19:10. Wherefore Joab understanding that the battle was set against him before and behind, chose out the bravest men of all Israel, and marched against the Syrians,
19:11. And the rest of the people he delivered into the hand of Abisai his brother, and they went against the children of Ammon.
19:12. And 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, I will help thee.
19:13. Be of good courage and let us behave ourselves manfully for our people, and for the cities of our G.o.d: and the Lord will do that which is good in his sight.
19:14. So Joab and the people that were with him, went against the Syrians to the battle: and he put them to flight.
19:15. And the children of Ammon seeing that the Syrians were fled, they likewise fled from Abisai his brother, and went into the city: and Joab also returned to Jerusalem.
19:16. But the Syrians seeing that they had fallen before Israel, sent messengers, and brought to them the Syrians that were beyond the river: and Sophach, general of the army of Adarezer, was their leader.
19:17. And it was told David, and he gathered together all Israel, and pa.s.sed the Jordan, and came upon them, and put his army in array against them, and they fought with him.
19:18. But the Syrian fled before Israel: and David slew of the Syrians seven thousand chariots, and forty thousand footmen, and Sophach the general of the army.
Seven thousand chariots... That is, of men who fought in chariots.
19:19. And when the servants of Adarezer saw themselves overcome by Israel, they went over to David, and served him: and Syria would not help the children of Ammon any more.
1 Paralipomenon Chapter 20
Rabba is taken. Other victories over the Philistines.
20:1. And it came to pa.s.s after the course of a year, at the time that kings go out to battle, Joab gathered together an army and the strength of the troops, and wasted the land of the children of Ammon: and went and besieged Rabba. But David stayed at Jerusalem, when Joab smote Rabba, and destroyed it.
20:2. And David took the crown of Melchom from his head, and found in it a talent weight of gold, and most precious stones, and he made himself a diadem of it: he took also the spoils of the city which were very great.
20:3. And the people that were therein he brought out: and made harrows, and sleds, and chariots of iron to go over them, so that they were cut and bruised to pieces: in this manner David dealt with all the cities of the children of Ammon: and he returned with all his people to Jerusalem.
20:4. After this there arose a war at Gazer against the Philistines: in which Sabachai the Husathite slew Saphai of the race of Raphaim, and humbled them.
20:5. Another battle also was fought against the Philistines, in which Adeodatus the son of Saltus a Bethlehemite slew the brother of Goliath the Gethite, the staff of whose spear was like a weaver"s beam.
20:6. There was another battle also in Geth, in which there was a man of great stature, whose fingers and toes were four and twenty, six on each hand and foot: who also was born of the stock of Rapha.
20:7. He reviled Israel: but Jonathan the son of Samaa the brother of David slew him. These were the sons of Rapha in Geth, who fell by the hand of David and his servants.
1 Paralipomenon Chapter 21
David"s sin in numbering the people is punished by a pestilence: which ceaseth upon his offering sacrifice in the thrashingfloor of Ornan.
21:1. And Satan rose up against Israel: and moved David to number Israel.
21:2. And David said to Joab, and to the rulers of the people: Go, and number Israel from Bersabee even to Dan, and bring me the number of them that I may know it.
21:3. And Joab answered: The Lord make his people a hundred times more than they are: but, my lord the king, are they not all thy servants: why doth my lord seek this thing, which may be imputed as a sin to Israel?
21:4. But the king"s word rather prevailed: and Joab departed, and went through all Israel: and returned to Jerusalem.
21:5. And he gave David the number of them, whom he had surveyed: and all the number of Israel was found to be eleven hundred thousand men that drew the sword: and of Juda four hundred and seventy thousand fighting men.
The number, etc... The difference of the numbers here and 2 Kings 24. is to be accounted for, by supposing the greater number to be that which was really found, and the lesser to be that which Joab gave in.
21:6. But Levi and Benjamin he did not number: for Joab unwillingly executed the king"s orders.
21:7. And G.o.d was displeased with this thing that was commanded: and he struck Israel.
21:8. And David said to G.o.d: I have sinned exceedingly in doing this: I beseech thee take away the iniquity of thy servant, for I have done foolishly.
21:9. And the Lord spoke to Gad the seer of David, saying:
21:10. Go, and speak to David, and tell him: Thus saith the Lord: I give thee the choice of three things: choose one which thou wilt, and I will do it to thee.
21:11. And when Gad was come to David, he said to him: Thus saith the Lord: choose which thou wilt:
21:12. Either three years famine: or three months to flee from thy enemies, and not to be able to escape their sword: or three days to have the sword of the Lord, and pestilence in the land, and the angel of the Lord destroying in all the coasts of Israel: now therefore see what I shall answer him who sent me.
Three years famine... Which joined with the three foregoing years of famine mentioned, 2 Kings 21. and the seventh year of the land"s resting, would make up the seven years proposed by the prophet, 2 Kings 24.13.
21:13. And David said to Gad: I am on every side in a great strait: but it is better for me to fall into the hands of the Lord, for his mercies are many, than into the hands of men.
21:14. So the Lord sent a pestilence upon Israel. And there fell of Israel seventy thousand men.
21:15. And he sent an angel to Jerusalem, to strike it: and as he was striking it, the Lord beheld, and took pity for the greatness of the evil: and said to the angel that destroyed: It is enough, now stop thy hand. And the angel of the Lord stood by the thrashingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite.
Ornan... Otherwise Areuna.
21:16. And David lifting up his eyes, saw the angel of the Lord standing between heaven and earth, with a drawn sword in his hand, turned against Jerusalem: and both he and the ancients clothed in haircloth, fell down flat on the ground.
21:17. And David said to G.o.d: Am not I he that commanded the people to be numbered? It is I that have sinned: it is I that have done the evil: but as for this flock, what hath it deserved? O Lord my G.o.d, let thy hand be turned, I beseech thee, upon me, and upon my father"s house: and let not thy people be destroyed.
21:18. And the angel of the Lord commanded Gad to tell David, to go up, and build an altar to the Lord G.o.d in the thrashingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite.
21:19. And David went up, according to the word of Gad, which he spoke to him in the name of the Lord.
21:20. Now when Ornan looked up, and saw the angel, he and his four sons hid themselves: for at that time he was thrashing wheat in the floor.
21:21. And as David was coming to Ornan, Ornan saw him, and went out of the thrashingfloor to meet him, and bowed down to him with his face to the ground.
21:22. And David said to him: Give me this place of thy thrashingfloor, that I may build therein an altar to the Lord: but thou shalt take of me as much money as it is worth, that the plague may cease from the people.
21:23. And Ornan said to David: Take it, and let my lord the king do all that pleaseth him: and moreover the oxen also I give for a holocaust, and the drays for wood, and the wheat for the sacrifice: I will give it all willingly.
21:24. And king David said to him: It shall not be so, but I will give thee money as much as it is worth: for I must not take it from thee, and so offer to the Lord holocausts free cost.
21:25. So David gave to Ornan for the place, six hundred sicles of gold of just weight.