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

Factum est autem post hæc ut moreretur rex filiorum Ammon, et regnavit Hanon filius ejus pro eo.

When the king of the Ammonites died, and his son Hanon succeeded him,

And David said: I will shew kindness to Hanon the son of Daas, as his father shewed kindness to me. So David sent his servants to comfort him for the death of his father. But when the servants of David were come into the land of the children of Ammon,

Dixitque David: Faciam misericordiam cum Hanon filio Naas, sicut fecit pater ejus mecum misericordiam. Misit ergo David, consolans eum per servos suos super patris interitu. Cum autem venissent servi David in terram filiorum Ammon,

David thought to himself, I will shew friendliness to Hanon, as his father Naas did to me; and he dispatched envoys to condole with him over his father’s death. But when these reached the Ammonite country,

The princes of the children of Ammon said to Hanon their lord: Thinkest thou that for the honour of thy father, David hath sent comforters to thee, and hath not David rather sent his servants to thee to search, and spy into the city, and overthrow it?

dixerunt principes filiorum Ammon ad Hanon dominum suum: Putas quod propter honorem patris tui miserit David ad te consolatores, et non ideo ut investigaret, et exploraret civitatem, et everteret eam, misit David servos suos ad te?

the chiefs there said to Hanon, their sovereign, What, David send messengers to comfort thee, in honour of thy father’s memory? Nay, if he has sent men here, they are spies who will make a report on the city, so that he may come and destroy it.

Wherefore Hanon took the servants of David, and shaved off the one half of their beards, and cut away half of their garments even to the buttocks, and sent them away.

Tulit itaque Hanon servos David, rasitque dimidiam partem barbæ eorum et præscidit vestes eorum medias usque ad nates, et dimisit eos.

So Hanon seized David’s messengers, shaved their beards on one side, and cut off the skirts of their clothes right up to the buttocks, and in that guise sent them back.

When this was told David, he sent to meet them: for the men were sadly put to confusion, and David commanded them, saying: Stay at Jericho, till your beards be grown, and then return.

Quod cum nuntiatum esset David, misit in occursum eorum: erant enim viri confusi turpiter valde, et mandavit eis David: Manete in Jericho donec crescat barba vestra, et tunc revertimini.

David, when he heard of this, sent out to meet them, covered with confusion as they were, and bade them wait in Jericho, not returning home until their beards were grown again.

And the children of Ammon seeing that they had done an injury to David, sent and hired the Syrians of Rohob, and the Syrians of Soba, twenty thousand footmen, and of the king of Maacha a thousand men, and of Istob twelve thousand men.

Videntes autem filii Ammon quod injuriam fecissent David, miserunt, et conduxerunt mercede Syrum Rohob, et Syrum Soba, viginti millia peditum, et a rege Maacha mille viros, et ab Istob duodecim millia virorum.

Meanwhile the Ammonites, well aware that they had made an enemy of David, sent and hired mercenaries from the Syrians of Rohob and the Syrians of Soba, twenty thousand men that marched on foot; a thousand, too, from the king of Maacha, and twelve thousand from Istob.

And when David heard this, he sent Joab and the whole army of warriors.

Quod cum audisset David, misit Joab et omnem exercitum bellatorum.

Upon hearing this news, David sent the whole of his forces to engage them, under Joab.

And the children of Ammon came out, and set their men in array at the entering in of the gate: but the Syrians of Soba, and of Rohob, and of Istob, and of Maacha were by themselves in the field.

Egressi sunt ergo filii Ammon, et direxerunt aciem ante ipsum introitum portæ: Syrus autem Soba, et Rohob, et Istob, et Maacha, seorsum erant in campo.

The Ammonites themselves had come out from the city, and drawn up their line at the approaches to its gates; the Syrians from Soba, Rohob, Istob and Maacha were at a distance, out in the open country;

Then Joab seeing that the battle was prepared against him, both before and behind, chose of all the choice men of Israel, and put them in array against the Syrians:

Videns igitur Joab quod præparatum esset adversum se prælium et ex adverso et post tergum, elegit ex omnibus electis Israël, et instruxit aciem contra Syrum:

and Joab saw that he must fight one enemy in front while another was ready to take him in the rear. So he chose the best of his troops and led them against the Syrians,

And the rest of the people he delivered to Abisai his brother, who set them in array against the children of Ammon.

reliquam autem partem populi tradidit Abisai fratri suo, qui direxit aciem adversus filios Ammon.

leaving the rest, under his brother Abisai, to face the Ammonites.

And Joab said: If the Syrians are too strong for me, then thou shalt help me: but if the children of Ammon are too strong for thee, then I will help thee.

Et ait Joab: Si prævaluerint adversum me Syri, eris mihi in adjutorium: si autem filii Ammon prævaluerint adversum te, auxiliabor tibi.

Bring me aid, said Joab, if the Syrians are too strong for me, and I, if the Ammonites have the mastery, will bring aid to thee instead.

Be of good courage, and let us fight for our people, and for the city of our God: and the Lord will do what is good in his sight.

Esto vir fortis, et pugnemus pro populo nostro et civitate Dei nostri: Dominus autem faciet quod bonum est in conspectu suo.

Play the man, fight we valiantly for our people, and for the city walls that are sacred to our God; the Lord’s will be done.

And Joab and the people that were with him, began to fight against the Syrians: and they immediately fled before him.

Iniit itaque Joab, et populus qui erat cum eo, certamen contra Syros: qui statim fugerunt a facie ejus.

So Joab and his men engaged the Syrians, who were routed by his first onslaught,

And the children of Ammon seeing that the Syrians were fled, they fled also before Abisai, and entered into the city: and Joab returned from the children of Ammon, and came to Jerusalem.

Filii autem Ammon videntes quia fugissent Syri, fugerunt et ipsi a facie Abisai, et ingressi sunt civitatem: reversusque est Joab a filiis Ammon, et venit Jerusalem.

and the Ammonites, when they saw the Syrians in full flight, gave way in their turn before the onslaught of Abisai, retreating into the city. After this, Joab went back from the Ammonite country to Jerusalem.

Then the Syrians seeing that they had fallen before Israel, gathered themselves together.

Videntes igitur Syri quoniam corruissent coram Israël, congregati sunt pariter.

Thus defeated, the Syrians mustered the whole of their army,

And Adarezer sent and fetched the Syrians, that were beyond the river, and brought over their army: and Sobach, the captain of the host of Adarezer, was their general.

Misitque Adarezer, et eduxit Syros qui erant trans fluvium, et adduxit eorum exercitum: Sobach autem, magister militiæ Adarezer, erat princeps eorum.

and Adarezer sent for those others of their race who lived on the further side of the river to reinforce him, putting his general, Sobach, in command of them.

And when this was told David, he gathered all Israel together, and passed over the Jordan, and came to Helam: and the Syrians set themselves in array against David, and fought against him.

Quod cum nuntiatum esset David, contraxit omnem Israëlem, et transivit Jordanem, venitque in Helam: et direxerunt aciem Syri ex adverso David, et pugnaverunt contra eum.

David, as soon as he heard the news, mustered the whole forces of Israel, and marched across the Jordan to Helam. There the Syrians drew up their forces to meet him, and gave battle;

And the Syrians fled before Israel, and David slew of the Syrians the men of seven hundred chariots, and forty thousand horsemen: and smote Sobach the captain of the army, who presently died.

Fugeruntque Syri a facie Israël, et occidit David de Syris septingentos currus, et quadraginta millia equitum: et Sobach principem militiæ percussit, qui statim mortuus est.

but the Israelites routed them, and David won the victory. Seven hundred chariots Syria lost that day, and four thousand horsemen; Sobach, too, their general, was wounded and died on the field of battle.

And all the kings that were auxiliaries of Adarezer, seeing themselves overcome by Israel, were afraid and fled away, eight and fifty thousand men before Israel. And they made peace with Israel: and served them, and all the Syrians were afraid to help the children of Ammon any more.

Videntes autem universi reges qui erant in præsidio Adarezer, se victos esse ab Israël, expaverunt, et fugerunt quinquaginta et octo millia coram Israël. Et fecerunt pacem cum Israël, et servierunt eis: timueruntque Syri auxilium præbere ultra filiis Ammon.

And now all the other kings who were vassals of Adarezer saw that they were no match for Israel; their troops lost heart and fled, fifty-eight thousand of them, at the enemy’s approach. So they made peace with the Israelites and became their subjects; and no more was heard of the Syrians bringing aid to the men of Ammon.