1 Kings 20:13-30

13Now behold, a prophet approached Ahab king of Israel and said, “Thus says the Lord, ‘Have you seen all this great multitude? Behold, 1I will deliver them into your hand today, and 2you shall know that I am the Lord.’” 14Ahab said, “By whom?” So he said, “Thus says the Lord, ‘By the young men of the rulers of the provinces.’” Then he said, “Who shall 3begin the battle?” And he 4answered, “You.” 15Then he mustered the young men of the rulers of the provinces, and there were 232; and after them he mustered all the people, even all the sons of Israel, 7,000.

16They went out at noon, while 5Ben-hadad was drinking himself drunk in the 6temporary shelters 7with the thirty-two kings who helped him. 17The young men of the rulers of the provinces went out first; and Ben-hadad sent out and they told him, saying, “Men have come out from Samaria.” 188Then he said, “If they have come out for peace, take them alive; or if they have come out for war, take them alive.”

19So these went out from the city, the young men of the rulers of the provinces, and the army which followed them. 20They 9killed each his man; and the Arameans fled and Israel pursued them, and Ben-hadad king of Aram escaped on a horse with horsemen. 21The king of Israel went out and 10struck the horses and chariots, and 11killed the Arameans with a great slaughter.

22Then 12the prophet came near to the king of Israel and said to him, “Go, strengthen yourself and observe and see what you have to do; for 13at the turn of the year the king of Aram will come up against you.”

23Now the servants of the king of Aram said to him, “14Their gods are gods of the mountains, therefore they were stronger than we; but rather let us fight against them in the plain, and surely we will be stronger than they. 24Do this thing: remove the kings, each from his place, and put captains in their place, 25and 15muster an army like the army that you have lost, horse for horse, and chariot for chariot. Then we will fight against them in the plain, and surely we will be stronger than they.” And he listened to their voice and did so.

2616At the turn of the year, Ben-hadad mustered the Arameans and went up to 17Aphek to fight against Israel. 27The sons of Israel were mustered and were provisioned and went to meet them; and the sons of Israel camped before them like two little flocks of goats, 18but the Arameans filled the country. 28Then 19a man of God came near and spoke to the king of Israel and said, “Thus says the Lord, ‘Because the Arameans have said, “20The Lord is a god of the mountains, but He is not a god of the valleys,” therefore 21I will give all this great multitude into your hand, and you shall know that I am the Lord.’” 29So they camped one over against the other seven days. And on the seventh day the battle was joined, and the sons of Israel 22killed of the Arameans 100,000 foot soldiers in one day. 30But the rest fled to 23Aphek into the city, and the wall fell on 27,000 men who were left. And Ben-hadad fled and came into the city 24into an inner chamber.