariots of the Syrians, and forty thousand horsemen, and smote Shobach the captain of their host, who died there.

19 And when all the kings that were servants to Hadarezer saw that they were smitten before Israel, they made peace with Israel, and served them. So the Syrians feared to help the children of Ammon any more.

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