1 Kings
Chapter 20
1 Benhadad, the king of Syria, brought all his army together. He was joined by thirty-two kings, with their horses and chariots. He advanced and laid siege to Samaria and attacked it.
2 He sent messengers to Ahab, the king of Israel, in the city, telling him, “Benhadad says,
3 Your silver and your gold are mine; your wives and children, even the most beautiful, are mine too.
4 The king of Israel replied and said, “My lord, O king, as you say, I am yours, and all that I have.”
5 The messengers came back and said, “Benhadad says, ‘Even though I’ve sent you a message demanding you give me your silver, gold, wives, and children…’”
6 I will send my servants to you tomorrow at this time, and they will search your house and your servants’ houses. Whatever you like, they will take it.
7 The king of Israel called all the leaders and said, “Notice and see how this man wants to cause trouble. He asked for my wives, my children, my silver, and my gold, and I didn’t refuse him.”
8 All the leaders and everyone told him, “Don’t listen to him or agree.”
9 So he told Benhadad’s messengers, “Tell my king I will do all he first asked of me, but I can’t do this.” The messengers left and reported back to him.
10 Benhadad sent a message saying, “May the gods punish me severely if there is enough dust in Samaria for all my followers to grab a handful.”
11 The king of Israel replied, “Tell him not to brag while putting on his armor like one who takes it off after battle.”
12 When Ben-hadad heard this message while he was drinking with the kings in their tents, he told his servants to get ready for battle. So they prepared to attack the city.
13 Look, a prophet came to Ahab, the king of Israel, and said, “This is what God says: ‘Have you seen this huge crowd? I will give them to you today, and you will know that I am God.’”
14 Ahab asked, “By whom?” He replied, “God says, ‘By the young men of the province leaders.’” Then Ahab asked, “Who will lead the attack?” He answered, “You will.”
15 He counted the young men from the provincial leaders, totaling 232; then he counted all the others, all the Israelites, and there were 7,000.
16 They left at midday. But Benhadad and the thirty-two kings helping him were getting drunk in the tents.
17 The young leaders’ soldiers went first. Then Benhadad was informed, “Men have come out of Samaria.”
18 He said, “If they come for peace, capture them alive; if they come for war, capture them alive.”
19 These young men, who were the leaders’ sons, left the city, along with the army that followed them.
20 Everyone killed their opponent, the Syrians ran away, Israel chased them, and King Benhadad of Syria escaped on a horse with his cavalry.
21 The king of Israel went out, attacked the horses and chariots, and killed many Syrians.
22 The prophet went to the king of Israel and told him, “Go, get stronger, pay attention, and be careful with what you do. Because when the year comes around again, the king of Syria will attack you.”
23 The king of Syria’s servants told him, “Their god is a god of the hills; that’s why they were stronger than us. But if we fight them on the flat land, we will definitely be stronger than them.”
24 Do this: Remove the kings, every one from their positions, and appoint captains in their places.
25 Count yourself an army, just like the one you lost, with the same number of horses and chariots. Then we will battle them on the flat land, and we will definitely be stronger. He listened to their advice and did it.
26 When the year came around again, Benhadad counted the Syrian troops and moved to Aphek to battle Israel.
27 The Israelites were counted, all showed up, and fought against them. The Israelites camped in front of them, looking like two small groups of young goats, while the Syrians covered the land.
28 A man of God came and spoke to the king of Israel, saying, “This is what God says: ‘Because the Syrians believe that God is only the God of the hills and not of the valleys, I will give you victory over this large army, and you will realize that I am God.’”
29 They camped facing each other for seven days. On the seventh day, the fight began, and the Israelites killed one hundred thousand Syrian foot soldiers in one day.
30 But the others ran away to Aphek, into the city. There, a wall collapsed on twenty-seven thousand of the remaining men. Benhadad also ran away and went into the city, to a room inside.
31 His servants told him, “We have heard that Israel’s kings are kind. Please let us wear rough cloth around our waists and put ropes on our heads, and go to the king of Israel. Maybe he will spare your life.”
32 They wrapped rough cloth around their waists, placed ropes on their heads, went to the king of Israel, and said, “Your servant Benhadad asks, please let me live.” And he replied, “Is he still alive? He is my brother.”
33 The men watched carefully to see if he would do something. When he gave a sign, they quickly took it. They said, “Your brother Benhadad.” He replied, “Go and bring him.” So Benhadad came to him, and he helped him into the chariot.
34 Ben-hadad told him, “I’ll give back the cities my father took from your father; you can build your own neighborhoods in Damascus, like my father did in Samaria.” Then Ahab replied, “With this agreement, I’ll let you go.” So he made an agreement with him and let him go.
35 A man from the group of prophets told his friend, speaking for God, “Please hit me.” But the man would not hit him.
36 He told him, “Because you didn’t listen to God, as soon as you leave me, a lion will kill you.” And right after he left him, a lion found him and killed him.
37 He found another person and said, “Please hit me.” So the person hit him, injuring him in the process.
38 The prophet left and waited for the king on the road, hiding his face with ashes.
39 As the king went by, he called out to the king: “I went into the battle, and a man gave me another man and told me, ‘Guard this man. If he goes missing, you’ll have to die in his place or pay a talent of silver.’”
40 While your servant was busy, he disappeared. The king of Israel said, “That will be your punishment; you have chosen it yourself.”
41 He hurried to remove the ashes from his face, and the king of Israel recognized that he was one of the prophets.
42 He told him, “God says, because you released a man I wanted to destroy, your life will be taken for his life, and your people for his people.”
43 The king of Israel went home sad and upset, and arrived in Samaria.