1 و َبَعْدَ مُدَّةٍ ماتَ ناحاشُ، مَلِكُ العَمُّونِيِّينَ. فَخَلَفَهُ ابْنُهُ في المُلْكِ.

¶ Now it came to pass after this that Nahash the king of the sons of Ammon, died, and his son reigned in his stead.

2 و َقالَ داوُدُ: «سَأصْنَعُ مَعْرُوفاً مَعَ حانُونَ بْنِ ناحاشَ، لِأنَّ أباهُ صَنَعَ مَعِي مَعْرُوفاً.» فَأرْسَلَ داوُدُ رُسُلاً لِيُعَزُّوا حانُوتَ بِمَوْتِ وَالِدِهِ. وَلَمّا وَصَلَ مُمَثِّلُو داوُدَ إلَى أرْضِ العَمُّونِيِّينَ، إلَى حانُونَ لِيُقَدِّمُوا التَّعازِيَ لَهُ.

And David said, I will show mercy unto Hanun, the son of Nahash, because his father showed mercy to me. And David sent ambassadors to comfort him concerning his father. So the slaves of David came into the land of the sons of Ammon to Hanun, to comfort him.

3 ف َقالَ قادَةَ العَمُّونِيِّينَ لِحانُونَ: «أتَعْتَقِدُ أنَّ داوُدَ يَقْصِدُ حَقّاً أنْ يُكرِمَ أباكَ بِإرْسالِهِ هَؤُلاءِ الرِّجالَ لِيُقَدِّمُوا لَكَ التَّعازِي؟ لا بُدَّ أنَّ مُمَثِّلِي داوُدَ هَؤُلاءِ جاءُوا إلَيكَ ليَسْتَكشِفُوا، وَيَتَجَسَّسُوا عَلَى أرْضِكَ لِكَي يُدَمِّرُوها.»

But the princes of the sons of Ammon said to Hanun, Does it seem unto thee that David honours thy father, that he has sent comforters unto thee? Are not his slaves come unto thee to search and to overthrow and to spy out the land?

4 ف َألقَى حانُونُ القَبْضَ عَلَى مُمَثِّلِي داوُدَ وَحَلَقَ لِحاهُمْ، وَقَصَّ ثِيابَهُمْ مِنَ الوَسَطِ عِنْدَ الوِرْكِ، ثُمَّ صَرَفَهُمْ.

Then Hanun took David’s slaves and shaved them, and cut off their garments in half, exposing their buttocks and sent them away.

5 ف َجاءَ بَعْضُ النّاسِ إلَى داوُدَ وَأخبَرُوهُ بِما حَدَثَ لِمُمَثِّلِيهِ، فَأرْسَلَ رُسُلاً لاسْتِقبالِهِمْ، لِأنَّهُمْ أُهِينُوا وكانُوا خَجِلِينَ جِدّاً. وَقالَ المَلِكُ لَهُمْ: «امكُثُوا فِي أرِيحا إلَى أنْ تَنْمُو لِحاكُمْ ثانِيَةً، ثُمَّ عُودُوا.»

Then they left, and it was 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 are grown and then return.

6 و َلَمّا رَأى العَمُّونِيُّونَ أنَّهُمْ أساءُوا إلَى داوُدَ، وَأَّنَّهُ انْزعَجَ مِنْهُمْ جِدّاً، أرْسَلَ حانُونُ وَالعَمُّونِيُّونَ ألفَ قِنطارٍ مِنَ الفِضَّةِ لِيَستَأْجِرُوا لِأنفُسِهِمْ مَرْكَباتٍ وَفُرْساناً مِنْ أرامَ النَّهْرَينِ، وَمِنْ أرامَ مَعْكَةَ، وَمِنْ صُوبَةَ.

¶ And when the sons of Ammon saw that they had made themselves odious to David, Hanun and the sons of Ammon sent a thousand talents of silver to hire chariots and horsemen out of Syria of the rivers (Mesopotamia), and out of Syria of Maachah and out of Zobah.

7 و َاستَأْجَرُوا أيضاً لِأنفُسِهِمِ اثْنَينِ وَثَلاثِينَ ألفَ مَركَبَةٍ وَمَلِكَ مَعْكَةَ وَجَيشَهُ. فَجاءُوا وَعَسْكَرُوا قُرْبَ مَيْدَبا. وَاحتَشَدَ العَمُّونِيُّونَ أيضاً مِنْ مُدُنِهِمْ وَجاءُوا لِلقِتالِ.

So they hired thirty-two thousand chariots, and the king of Maachah and his people, who came and pitched camp before Medeba. And the sons of Ammon gathered themselves together from their cities and came to battle.

8 ف َلَمّا سَمِعَ داوُدُ بِهَذا، أرْسَلَ يُوآبَ وَمَعَهُ جَميعُ جَيشِ الأقْوِياءِ.

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

9 ف َخَرَجَ العَمُّونِيُّونَ وَاصطَفُّوا لِلقِتالِ عِنْدَ بَوّابَةِ المَدِينَةِ. وَكانَ المُلُوكُ الَّذِينَ جاءُوا وَحدَهُمْ فِي العَراءِ.

And the sons of Ammon came out and put the battle in order before the gate of the city, and the kings that had come were by themselves in the field.

10 و َرَأى يُوآبُ أنَّهُ وَقَعَ بَينَ فَكَّي جَبْهَتَي القِتالِ مِنَ الأمامِ وَمِنَ الخَلفِ. فَاختارَ مِنْ أفْضَلِ جُنُودِ بَنِي إسْرائِيلَ فِي مُواجَهَةِ جَيشِ الأرامِيِّينَ.

Now 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 order against the Syrians.

11 و َأوْكَلَ قِيادَةَ بَقِيَّةِ الجَيشِ إلَى أخِيهِ أبيشايَ. فَأخَذُوا مَواقِعَهُمْ فِي مُواجَهَةِ العَمُّونِيِّينَ.

And he put the rest of the people into the hand of Abishai, his brother, putting them in order against the sons of Ammon.

12 و َقالَ يُوآبُ لأخيهِ أبيشايَ: «إذا كانَ الأراميُّونَ أقْوَى مِنْ أنْ أسْتطيعَ مُواجَهَتَهُم وَحْدِي، فَسَتُساعِدُني. وَإذا كانَ العَمُّونِيُّونَ أقْوَى مِنْ أنْ تَسْتَطيعَ مُواجَهَتَهُم وَحْدَكَ، فَسَأُساعِدُكَ.

And he said, If the Syrians are too strong for me, then thou shalt save me; but if the sons of Ammon are too strong for thee, then I will save thee.

13 ك ُنْ قَوِياًّ وَلْنُحارِبْ بِشَجاعةً مِنْ أجلِ شَعبِنا ومِنْ أجلِ مُدُنِ إلهنا. وَسَيَفْعَلُ اللهُ ما يَراهُ حَسَناً.»

Be 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.

14 و َتَقَدَّمَ يُوآبُ بِجَيشِهِ إلَى الأرامِيِّينَ لِمُقاتَلَتِهِمْ، فَهَرَبَ الأرامِيُّونَ مِنْ أمامِهِمْ.

So Joab and the people that were with him drew near before the Syrians unto the battle; and they fled before him.

15 و َلَمّا رَأى العَمُّونِيُّونَ أنَّ الأرامِيِّينَ قَدْ هَرَبُوا، هَرَبُوا هُمْ أيضاً مِنْ أمامِ أخِيهِ أبِيشايَ وَجَيشِهِ. وَرَجِعُوا إلَى مَدِينَتِهِمْ. حِينَئِذٍ، ذَهَبَ يُوآبُ إلَى مَدينَةِ القُدْسِ.

And when the sons of Ammon saw that the Syrians had fled, they likewise fled before Abishai, his brother, and entered into the city. Then Joab returned to Jerusalem.

16 و َلَمّا رَأى الأرامِيُّونَ أنَّ بَنِي إسْرائِيلَ هَزَمُوهُمْ، أرسَلُوا رُسُلاً، وَاسْتَقْدَمُوا الأرامِيِّينَ مِنَ الجانِبِ الآخَرِ مِنْ نَهْرِ الفُراتِ. فَجاءُوا بِقِيادَةِ شُوبَكَ، قائِدِ جَيشِ هَدَدَ عَزَرَ.

And when the Syrians saw that they were smitten before Israel, they sent ambassadors and drew forth the Syrians that were beyond the river, whose captain was Shophach, the prince of the host of Hadarezer.

17 و َوَصَلَ هَذا الخَبَرُ إلَى داوُدَ، فَحَشَدَ كُلَّ إسْرائِيلَ مَعاً، وَعَبَرَ نَهْرَ الأُردُنِّ. وَعِندَما جاءَ إلَى الأرامِيِّينَ، وَأخَذَ مَواقِعَهُ مُقابِلَهُمْ، وَضَعَ داوُدُ جَيشَهُ فِي وَضْعِ الاسْتِعدادِ لِلاشْتِباكِ مَعَ الأرامِيِّينَ فِي القِتالِ، فَهَجَمُوا عَلَيهِ.

And when it was told David, he gathered all Israel and passed over the Jordan and came upon them and ordered his host against them. And when David had put his troops in order against the Syrians, they fought with him.

18 و َهَرَبَ الأرامِيُّونَ مِنْ أمامِ إسْرائِيلَ، وَقَتَلَ داوُدُ وَجَيشُهُ سَبْعَةَ آلافِ قائِدِ مَركَبَةٍ، وَأربَعِينَ ألفَ جُندِيٍّ مِنَ المُشاةِ، وَقَتَلَ أيضاً شُوبَكَ قائدَ الجَيشِ.

But the Syrians fled before Israel, and David slew of the Syrians those of seven thousand chariots, and forty thousand footmen; likewise he killed Shophach, the captain of the host.

19 و َلَمّا رَأى أتباعُ هَدَدَ عَزَرَ أنَّ بَنِي إسْرائِيلَ هَزَمُوهُمْ، عَقَدُوا صُلْحاً مَعَ داوُدَ وَصارُوا أتباعاً خاضِعِينَ لَهُ. فَرَفَضَ الأرامِيُّونَ أنْ يُعِينُوا العَمُّونِيِّينَ عَلَى بَنِي إسْرائِيلَ مَرَّةً أُخْرَى.

And when the slaves of Hadarezer saw that they were smitten before Israel, they made peace with David and became his servants; neither would the Syrians help the sons of Ammon any more.