1Forsooth it was done after these things, that Nahash, [the] king of the sons of Ammon, died; and Hanun, his son, reigned for him, (or and his son Hanun reigned in his place).

2And David said, I shall do mercy with Hanun, the son of Nahash, as his father did mercy with me. Therefore David sent comforting (to) him by his servants on the death of the father, (or And David said, I shall show friendship to Nahash’s son Hanun, like his father showed to me. And so, by his servants, David sent words of comfort to Hanun on the death of his father). And when the servants of David had come into the land of the sons of Ammon,

3the princes of the sons of Ammon said to Hanun, their lord, Guessest thou, that for the honour of thy father David hath sent comforters to thee; and not rather therefore David sent his servants to thee, that he should espy, and ensearch the city, and destroy it? (or and not rather, that David sent his servants to thee to spy out, and to search through the city, so that later he could destroy it?)

4Therefore Hanun took the servants of David, and shaved half the part of the beard of them, and he cutted away the middle clothes of them, till to the buttocks; and let go them. (And so Hanun took David’s servants, and shaved off half of their beards, and cut away half of their clothes, unto the buttocks, and then let them go.)

5And when this was told to David, he sent into the coming of them, for the men were shamed full vilely, (or And when this was told to David, he sent men to meet them, for these men had been vilely shamed). And David commanded to them, (and said), Dwell ye in Jericho, till your beard (hath) waxed, and then turn ye again.

6And the sons of Ammon saw, that they had done wrong to David, and they sent, and hired with meed of Bethrehob of Syria, and of Zoba of Syria, twenty thousand of footmen, and of king Maacah, a thousand men, and of Ishtob, twelve thousand of men. (And the Ammonites saw that they had wronged David, and so they sent for, and hired for pay, Syrians from Bethrehob and from Zoba, yea, twenty thousand footmen, and a thousand men from King Maacah, and twelve thousand men from Tob.)

7And when David had heard this, he sent (out) Joab, and all the host of fighters (or and all his army of fighting men).

8Therefore the sons of Ammon went out, and dressed battle array before them in the entering of the gate. And Zoba, and Rehob of Syria, and Ishtob, and Maacah, were asides half in the field. (And so the Ammonites went out, and dressed the battle array before them at the entrance to the city gate. And the Syrians from Zoba and from Rehob, and the men from Tob, and from Maacah, were asides half in the field.)

9Therefore Joab saw, that the battle was made ready against him, both even against him and behind his back; and he chose to himself of all the chosen men of Israel (or and he chose for himself the best men out of all Israel), and ordained (the) battle array against (the) Syrians.

10Forsooth he betook to Abishai, his brother, the tother part of the people, which dressed (the) battle array against the sons of Ammon.

11And Joab said, If (the) men of Syria have the mastery against me, thou shalt be to me into help; and if the sons of Ammon have the mastery against thee, I shall help thee;

12be thou a strong man (or be thou of good courage), and fight we for our people, and for the city of our God; for the Lord shall do that, that is good in his sight.

13Therefore Joab and the people that was with him, began battle against men of Syria, which fled anon from his face. (And so Joab, and the men who were with him, began to fight against the Syrians, who fled at once from before them.)

14And the sons of Ammon saw, that [the] men of Syria had fled; and they fled also from the face of Abishai, and entered into the city; and Joab turned again from the sons of Ammon, and came into Jerusalem, (or and then Joab left off fighting the Ammonites, and went back to Jerusalem).

15And [the] men of Syria saw that they had fallen before Israel, and they were gathered together. (And when the Syrians saw that they had fallen before Israel, they gathered themselves together.)

16And Hadadezer ²sent, and led out [the] men of Syria that were beyond the flood, and he brought forth the host of them; and Shobach, [the] master of the chivalry of Hadadezer, was the prince of them. (And Hadadezer sent for the Syrians who were on the other side of the Euphrates River, and they came forth to Helam; and Shobach, the master of Hadadezer’s cavalry,or of his army, was their leader.)

17And when this was told to David, he drew together all Israel, and he passed over Jordan (or and he crossed over the Jordan River), and came into Helam. And [the] men of Syria dressed (the) battle array against David, and fought against him.

18And Syrians fled from the face of Israel; and David killed of the Syrians (the men in) seven hundred chariots, and forty thousand of horsemen; and he smote Shobach, the prince of the chivalry, the which was dead anon. (And the Syrians fled from the Israelites; and David killed of those Syrians the men in seven hundred chariots, and forty thousand horsemen; and he struck down Shobach, the leader of the cavalry, or of the army, who died on the battlefield.)

19And all the kings, that were in help of Hadadezer, saw that they were overcome of Israel, and they made peace with Israel, and served them; and the Syrians dreaded to give (more) help to the sons of Ammon. (And when all the kings, who were subject to Hadadezer, saw that they were overcome by Israel, they made peace with Israel, and served them; and from then on the Syrians were afraid to give any more help to the Ammonites.)