1 Cronache 19

1Or avvenne, dopo queste cose, che Nahash, re dei figliuoli di Ammon, morì, e il suo figliuolo regnò in luogo di lui. 2Davide disse: "Io voglio usare benevolenza verso Hanun, figliuolo di Nahash, perché suo padre ne usò verso di me". E Davide inviò dei messi a consolarlo della perdita del padre. Ma quando i servi di Davide furon giunti nel paese dei figliuoli di Ammon presso Hanun per consolarlo, 3i principi de’ figliuoli di Ammon dissero ad Hanun: "Credi tu che Davide t’abbia mandato dei consolatori per onorar tuo padre? I suoi servi non son eglino piuttosto venuti per esplorare la città e distruggerla e per spiare il paese?" 4Allora Hanun prese i servi di Davide, li fece radere e fece lor tagliare la metà delle vesti fino alle natiche, poi li rimandò. 5Intanto vennero alcuni ad informar Davide del modo con cui quegli uomini erano stati trattati; e Davide mandò gente ad incontrarli, perch’essi erano oltremodo confusi. E il re fece dir loro: "Restate a Gerico finché vi sia ricresciuta la barba, poi tornerete". 6I figliuoli di Ammon videro che s’erano attirati l’odio di Davide; e Hanun e gli Ammoniti mandarono mille talenti d’argento per prendere al loro soldo dei carri e dei cavalieri presso i Siri di Mesopotamia e presso i Siri di Maaca e di Tsoba. 7E presero al loro soldo trentaduemila carri e il re di Maaca col suo popolo, i quali vennero ad accamparsi dirimpetto a Medeba. E i figliuoli di Ammon si raunarono dalle loro città, per andare a combattere. 8Quando Davide udì questo, inviò contro di loro Joab e tutto l’esercito degli uomini di valore. 9I figliuoli di Ammon uscirono e si disposero in ordine di battaglia alla porta della città; e i re ch’erano venuti in loro soccorso stavano a parte nella campagna. 10Or come Joab vide che quelli eran pronti ad attaccarlo di fronte e alle spalle, scelse un corpo fra gli uomini migliori d’Israele, lo dispose in ordine di battaglia contro i Siri, 11e mise il resto del popolo sotto gli ordini del suo fratello Abishai, che li dispose di fronte ai figliuoli di Ammon; 12e disse ad Abishai: "Se i Siri son più forti di me, tu mi darai soccorso; e se i figliuoli di Ammon son più forti di te, andrò io a soccorrerti. 13Abbi coraggio, e dimostriamoci forti per il nostro popolo e per le città del nostro Dio; e faccia l’Eterno quello che a lui piacerà". 14Poi Joab, con la gente che avea seco, s’avanzò per attaccare i Siri, i quali fuggirono d’innanzi a lui. 15E come i figliuoli di Ammon videro che i Siri eran fuggiti, fuggirono anch’essi d’innanzi ad Abishai, fratello di Joab, e rientrarono nella città. Allora Joab se ne tornò a Gerusalemme. 16I Siri, vedendosi sconfitti da Israele, inviarono de’ messi e fecero venire i Siri che abitavano di là dal fiume. Shofac, capo dell’esercito di Hadarezer, era alla loro testa. 17E la cosa fu riferita a Davide, che radunò tutto Israele, passò il Giordano, marciò contro di loro e si dispose in ordine di battaglia contro ad essi. E come Davide si fu disposto in ordine di battaglia contro i Siri, questi impegnarono l’azione con lui. 18Ma i Siri fuggirono d’innanzi a Israele; e Davide uccise ai Siri gli uomini di settecento carri e quarantamila fanti, e uccise pure Shofac, capo dell’esercito. 19E quando i servi di Hadarezer si videro sconfitti da Israele, fecero pace con Davide, e furono a lui soggetti. E i Siri non vollero più recar soccorso ai figliuoli di Ammon.

1After this, Nahash the king of the children of Ammon died, and his son reigned in his place. 2David said, “I will show kindness to Hanun the son of Nahash, because his father showed kindness to me.” So David sent messengers to comfort him concerning his father. David’s servants 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, “Do you think that David honors your father, in that he has sent comforters to you? Haven’t his servants come to you to search, to overthrow, and to spy out the land?” 4So Hanun took David’s servants, and shaved them, and cut off their garments in the middle, even to their buttocks, and sent them away. 5Then there went certain persons, and told David how the men were served. He sent to meet them; for the men were greatly ashamed. The king said, “Stay at Jericho until your beards have grown, and then return.” 6When the children of Ammon saw that they had made themselves odious to David, Hanun and the children of Ammon sent one thousand talents of silver to hire them chariots and horsemen out of Mesopotamia, and out of Arammaacah, and out of Zobah. 7So they hired for themselves thirty-two thousand chariots, and the king of Maacah and his people, who came and encamped before Medeba. The children of Ammon gathered themselves together from their cities, and came to battle. 8When David heard of it, he sent Joab, and all the army of the mighty men. 9The children of Ammon came out, and put the battle in array at the gate of the city: and the kings who had come were by themselves in the field. 10Now when Joab saw that the battle was set against him before and behind, he chose of all the choice men of Israel, and put them in array against the Syrians. 11The rest of the people he committed into the hand of Abishai his brother; and they put themselves in array against the children of Ammon. 12He said, “If the Syrians are too strong for me, then you are to help me; but if the children of Ammon are too strong for you, then I will help you. 13Be courageous, and let us be strong for our people, and for the cities of our God. May Yahweh do that which seems good to him.” 14So Joab and the people who were with him drew near before the Syrians to the battle; and they fled before him. 15When the children of Ammon saw that the Syrians had fled, they likewise fled before Abishai his brother, and entered into the city. Then Joab came to Jerusalem. 16When the Syrians saw that they were defeated by Israel, they sent messengers, and drew out the Syrians who were beyond the River, with Shophach the captain of the army of Hadadezer at their head. 17It was told David; and he gathered all Israel together, and passed over the Jordan, and came on 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. 18The Syrians fled before Israel; and David killed of the Syrians the men of seven thousand chariots, and forty thousand footmen, and killed Shophach the captain of the army. 19When the servants of Hadadezer saw that they were defeated by Israel, they made peace with David, and served him: neither would the Syrians help the children of Ammon any more.

1En het geschiedde na dezen, dat Nahas, de koning der kinderen Ammons, stierf, en zijn zoon werd koning in zijn plaats. 2Toen zeide David: Ik zal weldadigheid doen aan Hanun, den zoon van Nahas; want zijn vader heeft weldadigheid aan mij gedaan. Daarom zond David boden, om hem te troosten over zijn vader. Toen de knechten van David in het land der kinderen Ammons tot Hanun kwamen, om hem te troosten, 3Zo zeiden de vorsten der kinderen Ammons tot Hanun: Eert David uw vader in uw ogen, omdat hij troosters tot u gezonden heeft? Zijn niet zijn knechten tot u gekomen, om te doorzoeken, en om om te keren, en om het land te verspieden? 4Daarom nam Hanun de knechten van David, en hij beschoor hen, en sneed hun klederen half af tot aan de heupen, en liet hen henengaan. 5Zij nu gingen henen, en men boodschapte David van deze mannen; en hij zond hun tegemoet; want die mannen waren zeer beschaamd. De koning dan zeide: Blijft te Jericho, totdat ulieder baard weder gewassen zij; komt dan wederom. 6Toen de kinderen Ammons zagen, dat zij zich stinkende gemaakt hadden bij David, zo zond Hanun en de kinderen Ammons duizend talenten zilvers, om zich wagenen en ruiters te huren uit Mesopotamie, en uit Syrie-Maacha, en uit Zoba; 7Zodat zij zich huurden twee en dertig duizend wagenen; en de koning van Maacha en zijn volk kwamen en legerden zich voor Medeba; ook vergaderden de kinderen Ammons uit hun steden, en zij kwamen ten strijde. 8Toen het David hoorde, zo zond hij Joab en het ganse heir met de helden. 9Als de kinderen Ammons uitgetogen waren, zo stelden zij de slagorde voor de poort der stad; maar de koningen, die gekomen waren, die waren bijzonder in het veld. 10Toen Joab zag, dat de spits der slagorde van voren en van achteren tegen hem was, zo verkoos hij enigen uit alle uitgelezenen in Israel, en hij stelde hen in orde tegen de Syriers aan. 11En het overige des volks gaf hij in de hand van zijn broeder Abisai, en zij stelden hen in orde tegen de kinderen Ammons aan. 12En hij zeide: Indien mij de Syriers te sterk worden, zo zult gij mij komen verlossen; en indien de kinderen Ammons u te sterk worden, zo zal ik u verlossen. 13Wees sterk, en laat ons sterk zijn voor ons volk, en voor de steden onzes Gods; de HEERE nu doe, wat goed is in Zijn ogen. 14Toen naderde Joab en het volk, dat bij hem was, ten strijde voor het aangezicht der Syriers; en zij vloden voor zijn aangezicht. 15Toen de kinderen Ammons zagen, dat de Syriers vloden, zo vloden zij ook voor het aangezicht van Abisai, zijn broeder, en zij kwamen in de stad; en Joab kwam te Jeruzalem. 16Als de Syriers zagen, dat zij voor het aangezicht van Israel geslagen waren, zo zonden zij boden, en brachten de Syriers uit, die aan gene zijde der rivier woonden; en Sofach, de krijgsoverste van Hadar-ezer, toog voor hun aangezicht heen. 17Toen het David werd aangezegd, zo vergaderde hij gans Israel, en hij toog over de Jordaan, en hij kwam tot hen, en hij stelde de slagorde tegen hen. Als David de slagorde tegen de Syriers gesteld had, zo streden zij met hem. 18Doch de Syriers vloden voor het aangezicht van Israel, en David versloeg van de Syriers zeven duizend wagenen, en veertig duizend mannen te voet; daartoe doodde hij Sofach, den krijgsoverste. 19Toen de knechten van Hadar-ezer zagen, dat zij geslagen waren, voor het aangezicht van Israel, zo maakten zij vrede met David, en dienden hem; en de Syriers wilden de kinderen Ammons niet meer verlossen.