20
1 Ben Hadad
the king of Syria
gathered all his
army together; and
there were
thirty-two kings
with him, with
horses and
chariots. He went
up and besieged
Samaria, and
fought against it.
2 He
sent messengers
into the city
to Ahab king of
Israel and said to
him, “Ben Hadad says,
3 ‘Your
silver and your
gold are mine.
Your wives also
and your children,
even the best,
are mine.’ ”
4 The
king of Israel
answered, “It
is according to
your saying,
my lord, O king.
I am yours, and
all that I
have.”
5 The
messengers came
again and said, “Ben Hadad
says, ‘I sent
indeed to you,
saying, “You shall
deliver me your
silver, your gold,
your wives, and
your children;
6 but
I will send
my servants to
you tomorrow about
this time, and
they will search
your house and
the houses of
your servants.
Whatever is
pleasant in your
eyes, they will
put it in
their hand, and
take it away.” ’ ”
7 Then
the king of
Israel called all
the elders of
the land, and said,
“Please notice how
this man seeks
mischief; for he
sent to me
for my wives, and
for my children,
and for my
silver, and for
my gold; and
I didn’t deny him.”
8 All
the elders and
all the people
said to him, “Don’t
listen, and don’t consent.”
9 Therefore
he said to
the messengers
of Ben Hadad, “Tell
my lord the king,
‘All that you
sent for to
your servant at
the first I
will do, but
this thing I
cannot do.’ ”
The messengers
departed and
brought him back
the message.
10 Ben Hadad
sent to him,
and said, “The gods
do so to
me, and more
also, if the dust
of Samaria will
be enough for
handfuls for all
the people who
follow me.”
11 The
king of Israel
answered, “Tell
him, ‘Don’t let him
who puts on
his armor brag like
he who takes
it off.’ ”
12 When Ben
Hadad heard this
message as he
was drinking, he
and the kings
in the pavilions,
he said to
his servants, “Prepare
to attack!” So
they prepared to attack
the city.
13 Behold,
a prophet came
near to Ahab king
of Israel,
and said, “The
LORD says, ‘Have
you seen all
this great
multitude? Behold,
I will deliver
it into your
hand today. Then
you will know
that I am
the LORD.’ ”
14 Ahab said, “By
whom?”
He said, “The
LORD says, ‘By
the young men
of the princes
of the
provinces.’ ”
Then he said, “Who
shall begin the
battle?”
He answered, “You.”
15 Then
he mustered the
young men of
the princes of
the provinces, and
they were two
hundred and
thirty-two. After
them, he mustered
all the people,
even all the
children of Israel,
being seven thousand.
16 They
went out at
noon. But Ben Hadad
was drinking
himself drunk in
the pavilions, he
and the kings,
the thirty-two
kings who helped
him.
17 The
young men of
the princes of
the provinces went
out first; and Ben
Hadad sent out,
and they told
him, saying, “Men
are coming out
from Samaria.”
18 He
said, “If they
have come out
for peace, take
them alive; or if
they have come
out for war,
take them alive.”
19 So these
went out of
the city, the
young men of
the princes of
the provinces, and
the army
which followed them.
20 They each
killed his man.
The Syrians fled,
and Israel pursued
them. Ben Hadad the
king of Syria
escaped on a
horse with
horsemen.
21 The
king of Israel
went out and
struck the horses
and chariots, and
killed the Syrians
with a great
slaughter.
22 The
prophet came near
to the king
of Israel and said
to him, “Go,
strengthen yourself,
and plan what
you must do,
for at the
return of the
year, the king
of Syria will come
up against you.”
23 The
servants of the
king of Syria said
to him, “Their
god is a
god of the
hills; therefore
they were stronger
than we. But
let’s fight
against them in
the plain, and
surely we will
be stronger than
they.
24 Do
this thing: take
the kings away,
every man out
of his place,
and put captains
in their place.
25 Muster
an army like
the army that
you have lost,
horse for horse
and chariot for
chariot. We will
fight against them
in the plain,
and surely we
will be stronger
than they are.”
He listened to
their voice and
did so.
26 At
the return of
the year, Ben Hadad
mustered the Syrians
and went up
to Aphek to fight
against Israel.
27 The
children of Israel
were mustered and
given provisions, and
went against them.
The children of
Israel encamped
before them like
two little flocks
of young goats, but
the Syrians filled
the country.
28 A
man of God
came near and spoke
to the king
of Israel,
and said, “The
LORD says, ‘Because
the Syrians have said, “The
LORD is a
god of the
hills, but he
is not a
god of the
valleys,” therefore
I will deliver
all this great
multitude into
your hand, and
you shall know
that I am
the LORD.’ ”
29 They
encamped opposite
each other for
seven days. Then
on the seventh
day the battle
was joined; and
the children of
Israel killed one
hundred thousand footmen
of the Syrians in
one day.
30 But
the rest fled
to Aphek, into the
city; and the
wall fell on
twenty-seven thousand men who
were left. Ben Hadad
fled and came
into the city,
into an inner
room.
31 His
servants said to
him, “See now,
we have heard
that the kings
of the house
of Israel are
merciful kings.
Please let us
put sackcloth on
our bodies and
ropes on our
heads, and go
out to the
king of Israel.
Maybe he will save
your life.”
32 So
they put sackcloth
on their bodies
and ropes on
their heads, and
came to the
king of Israel,
and said, “Your
servant Ben Hadad says, ‘Please
let me live.’ ”
He said, “Is he
still alive? He
is my brother.”
33 Now
the men observed diligently
and hurried to
take this phrase;
and they said, “Your
brother Ben Hadad.”
Then he said, “Go, bring him.”
Then Ben Hadad came
out to him;
and he caused him
to come up
into the chariot.
34 Ben Hadad said
to him, “The
cities which
my father took
from your father I
will restore. You
shall make streets
for yourself in
Damascus, as
my father made in
Samaria.”
“I”, said Ahab, “will
let you go
with this
covenant.” So he
made a covenant
with him and
let him go.
35 A certain
man of the
sons of the
prophets said to
his fellow by
the LORD’s word,
“Please strike me!”
The man refused
to strike him.
36 Then
he said to
him, “Because you
have not obeyed
the LORD’s voice,
behold, as soon as
you have departed
from me, a lion
will kill you.”
As soon as he
had departed from
him, a lion found
him and killed
him.
37 Then
he found another man,
and said, “Please
strike me.”
The man struck
him and wounded
him.
38 So
the prophet
departed and
waited for the
king by the
way, and disguised
himself with
his headband over
his eyes.
39 As
the king passed
by, he cried
to the king,
and he said, “Your
servant went out
into the middle
of the battle;
and behold, a
man came over
and brought a
man to me,
and said, ‘Guard
this man! If
by any means
he is missing,
then your life
shall be for
his life, or else
you shall pay
a talent
of silver.’
40 As
your servant was
busy here and
there, he was
gone.”
The king of
Israel said to
him, “So shall
your judgment be.
You yourself have
decided it.”
41 He
hurried, and took
the headband away
from his eyes;
and the king
of Israel
recognized that he
was one of
the prophets.
42 He said
to him, “The
LORD says, ‘Because
you have let
go out of
your hand the
man whom I
had devoted to
destruction, therefore
your life will
take the place
of his life,
and your people
take the place
of his people.’ ”
43 The
king of Israel
went to his
house sullen
and angry, and
came to Samaria.