1 Kings 20
1 Ben Hadad the king of Aram gathered all his army together; and there were thirty-two kings with him, and horses and chariots: and he went up and besieged Samaria, and fought against it.
Now Ben-hadad king of Aram assembled his entire army. Accompanied by thirty-two kings with their horses and chariots, he marched up, besieged Samaria, and waged war against it.
2 He sent messengers to Ahab king of Israel, into the city, and said to him, "Thus says Ben Hadad,
Then he sent messengers into the city to Ahab king of Israel,
3 'Your silver and your gold is mine. Your wives also and your children, even the best, are mine.'"
saying, “This is what Ben-hadad says: ‘Your silver and gold are mine, and your best wives and children 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."
And the king of Israel replied, “Just as you say, my lord the king: I am yours, along with 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, and your gold, and your wives, and your children;
The messengers came back and said, “This is what Ben-hadad says: ‘I have sent to you to demand your silver, your gold, your wives, and your children.
6 but I will send my servants to you tomorrow about this time, and they shall search your house, and the houses of your servants; and it shall be, that whatever is pleasant in their eyes, they shall put it in their hand, and take it away."'"
But about this time tomorrow I will send my servants to search your palace and the houses of your servants. They will seize and carry away all that is precious to you.’”
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 did not deny him."
Then the king of Israel summoned all the elders of the land and said, “Please take note and see that this man is looking for trouble, for when he demanded my wives, my children, my silver, and my gold, I did not deny him.”
8 All the elders and all the people said to him, "Do not listen, neither consent."
And the elders and the people all said, “Do not listen to him or consent to his terms.”
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.
So Ahab answered the messengers of Ben-hadad, “Tell my lord the king, ‘All that you demanded of your servant the first time I will do, but this thing I cannot do.’” So the messengers departed and relayed the message to Ben-hadad.
10 Ben Hadad sent to him, and said, "The gods do so to me, and more also, if the dust of Samaria shall suffice for handfuls for all the people who follow me."
Then Ben-hadad sent another message to Ahab: “May the gods deal with me, and ever so severely, if enough dust remains of Samaria for each of my men to have a handful.”
11 The king of Israel answered, "Tell him, 'Do not let him who puts on his armor brag like he who takes it off.'"
And the king of Israel replied, “Tell him: ‘The one putting on his armor should not boast like one taking it off.’”
12 It happened, when Ben Hadad heard this message, as he was drinking, he and the kings, in the pavilions, that he said to his servants, "Prepare to attack." They prepared to attack the city.
Ben-hadad received this message while he and the kings were drinking in their tents, and he said to his servants, “Take your positions.” So they stationed themselves against the city.
13 Look, a prophet came near to Ahab king of Israel, and said, "Thus says the LORD, 'Have you seen all this great multitude? Look, I will deliver it into your hand this day; and you shall know that I am the LORD.'"
Meanwhile a prophet approached Ahab king of Israel and declared, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Do you see this entire great army? Behold, I will deliver it into your hand this very day, and you will know that I am the LORD.’”
14 Ahab said, "By whom?" He said, "Thus says the LORD, 'By the young men of the governors of the districts.'" Then he said, "Who shall begin the battle?" He answered, "You."
“By whom?” Ahab asked. And the prophet replied, “This is what the LORD says: ‘By the young officers of the district governors.’” “Who will start the battle?” asked Ahab. “You will,” answered the prophet.
15 Then he mustered the young men of the governors of the districts, and they were two hundred and thirty-two. After them, he mustered all the people, even all the children of Israel, being seven thousand.
So Ahab assembled the young officers of the district governors, and there were 232 men. And after them, he assembled the rest of the Israelite troops, 7,000 in all.
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.
They marched out at noon while Ben-hadad and the 32 kings allied with him were in their tents getting drunk.
17 the young men of the governors of the districts went out first; and Ben Hadad sent out, and they told him, saying, "Men are coming out from Samaria."
And the young officers of the district governors marched out first. Now Ben-hadad had sent out scouts, who reported to him, “Men are marching out of 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."
“If they have marched out in peace,” he said, “take them alive. Even if they have marched out for war, take them alive.”
19 So these went out of the city, the young men of the governors of the districts, and the army which followed them.
Meanwhile, these young officers of the district governors marched out of the city, with the army behind them,
20 They each killed his man. The Arameans fled, and Israel pursued them. Ben Hadad the king of Aram escaped on a horse with horsemen.
and each one struck down his opponent. So the Arameans fled, with the Israelites in pursuit. But Ben-hadad king of Aram escaped on horseback with the cavalry.
21 The king of Israel went out, and struck the horses and chariots, and killed the Arameans with a great slaughter.
Then the king of Israel marched out and attacked the horses and chariots, inflicting a great slaughter on the Arameans.
22 The prophet came near to the king of Israel, and said to him, "Go, strengthen yourself, and mark, and see what you do; for at the return of the year the king of Aram will come up against you."
Afterward, the prophet approached the king of Israel and said, “Go and strengthen your position, and take note what you must do, for in the spring the king of Aram will come up against you.”
23 The servants of the king of Aram said to him, "Their god is a god of the hills; therefore they were stronger than we. But let us fight against them in the plain, and surely we shall be stronger than they.
Meanwhile, the servants of the king of Aram said to him, “Their gods are gods of the hills. That is why they prevailed over us. Instead, we should fight them on the plains; surely then we will prevail.
24 Do this thing: take the kings away, every man out of his place, and put captains in their place.
So do this: Dismiss all the kings from their positions and replace them with other officers.
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 them." He listened to their voice, and did so.
And you must raise an army like the one you have lost—horse for horse and chariot for chariot—so we can fight the Israelites on the plain, where we will surely prevail.” And the king approved their plan and acted accordingly.
26 It happened at the return of the year, that Ben Hadad mustered the Arameans, and went up to Aphek, to fight against Israel.
In the spring, Ben-hadad mobilized the Arameans and went up to Aphek to fight against Israel.
27 The children of Israel were mustered, and were provisioned, and went against them. The children of Israel camped before them like two little flocks of young goats; but the Arameans filled the country.
The Israelites also mobilized, gathered supplies, and marched out to meet them. The Israelites camped before them like two small flocks of goats, while the Arameans covered the countryside.
28 A man of God came near and spoke to the king of Israel, and said, "Thus says the LORD, 'Because the Arameans 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.'"
Then the man of God approached the king of Israel and said, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Because the Arameans think the LORD is a god of the hills and not of the valleys, I will deliver all this great army into your hand. Then you will know that I am the LORD.’”
29 They camped one over against the other seven days. So it was, that in the seventh day the battle was joined; and the children of Israel killed one hundred thousand footmen of the Arameans in one day.
For seven days the armies camped opposite each other, and on the seventh day the battle ensued, and the Israelites struck down the Arameans—a hundred thousand foot soldiers 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.
The rest of them fled into the city of Aphek, where the wall fell on twenty-seven thousand of the remaining men. Ben-hadad also fled to the city and hid in 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."
Then the servants of Ben-hadad said to him, “Look now, we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful. Let us go out to the king of Israel with sackcloth around our waists and ropes around our heads. Perhaps he will spare 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."
So with sackcloth around their waists and ropes around their heads, they went to the king of Israel and said, “Your servant Ben-hadad says, ‘Please spare my life.’” And the king answered, “Is he still alive? He is my brother.”
33 Now the men were looking for an omen, and they seized upon it from him, and they said, "Ben Hadad is your brother." Then he said, "Go, bring him." Then Ben Hadad came out to him, and he had him come up into the chariot.
Now the men were looking for a sign of hope, and they quickly grasped at this word and replied, “Yes, your brother Ben-hadad.” “Go and get him!” said the king. Then Ben-hadad came out, and Ahab had him come up into his 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.
Ben-hadad said to him, “I will restore the cities my father took from your father; you may set up your own marketplaces in Damascus, as my father did in Samaria.” “By this treaty I release you,” Ahab replied. So he made a treaty with him and sent him away.
35 A certain man of the sons of the prophets said to his fellow by the word of the LORD, "Please strike me." The man refused to strike him.
Meanwhile, by the word of the LORD, one of the sons of the prophets said to his companion, “Strike me, please!” But the man refused to strike him.
36 Then he said to him, "Because you have not obeyed the voice of the LORD, look, as soon as you are departed from me, a lion shall kill you." As soon as he was departed from him, a lion found him, and killed him.
Then the prophet said to him, “Because you have not obeyed the voice of the LORD, as soon as you depart from me a lion will kill you.” And when he left, a lion found him and killed him.
37 Then he found another man, and said, "Please strike me." The man struck him, smiting and wounding him.
Then the prophet found another man and said, “Strike me, please!” So 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.
and the prophet went and waited on the road for the king, disguising himself with a bandage over his eyes.
39 As the king passed by, he cried to the king; and he said, "Your servant went out into the midst of the battle; and look, a man turned aside, and brought a man to me, and said, 'Guard this man. If by any means he be missing, then your life shall be for his life, or else you shall pay a talent of silver.'
As the king passed by, he cried out to the king: “Your servant had marched out into the middle of the battle, when suddenly a man came over with a captive and told me, ‘Guard this man! If he goes missing for any reason, your life will be exchanged for his life, or you will weigh out a talent of silver.’
40 As your servant was busy here and there, he was gone." The king of Israel said to him, "So your judgment shall be; you yourself have decided it."
But while your servant was busy here and there, the man disappeared.” And the king of Israel said to him, “So shall your judgment be; you have pronounced it on yourself.”
41 He hurried, and took the headband away from his eyes; and the king of Israel recognized that he was of the prophets.
Then the prophet quickly removed the bandage from his eyes, and the king of Israel recognized him as one of the prophets.
42 He said to him, "Thus says the LORD, 'Because you have let go out of your hand the man whom I had devoted to destruction, therefore your life shall go for his life, and your people for his people.'"
And the prophet said to the king, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Because you have let slip from your hand the man I had devoted to destruction, your life will be exchanged for his life, and your people for his people.’”
43 The king of Israel went to his house sullen and angry, and came to Samaria.
Sullen and angry, the king of Israel went home to Samaria.
