1 Kings 20
1 Now, Ben-hadad, king of Syria, had gathered together all his forces, and, thirty-two kings, were with him, and horses and chariots, —then came he up, and laid siege to Samaria, and made war 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 And he sent messengers unto Ahab king of Israel, into the city, and said to him, —Thus, saith Ben-hadad,
And he sent messengers to Ahab king of Israel into the city, and said to him, Thus says Ben-Hadad:
3 Thy silver and thy gold, are, mine, and, thy wives and thy sons, the goodliest, are, mine.
Thy silver and thy gold is mine; thy wives also and thy children, the goodliest, are mine.
4 Then responded the king of Israel, and said, According to thy word, my lord O king! thine, am I, 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 And the messengers came back again, and said, Thus, speaketh Ben-hadad, saying, —Because I sent unto thee, saying, Thy silver and thy gold and thy wives and thy sons, to me, shalt thou give,
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 Therefore, about this time to-morrow, will I send my servants unto thee, and they shall search thy house, and the houses of thy servants, —and it shall be, that, all the delight of thine eyes, shall they put in their hand, and take 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 called the king of Israel, for all the elders of the land, and said—Mark, I pray you, and see, how this man is seeking, mischief, —for he had sent unto me, for my wives, and for my sons, and for my silver, and for my gold, and I refused him not.
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 And all the elders and all the people said unto him, —Do not thou hearken, neither do thou consent.
And all the elders and all the people said to him, Hearken not, nor consent.
9 So he said unto the messengers of Ben-hadad—Say ye to my lord the king, —All that thou didst send for, to thy servant at the first, will I do, but, this thing, I cannot do. And the messengers departed, and took him back word.
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 Then Ben-hadad sent unto him and said, —So, let the gods do to me, and, so, let them add, —if the dust of Samaria suffice by handfuls, for all the people who are at my feet.
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 And the king of Israel responded and said: Tell him, —Let not, him that girdeth, boast himself like him, that looseneth.
And the king of Israel answered and said, Tell [him], Let not him that girdeth on boast himself as he that putteth off!
12 And it came to pass, when he heard this message, as, he, was drinking, he and the kings in the pavilions, that he said unto his servants—Make ready! So they made ready, against 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 And lo! a certain prophet, drew near unto Ahab king of Israel, and said, —Thus, saith Yahweh, Hast thou seen all this great multitude? Behold me! delivering it into thy hand, to-day, so shalt thou know that, I, am, Yahweh.
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 And Ahab said—By whom? And he said—Thus, saith Yahweh, By the young men of the princes of the provinces. Then said he—Who shall begin the war? And he said—Thou!
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 numbered he the young men of the princes of the provinces, and they were found to be, two hundred and thirty-two, —and, after them, he numbered all the people all the sons of Israel, 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 And they went forth at noon. Now, Ben-hadad, was drinking himself drunk, in the pavilions, he and the thirty-two kings helping 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 Then went forth the young men of the princes of the provinces, first, —and, when Ben-hadad sent, they told him, saying—Men, have come forth, out of 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 And he said—If, peaceably, they have come, take them alive, —or, if, fighting, they have come, alive, take ye them.
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 Now, when, these, had come forth out of the city, even the young men of the princes of the provinces, —with the force which was following them,
And these servants of the princes of the provinces came out of the city, and the army that followed them.
20 then smote they every one his man, and the Syrians fled, and Israel pursued them, —but Ben-hadad king of Syria escaped on 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 And the king of Israel went forth, and took the horses and the chariots, —and he went on smiting the Syrians, with a great smiting.
And the king of Israel went out, and smote the horses and chariots, and slew the Syrians with a great slaughter.
22 Then drew near the prophet, unto the king of Israel, and said unto him—Go strengthen thyself, and mark and see, what thou wilt do, —for, at the return of the year, is, the king of Syria, coming up against thee.
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 And, the servants of the king of Syria, said unto him, —Gods of the mountains, are their gods, for this cause, prevailed they against us, —but, only let us fight with them in the plain, and verily we shall prevail against them.
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 But, this thing, do, —set aside the kings, every man out of his place, and put governors in their stead;
And do this: take the kings away, every man out of his place, and put governors in their stead;
25 and, thou, must number thee a force, like the force which thou hast lost, both horse for horse and chariot for chariot, and, if we fight with them in the plain, verily we shall prevail against them. And he hearkened unto 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 And so it came to pass at the return of the year, that Ben-hadad numbered the Syrians, —and came up to Aphek, to fight with 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 and, the sons of Israel, were numbered, and provisioned, and went to meet them, —and the sons of Israel encamped before them like two little flocks of goats, whereas, the Syrians, filled the land.
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 Then approached the man of God, and spake unto the king of Israel, and said—Thus, saith Yahweh—Because the Syrians have said—A god of the mountains, is Yahweh, but, not a god of the vales, is he, therefore will I deliver all this great multitude, into thy hand, so shalt thou know, that, I, am Yahweh.
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 So they encamped, these, over against, those, seven days, —and it came to pass, on the seventh day, that the battle was joined, and the sons of Israel smote the Syrians, a hundred thousand footmen, 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 And they who were left fled to Aphek, into the city, and the wall fell upon twenty-seven thousand men who were left, —and, Ben-hadad, fled, and came into the city, into a chamber within a chamber.
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 And his servants said unto him, Lo! we pray thee, we have heard, of the kings of the house of Israel, that, kings known for lovingkindness, they are. Let us, we pray thee, put sackcloth upon our loins, and ropes about our head, and let us go forth unto the king of Israel, peradventure he will save alive thy soul.
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 girded sackcloth upon their loins, and [put] ropes about their heads, and came in unto the king of Israel, and said, Thy servant, Ben-hadad, saith, —Let my soul live, I pray thee. And he said, —Is he yet alive? My brother, he is.
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, could divine, so they hastened to let him confirm the word of his own accord, and they said, —Thy brother, is Ben-hadad! He said therefore, —Go fetch him. So Ben-hadad came forth unto him, and he made him come up unto him on his 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 And he said unto him—The cities which my father took from thy father, will I restore, and, bazaars, shalt thou make thee in Damascus, as my father made in Samaria. So then, I, with this covenant, will let thee go. So he solemnised with him a covenant, 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 And, a certain man of the sons of the prophets, said unto his neighbour, by the word of Yahweh—Smite me, I pray thee. But the man refused to smite 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 So he said to him—Because thou hast not hearkened unto the voice of Yahweh, lo! when thou art departing from me, there shall smite thee a lion. And when he departed from beside him, a lion found him, and smote 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 found he another man, and said, —Smite me, I pray thee. So the man smote him—kept on smiting and wounding.
Then he found another man, and said, Smite me, I pray thee. And the man smote him violently, and wounded [him].
38 Then the prophet departed, and waited for the king, by the way, —and disguised himself with his turban 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 And so it was, when, the king, was passing, he, cried out unto the king, —and said—Thy servant, went out in the midst of the battle, and lo! a man, turned aside and brought unto me a man, and said—Keep this man, if he be, missing, then shall, thy life, go for, his life, or, a talent of silver, shalt thou weigh out.
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 And so it was, as thy servant was busy here and there, that, he, was gone. And the king of Israel said unto him—Such, is thy judgment, thou thyself, hast 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 Then hastened he, and removed the turban from over his eyes, —and the king of Israel knew him, that, of the prophets, was, he.
Then he hastily took the sash away from his face; and the king of Israel discerned him, that he was of the prophets.
42 And he said unto him—Thus, saith Yahweh, Because thou hast let go the man whom I had devoted, out of thy hand, therefore shall, thy life, be instead of, his life, and, thy people, instead of, 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 And the king of Israel departed unto his house, sullen and disturbed, —and entered Samaria.
And the king of Israel went to his house sullen and vexed, and came to Samaria.
