1 Kings 20
Revised Geneva Translation
20 Then Ben-Hadad, the king of Aram, assembled all his army, and thirty-two kings with him, with horses and chariots, and went up and besieged Samaria, and fought against it.
2 And he sent messengers to Ahab, king of Israel, into the city,
3 and said to him, “Thus says Ben-Hadad, ‘Your silver and your gold is mine. Also, your women and your fair children are mine.’”
4 And the king of Israel answered, and said, “My lord king, according to your saying, I am yours, and all that I have.”
5 And when the messengers came back, they said, “Thus commands Ben-Hadad, and says, ‘When I shall send to you and command, you shall deliver to me your silver and your gold and your women and your children.
6 ‘Or else, I will send my servants to you by tomorrow at this time, and they shall search your house, and the houses of your servants, and whatever is pleasant in your eyes they shall take it in their hands and bring it away.’”
7 Then the king of Israel sent for all the elders of the land, and said, “Take heed, please, and see how he 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.”
8 And all the elders and all the people said to him, “Do not listen to him, or consent.”
9 Therefore he said to the messengers of Ben-Hadad, “Tell my lord the king, ‘All that you sent for to your servant the first time, that I will do. But this thing I cannot do.’” And the messengers departed and brought him an answer.
10 And Ben-Hadad sent to him, and said, “The gods do so to me, and more also, if the dust of Samaria is enough for every man who follows me to have a handful.”
11 And the king of Israel answered, and said, “Tell him, ‘Do not let him who girds his harness boast of himself just as he who takes it off.’”
12 And when he heard that news, as he was with the kings drinking in the pavilions, he said to the servants, “Make ready.” And they set themselves against the city.
13 And behold, there came a Prophet to Ahab, king of Israel, saying, “Thus says the LORD: ‘Have you seen all this great multitude? Behold, I will deliver it into your hand this day, so that you may know that I am the LORD.’”
14 And Ahab said, “By whom?” And he said, “Thus says the LORD: ‘By the servants of the princes of the provinces.’” He said again, “Who shall order the battle?” And he answered, “You.”
15 Then he mustered the servants of the princes of the provinces. And there were two hundred thirty-two. And after them, he mustered the whole people of all the children of Israel: seven thousand.
16 And they went out at noon. But Ben-Hadad drank in the tents, until he was drunk, he and the kings. Thirty-two kings helped him.
17 So, the servants of the princes of the provinces went out first. And Ben-Hadad sent out. And they told him, saying, “There are men who came out of Samaria.”
18 And he said, “If they have come out for peace, take them alive. Or if they have come out to fight, still take them alive.”
19 So they came out of the city, the servants of the princes of the provinces, and the army which followed them.
20 And each one killed his enemy. And the Aramites fled. And Israel pursued them. But Ben-Hadad, the king of Aram, escaped on a horse, with horsemen.
21 And the king of Israel went out and struck the horses and chariots and killed the Aramites with a great slaughter.
22 (For there had come a Prophet to the king of Israel, and had said to him, “Go. Be of good courage. And consider and take heed to what you do. For when the year has gone around, the king of Aram will come up against you.”)
23 Then the servants of the king of Aram said to him, “Their gods are gods of the mountains, and therefore they overcame us. But let us fight against them on the plain, and doubtless we shall overcome them.
24 “And do this: take the kings away, each one out of his place, and place captains for them.
25 “And muster an army for yourself, like the army that you have lost, with the same horses and the same chariots, and we will fight against them on the plain. And doubtless we shall overcome them.” And he listened to their voice and did so.
26 And after the year had gone around, Ben-Hadad mustered the Aramites, and went up to Aphek to fight against Israel.
27 And the children of Israel were mustered and were all assembled and went against them. And the children of Israel camped before them, like two little flocks of kids. But the Aramites filled the country.
28 And a man of God came and spoke to the king of Israel, saying, “Thus says the LORD: ‘Because the Aramites have said, “The LORD is the God of the mountains, and not God of the valleys,” I will therefore deliver all this great multitude into your hand. And you shall know that I am the LORD.’”
29 And they camped opposite each other for seven days. And on the seventh day, the battle was joined. And the children of Israel killed a hundred thousand Aramite footmen in one day.
30 But the rest fled to Aphek, into the city. And a wall fell upon twenty-seven thousand men who were left. And Ben-Hadad fled into the city and came into a secret chamber.
31 And his servants said to him, “Behold, now, we have heard say that the kings of the House of Israel are merciful kings. Please, let us put sackcloth around our loins, and ropes around our heads, and go out to the king of Israel. It may be that he will spare your life.”
32 Then they girded sackcloth around their loins, and ropes around their heads, and came to the king of Israel, and said, “Your servant Ben-Hadad says, ‘Please let me live.’” And he said, “Is he still alive? He is my brother.”
33 Now the men took diligent care, for they were anxious to perceive something more, and said, “Your brother, Ben-Hadad!” And he said, “Go. Bring him.” So, Ben-Hadad came out to him. And he had him brought up into the chariot.
34 And Ben-Hadad said to him, “The cities which my father took from your father, I will restore. And you shall make streets for yourself in Damascus, as my father did in Samaria.” Then Ahab said, “I will let you go with this covenant.” So, he made a covenant with him and let him go.
35 Then, a certain man of the children of the Prophets said to his neighbor by the Commandment of the LORD, “Strike me, please!” But the man refused to strike him.
36 Then he said to him, “Because you have not obeyed the Voice of the LORD, behold, as soon as you have departed from me, a lion shall kill you.” So, after he had departed from him, a lion found him and killed him.
37 Then he found another man, and said, “Strike me, please!” And the man struck him. And in smiting, wounded him.
38 So, the Prophet departed and waited for the king by the road and disguised himself with ashes upon his face.
39 And when the king came by, he cried to the king, and said, “Your servant went into the midst of the battle, and behold, there went away a man whom another man brought to me, and said, ‘Guard this man. If he is lost for any reason, your life shall go for his life, or else you shall pay a talent of silver.’
40 “And as your servant was busy here and there, he was gone.” And the king of Israel said to him, “So shall your judgment be. You have given sentence.”
41 And he hurried and took the ashes away from his face. And the king of Israel knew him, that he was of the Prophets.
42 And he said to him, “Thus says the LORD: ‘Because you have let go out of your hands a man whom I appointed to die, your life shall go for his life, and your people for his people.”
43 And the king of Israel went to his house, heavy and in displeasure, and came to Samaria.
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