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.
And Ben-Hadad king of Syria assembled all his host; and there were thirty-two kings with him, and horses and chariots; and he went up and besieged Samaria, and fought against it.
2 He sent messengers to Ahab king of Israel, into the city, and said to him, "Thus says Ben Hadad,
And he sent messengers to Ahab king of Israel into the city, and said to him, Thus says Ben-Hadad:
3 'Your silver and your gold is mine. Your wives also and your children, even the best, are mine.'"
Thy silver and thy gold is mine; thy wives also and thy children, the goodliest, 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 answered and said, My lord, O king, according to thy saying, I am thine, 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, and your gold, and your wives, and your children;
And the messengers came again, and said, Thus speaks Ben-Hadad saying: I sent to thee indeed, saying, Thou shalt deliver me thy silver, and thy gold, and thy wives, and thy 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 to-morrow about this time I will send my servants to thee, and they shall search thy house, and the houses of thy servants; and it shall be, that whatsoever is pleasant in thy sight, they shall put in their hand and take 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 did not deny him."
And the king of Israel called all the elders of the land and said, Mark, I pray you, and see 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 denied him not.
8 All the elders and all the people said to him, "Do not listen, neither consent."
And all the elders and all the people said to him, Hearken not, nor 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.
And he said to the messengers of Ben-Hadad, Tell my lord the king, All that thou didst send for to thy servant at the first I will do; but this thing I cannot do. And the messengers departed, and brought him word again.
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."
And 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 that follow me!
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 answered and said, Tell [him], Let not him that girdeth on boast himself as he that putteth 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.
And it came to pass when he heard this word, as he was drinking, he and the kings in the tents, that he said to his servants, Set yourselves. And they set themselves against the city.
13 Look, a prophet came near to Ahab king of Israel, and said, "Thus says YHWH, 'Have you seen all this great multitude? Look, I will deliver it into your hand this day; and you shall know that I am YHWH.'"
And behold, a prophet drew near to Ahab king of Israel, and said, Thus saith Jehovah: Hast thou seen all this great multitude? behold, I will deliver it into thy hand this day; and thou shalt know that I am Jehovah.
14 Ahab said, "By whom?" He said, "Thus says YHWH, 'By the young men of the governors of the districts.'" Then he said, "Who shall begin the battle?" He answered, "You."
And Ahab said, By whom? And he said, Thus saith Jehovah: By the servants of the princes of the provinces. Then he said, Who shall begin the battle? And he said, Thou.
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.
And he numbered the servants of the princes of the provinces, and they were two hundred and thirty-two; and after them he numbered all the people, all the children of Israel, 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.
And they went out at noon; and Ben-Hadad drank himself drunk in the tents, he and the kings, the thirty-two kings that helped him.
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 servants of the princes of the provinces went out first; and Ben-Hadad sent out, and they told him saying, There are men come 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."
And he said, Whether they be come out for peace, take them alive; or whether they be come 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.
And these servants of the princes of the provinces came out of the city, and the army that followed 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 they slew every one his man; and the Syrians fled, and Israel pursued them; and Ben-Hadad the king of Syria escaped on a horse with the horsemen.
21 The king of Israel went out, and struck the horses and chariots, and killed the Arameans with a great slaughter.
And the king of Israel went out, and smote the horses and chariots, and slew the Syrians with a great slaughter.
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."
And the prophet drew near to the king of Israel, and said to him, Go, strengthen thyself, and understand, and see what thou shalt do; for at the return of the year the king of Syria will come up against thee.
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.
And the servants of the king of Syria said to him, Their gods are gods of the mountains; therefore they were stronger than we; but if we fight against them on the plateau, shall we not be stronger than they?
24 Do this thing: take the kings away, every man out of his place, and put captains in their place.
And do this: take the kings away, every man out of his place, and put governors in their stead;
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 number thee an army, like the army that thou hast lost, horse for horse, and chariot for chariot; and we will fight against them on the plateau: shall we not be stronger than they? And he hearkened to their voice, and did so.
26 It happened at the return of the year, that Ben Hadad mustered the Arameans, and went up to Aphek, to fight against Israel.
And it came to pass, at the return of the year, that Ben-Hadad numbered the Syrians, 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.
And the children of Israel were numbered and victualled, and they went against them; and the children of Israel encamped before them like two little flocks of goats; but the Syrians filled the land.
28 A man of God came near and spoke to the king of Israel, and said, "Thus says YHWH, 'Because the Arameans have said, "YHWH 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 YHWH.'"
And the man of God drew near, and spoke to the king of Israel and said, Thus saith Jehovah: Because the Syrians have said, Jehovah is a god of the mountains, but he is not a god of the valleys, I will give all this great multitude into thy hand, and ye shall know that I am Jehovah.
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.
And they encamped one over against the other seven days; and it came to pass that on the seventh day the battle was joined; and the children of Israel smote of the Syrians a hundred thousand footmen 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.
And the rest fled to Aphek, into the city; and the wall fell on twenty-seven thousand men of them that were left. And Ben-Hadad fled, and came into the city, [from] chamber to chamber.
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."
And his servants said to him, Behold now, we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful kings: let us, I pray thee, put sackcloth on our loins, and ropes upon our heads, and go out to the king of Israel; perhaps he will save thy 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."
And they girded sackcloth on their loins, and ropes on their heads, and came to the king of Israel, and said, Thy servant Ben-Hadad says, I pray thee, let me live. And he said, Is he yet 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.
And the men took it as a good omen, and hastened to catch what came from him, and they said, Thy brother Ben-Hadad. ...And he said, Go, bring him. And Ben-Hadad came forth 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.
And [Ben-Hadad] said to him, The cities that my father took from thy father I will restore; and thou shalt make streets for thyself in Damascus, as my father made in Samaria. And I [said Ahab] will send thee away with this covenant. So he made a covenant with him, and sent him away.
35 A certain man of the sons of the prophets said to his fellow by the word of YHWH, "Please strike me." The man refused to strike him.
And a certain man of the sons of the prophets said to another by the word of Jehovah, Smite me, I pray thee. But the man refused to smite him.
36 Then he said to him, "Because you have not obeyed the voice of YHWH, 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 said he to him, Because thou hast not hearkened to the voice of Jehovah, behold, when thou departest from me, the lion will slay thee. And when he had departed from him, the lion found him and slew him.
37 Then he found another man, and said, "Please strike me." The man struck him, smiting and wounding him.
Then he found another man, and said, Smite me, I pray thee. And the man smote him violently, 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 departed, and waited for the king by the way, and disguised himself with a sash 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.'
And as the king passed by, he cried to the king and said, Thy servant went out into the midst of the battle; and behold, a man turned aside, and brought a man to me and said, Keep this man; if by any means he be missing, then shall thy life be for his life, or thou shalt 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 your judgment shall be; you yourself have decided it."
And as thy servant was busy here and there, he was gone. And the king of Israel said to him, So [is] thy judgment: thyself hast decided [it].
41 He hurried, and took the headband away from his eyes; and the king of Israel recognized that he was of the prophets.
Then he hastily took the sash away from his face; and the king of Israel discerned him, that he was of the prophets.
42 He said to him, "Thus says YHWH, '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 he said to him, Thus saith Jehovah: Because thou hast let go out of thy hand the man that I had devoted to destruction, thy life shall be for his life, and thy people for his people.
43 The king of Israel went to his house sullen and angry, and came to Samaria.
And the king of Israel went to his house sullen and vexed, and came to Samaria.
