1 Kings 20
1 Ben Hadad king of Aram gathered all his army together. There were thirty-two lesser kings with him, and horses and chariots. He went up, besieged Samaria and fought against it.
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.
2 He sent messengers into the city to Ahab king of Israel, and said to him, “Ben Hadad says this:
And he sent messengers unto Ahab king of Israel, into the city, and said to him, —Thus, saith Ben-hadad,
3 'Your silver and your gold are mine. Also your wives and children, the best ones, are now mine.'”
Thy silver and thy gold, are, mine, and, thy wives and thy sons, the goodliest, are, mine.
4 The king of Israel answered and said, “It is as you say, my master, king. I and all that I have are yours.”
Then responded the king of Israel, and said, According to thy word, my lord O king! thine, am I, and all that I have.
5 The messengers came again and said, “Ben Hadad says this, 'I sent word to you saying that you must give me your silver, your gold, your wives, and your children.
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,
6 But I will send my servants to you tomorrow about this time, and they will search your house and your servants' houses. They will seize with their own hands and take away whatever pleases their eyes.'”
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.
7 Then the king of Israel called all the elders of the land together and said, “Please take note and see how this man seeks trouble. He has sent word to me in order to take my wives, children, and silver and gold, and I have not refused him.”
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.
8 All the elders and all the people said to Ahab, “Do not listen to him or consent to his demands.”
And all the elders and all the people said unto him, —Do not thou hearken, neither do thou consent.
9 So Ahab said to the messengers of Ben Hadad, “Tell my master the king, 'I agree to everything that you sent your servant to do the first time, but I cannot accept this second demand.'” So the messengers left and took this response to Ben Hadad.
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.
10 Then Ben Hadad sent his reply to Ahab, and said, “May the gods do so to me and more also, if even the ashes of Samaria will be enough for all the people who follow me to have a handful each.”
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.
11 The king of Israel answered and said, “Tell Ben Hadad, 'No one who is just putting on his armor, should boast as if he were taking it off.'”
And the king of Israel responded and said: Tell him, —Let not, him that girdeth, boast himself like him, that looseneth.
12 Ben Hadad heard this message as he was drinking, he and the kings under him who were in their tents. Ben Hadad commanded his men, “Line yourselves up in position for battle.” So they prepared themselves in position of battle to attack the city.
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.
13 Then behold, a prophet came to Ahab king of Israel and said, “Yahweh says, 'Have you seen this great army? Look, I will place it into your hand today, and you will know that I am Yahweh.'”
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.
14 Ahab replied, “By whom?” Yahweh replied and said, “By the young officers who serve the governors of the districts.” Then Ahab said, “Who will begin the battle?” Yahweh answered, “You.”
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!
15 Then Ahab mustered the young officers who served the governors of the districts. They numbered 232. After them he mustered all the soldiers, all the army of Israel; seven thousand in number.
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.
16 They went out at noon. Ben Hadad had been drinking himself drunk in his tent, he and the thirty-two lesser kings who were supporting him.
And they went forth at noon. Now, Ben-hadad, was drinking himself drunk, in the pavilions, he and the thirty-two kings helping him.
17 The young officers who served the governors of the districts went forward first. Then Ben Hadad was informed by scouts that he had sent out, “Men are coming out from Samaria.”
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.
18 Ben Hadad said, “Whether they have come out for peace or war, take them alive.”
And he said—If, peaceably, they have come, take them alive, —or, if, fighting, they have come, alive, take ye them.
19 So the young officers who served the governors of the districts went out of the city and the army followed them.
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,
20 Each man killed his opponent. The Arameans fled and Israel pursued them. Ben Hadad the king of Aram escaped on a horse along with some horsemen.
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.
21 Then the king of Israel went out and attacked the horses and chariots, and killed the Arameans in a great slaughter.
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.
22 So the prophet came to the king of Israel and said to him, “Go, strengthen yourself, and understand and plan what you are doing, because at the return of the year the king of Aram will come up against you again.”
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.
23 The servants of the king of Aram said to him, “Their god is a god of the hills. That is why they were stronger than we were. But now let us fight against them in the plain, and surely we will be stronger than they are.
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.
24 So you must do this: Remove all the kings from their positions of authority and replace them with military commanders.
But, this thing, do, —set aside the kings, every man out of his place, and put governors in their stead;
25 Raise up an army like the army you lost—horse for horse and chariot for chariot—so we can fight them in the plain. Then surely we will be stronger than they are.” So Ben Hadad listened to their advice and did what they advised.
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.
26 After the beginning of the new year, Ben Hadad mustered the Arameans and went up to Aphek to fight against Israel.
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;
27 The people of Israel were mustered and supplied to fight against them. The people of Israel camped before them like two little flocks of goats, but the Arameans filled the countryside.
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.
28 Then a man of God came near and spoke to the king of Israel and said, “Yahweh says: 'Because the Arameans have said that Yahweh is a god of the hills, but he is not a god of the valleys, I will place this great army into your hand, and you will know that I am Yahweh.'”
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.
29 So the armies camped opposite each other for seven days. Then on the seventh day the battle started. The people of Israel killed 100,000 Aramean footmen in one day.
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.
30 The rest fled to Aphek, into the city, and the wall fell on twenty-seven thousand men who were left. Ben Hadad fled and went into the city, into an inner room.
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.
31 Ben Hadad's servants said to him, “Look now, we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful kings. Please let us put sackcloth around our waists and ropes around our heads, and go out to the king of Israel. Perhaps he will spare your life.”
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.
32 So they put sackcloth on their waists and ropes around their heads and then went to the king of Israel and said, “Your servant Ben Hadad said, 'Please let me live.'” Ahab said, “Is he still alive? He is my brother.”
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.
33 Now the men were listening for any sign from Ahab, so they quickly answered him, “Yes, your brother Ben Hadad is alive.” Then Ahab said, “Go and bring him.” Then Ben Hadad came to him, and Ahab had him come up into his chariot.
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.
34 Ben Hadad said to Ahab, “I will restore to you the cities that my father took from your father, and you may make markets for yourself in Damascus, as my father did in Samaria.” Ahab replied, “I will let you go with this covenant.” So Ahab made a covenant with him and then let him go.
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.
35 A certain man, one of the sons of the prophets, said to one of his fellow prophets by the word of Yahweh, “Please hit me.” But the man refused to hit him.
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.
36 Then the prophet said to his fellow prophet, “Because you have not obeyed the voice of Yahweh, as soon as you leave me, a lion will kill you.” As soon as that man had left him, a lion came upon him and killed him.
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.
37 Then the prophet found another man and said, “Please hit me.” So the man hit him and wounded him.
Then found he another man, and said, —Smite me, I pray thee. So the man smote him—kept on smiting and wounding.
38 Then the prophet left and waited for the king by the road; he had disguised himself with a bandage over his eyes.
Then the prophet departed, and waited for the king, by the way, —and disguised himself with his turban over his eyes.
39 As the king passed by, the prophet cried out to the king and said, “Your servant went out into the heat of the battle, and a soldier stopped and brought a man to me and said, 'Watch this man. If by any means he goes missing, your life will be given for his life, or you must pay a talent of silver.'
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.
40 But because your servant was busy going here and there, the man escaped.” Then the king of Israel said to him, “This is what your punishment will be—you yourself have decided it.”
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.
41 Then the prophet quickly removed the bandage from his eyes, and the king of Israel recognized that he was one of the prophets.
Then hastened he, and removed the turban from over his eyes, —and the king of Israel knew him, that, of the prophets, was, he.
42 The prophet said to the king, “Yahweh says, 'Because you have let go from your hand the man whom I had sentenced to death, your life will take the place of his life, and your people for his people.'”
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.
43 So the king of Israel went to his house resentful and angry, and arrived in Samaria.
And the king of Israel departed unto his house, sullen and disturbed, —and entered Samaria.
