David Defeats the Ammonites
1In the course of time, Nahash king of the Ammonites died, and his son succeeded him as king. 2David thought, “I will show kindness to Hanun son of Nahash, because his father showed kindness to me.” So David sent a delegation to express his sympathy to Hanun concerning his father.
When David’s envoys came to Hanun in the land of the Ammonites to express sympathy to him, 3the Ammonite commanders said to Hanun, “Do you think David is honoring your father by sending envoys to you to express sympathy? Haven’t his envoys come to you only to explore and spy out the country and overthrow it?” 4So Hanun seized David’s envoys, shaved them, cut off their garments at the buttocks, and sent them away.
5When someone came and told David about the men, he sent messengers to meet them, for they were greatly humiliated. The king said, “Stay at Jericho till your beards have grown, and then come back.”
6When the Ammonites realized that they had become obnoxious to David, Hanun and the Ammonites sent a thousand talents19:6 That is, about 38 tons or about 34 metric tons of silver to hire chariots and charioteers from Aram Naharaim,19:6 That is, Northwest Mesopotamia Aram Maakah and Zobah. 7They hired thirty-two thousand chariots and charioteers, as well as the king of Maakah with his troops, who came and camped near Medeba, while the Ammonites were mustered from their towns and moved out for battle.
8On hearing this, David sent Joab out with the entire army of fighting men. 9The Ammonites came out and drew up in battle formation at the entrance to their city, while the kings who had come were by themselves in the open country.
10Joab 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. 11He put the rest of the men under the command of Abishai his brother, and they were deployed against the Ammonites. 12Joab said, “If the Arameans are too strong for me, then you are to rescue me; but if the Ammonites are too strong for you, then I will rescue you. 13Be strong, and let us fight bravely for our people and the cities of our God. The Lord will do what is good in his sight.”
14Then Joab and the troops with him advanced to fight the Arameans, and they fled before him. 15When the Ammonites realized that the Arameans were fleeing, they too fled before his brother Abishai and went inside the city. So Joab went back to Jerusalem.
16After the Arameans saw that they had been routed by Israel, they sent messengers and had Arameans brought from beyond the Euphrates River, with Shophak the commander of Hadadezer’s army leading them.
17When David was told of this, he gathered all Israel and crossed the Jordan; he advanced against them and formed his battle lines opposite them. David formed his lines to meet the Arameans in battle, and they fought against him. 18But they fled before Israel, and David killed seven thousand of their charioteers and forty thousand of their foot soldiers. He also killed Shophak the commander of their army.
19When the vassals of Hadadezer saw that they had been routed by Israel, they made peace with David and became subject to him.
So the Arameans were not willing to help the Ammonites anymore.
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。”他便派使臣去安慰丧父的哈嫩。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，不过是要探听虚实，想摧毁这地方。” 4哈嫩便把大卫的臣仆抓起来，剃去他们的胡须，从臀部割去他们下半身的衣服，然后放走他们。 5消息传到大卫那里，他就派人去迎接他们，因为他们倍受羞辱。王告诉他们留在耶利哥，等胡须长好了再回来。
6哈嫩及其他亚扪人知道得罪了大卫，就派人用六十八万两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汇集在一起，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约押见自己腹背受敌，就从以色列军中挑选一些精兵列阵迎战亚兰人， 11把余下的军兵交给他的兄弟亚比筛带领，列阵迎战亚扪人。 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你要刚强，我们要为我们的人民和我们上帝的城邑奋勇作战。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亚扪人见亚兰人败逃，便也从亚比筛面前逃回城去。约押便回师耶路撒冷。
16亚兰人见自己败给以色列人，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，去攻打亚兰人，列阵与他们交战。 18亚兰人在以色列人面前败逃，大卫杀了他们七千名战车兵、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给以色列人，便向大卫求和，臣服于他。从此，亚兰人不愿再支援亚扪人了。
