1 Kings 20
20
Ben-Hadad Attacks Samaria
1Ben-Hadad brought his whole army together. He was king of Aram. He went up to Samaria. He took 32 kings and their horses and chariots with him. All of them surrounded Samaria and attacked it. 2Ben-Hadad sent messengers into the city. They spoke to Ahab, the king of Israel. They told him, “Ben-Hadad says, 3‘Your silver and gold belong to me. The best of your wives and children also belong to me.’ ”
4The king of Israel replied, “What you say is true. You are my king and master. I belong to you. And everything I have belongs to you.”
5The messengers came again. They told Ahab, “Ben-Hadad says, ‘I commanded you to give me your silver and gold. I also commanded you to give me your wives and children. 6But now I’m going to send my officials to you. They will come about this time tomorrow. They’ll search your palace. They’ll search the houses of your officials. They’ll take everything you value. And they’ll carry it all away.’ ”
7The king of Israel sent for all the elders of the land. He said to them, “This man is really looking for trouble! He sent for my wives and children. He sent for my silver and gold. And I agreed to give them to him.”
8All the elders and people answered, “Don’t listen to him. Don’t agree to give him what he wants.”
9So Ahab replied to Ben-Hadad’s messengers. He said, “Tell my king and master, ‘I will do everything you commanded me to do the first time. But this time, I can’t do what you want me to do.’ ” They took Ahab’s answer back to Ben-Hadad.
10Then Ben-Hadad sent another message to Ahab. Ben-Hadad said, “There won’t be enough dust left in Samaria to give each of my followers even a handful. If there is, may the gods punish me greatly.”
11The king of Israel replied. He said, “Tell him, ‘Someone who puts his armor on shouldn’t brag like someone who takes it off.’ ”
12Ben-Hadad and the kings were in their tents drinking. That’s when he heard the message. He ordered his men, “Get ready to attack.” So they prepared to attack the city.
Ahab Wins the Battle Over Ben-Hadad
13During that time a prophet came to Ahab, the king of Israel. He announced, “The Lord says, ‘Do you see this huge army? I will hand it over to you today. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’ ”
14“But who will do it?” Ahab asked.
The prophet answered, “The Lord says, ‘The junior officers who are under the area commanders will do it.’ ”
“And who will start the battle?” Ahab asked.
The prophet answered, “You will.”
15So Ahab sent for the junior officers who were under the area commanders. The total number of officers was 232. Ahab gathered together the rest of the Israelites. The total number of them was 7,000. 16They started out at noon. At that time Ben-Hadad and the 32 kings helping him were in their tents. They were getting drunk. 17The junior officers who were under Ahab’s area commanders marched out first.
Ben-Hadad had sent out scouts. They came back and reported, “Men are marching against us from Samaria.”
18Ben-Hadad said, “They might be coming to make peace. If they are, take them alive. Or they might be coming to make war. If they are, take them alive.”
19The junior officers marched out of the city. The army was right behind them. 20Each man struck down the one fighting against him. When that happened, the army of Aram ran away. The Israelites chased them. But Ben-Hadad, the king of Aram, escaped on a horse. Some of his horsemen escaped with him. 21The king of Israel attacked them. He overpowered the horses and chariots. Large numbers of the men of Aram were wounded or killed.
22After that, the prophet came to the king of Israel again. The prophet said, “Make your position stronger. Do what needs to be done. Next spring the king of Aram will attack you again.”
23During that time, the officials of the king of Aram gave him advice. They said, “The gods of Israel are gods of the hills. That’s why they were too strong for us. But suppose we fight them on the plains. Then we’ll certainly be stronger than they are. 24Here’s what you should do. Don’t let any of the kings continue as military leaders. Have other officers take their places. 25You must also put another army together. It should be just like the one you lost. It should have the same number of horses and chariots. Then we’ll be able to fight against Israel on the plains. And we’ll certainly be stronger than they are.” Ben-Hadad agreed with their advice. He did what they suggested.
26The next spring Ben-Hadad brought together the men of Aram. They went up to the city of Aphek to fight against Israel. 27The Israelites were also brought together. They were given supplies. They marched out to fight against their enemies. Israel’s army camped across from Aram’s army. The Israelites looked like two small flocks of goats that had become separated from the others. But the men of Aram covered the countryside.
28The man of God came up to the king of Israel again. He told him, “The Lord says, ‘The men of Aram think the Lord is a god of the hills. They do not think he is a god of the valleys. So I, the Lord, will hand their huge army over to you. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’ ”
29For seven days the two armies camped across from each other. On the seventh day the battle began. The Israelites wounded or killed 100,000 Aramean soldiers who were on foot. That happened in a single day. 30The rest of the men of Aram escaped to the city of Aphek. Its wall fell down on 27,000 of them. Ben-Hadad ran to the city. He hid in a secret room.
31His officials said to him, “Look, we’ve heard that the kings of Israel often show mercy. So let’s go to the king of Israel. Let’s wear the rough clothing people wear when they’re sad. Let’s tie ropes around our heads. Perhaps Ahab will spare your life.”
32So they wore rough clothing. They tied ropes around their heads. Then they went to the king of Israel. They told him, “Your servant Ben-Hadad says, ‘Please let me live.’ ”
The king answered, “Is he still alive? He used to be my friend.”
33The men thought that was good news. So they quickly used the word Ahab had used. “Yes! Your friend Ben-Hadad!” they said.
“Go and get him,” the king said. Ben-Hadad came out of the secret room. Then Ahab had him get into his chariot.
34“I’ll return the cities my father took from your father,” Ben-Hadad offered. “You can set up your own market areas in Damascus. That’s what my father did in Samaria.”
Ahab said, “If we sign a peace treaty, I’ll set you free.” So Ben-Hadad made a treaty with him. Then Ahab let him go.
A Prophet Accuses Ahab
35There was a group of people called the group of the prophets. A message from the Lord came to one of their members. He said to his companion, “Strike me down with your weapon.” But he wouldn’t do it.
36The prophet said, “You haven’t obeyed the Lord. So as soon as you leave me, a lion will kill you.” The companion went away. And a lion found him and killed him.
37The prophet found another man. He said, “Please strike me down.” So the man struck him down and wounded him. 38Then the prophet went and stood by the road. He waited for the king to come by. He pulled his headband down over his eyes so no one would recognize him. 39The king passed by. Then the prophet called out to him. He said, “I went into the middle of the battle. Someone came to me with a prisoner. He said, ‘Guard this man. Don’t let him get away. If he does, you will pay for his life with yours. Or you can pay 75 pounds of silver.’ 40While I was busy here and there, the man disappeared.”
The king of Israel spoke to him. He told him, “What you’ve just said is what will happen to you.”
41Then the prophet quickly removed the headband from his eyes. The king of Israel recognized him as one of the prophets. 42He told the king, “The Lord says, ‘You have set a man free. But I had said he should be set apart to the Lord in a special way to be destroyed. So you must pay for his life with yours. You must pay for his people’s lives with the lives of your people.’ ” 43The king of Israel was angry. He was in a bad mood. He went back to his palace in Samaria.
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1 Kings 20: NIrV
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3 Kings 20
20
1And Benadad, king of Syria, gathered together all his host. And there were two and thirty kings with him, and horses, and chariots: and going up, he fought against Samaria, and besieged it.
2And, sending messengers to Achab king of Israel into the city,
3He said: Thus saith Benadad: Thy silver, and thy gold is mine: and thy wives, and thy goodliest children are mine.
4And the king of Israel answered: According to thy word, my lord, O king, I am thine, and all that I have.
5And the messengers came again, and said: Thus saith Benadad, who sent us unto thee: Thy silver, and thy gold, and thy wives, and thy children, thou shalt deliver up to me.
6To-morrow therefore at this same hour I will send my servants to thee: and they shall search thy house, and the houses of thy servants: and all that pleaseth them, they shall put in their hands, and take away.
7And the king of Israel called all the ancients of the land, and said: Mark, and see that he layeth snares for us. For he sent to me for my wives, and for my children, and for my silver and gold: and I said not nay.
8And all the ancients, and all the people said to him: Hearken not to him, nor consent to him.
9Wherefore he answered the messengers of Benadad: Tell my lord the king: All that thou didst send for to me thy servant at first, I will do: but this thing I cannot do.
10And the messengers returning brought him word. And he sent again and said: Such and such things may the gods do to me, and more may they add, if the dust of Samaria shall suffice for handfuls for all the people that follow me.
11And the king of Israel answering said: Tell him: Let not the girded boast himself as the ungirded.
12And it came to pass, when Benadad heard this word, that he and the kings were drinking in pavilions, and he said to his servants: Beset the city. And they beset it.
13And behold a prophet coming to Achab king of Israel said to him: Thus saith the Lord: Hast thou seen all this exceeding great multitude? Behold, I will deliver them into thy hand this day: that thou mayest know that I am the Lord.
14And Achab said: By whom? And he said to him: Thus saith the Lord: By the servants of the princes of the provinces. And he said: Who shall begin to fight? And he said: Thou.
15So he mustered the servants of the princes of the provinces: and he found the number of two hundred and thirty-two. And he mustered after them the people, all the children of Israel, seven thousand.
16And they went out at noon. But Benadad was drinking himself drunk in his pavilion, and the two and thirty kings with him, who were come to help him.
17And the servants of the princes of the provinces went out first. And Benadad sent. And they told him, saying: There are men come out of Samaria.
18And he said: Whether they come for peace, take them alive: or whether they come to fight, take them alive.
19So the servants of the princes of the provinces went out, and the rest of the army followed.
20And every one slew the man that came against him. And the Syrians fled: and Israel pursued after them. And Benadad king of Syria fled away on horseback with his horsemen.
21But the king of Israel going out overthrew the horses and chariots, and slew the Syrians with a great slaughter.
22(And a prophet coming to the king of Israel said to him: Go, and strengthen thyself, and know, and see what thou dost: for the next year the king of Syria will come up against thee.)
23But the servants of the king of Syria said to him: Their gods are gods of the hills: therefore they have overcome us. But it is better that we should fight against them in the plains, and we shall overcome them.
24Do thou therefore this thing: Remove all the kings from thy army, and put captains in their stead.
25And make up the number of soldiers that have been slain of thine, and horses according to the former horses, and chariots according to the chariots which thou hadst before. And we will fight against them in the plains: and thou shalt see that we shall overcome them. He believed their counsel and did so.
26Wherefore, at the return of the year, Benadad mustered the Syrians, ancient up to Aphec, to fight against Israel.
27And the children of Israel were mustered, and taking victuals went out on the other side, and camped over against them, like two little flocks of goats. But the Syrians filled the land.
28(And a man of God coming said to the king of Israel: Thus saith the Lord: Because the Syrians have said: The Lord is God of the hills, but is not God of the valleys: I will deliver all this great multitude into thy hand and you shall know that I am the Lord.)
29And both sides set their armies in array one against the other, seven days. And on the seventh day the battle was fought: and the children of Israel slew of the Syrians a hundred thousand footmen in one day.
30And they that remained fled to Aphec, into the city: and the wall fell upon seven and twenty thousand men that were left. And Benadad fleeing went into the city, into a chamber that was within a chamber.
31And his servants said to him: Behold, we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful. So let us put sackcloth on our loins, and ropes on our heads, and go out to the king of Israel: perhaps he will save our lives.
32So they girded sackcloth on their loins, and put ropes on their heads, and came to the king of Israel, and said to him: Thy servant Benadad saith: I beseech thee let me have my life. And he said: If he be yet alive he is my brother.
33The men took this for a sign: and in haste caught the word out of his mouth, and said: Thy brother Benadad. And he said to them: Go, and bring him to me. Then Benadad came out to him: and he lifted him up into his chariot.
34And he said to him: The cities which my father took from thy father, I will restore. And do thou make thee streets in Damascus, as my father made in Samaria: and having made a league, I will depart from thee. So he made a league with him, and let him go.
35Then a certain man of the sons of the prophets said to his companion in the word of the Lord: Strike me. But he would not strike.
36Then he said to him: Because thou wouldst not hearken to the word of the Lord, behold, thou shalt depart from me, and a lion shall slay thee. And when he was gone a little from him, a lion found him, and slew him.
37Then he found another man, and said to him: Strike me. And he struck him, and wounded him.
38So the prophet went, and met the king in the way, and disguised himself by sprinkling dust on his face and his eyes.
39And as the king passed by, he cried to the king, and said: Thy servant went out to fight hand to hand. And when a certain man was run away, one brought him to me, and said: Keep this man; and if he shall slip away, thy life shall be for his life, or thou shalt pay a talent of silver.
40And whilst I in a hurry turned this way and that on a sudden he was not to be seen. And the king of Israel said to him: This is thy judgment, which thyself hast decreed.
41But he forthwith wiped off the dust from his face and the king of Israel knew him, that he was one of the prophets.
42And he said to him: Thus saith the Lord: Because thou hast let go out of thy hand a man worthy of death, thy life shall be for his life, and thy people for his people.
43And the king of Israel returned to his house, slighting to hear and raging came into Samaria.
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An historical text maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.