2 Samuel 10 - Hebrew Names version (HNV) Hebrew Names version (HNV)
2 Samuel 10

¹ It happened after this, that the king of the children of `Ammon died, and Chanun his son reigned in his place.

² David said, I will show kindness to Chanun the son of Nachash, as his father shown kindness to me. So David sent by his servants to comfort him concerning his father. David's servants came into the land of the children of `Ammon.

³ But the princes of the children of `Ammon said to Chanun their lord, Do you think that David honors your father, in that he has sent comforters to you? Hasn't David sent his servants to you to search the city, and to spy it out, and to overthrow it?

⁴ So Chanun 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 to David, he sent to meet them; for the men were greatly ashamed. The king said, Wait at Yericho until your beards be grown, and then return.

⁶ When the children of `Ammon saw that they were become odious to David, the children of `Ammon sent and hired the Syrians of Beit-Rechov, and the Syrians of Tzovah, twenty thousand footmen, and the king of Ma`akhah with one thousand men, and the men of Tov twelve thousand men.

⁷ When David heard of it, he sent Yo'av, and all the army of the mighty men.

⁸ The children of `Ammon came out, and put the battle in array at the entrance of the gate: and the Syrians of Tzovah and of Rechov, and the men of Tov and Ma`akhah, were by themselves in the field.

⁹ Now when Yo'av saw that the battle was set against him before and behind, he chose of all the choice men of Yisra'el, and put them in array against the Syrians:

¹⁰ The rest of the people he committed into the hand of Avishai his brother; and he put them in array against the children of `Ammon.

¹¹ He said, If the Syrians be too strong for me, then you shall help me; but if the children of `Ammon be too strong for you, then I will come and help you.

¹² Be of good courage, and let us play the man for our people, and for the cities of our God: and the LORD do that which seems him good.

¹³ So Yo'av and the people who were with him drew near to the battle against the Syrians: and they fled before him.

¹⁴ When the children of `Ammon saw that the Syrians were fled, they likewise fled before Avishai, and entered into the city. Then Yo'av returned from the children of `Ammon, and came to Yerushalayim.

¹⁵ When the Syrians saw that they were put to the worse before Yisra'el, they gathered themselves together.

¹⁶ Hadad`ezer sent, and brought out the Syrians who were beyond the River: and they came to Chelam, with Shovakh the captain of the army of Hadad`ezer at their head.

¹⁷ It was told David; and he gathered all Yisra'el together, and passed over the Yarden, and came to Chelam. The Syrians set themselves in array against David, and fought with him.

¹⁸ The Syrians fled before Yisra'el; and David killed of the Syrians [the men of] seven hundred chariots, and forty thousand horsemen, and struck Shovakh the captain of their army, so that he died there.

¹⁹ When all the kings who were servants to Hadad`ezer saw that they were put to the worse before Yisra'el, they made shalom with Yisra'el, and served them. So the Syrians feared to help the children of `Ammon any more.