1 Manghai 20
1 Aram manghai Benhadad loh amah kah thadueng boeih neh a taengkah manghai sawmthum panit, marhang neh leng khaw a coi. Te phoeiah cet tih Samaria te a dum tih a vathoh thil.
Ben-Hadad, the king of Syria, gathered all his army, and he persuaded 32 other kings to join him with their armies and horses and chariots. They marched to Samaria [city, the capital of Israel], and surrounded it, and [prepared to] attack it.
2 Te phoeiah khopuei la Israel manghai Ahab taengla puencawn a tueih.
Ben-Hadad sent messengers into the city to King Ahab, to say this to him: “This is what King Ben-Hadad says:
3 Ahab te, “Benhadad loh, ‘Na cak neh na sui khaw kai ham, na yuu neh na ca khaw, na hnothen khaw kai ham,’ a ti,” a ti nah.
‘[You must give to] me all your silver and gold, your (good-looking/most beautiful) wives/women and strongest children.’”
4 Israel manghai loh a doo tih, “Ka boei manghai namah ol bangla kai neh ka taengkah boeih he namah ham ni,” a ti nah.
The king of Israel replied to them, “Tell this to King Ben-Hadad: ‘I agree to do what you requested. You can have me and everything that I own.’”
5 Puencawn rhoek te mael tih, “Benhadad loh he ni a thui. ‘Na cak neh na sui, hoe ham nang taengla kan tueih, na yuu na ca rhoek khaw kai taengah m'pae,’ a ti.
[The messengers told that to] Ben-Hadad, and he [sent them back with] another message: “I sent a message to you saying that you must give me all your silver and gold and your wives and your children.
6 Thangvuen tahae tue ah ka sal rhoek nang taengla kan tueih vetih na im neh na sal rhoek im khaw a phuelhthaih uh ni. Na mik loh a ngailaemnah boeih te a kut dongah a tloeng uh vetih a khuen ni,” a ti nah.
But [in addition to that], about this time tomorrow, I will send some of my officials to search your palace and the houses of your officials, and to bring to me everything that pleases them.”
7 Israel manghai loh khohmuen kah a ham rhoek boeih te a khue tih, “Ming uh laeh lamtah boethae a tlap he hmuh uh. Ka taengla han tueih vaengah ka yuu neh ka ca rhoek, ka cak neh ka sui khaw, anih ham ka hloh moenih,” a ti nah.
King Ahab summoned all the leaders of Israel, and said to them, “You can see/realize for yourselves that this man is trying to cause much trouble. He sent me a message insisting that I must give him my wives and my children, my silver and my gold, and I agreed to do that.”
8 Te vaengah anih te a ham boeih neh pilnam boeih loh, “Hnatun pah boeh, ngaih pah boeh,” a ti nah.
The leaders and all the other people said to him, “Do not pay any attention to him! Do not do what he is requesting!”
9 Te dongah Benhadad kah puencawn rhoek te, “Ka boei manghai te thui pah, lamhma la sal nan tueih vaengkah boeih te tah ka ngai ni. Tedae tahae kah ol he ka ngai ham a coeng moenih,” a ti nah. Te phoeiah puencawn rhoek te cet uh tih ol te a mael puei uh.
So Ahab said to Ben-Hadad’s messengers, “Tell the king that I agree to give him the things that he first requested, but I do not agree to allow his officials to take anything that they want from my palace and from the houses of my officials.” So the messengers [reported that to King Ben-Hadad, and they] returned with another message from Ben-Hadad.
10 Benhadad loh anih te ol a tah tih, “Samaria kah laipi he ka kho kung kah pilnam boeih ham kutpha dongah a buem atah pathen loh kai taengah n'saii saeh lamtah n'koei van saeh,” a ti nah.
In that message he said, “[We will destroy] your city [completely, with the result that] there will not be enough dust and rubble left for each of my soldiers to have one handful! I hope/wish that the gods will strike me dead if we do not do that!”
11 Israel manghai loh a doo tih, “Thui pa uh, a ka vah khaw aka dul bangla yan uh boel saeh,” ti nah.
King Ahab replied [to the messengers], “Tell King Ben-Hadad that a soldier who is putting on his armor [preparing to fight a battle] [MTY] should not boast at that time; he [should wait until] after he wins the battle.”
12 Amah neh manghai rhoek loh dungtlungim ah a ok uh li vaengah he ol he a yaak. Te dongah a sal rhoek te, “Rhuengphong uh,” a ti nah tih khopuei te a rhuengphong thil uh.
Ben-Hadad heard that message while he and the other rulers were drinking [wine] in their temporary shelters. He told his men to prepare to attack [MTY] the city. So his men did that.
13 Te vaengah Israel manghai Ahab taengla tonghma pakhat pakcak a mop pah tih, “BOEIPA loh he ni thui, hlangping he yet he boeih na hmuh nama? Tihnin ah kai loh na kut dongah kam paek coeng tih kai he BOEIPA la nan ming bitni ne,” a ti nah.
At that moment, a prophet came to King Ahab and said to him, “This is what Yahweh says: ‘[Do not be at all afraid of] [RHQ] the large enemy army that you see! I will enable your army to defeat them today, and you will know that it is I, Yahweh, [who have the power to do what I say that I will do].’”
14 Te vaengah Ahab loh, “U nen nim?” a ti nah. Te dongah, “BOEIPA loh he ni a thui, paeng kah mangpa cadong rhoek neh,” a ti nah. Te phoeiah, “U long caemtloek a pin eh?” a ti nah hatah, “Nang loh,” a ti nah.
Ahab asked, “What group [of our army] will defeat them?” The prophet replied, “The young soldiers who are commanded by the district governors will do it.” The king asked, “Who should lead the attack?” The prophet replied, “You should!”
15 Te dongah paeng kah mangpa cadong rhoek te a soep tih yahnih sawmthum panit lo uh. Amih phoeiah Israel ca boeih, pilnam pum te thawng rhih la a soep.
So Ahab gathered the young soldiers who were commanded by the district governors. There were 232 of those men. Then he also summoned all the Israeli army. There were [only] 7,000 soldiers.
16 Te phoeiah khothun ah a muk uh dae Benhadad tah amah neh anih aka bom manghai rhoek, manghai sawmthum panit rhoek tah dungtlungim ah a ok uh tih rhui uh.
They started to attack at noon, while Ben-Hadad and the other rulers were getting drunk in their temporary shelters.
17 Te vaengah paeng kah mangpa cadong rhoek te lamhma la khoong uh tih Benhadad taengla a tueih. Te dongah a taengla puen uh tih, “Samaria lamkah hlang ha khoong,” a ti nah.
The young soldiers advanced first. Some scouts who had been sent out by Ben-Hadad reported to him, “There are men coming out of Samaria [city]”!
18 Te vaengah, “Rhoepnah ham ha pawk akhaw amih te a hing la tu uh, caemtloek ham ha pawk akhaw amih te a hing la tu uh,” a ti nah.
He said, “It does not matter whether they are coming to fight against us or to ask for peace. Capture them, but do not kill them
19 Te tlam te khopuei lamloh paeng kah mangpa cadong rhoek khoong uh tih amih hnukah tatthai rhoek te om uh.
The young Israeli soldiers went out of the city to attack [the Syrian army], and the other soldiers in the Israeli army followed them.
20 Hlang pakhat loh hlang pakhat van a tloek uh dongah Aram rhoek te rhaelrham uh. Amih te Israel loh a hloem dae Aram manghai Benhadad tah marhang caem neh marhang dongah vik loeih.
Each [Israeli soldier] killed a [Syrian] soldier. The rest of the Syrian army then ran away, and the Israeli soldiers pursued them. But King Ben-Hadad escaped riding his horse, along with some other men riding horses.
21 Israel manghai te cet tih marhang khaw leng khaw a ngawn pah. Aram soah hmasoe len neh a ngawn.
Then the king of Israel went out [of the city], and he and his soldiers captured [all] the [other Syrian] horses and chariots, and also killed a large number of Syrian soldiers.
22 Te vaengah tonghma te Israel manghai taengla thoeih. Te phoeiah anih te, “Cet, thaahuel lamtah ming laeh. Kum a thok vaengah Aram manghai loh nang taengla ha pawk ham dongah metla na saii ham khaw ana so,” a ti nah.
Then that same prophet went to King Ahab and said to him, “Go back and prepare your soldiers, and think carefully about what will be necessary for you to do, because the king of Syria with attack with his army again in the springtime of next year.”
23 Te vaengah Aram manghai kah sal rhoek loh, “Amih kah pathen tah tlang kah pathen ni. Te dongah mamih lakah tlung uh. Tedae amih te tlangkol ah m'vathoh thil koinih amih lakah n'tlung uh van mapawt nim?
[After the Syrian army was defeated, ] Ben-Hadad’s officials said to him, “The gods that the Israelis [worship] are gods [who live] in the hills. [Samaria is built on a hill, and] that is why their soldiers were able to defeat us. But if we fight against them in the plains/lowlands, we certainly will be able to defeat them.
24 He ol bangla saii laeh. Manghai rhoek te amah hmuen lamloh rhip khoe lamtah amih yueng la rhalboei rhoek te tloep khueh laeh.
So, this is what you should do: You must remove the 32 kings [who are leading your troops] and replace them with army commanders.
25 Namah loh nang lamkah caem a ha tarhing ah namah ham caem te hueh laeh. Marhang khaw marhang tarhing ah, leng khaw leng tarhing ah khueh laeh. Tlangkol ah amih m'vathoh thil ham te amih lakah n'tlung het mahpawt nim?” a ti nah. Te dongah amih ol te a hnatun tih a saii tangloeng.
Then gather an army like the army that was defeated. Gather an army that has as many horses and chariots as the first army had. Then we will fight the Israelis in the plains/lowlands, and we will surely defeat them.” Ben-Hadad agreed with them, and he did what they suggested.
26 Kum a thok vaengah tah Benhadad loh Aram te a soep tih Israel caemtloek thil ham Aphek la cet.
In the spring of the following year, he gathered his soldiers and marched [with them] to Aphek [city east of Galilee Lake], to fight against the Israeli army.
27 Israel ca rhoek khaw soep uh thae, cangbam uh thae tih amih te mah hamla cet uh. Tedae Israel ca rhoek loh amih taengah maae ca rhoi bangla a rhaeh uh vaengah Aram loh diklai a khuk uh coeng.
The Israeli army was also gathered together, and they were equipped with the things that they needed [for the battle]. Then they marched out and formed two groups facing the Syrian army. Their army was very small; they resembled two small flocks of goats, whereas the Syrian army [was very large and] spread all over the countryside.
28 Te vaengah Pathen kah hlang te mop tih Israel manghai te a voek. Te phoeiah, “BOEIPA loh he ni a thui. Aram rhoek loh, ‘YAHWEH he tlang kah pathen ni, tuikol pathen moenih,’ a ti uh dongah hlangping he yet he nang kut la boeih kam paek. Te dongah kai he BOEIPA la nan ming bitni,” a ti nah.
A prophet came to King Ahab and said to him, “This is what Yahweh says: ‘The Syrians say that I am a god who lives in the hills, and that I am not a god who lives in the valleys. So I will [show that they are wrong by] enabling your men to defeat this huge army [IDM] [in the valley], and you will know that I, Yahweh, [have done it].’”
29 Te rhoek danah hnin rhih rhaeh uh tih a hnin rhih dongah a pha vaengah caemtloek te pha uh. Te vaengah Israel ca rhoek loh khohnin pakhat neh Aram rhalkap thawng yakhat a ngawn uh.
The two armies stayed in their tents for seven days, in groups that faced each other. Then, on the seventh day, they started fighting. The Israeli army killed 100,000 Syrian soldiers.
30 Aka sueng rhoek te Aphek khopuei la rhaelrham uh van dae hlang aka sueng duen thawng kul thawng rhih te vongtung loh a cungku thil. Benhadad te rhaelrham tih khopuei ah imkhui kah imkhui patoeng la kun.
The other Syrian soldiers ran away into Aphek City. Then the wall of the city collapsed and killed 27,000 more Syrian soldiers. Ben-Hadad also escaped into the city, and hid in the back room of a house.
31 Te vaengah a sal rhoek loh anih te, “Israel im kah manghai rhoek tah sitlohnah manghai la n'yaak uh coeng he. Mamih cinghen ah tlamhni, mamih lu dongah rhui yil uh mai sih. Israel manghai taengla cet uh sih lamtah na hinglu khaw han hlun khaming,” a ti na uh.
His officials went to him and said, “We have heard a report that the Israelis act mercifully. So allow us to go to the king of Israel, wearing coarse sacks around our waists and ropes on our heads/necks [to indicate that we will be his slaves]. Perhaps [if we do that, ] he will allow you to remain alive.”
32 Te dongah tlamhni te a cinghen ah, rhui te a lu ah a yen uh. Te phoeiah Israel manghai taengla cet uh tih, “Na sal Benhadad loh, ‘Ka hinglu tah hing mai saeh,’ a ti,” a ti na uh. Te vaengah, “Anih ka manuca te amah hing pueng a?” a ti nah.
[The king permitted them to do that, ] so they wrapped coarse sacks around their waists and put ropes on their heads/necks, and they went to the king of Israel and said to him, “Ben-Hadad, who greatly respects you, says, ‘Please do not kill me.’” Ahab replied, “Is he still alive? He is like a brother to me!”
33 Te vaengah hlang rhoek loh lung a sawt uh tih tokthuet uh. Anih te a hmuek coeng dongah, “Na manuca Benhadad ni,” a ti uh vaengah, “Paan uh lamtah anih te lo uh,” a ti nah. Te dongah Benhadad te a taengla a pawk neh leng dongah a caeh puei.
Ben-Hadad’s officials were trying to find out if Ahab would act mercifully, and when Ahab said “brother,” they (were optimistic/thought that Ahab would be merciful). So they replied, “Yes, he is like your brother!” Ahab said, “Go and bring him to me.” So they [went and] brought Ben-Hadad to him. [When Ben-Hadad arrived, ] Ahab told him to get in his chariot [and sit with him].
34 Te vaengah Benhadad loh Ahab te, “A pa loh na pa taeng lamkah a loh khopuei rhoek te kam mael pawn eh. A pa loh Samaria ah a khueh vanbangla Damasku ah namah ham kawtpoeng la khueh,” a ti nah. Te dongah, “Kai khaw paipi bangla nang kan tueih bitni,” a ti nah. Te dongah anih neh paipi a saii tih a tueih.
Ben-Hadad said to him, “I will give back to you the towns that my father’s army took from your father. And I will allow you to set up market areas for your merchants in Damascus [my capital], just as my father did in Samaria [your capital].” Ahab replied, “Because you agree to do that, I will not execute you.” So Ahab made an agreement with Ben-Hadad, and allowed him to go home.
35 Tonghma ca rhoek khuikah hlang pakhat loh BOEIPA ol bangla a hui taengah, “Kai he n'ngawn laeh,” a ti nah. Tedae hlang loh anih ngawn ham te a aal.
Then Yahweh spoke to a member of a group of prophets and said to him, “Ask one of your fellow prophets to strike and wound you.” [So he did what Yahweh told him to do]. [He said to one of his fellow prophets, ‘Strike me and wound me].’ But that man refused to do it.
36 Te dongah anih te, “BOEIPA ol te na hnatun pawt dongah kai taeng lamloh na caeh neh sathueng loh nang n'ngawn ni te,” a ti nah. Te dongah anih taeng lamloh a caeh neh anih te sathueng loh a hmuh tih a ngawn.
So the prophet said to him, “Because you refused to obey what Yahweh told you to do, a lion will kill you as soon as you leave me.” And as soon as he left that prophet, a lion suddenly pounced on him and killed him.
37 Hlang tloe te a hmuh vaengah, “Kai he n'ngawn mai,” a ti nah. Te dongah anih te hlang pakhat loh a ngawn vaengah a hi hamla a ngawn.
Then the prophet found another prophet, and said to him, “Strike me!” So that man hit him [very hard] and injured him.
38 Te phoeiah tonghma te cet tih longpuei ah manghai ana pai thil. Te vaengah a mik dongkah mikben neh vik a ben.
Then the prophet put a large bandage/cloth over his face so that no one would recognize him. Then he went and stood alongside the road, waiting for the king to come by.
39 Manghai a pah phai vaengah manghai te a pang thil tih, “Na sal he caemtloek lakli la ka cet. Tedae hlang khat pakcak ha pawk tih kai taengla hlang hang khuen. Te vaengah, ‘He kah hlang he ana dawn dae, a ha la a ha atah a hinglu ham te na hinglu om vetih cak talent khat neh na sah ni,’ a ti.
When the king passed by, the prophet cried out to him, saying “Your majesty, [after I was wounded] while I was fighting in a battle, a soldier brought to me one of our enemies that he had captured, and said to me, ‘Guard this man! If he escapes, you must pay me 3,000 pieces of silver, and if you do not pay that, you will be executed!’
40 Tedae na sal he heben hebang ah aka tok la a om vaengah anih ana om voel pawh,” a ti nah. Tedae Israel manghai loh anih te, “Namah kah laitloeknah te namah loh na hlavawt coeng,” a ti nah.
But while I was busy doing other things, the man escaped!” The king of Israel said to him, “That is your problem! You yourself have said that you deserve to be punished.”
41 Te phoeiah a mik dong lamkah mikben te hawl a khong daengah anih te Israel manghai loh amah tonghma rhoek khui lamkah la a hmat.
The prophet immediately took off the bandage, and the king of Israel recognized that he was one of the prophets.
42 Te phoeiah Ahab te, “BOEIPA loh he ni a thui. Hlang he kai kut lamloh yaehtaboeih la na hlah dongah a hinglu yueng la na hinglu, a pilnam yueng la na pilnam te om ni,” a ti nah.
And the prophet said to him, “This is what Yahweh says: ‘You have allowed that man [Ben-Hadad] to escape after I commanded you to be sure to execute him! Since you did not do that, you will be killed instead. And your army will be destroyed because you allowed [some of] his army to escape!’”
43 Te dongah Israel manghai te a im la rhihnun cukduk neh thintoek la mael tih Samaria la pawk.
The king went back home to Samaria, very angry and depressed/dejected.
