大卫击败亚扪人和亚兰人
1后来，亚扪王拿辖死了，他儿子继位。 2大卫说：“我要恩待拿辖的儿子哈嫩，因为他父亲曾经恩待我。”他便派臣仆去安慰丧父的哈嫩。大卫的臣仆来到亚扪境内要安慰哈嫩， 3亚扪的官长却对哈嫩说：“大卫派人来安慰你，你以为他是来吊唁你父亲吗？他的臣仆来见你不过是来探听虚实，想征服这地方。” 4哈嫩便把大卫的臣仆抓起来，剃去他们一半胡子，割去他们下身的衣服，然后放走他们。 5消息传到大卫那里，他就派人去迎接他们，告诉他们住在耶利哥，等胡须长好了再回来，因为他们倍觉羞辱。
6哈嫩及其他亚扪人知道得罪了大卫，就派人用三十四吨银子从美索不达米亚、亚兰玛迦和琐巴招兵买马， 7雇了三万二千辆战车和玛迦王及其军队。他们在米底巴附近扎营，亚扪人也从各城出来准备作战。 8大卫听见消息后，就派约押率领全体勇士出战。 9亚扪人在城门前列阵，来助战的诸王在郊野列阵。
10约押见自己前后受敌，就从以色列军中挑选一些精兵迎战亚兰人， 11把余下的军兵交给他的兄弟亚比筛领导，迎战亚扪人。 12他对亚比筛说：“倘若我胜不过亚兰人，你便过来支援我；倘若你胜不过亚扪人，我便过去支援你。 13我们要刚强，为我们的人民和我们上帝的城邑而奋勇作战。愿耶和华成全祂自己的旨意！” 14于是，约押率领军兵进攻亚兰人，亚兰人败逃。 15见亚兰人败逃，亚扪人也逃离亚比筛，退回城中。约押便回师耶路撒冷。
16亚兰人见自己败在以色列人手下，就派使者调来幼发拉底河那边的亚兰人，由哈大底谢的将军朔法率领。 17大卫听到消息后，就召集以色列全军，渡过约旦河，列阵与亚兰人交战。 18他们击溃了亚兰人，杀了七千名战车兵、四万步兵，还杀了他们的将军朔法。 19哈大底谢的属下见自己败于以色列人，便向大卫求和，臣服于他。从此，亚兰人不敢再支援亚扪人了。
1Now it came to pass after this, that Nahash the king of the children of Ammon died, and his son reigned in his stead. 2And David said, I will shew kindness unto Hanun the son of Nahash, because his father shewed kindness to me. And David sent messengers to comfort him concerning his father. So the servants of David came into the land of the children of Ammon to Hanun, to comfort him. 3But the princes of the children of Ammon said to Hanun, Thinkest thou that David doth honour thy father, that he hath sent comforters unto thee? are not his servants come unto thee for to search, and to overthrow, and to spy out the land?19.3 Thinkest…: Heb. In thine eyes doth David, etc 4Wherefore Hanun took David’s servants, and shaved them, and cut off their garments in the midst hard by their buttocks, and sent them away. 5Then there went certain, and told David how the men were served. And he sent to meet them: for 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 had made themselves odious to David, Hanun and the children of Ammon sent a thousand talents of silver to hire them chariots and horsemen out of Mesopotamia, and out of Syria-maachah, and out of Zobah.19.6 odious: Heb. to stink 7So they hired thirty and two thousand chariots, and the king of Maachah and his people; who came and pitched before Medeba. And the children of Ammon gathered themselves together from their cities, and came to battle. 8And when David heard of it, he sent Joab, and all the host of the mighty men. 9And the children of Ammon came out, and put the battle in array before the gate of the city: and the kings that were come were by themselves in the field. 10Now when Joab saw that the battle was set against him before and behind, he chose out of all the choice of Israel, and put them in array against the Syrians.19.10 the battle…: Heb. the face of the battle was19.10 choice: or, young men 11And the rest of the people he delivered unto the hand of Abishai his brother, and they set themselves in array against the children of Ammon.19.11 Abishai: Heb. Abshai 12And 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 help thee. 13Be of good courage, and let us behave ourselves valiantly for our people, and for the cities of our God: and let the LORD do that which is good in his sight. 14So Joab and the people that were with him drew nigh before the Syrians unto the battle; and they fled before him. 15And when the children of Ammon saw that the Syrians were fled, they likewise fled before Abishai his brother, and entered into the city. Then Joab came to Jerusalem.
16¶ And when the Syrians saw that they were put to the worse before Israel, they sent messengers, and drew forth the Syrians that were beyond the river: and Shophach the captain of the host of Hadarezer went before them.19.16 river: that is, Euphrates19.16 Shophach: also called, Shobach 17And it was told David; and he gathered all Israel, and passed over Jordan, and came upon them, and set the battle in array against them. So when David had put the battle in array against the Syrians, they fought with him. 18But the Syrians fled before Israel; and David slew of the Syrians seven thousand men which fought in chariots, and forty thousand footmen, and killed Shophach the captain of the host. 19And when the servants of Hadarezer saw that they were put to the worse before Israel, they made peace with David, and became his servants: neither would the Syrians help the children of Ammon any more.
