1 And Ben–hadadthe kingof Syriagatheredall his hosttogether: and there werethirtyand twokingswith him, and horses, and chariots: and he went upand besiegedSamaria, and warred against it.2 And he sentmessengersto Ahabkingof Israelinto the city, and saidunto him, Thus saithBen–hadad,3 Thy silverand thy goldismine; thy wivesalso and thy children, eventhe goodliest, are mine.4 And the kingof Israelansweredand said, My lord, O king, according to thy saying, I am thine, and all that I have.5 And the messengerscame again, and said, Thus speakethBen–hadad, saying, Although I have sentunto thee, saying, Thou shalt deliverme thy silver, and thy gold, and thy wives, and thy children;6 Yet I will sendmy servantsunto thee to morrowabout this time, and they shall searchthine house, and the housesof thy servants; and it shall be, thatwhatsoever is pleasantin thine eyes, they shall putitin their hand, and take itaway.npleasant: Heb. desirable7 Then the kingof Israelcalledall the eldersof the land, and said, Mark, I pray you, and see how this manseekethmischief: for he sentunto me for my wives, and for my children, and for my silver, and for my gold; and I denied him not.nI denied…: Heb. I kept not back from him8 And all the eldersand all the peoplesaidunto him, Hearken not unto him, nor consent.9 Wherefore he saidunto the messengersof Ben–hadad, Tellmy lordthe king, All that thou didst sendfor to thy servantat the firstI will do: but this thingI maynot do. And the messengersdeparted, and broughthim wordagain.10 And Ben–hadadsentunto him, and said, The godsdo sounto me, and more also, if the dustof Samariashall sufficefor handfulsfor all the peoplethat follow me.nfollow…: Heb. are at my feet11 And the kingof Israelansweredand said, Tellhim, Let not him that girdeth on his harnessboasthimself as he that putteth it off.12 And it came to pass, when Ben–hadadheardthis message, as he wasdrinking, he and the kingsin the pavilions, that he saidunto his servants, Setyourselves in array. And they setthemselves in arrayagainst the city.nmessage: Heb. wordnpavilions: or, tentsnSet yourselves…: or, Place the engines. And they placed the engines
13 And, behold, there cameaprophetunto Ahabkingof Israel, saying, Thus saiththe Lord, Hast thou seenall this greatmultitude? behold, I will deliverit into thine handthis day; and thou shalt know that I amthe Lord.ncame: Heb. approached14 And Ahabsaid, By whom? And he said, Thus saiththe Lord, Evenby the young menof the princesof the provinces. Then he said, Who shall orderthe battle? And he answered, Thou.nyoung…: or, servantsnorder: Heb. bind, or, tie15 Then he numberedthe young menof the princesof the provinces, and they were twohundredand thirtytwo: and afterthem he numberedall the people, evenall the childrenof Israel, beingseventhousand.16 And they went outat noon. But Ben–hadadwasdrinkinghimself drunkin the pavilions, he and the kings, the thirtyand twokingsthat helped him.17 And the young menof the princesof the provinceswent outfirst; and Ben–hadadsent out, and they toldhim, saying, There are mencome outof Samaria.18 And he said, Whether they be come outfor peace, takethem alive; or whether they be come outfor war, takethem alive.19 So these young menof the princesof the provincescame outof the city, and the armywhich followed them.20 And they slewevery onehis man: and the Syriansfled; and Israelpursuedthem: and Ben–hadadthe kingof Syriaescapedon an horsewith the horsemen.21 And the kingof Israelwent out, and smotethe horsesand chariots, and slewthe Syrianswith a greatslaughter.
22 And the prophetcameto the kingof Israel, and saidunto him, Go, strengthenthyself, and mark, and seewhat thou doest: for at the returnof the yearthe kingof Syriawill come up against thee.23 And the servantsof the kingof Syriasaidunto him, Their godsaregodsof the hills; therefore they were strongerthan we; butlet us fightagainst them in the plain, and surelywe shall be stronger than they.24 And dothis thing, Takethe kingsaway, every manout of his place, and putcaptains in their rooms:25 And numberthee an army, like the armythat thou hast lost, horsefor horse, and chariotfor chariot: and we will fightagainstthem in the plain, andsurely we shall be strongerthan they. And he hearkenedunto their voice, and did so.nthat thou…: Heb. that was fallen26 And it came to pass at the returnof the year, that Ben–hadadnumberedthe Syrians, and went upto Aphek, to fightagainst Israel.nto fight…: Heb. to the war with Israel27 And the childrenof Israelwere numbered, and were all present, and wentagainstthem: and the childrenof Israelpitchedbefore them like twolittle flocksof kids; but the Syriansfilledthe country.nwere all…: or, were nourished
28 And there camea manof God, and spakeunto the kingof Israel, and said, Thus saiththe Lord, Because the Syrianshave said, The LordisGodof the hills, but he isnot Godof the valleys, therefore will I deliverall this greatmultitudeinto thine hand, and ye shall know that I amthe Lord.29 And they pitchedoneover againstthe othersevendays. And soit was, that in the seventhdaythe battlewas joined: and the childrenof Israelslewof the Syriansan hundredthousandfootmenin oneday.30 But the restfledto Aphek, into the city; and therea wallfellupon twentyand seventhousandof the menthat wereleft. And Ben–hadadfled, and cameinto the city, into an innerchamber.ninto an…: or, from chamber to chamber: Heb. into a chamber within a chamber
31 And his servantssaidunto him, Behold now, we have heardthat the kingsof the houseof Israelaremercifulkings: let us, I pray thee, putsackclothon our loins, and ropesupon our heads, and go outto the kingof Israel: peradventure he will savethy life.32 So they girdedsackclothon their loins, and putropeson their heads, and cameto the kingof Israel, and said, Thy servantBen–hadadsaith, I pray thee, let me live. And he said, Ishe yet alive? he ismy brother.33 Now the mendid diligently observe whether any thing would comefrom him, and did hastilycatchit: and they said, Thy brotherBen–hadad. Then he said, Goye, bringhim. Then Ben–hadadcame forthto him; and he caused him to come upinto the chariot.34 And Ben–hadadsaidunto him, The cities, which my fathertookfrom thy father, I will restore; and thou shalt makestreetsfor thee in Damascus, as my fathermadein Samaria. Then said Ahab, I will send thee awaywith this covenant. So he madea covenantwith him, and sent him away.nstreets: or, market places
35 And a certainmanof the sonsof the prophetssaidunto his neighbourin the wordof the Lord, Smiteme, I pray thee. And the manrefusedto smite him.36 Then saidhe unto him, Because thou hast not obeyedthe voiceof the Lord, behold, as soon as thou art departedfrom me, a lionshall slaythee. And as soon as he was departedfrom him, a lionfoundhim, and slew him.37 Then he foundanotherman, and said, Smiteme, I pray thee. And the mansmotehim, so that in smitinghe woundedhim.nso that…: Heb. smiting and wounding38 So the prophetdeparted, and waitedfor the kingby the way, and disguisedhimself with ashesupon his face.39 And as the kingpassed by, he criedunto the king: and he said, Thy servantwent outinto the midstof the battle; and, behold, a manturned aside, and broughta manunto me, and said, Keepthis man: if by any meanshe be missing, then shall thy lifebe for his life, or else thou shalt paya talentof silver.npay: Heb. weigh40 And as thy servantwas busyhere and there, he was gone. And the kingof Israelsaid unto him, So shallthy judgmentbe; thyself hast decidedit.nhe was…: Heb. he was not41 And he hasted, and took the ashesawayfrom his face; and the kingof Israeldiscerned him that he wasof the prophets.42 And he saidunto him, Thus saiththe Lord, Because thou hast let go out of thyhanda manwhom I appointed to utter destruction, therefore thy lifeshall go for his life, and thy peoplefor his people.43 And the kingof Israelwentto his househeavyand displeased, and cameto Samaria.