1 Un notika, pēc tam nomira amoniešu ķēniņš, un viņa dēls Hanūns kļuva ķēniņš viņa vietā. 2 Tad Dāvids sacīja: "Es būšu laipns pret Hanūnu, Nahaša dēlu, tāpat kā viņa tēvs bija laipns pret mani." Un Dāvids sūtīja savus kalpus mierināt viņu tēva dēļ, un tā Dāvida kalpi nāca uz amoniešu zemi. 3 Tad amoniešu lielkungi sacīja savam kungam Hanūnam: "Vai tu tici, ka Dāvids ir sūtījis šos mierinātājus, lai parādītu godu tavam tēvam? Vai drīzāk gan Dāvids nav atsūtījis savus kalpus pie tevis tādēļ, lai viņi šo pilsētu izpētītu, to izlūkotu un izpostītu?" 4 Tad Hanūns lika Dāvida kalpus saņemt ciet, nodzina tiem pusi bārdas un nogrieza viņu sēru tērpiem apakšējo daļu līdz jostas vietai un tad tos atlaida. 5 Kad tas tika Dāvidam pateikts, tad viņš tiem sūtīja pretī, jo šie vīri bija ļoti apsmieti. Bet ķēniņš lika viņiem sacīt: "Palieciet Jērikā, tiekāms jūsu bārdas būs ataugušas, tad atgriezieties atpakaļ mājās." 6 Kad amonieši redzēja, ka viņi bija kļuvuši Dāvidam nicināmi, tad Amona dēli nosūtīja vēstnešus, un tie sev salīga par naudu sīriešus, gan no Bet-Rehobas, gan sīriešus no Cobas, divdesmit tūkstošus kājnieku, un tāpat no Moāba ķēniņa - tūkstoš vīru, un no Tobas ļaudīm, divpadsmit tūkstošus vīru. 7 Un, tiklīdz Dāvids to dzirdēja, viņš sūtīja Joābu un visu varoņu karapulku. 8 Arī amonieši izgāja un nostājās kaujai vārtu priekšā, bet sīrieši no Cobas un no Rehobas un karavīri no Tobas un Maāhas bija savrup uz lauka. 9 Kad Joābs redzēja, ka viņam nāksies karot no priekšas un no aizmugures, tad viņš izraudzīja no visiem izlasītiem Israēla vīriem un izkārtoja tos pretim sīriešiem. 10 Bet pārējos karavīrus viņš deva sava brāļa Abišaja rokā, un tas nostājās pret amoniešiem. 11 Tad viņš sacīja: "Ja sīrieši būs par mani stiprāki, tad nāc man palīgā, bet, ja izrādītos, ka amonieši būs stiprāki par tevi, tad es iešu tev palīgā. 12 Esi stiprs! Un lai stipri stāvam par mūsu ļaudīm un par mūsu Dieva pilsētām! Bet Tas Kungs lai dara, kā Viņam labāk patīk!" 13 Tad Joābs ar tiem karavīriem, kas pie viņa bija, devās uzbrukumā pret sīriešiem, un tie viņa priekšā bēga. 14 Bet, kad amonieši redzēja, ka sīrieši bēg, tad arī tie Abišaja priekšā metās bēgt un iegāja atpakaļ pilsētā; bet Joābs griezās atpakaļ no amoniešiem un gāja uz Jeruzālemi. 15 Kad sīrieši redzēja, ka viņi bija Israēla sakauti, tad tie atkal pilnā skaitā sapulcējās vienkopus. 16 Un Hadadēzers nosūtīja ziņu un lika doties cīņā tiem sīriešiem, kas bija viņpus upes, un tie nonāca Helamā, un Šobahs, Hadadēzera karaspēka virspavēlnieks, gāja to priekšgalā. 17 Kad Dāvidam tas tika paziņots, tad viņš sapulcināja visu Israēlu karam, gāja pāri Jordānai un nonāca Helamā, kur sīrieši nostājās kaujai Dāvidam pretim, un tie izcīnīja kauju ar viņu. 18 Bet sīrieši bēga Israēla priekšā; un Dāvids iznīcināja septiņi simti ratu un četrdesmit tūkstošus jātnieku; un viņš ievainoja viņu karaspēka virspavēlnieku Šobahu, ka tas tur nomira. 19 Kad visi ķēniņi, Hadadēzera kalpi, redzēja, ka tie bija Israēla sakauti, tad tie salīga mieru ar Israēlu un viņam kalpoja. Tā sīrieši bijās turpmāk iet amoniešiem palīgā.
Israel Fights Ammon
(1 Chronicles 19.1-19)1 Some time later, King Nahash of Ammon died, and his son Hanun became king. 2 David said, “Nahash was kind to me, and I will be kind to his son.” So he sent some officials to the country of Ammon to tell Hanun how sorry he was that his father had died.
3 But Hanun's officials told him, “Do you really believe David is honoring your father by sending these people to comfort you? He probably sent them to spy on our city, so he can destroy it.” 4 Hanun arrested David's officials and had their beards shaved off on one side of their faces. He had their robes cut off just below the waist, and then he sent them away. 5 They were terribly ashamed.
When David found out what had happened to his officials, he sent a message and told them, “Stay in Jericho until your beards grow back. Then you can come home.”
6 The Ammonites realized that they had made David very angry, so they hired more foreign soldiers. Twenty thousand of them were foot soldiers from the Aramean cities of Beth-Rehob and Zobah, 1,000 were from the king of Maacah, and 12,000 were from the region of Tob. 7 David heard what they had done, and he sent out Joab with all of his well-trained soldiers.
8 The Ammonite troops came out and got ready to fight in front of the gate to their city. The Arameans from Zobah and Rehob and the soldiers from Tob and Maacah formed a separate group in the nearby fields.
9 Joab saw that he had to fight in front and behind at the same time, and he picked some of the best Israelite soldiers to fight the Arameans. 10 He put his brother Abishai in command of the rest of the army and gave them orders to fight the Ammonites. 11 Joab told his brother, “If the Arameans are too much for me to handle, you can come and help me. If the Ammonites are too strong for you, I'll come and help you. 12 Be brave and fight hard to protect our people and the cities of our God. I pray that the Lord will do whatever pleases him.”
13 Joab and his soldiers attacked the Arameans, and the Arameans ran from them. 14 When the Ammonite soldiers saw that the Arameans had run away, they ran from Abishai's soldiers and went back into their own city. Joab stopped fighting the Ammonites and returned to Jerusalem.
15 The Arameans realized they had lost the battle, so they brought all their troops together again. 16 Hadadezer sent messengers to call in the Arameans who were on the other side of the Euphrates River. Then Shobach, the commander of Hadadezer's army, led them to the town of Helam.
17 David found out what the Arameans were doing, and he brought Israel's whole army together. They crossed the Jordan River and went to Helam, where the Arameans were ready to meet them. 18 The Arameans attacked, but then they ran from Israel. David killed 700 chariot drivers and 40,000 cavalry. He also killed Shobach, their commander.
19 When the kings who had been under Hadadezer's rule saw that Israel had beaten them, they made peace with Israel and accepted David as their ruler. The Arameans were afraid to help Ammon any more.
