1 Kings 20:1-21

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.

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.