1 And it came to pass after this, that the king of the children of Ammon died, and Hanon his son reigned in his stead. 2 And David said: I will show kindness to Hanon the son of Daas, as his father showed 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, 3 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? 4 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. 5 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.
6 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. 7 And when David heard this, he sent Joab and the whole army of warriors. 8 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. 9 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: 10 And the rest of the people he delivered to Abisai his brother, who set them in array against the children of Ammon. 11 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. 12 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. 13 And Joab and the people that were with him, began to fight against the Syrians: and they immediately fled before him. 14 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. 15 Then the Syrians seeing that they had fallen before Israel, gathered themselves together. 16 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. 17 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. 18 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. 19 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.
Old Testament first published 1609 by the English College at Douay
New Testament first published 1582 by the English College at Rheims
Revised and Annotated 1749 by Bishop Richard Challoner
Imprimatur. +James Cardinal Gibbons, Archbishop of Baltimore, September 1, 1899
1 Factum est autem post hæc ut moreretur rex filiorum Ammon, et regnavit Hanon filius ejus pro eo. 2 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, 3 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? 4 Tulit itaque Hanon servos David, rasitque dimidiam partem barbæ eorum et præscidit vestes eorum medias usque ad nates, et dimisit eos. 5 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.
6 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. 7 Quod cum audisset David, misit Joab et omnem exercitum bellatorum. 8 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. 9 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: 10 reliquam autem partem populi tradidit Abisai fratri suo, qui direxit aciem adversus filios Ammon. 11 Et ait Joab: Si prævaluerint adversum me Syri, eris mihi in adjutorium: si autem filii Ammon prævaluerint adversum te, auxiliabor tibi. 12 Esto vir fortis, et pugnemus pro populo nostro et civitate Dei nostri: Dominus autem faciet quod bonum est in conspectu suo. 13 Iniit itaque Joab, et populus qui erat cum eo, certamen contra Syros: qui statim fugerunt a facie ejus. 14 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. 15 Videntes igitur Syri quoniam corruissent coram Israël, congregati sunt pariter. 16 Misitque Adarezer, et eduxit Syros qui erant trans fluvium, et adduxit eorum exercitum: Sobach autem, magister militiæ Adarezer, erat princeps eorum. 17 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. 18 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. 19 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.
Transcribed as part of the Clementine Vulgate Project
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