1 Kings 20

War with Aram

1Now 1Ben-hadad, king of Aram, gathered all his army, 2and there were thirty-two kings with him, and horses and chariots. And he went up and 3besieged Samaria, and fought against it. 2Then he sent messengers to the city to Ahab, king of Israel, and said to him, “This is what Ben-hadad says: 3‘Your silver and your gold are mine; your most beautiful wives and children are also mine.’” 4And the king of Israel replied, “As 4you say, my lord, O king; I am yours, as well as all that I have.” 5Then the messengers returned and said, “Ben-hadad says 5this: ‘I did indeed send word to you, saying, “You shall give me your silver, your gold, your wives, and your children”; 6but about this time tomorrow I will send my servants to you, and they will search your house and the houses of your servants; and they will take in their hands everything that is pleasing to your eyes, and take it all away.’”

7Then the king of Israel summoned all the elders of the land and said, “Please be aware and 6see that this man is looking for trouble; for he sent me his demand for my wives, my children, my silver, and my gold, and I did not refuse him.” 8Then all the elders and all the people said to him, “Do not listen nor consent.” 9So he said to the messengers of Ben-hadad, “Tell my lord the king, ‘Everything that you sent as a demand to your servant at the first, I will do; but this thing I cannot do.’” Then the messengers departed, and brought him word again. 10Ben-hadad sent word to him and said, “May 7the gods do so to me and more so, 8if the dust of Samaria will be enough for handfuls for all the people who 9follow me.” 11Then the king of Israel replied, “Tell him, ‘10He who straps on his weapons had better not boast like one who takes them off.’” 12And when Ben-hadad heard this message, while 11he was drinking 12with the kings in the 13temporary shelters, he said to his servants, “Take your positions.” So they took their positions against the city.

Ahab Victorious

13Now behold, a prophet approached Ahab king of Israel, and said, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Have you seen all this great multitude? Behold, 14I am going to hand them over to you today, and 15you shall know that I am the Lord.’” 14But Ahab said, “By whom?” So he said, “The Lord says this: ‘By the young men of the leaders of the provinces.’” Then he said, “Who will begin the battle?” And he said, “You will.” 15So he mustered the young men of the leaders of the provinces, and there were 232; and after them he mustered all the people, all the sons of Israel: seven thousand.

16They went out at noon, while 16Ben-hadad was drinking himself drunk in the 17temporary shelters 18with the thirty-two kings who were helping him. 17The young men of the leaders of the provinces went out first; and Ben-hadad sent out scouts, and they reported to him, saying, “Men have come out from Samaria.” 1819Then he said, “If they have come out 20for peace, take them alive; or if they have come out for war, take them alive as well.”

19So these men went out from the city, the young men of the leaders of the provinces, and the army which followed them. 20And they 21killed, each one, his man; and the Arameans fled and Israel pursued them, and Ben-hadad the king of Aram escaped on a horse with horsemen. 21The king of Israel also went out and struck the horses and chariots, and 22killed the Arameans in a great slaughter.

22Then 23the prophet approached the king of Israel and said to him, “Go, show yourself courageous and be aware and see what you have to do; for 24at 25the turn of the year the king of Aram will march against you.”

23Now the servants of the king of Aram said to him, “26Their gods are gods of the mountains; for that reason they were stronger than we. But let us fight them in the plain, and we will certainly be stronger than they. 24Carry out this 27plan: remove the kings, each from his place, and put governors in their place, 25and 28muster 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 we will certainly be stronger than they.” And he listened to their voice and did so.

Another Aramean War

26So 29at 30the turn of the year Ben-hadad mustered the Arameans and went up to 31Aphek to fight against Israel. 27And the sons of Israel were mustered and given provisions, and they went to meet them; and the sons of Israel camped opposite them like two little flocks of goats, 32while the Arameans filled the country. 28Then 33a man of God approached and spoke to the king of Israel, and said, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Since the Arameans have said, “34The Lord is a god of mountains, but He is not a god of valleys,” therefore 35I will hand over to you all this great multitude, and you shall know that I am the Lord.’” 29So they camped, one opposite the other, for seven days. And on the seventh day the battle was joined, and the sons of Israel 36killed of the Arameans a hundred thousand foot soldiers in a single day. 30But the rest fled to 37Aphek into the city, and the wall fell on twenty-seven thousand men who were left. And Ben-hadad fled and came into the city, going from one 38inner room to another.

31But 39his servants said to him, “Behold now, we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful kings. Please let’s 40put sackcloth 41around our waists and ropes on our heads, and go out to the king of Israel; perhaps he will let 42you live.” 32So 43they put sackcloth 44around their waists and ropes on their heads, and came to the king of Israel and said, “45Your servant Ben-hadad says, ‘Please let 46me live.’” And Ahab said, “Is he still alive? He is my brother.” 33Now the men took this as a good omen, and quickly 47accepting it from him, they said, “Your brother Ben-hadad.” Then he said, “Go, bring him.” Then Ben-hadad came out to him, and he had him mount the chariot. 34And Ben-hadad said to him, “48The cities which my father took from your father I will restore, and you can make streets for yourself in Damascus, as my father made in Samaria.” Ahab said, “And I will let you go with this covenant.” So he made a covenant with him and let him go.

35Now a man from 49the sons of the prophets said to 50another 51by the word of the Lord, “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, behold, as soon as you leave me, 52a lion will 53kill you.” And as soon as he left him a lion found him and 54killed him. 37Then he found another man and said, “Please strike me.” And the man struck him, 55injuring him. 38So the prophet departed and waited for the king by the road, and 56disguised himself with a bandage over his eyes. 39And as the king passed 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 for any reason he goes missing, 57then your life shall be forfeited in place of his life, or else you shall pay a 58talent of silver.’ 40Now while your servant was busy here and there, he disappeared.” And the king of Israel said to him, “So shall your judgment be; you yourself determined it.” 41Then he quickly took the bandage away from his eyes, and the king of Israel recognized him, that he was one of the prophets. 42And the prophet said to him, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Since you have let go from your hand the man I had designated for destruction, 59your 60life shall be forfeited in place of his 61life, and your people in place of his people.’” 43So 62the king of Israel went to his house sullen and furious, and came to Samaria.