Study Desk

O God, thou hast rejected us - hast scattered us, Thou hast been angry, Wilt thou restore us?

Thou hast shaken the land - hast rent it, Heal thou the fractures thereof - for it hath tottered:

Thou hast suffered thy people to see hardship, Thou hast let them drink the wine of confusion.

Thou hadst given - to them that revere thee - a banner, to float aloft, Because of thy faithfulness. Selah.

That thy beloved ones may be delivered, Save thou with thine own right hand - and answer us.

God, hath spoken in his holiness - I will exult! I will apportion Shechem, And, the Vale of Succoth, will I measure out;

Mine, is Gilead - and mine, Manasseh, But, Ephraim, is the defence, of my head, Judah, is my commander's staff;

Moab, is my wash-bowl, Upon Edom, will I throw my shoe, Over Philistia! raise shout of triumph.

Who will conduct me to fortified city? Who will lead me as far as Edom!

Is it not, thou, O God? - thou hast rejected us! And wilt thou not go forth, O God, with our hosts?

Grant us help out of distress, For, vain, is the deliverance of man:

In God, we shall do valiantly, He himself, therefore, will tread down our adversaries.

And it came to pass, after this, that David smote the Philistines, and subdued them, - and David took the bridle of the metropolis, out of the hand of the Philistines.

And he smote Moab, and measured them with the line casting, them down to the ground, and be measured with two lines to put to death, and with one full line to keep alive, - so the Moabites became David's, as servants, bringing gifts.

And David smote Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah, - when he went to lay his hand on the River Euphrates.

And David captured from him, a thousand and seven hundred horsemen, and twenty thousand footmen, - and David destroyed all the chariots, but reserved of them, a hundred chariots.

And, when the Syrians of Damascus came to help Hadadezer, king of Zobah, David smote of the Syrians, twenty-two thousand men.

Then David put garrisons in Syria of Damascus, and the Syrians became David's, as servants bringing gifts, - and so Yahweh gave victory unto David, whithersoever he went.

And David took the shields of gold which had come to the servants of Hadadezer, - and brought them to Jerusalem;

also, from Betah and from Berothai, cities of Hadadezer, did King David take bronze, exceeding much.

And, when Tou king of Hamath heard that David had smitten all the forces of Hadadezer,

then Tou sent Hadoram his son unto King David, to ask after his welfare, and to bless him, because he had fought against Hadadezer and had smitten him, for Hadadezer had had wars with Tou, - and, in his hand, were vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and vessels of bronze.

Them also, did King David hallow unto Yahweh, - with the silver and the gold which he had hallowed from all the nations which he had subdued:

from Syria, and from Moab, and from the sons of Ammon, and from the Philistines, and from Amalek, - and from the spoil of Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah.

And David made a name, when he returned from his smiting of the Syrians in the valley of salt, - eighteen thousand.

And he put, in Edom, garrisons, throughout all Edom, put be garrisons, and so it was that all Edom became servants unto David, - and Yahweh gave victory unto David, whithersoever he went.

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

Then said David - I will shew lovingkindness unto Hanun son of Nahash, as his father shewed, unto me, lovingkindness. So David sent to comfort him, by the hand of his servants, as to his father, - and the servants of David came into the land of the sons of Ammon.

Then said the rulers of the sons of Ammon unto Hanun their lord - Is David honouring thy father, in thine eyes, that he hath sent unto thee comforters? Is it not, for the sake of exploring the city, and spying it out, and overthrowing it, that David hath sent his servants unto thee?

Wherefore Hanun took David's servants, and shaved off half their beards, and cut off their upper garments in the middle, as far as their buttocks, - and let them go.

And, when they told David, he sent to meet them, because the men were greatly ashamed, - and the king said - Tarry at Jericho, until your beards be grown, then shall ye return.

And, when the sons of Ammon saw that they had made themselves odious with David, the sons of Ammon sent and hired the Syrians of Beth-rehob, and the Syrians of Zoba - twenty thousand footmen, and of king Maacah - a thousand men, and men of Tob - twelve thousand men.

And, when David heard of it, he sent Joab and all the army of heroes,

And the sons of Ammon came out, and set in array for battle, at the entrance of the gate, - whereas, the Syrians of Zoba, and of Rehob, and the men of Tob and of Maacah, were by themselves, in the field.

And, when Joab saw that the front of the battle was towards him, before and behind, he chose out of all the chosen men of Israel, and set them in array against the Syrians;

while, the rest of the people, he delivered into the hand of Abishai his brother, - and set them in array against the sons of Ammon.

And he said - If the Syrians be too strong for me, then shalt thou become my deliverance, - but, if, the sons of Ammon, be too strong for thee, then will I come with deliverance to thee.

Be strong, and let us put forth our strength, for the sake of our people, and for the sake of the cities of our God, - and, Yahweh, do what is good in his own eyes.

And Joab drew nigh, and the people that were with him, to fight against the Syrians, - and they fled before him.

And, when, the sons of Ammon, saw that the Syrians had fled, then fled they before Abishai, and entered the city, - so Joab returned from the sons of Ammon, and entered Jerusalem.

And, when the Syrians saw that they were defeated before Israel, they gathered themselves together;

and Hadadezer sent and brought out the Syrians that were beyond the River, and they entered Helam, - Shobach the prince of the host of Hadadezer being before them.

And, when it was told David, he gathered together all Israel, and passed over the Jordan, and entered Helam, - and the Syrians set themselves in array to meet David, and fought with him.

Then fled the Syrians before Israel, and David slew of the Syrians seven hundred chariots, and forty thousand horsemen, - Shobach also, prince of their host, smote he, that he died, there.

And, when all the kings who were servants to Hadadezer saw that they were defeated before Israel, they made peace with Israel, and served them, - and the Syrians feared to give help any more unto the sons of Ammon.

And it came to pass, after this, that Nahash king of the sons of Ammon died, - and Hanun his son reigned in his stead.

Then said David - I will show lovingkindness unto Hanun, son of Nahash, - for his father shewed unto me lovingkindness. So David sent messengers to console him concerning his father, - and the servants of David came into the land of the sons of Ammon unto Hanun, to console him.

Then said the rulers of the sons of Ammon unto Hanun, Doth David honour thy father in thine eyes, that he hath sent to thee comforters? Is it not, for the sake of exploring and overthrowing, and spying out the land, that his servants have come to thee?

So Hanun took the servants of David, and shaved them, and cut off their upper garments in the middle, as far as their parts of shame, - and let them go.

And people went and told David, concerning the men, so he sent to meet them, because the men were greatly ashamed, - and the king said - Tarry at Jericho, until your beards be grown, and then return.

And, when the sons of Ammon saw, that they had made themselves odious with David, Hanun and the sons of Ammon sent a thousand talents of silver, to hire for themselves - out of Mesopotamia, and out of Aram-maacah, and out of Zobah, - chariots, and horsemen.

So they hired for themselves thirty-two thousand chariots, and the king of Maacah, and his people, who came and pitched before Medeba, - and the sons of Ammon gathered themselves together out of their cities, and entered into the war.

Now, when David heard, he sent Joab and all the army of heroes.

And the sons of Ammon came out, and set in array for the battle, at the opening of the city, - whereas, the kings who had come, were by themselves, in the field.

So, when Joab saw that the battle confronted him, before and behind, - he chose out of all the choice in Israel, and set in array to meet the Syrians;

and, the rest of the people, delivered he into the hand of Abishai his brother, - and they set in array, to meet the sons of Ammon.

And he said - If, too strong for me, be the Syrians, then shalt thou come to my help, - but, if, the sons of Ammon, be too strong for thee, then will I help thee.

Be strong, and let us put forth our strength, for the sake of our people, and for the sake of the cities of our God, - and let, Yahweh, do, what is good in his own eyes.

Then did Joab, and all the people who were with him, draw near before the Syrians unto the battle, - and they fled from before him.

And, when, the sons of Ammon, saw that the Syrians had fled, then fled, they also, from before Abishai his brother, and entered the city, - and Joab came to Jerusalem.

And when the Syrians saw that they had been defeated before Israel, then sent they messengers, and brought out the Syrians who were Beyond the River, - with Shophach captain of the army of Hadarezer, before them.

And it was told David, and he gathered together all Israel, and crossed the Jordan, and came unto them, and set in array against them, - and, when David had set in array against the Syrians for battle, they fought with him.

And the Syrians fled from before Israel, and David slew of the Syrians the men of seven thousand chariots, and forty thousand footmen, - and, Shophach captain of the army, he put to death.

And, when the servants of Hadarezer saw that they were defeated before Israel, they made peace with David and served him, - neither would the Syrians help the sons of Ammon any more.