1 Kings 20

1Ben-hadad king of Aram gathered all his army, and thirty-two kings with him, and horses and chariots; then he went up and besieged Samaria and fought against it.

2And he sent messengers into the city, to Ahab king of Israel.

3And he said to him, “Thus says Ben-hadad: Your silver and your gold are mine; your wives and your sons, the best, are mine.”

4The king of Israel answered and said, “According to your word, my lord the king, I am yours, and all that is mine.”

5The messengers returned and said, “Thus says Ben-hadad: ‘Though I sent to you, saying, “You shall give me your silver and your gold and your wives and your sons,”’”

6No, but about this time tomorrow I will send my servants to you, and they will search your house and the houses of your servants; and whatever is desirable in your eyes, they will put into their hands and take away.

7Then the king of Israel called all the elders of the land and said, “Please know and see that this man is seeking trouble, for he sent to me for my wives, my sons, my silver, and my gold, and I did not withhold them from him.”

8Then all the elders and all the people said to him, “Do not listen, and do not consent.”

9So he said to the messengers of Ben-hadad, “Say to my lord the king, ‘All that you sent to your servant the first time, I will do; but this thing I cannot do.’” And the messengers went and brought back word to him.

10Ben-hadad sent to him and said, “May the gods do so to me, and more also, if the dust of Samaria will be enough for handfuls for all the people who are at my feet.”

11And the king of Israel answered and said, “Tell him, ‘Let not the one who girds on his armor boast like the one who takes it off.’”

12And when he heard this word, while he and the kings were drinking in the booths, he said to his servants, “Take your positions.” So they took their positions against the city.

13And behold, a certain prophet came near to Ahab king of Israel and said, “Thus says Yahweh: Have you seen all this great multitude? Behold, I am giving it into your hand today, and you shall know that I am Yahweh.”

14And Ahab said, “By whom?” And he said, “Thus says Yahweh: By the young men of the provincial officials.” Then he said, “Who will begin the battle?” And he said, “You.”

15So he mustered the young men of the provincial commanders, and they were two hundred and thirty-two; and after them he mustered all the people, all the sons of Israel, seven thousand.

16They went out at noon, while Ben-hadad was drinking himself drunk in the booths, he and the thirty-two kings who were helping him.

17Then the young men of the commanders of the provinces went out first, and Ben-hadad sent, and they reported to him, saying, “Men have come out from Samaria.”

18And he said, “If they have come out for peace, seize them alive; and if they have come out for battle, seize them alive.”

19These went out from the city: the young men of the commanders of the provinces, and the army that was behind them.

20And each man struck down his man, and Aram fled, and Israel pursued them. But Ben-hadad king of Aram escaped on a horse with horsemen.

21Then the king of Israel went out and struck the horses and the chariots, and inflicted a great blow on Aram.

22Then the prophet came near to the king of Israel and said to him, “Go, strengthen yourself, and know and see what you should do, because at the turn of the year the king of Aram will come up against you.”

23And the servants of the king of Aram said to him, “Their gods are gods of the hills; therefore they were stronger than we were. But if we fight against them on the plain, surely we will be stronger than they are.”

24And do this thing: remove the kings, each from his place, and put governors in their place.

25And you, muster for yourself an army like the army that fell from you, and horse for horse and chariot for chariot; then let us fight against them on the plain. Surely we will be stronger than they are.” So he listened to their voice and did so.

26At the turn of the year, Ben-hadad mustered Aram and went up to Aphek for battle with Israel.

27And the sons of Israel were mustered and supplied, and they went to meet them. The sons of Israel camped opposite them like two little flocks of goats, but Aram filled the land.

28Then the man of God came near and said to the king of Israel, “Thus says Yahweh: Because Aram has said, ‘Yahweh is a god of the mountains, but he is not a god of the valleys,’ I will give all this great multitude into your hand, and you shall know that I am Yahweh.”

29And these camped opposite those for seven days. Then on the seventh day the battle drew near, and the sons of Israel struck down Aram—one hundred thousand foot soldiers in one day.

30The survivors fled to Aphek, into the city, and the wall fell on twenty-seven thousand of the remaining men. Ben-hadad also fled and entered the city, into an inner room.

31And his servants said to him, “Look, please, we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful kings. Please let us put sackcloth around our waists and ropes on our heads, and let us go out to the king of Israel; perhaps he will let you live.”

32So they tied sackcloth around their waists and ropes on their heads, and they 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.”

33The men were watching for an omen, and they quickly seized on it from him and said, “Ben-hadad is your brother.” And he said, “Come, take him.” Then Ben-hadad came out to him, and he had him come up into the chariot.

34Then he said to him, “The cities that my father took from your father I will restore, and you may establish streets for yourself in Damascus, as my father established them in Samaria.” And I, in the treaty, will let you go.” So he made a treaty with him and let him go.

35A certain man from the sons of the prophets said to his companion by the word of Yahweh, “Please strike me.” But the man refused to strike him.

36Then he said to him, “Because you have not listened to the voice of the LORD, look, when you depart from me, the lion will strike you down.” And when he departed from him, the lion found him and struck him down.

37Then he found another man and said, “Please strike me.” So the man struck him and wounded him.

38So the prophet went and stood by the road for the king, and disguised himself with a bandage over his eyes.

39As the king was passing by, he cried out to the king and said, “Your servant went out into the midst of the battle, and behold, a man turned aside and brought a man to me and said, ‘Guard this man. If he is ever missing, then your life shall be for his life, or you shall weigh out a talent of silver.’”

40And as your servant was busy here and there, he was gone. Then the king of Israel said to him, “So shall your judgment be; you yourself have decided it.”

41Then he quickly removed the bandage from over his eyes, and the king of Israel recognized him, that he was one of the prophets.

42And he said to him, “Thus says Yahweh: Because you have let go from your hand the man I had devoted to destruction, your life shall be for his life, and your people for his people.”

43So the king of Israel went to his house sullen and angry, and he came to Samaria.