¹Now it came to pass after this, that Nahash the king of the children of Ammon died, and his son reigned in his stead.

¹Så hendte det at Nahas, Ammons barns konge, døde, og hans sønn blev konge i hans sted.

²And David said, I will show kindness unto Hanun the son of Nahash, because his father showed 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.

²Da sa David: Jeg vil vise Hanun, Nahas' sønn, vennskap, for hans far viste mig vennskap. Og David sendte bud for å trøste ham i hans sorg over faren. Så kom da Davids tjenere til Ammons barns land, til Hanun for å trøste ham.

³But the princes of the children of Ammon said to Hanun, Thinkest thou that David doth honor 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?

³Da sa Ammons barns høvdinger til Hanun: Tror du det er for å ære din far at David har sendt folk som skal trøste dig? Mon det ikke heller er for å utforske og ødelegge og utspeide landet at hans tjenere er kommet til dig?

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.

⁴Da tok Hanun Davids tjenere og lot dem rake og skar av deres klær midt på like til setet og lot dem så fare.

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.

⁵Og det kom nogen og meldte David hvad som hadde hendt hans menn; da sendte han folk som skulde møte dem; for de var grovelig vanæret; og kongen lot si: Bli i Jeriko til eders skjegg er vokset ut igjen, og kom så tilbake!

⁶And 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 Syriamaachah, and out of Zobah.

⁶Da nu Ammons barn så at de hadde gjort sig forhatt hos David, sendte Hanun og Ammons barn tusen talenter sølv for å leie sig vogner og hestfolk fra Mesopotamia og fra syrerne i Ma'aka og fra Soba.

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.

⁷Så leide de sig da to og tretti tusen vogner og kongen i Ma'aka og hans folk, og de kom og leiret sig foran Medba; men også Ammons barn samlet sig fra sine byer og drog ut til strid.

⁸And when David heard of it, he sent Joab, and all the host of the mighty men.

⁸Da David hørte dette, sendte han Joab avsted med hele hæren, de krigsvante menn.

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.

⁹Og Ammons barn rykket ut og stilte sig i fylking foran inngangen til byen; men kongene som var kommet dit, stod for sig selv på marken.

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.

¹⁰Da Joab så at han hadde fienden mot sig både foran og bak, valgte han ut en del av alt det utvalgte mannskap i Israel og stilte dem op mot syrerne.

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.

¹¹Men resten av folket overgav han til sin bror Absai, og de stilte sig i fylking mot Ammons barn.

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.

¹²Og han sa: Dersom syrerne blir mig for sterke, skal du komme mig til hjelp, og dersom Ammons barn blir dig for sterke, skal jeg hjelpe dig.

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.

¹³Vær modig, og la oss vise oss modige for vårt folk og for var Guds byer, så lar Herren gjøre hvad. godt er i hans øine!

¹⁴So Joab and the people that were with him drew nigh before the Syrians unto the battle; and they fled before him.

¹⁴Så rykket Joab frem med sine folk til strid mot syrerne, og de flyktet for ham.

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.

¹⁵Og da Ammons barn så at syrerne flyktet, så flyktet også de for hans bror Absai og drog sig inn i byen. Da drog Joab tilbake til Jerusalem.

¹⁶And 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.

¹⁶Da syrerne så at de var blitt slått av Israel, sendte de bud at de syrere som bodde på hin side av elven*, skulde dra ut; og Sofak, høvdingen over Hadaresers hær, førte dem. / {* Eufrat.}

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.

¹⁷Da dette blev meldt David, samlet han hele Israel og gikk over Jordan, og da han kom frem til dem, stilte han sig op imot dem - han fylket sin hær mot syrerne, og de stred mot ham.

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.

¹⁸Men syrerne flyktet for Israel, og David drepte blandt syrerne mannskapet på syv tusen vogner og firti tusen mann fotfolk; også hærføreren Sofak drepte han.

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.

¹⁹Da Hadaresers menn så at de var blitt slått av Israel, gjorde de fred med David og blev hans tjenere; og syrerne vilde ikke mere hjelpe Ammons barn.