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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1 Kings 20
20
Victory over Ben-hadad
1Now King Ben-hadad#1Kg 15:18,20 of Aram assembled his entire army. Thirty-two kings,#1Kg 22:31 along with horses and chariots, were with him. He marched up, besieged Samaria,#1Kg 16:24,29 and fought against it. 2He sent messengers into the city to King Ahab of Israel and said to him, “This is what Ben-hadad says: 3‘Your silver and your gold are mine! And your best wives and children are mine as well!’” #2Kg 24:14–16; Dn 1:3–4
4Then the king of Israel answered, “Just as you say, my lord the king: I am yours, along with all that I have.”
5The messengers then returned and said, “This is what Ben-hadad says: ‘I have sent messengers to you, saying, “You are to give me your silver, your gold, your wives, and your children.” 6But at this time tomorrow I will send my servants to you,#20:6 Lit take all the delight of your eyes#Lm 2:4; Ezk 24:16,21,25 and they will search your palace and your servants’ houses. They will lay their hands on and take away whatever is precious to you.’”
7Then the king of Israel called for all the elders of the land and said, “Recognize#20:7 Lit “Know and see that this one is only looking for trouble,#2Kg 5:7 for he demanded my wives, my children, my silver, and my gold, and I didn’t turn him down.”
8All the elders and all the people said to him, “Don’t listen or agree.”
9So he said to Ben-hadad’s messengers, “Say to my lord the king, ‘Everything you demanded of your servant the first time, I will do, but this thing I cannot do.’” So the messengers left and took word back to him.
10Then Ben-hadad sent messengers to him and said, “May the gods punish me and do so severely#1Kg 19:2; 2Kg 6:31 if Samaria’s dust#2Sm 22:43 amounts to a handful for each of the people who follow me.”
11The king of Israel answered, “Say this: ‘Don’t let the one who puts on his armor boast#Pr 27:1 like the one who takes it off.’”
12When Ben-hadad heard this response, while he and the kings were drinking#1Kg 16:9 in their quarters,#20:12 Lit booths, also in v. 16 he said to his servants, “Take your positions.” So they took their positions against the city.
13A prophet approached King Ahab of Israel and said, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Do you see this whole huge army? Watch, I am handing it over to you today so that you may know that I am the Lord.’”#1Kg 20:28
14Ahab asked, “By whom?”
And the prophet said, “This is what the Lord says: ‘By the young men of the provincial leaders.’”
Then he asked, “Who is to start the battle?” #Jdg 1:1; 20:18
He said, “You.”
15So Ahab mobilized the young men of the provincial leaders, and there were 232. After them he mobilized all the Israelite troops: 7,000.#Jdg 7:2 16They marched out at noon while Ben-hadad and the thirty-two kings#1Kg 20:1 who were helping him were getting drunk in their quarters. 17The young men of the provincial leaders marched out first. Then Ben-hadad sent out scouts, and they reported to him, saying, “Men are marching out of Samaria.”#1Kg 16:24
18So he said, “If they have marched out in peace,#2Kg 14:8 take them alive, and if they have marched out for battle, take them alive.”
19The young men of the provincial leaders and the army behind them marched out from the city, 20and each one struck down his opponent.#2Sm 2:15–16 So the Arameans fled and Israel pursued them,#1Sm 14:13–14,22 but King Ben-hadad of Aram escaped on a horse with the cavalry. 21Then the king of Israel marched out and attacked the cavalry and the chariots. He inflicted a severe slaughter on Aram.
22The prophet approached the king of Israel and said to him, “Go and strengthen yourself, then consider carefully#20:22 Lit then know and see what you should do, for in the spring#2Sm 11:1 the king of Aram will attack you.”
23Now the king of Aram’s servants said to him, “Their gods are gods of the hill country.#1Kg 14:23; Ps 139:7–12 That’s why they were stronger than we were. Instead, we should fight with them on the plain; then we will certainly be stronger than they are. 24Also do this: remove each king from his position and appoint captains in their place. 25Raise another army for yourself like the army you lost — horse for horse, chariot for chariot — and let’s fight with them on the plain; and we will certainly be stronger than they are.” The king listened to them and did it.
26In the spring, Ben-hadad mobilized the Arameans and went up to Aphek#2Kg 13:17 to battle Israel. 27The Israelites mobilized, gathered supplies, and went to fight them. The Israelites camped in front of them like two little flocks of goats, while the Arameans filled the landscape.#Jdg 6:5; 1Sm 13:5
28Then the man of God#1Kg 17:18 approached and said to the king of Israel, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Because the Arameans have said, “The Lord is a god of the mountains and not a god of the valleys,”#1Kg 20:23 I will hand over all this whole huge army to you. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’”#1Kg 20:13
29They camped opposite each other for seven days. On the seventh day,#Jos 6:15 the battle took place, and the Israelites struck down the Arameans — one hundred thousand foot soldiers in one day. 30The ones who remained fled into the city of Aphek, and the wall fell on those twenty-seven thousand remaining men.
Ben-hadad also fled and went into an inner room#1Kg 22:25 in the city. 31His servants said to him, “Consider this: we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful kings. So let’s put sackcloth around our waists#Gn 37:34 and ropes around our heads, and let’s go out to the king of Israel. Perhaps he will spare your life.”
32So they dressed with sackcloth around their waists and ropes around their heads, went to the king of Israel, and said, “Your servant Ben-hadad says, ‘Please spare my life.’”
So he said, “Is he still alive? He is my brother.”
33Now the men were looking for a sign of hope, so they quickly picked up on this#20:33 Some Hb mss, alt Hb tradition, LXX; other Hb mss read they hastened and caught hold; “Is this it?” and responded, “Yes, it is your brother Ben-hadad.”
Then he said, “Go and bring him.”
So Ben-hadad came out to him, and Ahab had him come up into the chariot. 34Then Ben-hadad said to him, “I restore to you the cities that my father took from your father,#1Kg 15:20 and you may set up marketplaces for yourself in Damascus, like my father set up in Samaria.”#2Sm 8:6
Ahab responded, “On the basis of this treaty, I release you.” So he made a treaty with him and released him.
Ahab Rebuked by the Lord
35One of the sons of the prophets#2Kg 2:3,5,7 said to his fellow prophet by the word of the Lord, “Strike me!” But the man refused to strike him.
36He told him, “Because you did not listen to the Lord, mark my words: When you leave me, a lion will kill you.”#1Kg 13:24 When he left him, a lion attacked and killed him.
37The prophet found another man and said to him, “Strike me!” So the man struck him, inflicting a wound. 38Then the prophet went and waited for the king on the road. He disguised#1Kg 14:2 himself with a bandage over his eyes. 39As the king was passing by, he cried out to the king and said, “Your servant marched out into the middle of the battle. Suddenly, a man turned aside and brought someone to me and said, ‘Guard this man! If he is ever missing, it will be your life in place of his life,#Jos 2:14; 2Kg 10:24 or you will weigh out seventy-five pounds#20:39 Lit a talent of silver.’ 40But while your servant was busy here and there, he disappeared.”
The king of Israel said to him, “That will be your sentence; you yourself have decided it.”#2Sm 12:5
41He quickly removed the bandage from his eyes. The king of Israel recognized that he was one of the prophets. 42The prophet said to him, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Because you released from your hand the man I had set apart for destruction,#1Kg 19:16 it will be your life in place of his life and your people in place of his people.’” 43The king of Israel left for home resentful and angry,#1Kg 21:4 and he entered Samaria.
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