1
And Benhadad[H1130] the king[H4428] of Syria[H758]gathered[H6908] all his host[H2428]together[H6908]: and there were thirty[H7970] and two[H8147]kings[H4428] with him, and horses[H5483], and chariots[H7393]: and he went up[H5927] and besieged[H6696]Samaria[H8111], and warred[H3898] against it.
2
And he sent[H7971]messengers[H4397] to Ahab[H256]king[H4428] of Israel[H3478] into the city[H5892], and said[H559] unto him, Thus saith[H559]Benhadad[H1130],
3
Thy silver[H3701] and thy gold[H2091] is mine; thy wives[H802] also and thy children[H1121], even the goodliest[H2896], are mine.
4
And the king[H4428] of Israel[H3478]answered[H6030] and said[H559], My lord[H113], O king[H4428], according to thy saying[H1697], I am thine, and all that I have.
5
And the messengers[H4397] came again[H7725], and said[H559], Thus speaketh[H559]Benhadad[H1130], saying[H559], Although I have sent[H7971] unto thee, saying[H559], Thou shalt deliver[H5414] me thy silver[H3701], and thy gold[H2091], and thy wives[H802], and thy children[H1121];
6
Yet I will send[H7971] my servants[H5650] unto thee to morrow[H4279] about this time[H6256], and they shall search[H2664] thine house[H1004], and the houses[H1004] of thy servants[H5650]; and it shall be[H1961], that whatsoever is pleasant[H4261] in thine eyes[H5869], they shall put[H7760] it in their hand[H3027], and take it away[H3947].
7
Then the king[H4428] of Israel[H3478]called[H7121] all the elders[H2205] of the land[H776], and said[H559], Mark[H3045], I pray you, and see[H7200] how this man seeketh[H1245]mischief[H7451]: for he sent[H7971] unto me for my wives[H802], and for my children[H1121], and for my silver[H3701], and for my gold[H2091]; and I denied[H4513] him not.
8
And all the elders[H2205] and all the people[H5971]said[H559] unto him, Hearken[H8085] not unto him, nor consent[H14].
9
Wherefore he said[H559] unto the messengers[H4397] of Benhadad[H1130], Tell[H559] my lord[H113] the king[H4428], All that thou didst send[H7971] for to thy servant[H5650] at the first[H7223] I will do[H6213]: but this thing[H1697] I may[H3201] not do[H6213]. And the messengers[H4397]departed[H3212], and brought[H7725] him word[H1697]again[H7725].
10
And Benhadad[H1130]sent[H7971] unto him, and said[H559], The gods[H430] do so[H6213] unto me, and more also[H3254], if the dust[H6083] of Samaria[H8111] shall suffice[H5606] for handfuls[H8168] for all the people[H5971] that follow[H7272] me.
11
And the king[H4428] of Israel[H3478]answered[H6030] and said[H559], Tell[H1696] him, Let not him that girdeth[H2296] on his harness boast[H1984] himself as he that putteth it off[H6605].
12
And it came to pass, when Benhadad heard[H8085] this message[H1697], as he was drinking[H8354], he and the kings[H4428] in the pavilions[H5521], that he said[H559] unto his servants[H5650], Set[H7760] yourselves in array. And they set[H7760] themselves in array against the city[H5892].
13
And, behold, there came[H5066]a[H259]prophet[H5030] unto Ahab[H256]king[H4428] of Israel[H3478], saying[H559], Thus saith[H559] the LORD[H3068], Hast thou seen[H7200] all this great[H1419]multitude?[H1995] behold, I will deliver[H5414] it into thine hand[H3027] this day[H3117]; and thou shalt know[H3045] that I am the LORD[H3068].
14
And Ahab[H256]said[H559], By whom? And he said[H559], Thus saith[H559] the LORD[H3068], Even by the young men[H5288] of the princes[H8269] of the provinces[H4082]. Then he said[H559], Who shall order[H631] the battle?[H4421] And he answered[H559], Thou.
15
Then he numbered[H6485] the young men[H5288] of the princes[H8269] of the provinces[H4082], and they were two[H8147]hundred[H3967] and thirty[H7970]two[H8147]: and after[H310] them he numbered[H6485] all the people[H5971], even all the children[H1121] of Israel[H3478], being seven[H7651]thousand[H505].
16
And they went out[H3318] at noon[H6672]. But Benhadad[H1130] was drinking[H8354] himself drunk[H7910] in the pavilions[H5521], he and the kings[H4428], the thirty[H7970] and two[H8147]kings[H4428] that helped[H5826] him.
17
And the young men[H5288] of the princes[H8269] of the provinces[H4082] went out[H3318]first[H7223]; and Benhadad[H1130] sent out[H7971], and they told[H5046] him, saying[H559], There are men[H582] come out[H7971] of Samaria[H8111].
18
And he said[H559], Whether they be come out[H3318] for peace[H7965], take[H8610] them alive[H2416]; or whether they be come out[H3318] for war[H4421], take[H8610] them alive[H2416].
19
So these young men[H5288] of the princes[H8269] of the provinces[H4082] came out[H3318] of the city[H5892], and the army[H2428] which followed[H310] them.
20
And they slew[H5221] every one[H376] his man[H376]: and the Syrians[H758]fled[H5127]; and Israel[H3478]pursued[H7291] them: and Benhadad[H1130] the king[H4428] of Syria[H758]escaped[H4422] on an horse[H5483] with the horsemen[H6571].
21
And the king[H4428] of Israel[H3478] went out[H3318], and smote[H5221] the horses[H5483] and chariots[H7393], and slew[H5221] the Syrians[H758] with a great[H1419]slaughter[H4347].
22
And the prophet[H5030]came[H5066] to the king[H4428] of Israel[H3478], and said[H559] unto him, Go[H3212], strengthen[H2388] thyself, and mark[H3045], and see[H7200] what thou doest[H6213]: for at the return[H8666] of the year[H8141] the king[H4428] of Syria[H758] will come up[H5927] against thee.
23
And the servants[H5650] of the king[H4428] of Syria[H758]said[H559] unto him, Their gods[H430] are gods[H430] of the hills[H2022]; therefore they were stronger[H2388] than we; but[H199] let us fight[H3898] against them in the plain[H4334], and surely[H3808] we shall be stronger[H2388] than they.
24
And do[H6213] this thing[H1697], Take[H5493] the kings[H4428] away, every man[H376] out of his place[H4725], and put[H7760]captains[H6346] in their rooms:
25
And number[H4487] thee an army[H2428], like the army[H2428] that thou hast lost[H5307], horse[H5483] for horse[H5483], and chariot[H7393] for chariot[H7393]: and we will fight[H3898]against[H854] them in the plain[H4334], and surely we shall be stronger[H2388] than they. And he hearkened[H8085] unto their voice[H6963], and did so[H6213].
26
And it came to pass at the return[H8666] of the year[H8141], that Benhadad[H1130]numbered[H6485] the Syrians[H758], and went up[H5927] to Aphek[H663], to fight[H4421] against Israel[H3478].
27
And the children[H1121] of Israel[H3478] were numbered[H6485], and were all present[H3557], and went[H3212]against[H7125] them: and the children[H1121] of Israel[H3478]pitched[H2583] before them like two[H8147] little flocks[H2835] of kids[H5795]; but the Syrians[H758]filled[H4390] the country[H776].
28
And there came[H5066] a man[H376] of God[H430], and spake[H559] unto the king[H4428] of Israel[H3478], and said[H559], Thus saith[H559] the LORD[H3068], Because the Syrians[H758] have said[H559], The LORD[H3068] is God[H430] of the hills[H2022], but he is not God[H430] of the valleys[H6010], therefore will I deliver[H5414] all this great[H1419]multitude[H1995] into thine hand[H3027], and ye shall know[H3045] that I am the LORD[H3068].
29
And they pitched[H2583]one[H428] over against[H5227] the other[H428]seven[H7651]days[H3117]. And so it was, that in the seventh[H7637]day[H3117] the battle[H4421] was joined[H7126]: and the children[H1121] of Israel[H3478]slew[H5221] of the Syrians[H758] an hundred[H3967]thousand[H505]footmen[H7273] in one[H259]day[H3117].
30
But the rest[H3498]fled[H5127] to Aphek[H663], into the city[H5892]; and there a wall[H2346]fell[H5307] upon twenty[H6242] and seven[H7651]thousand[H505] of the men[H376] that were left[H3498]. And Benhadad[H1130]fled[H5127], and came[H935] into the city[H5892], into an inner[H2315]chamber[H2315].
31
And his servants[H5650]said[H559] unto him, Behold now, we have heard[H8085] that the kings[H4428] of the house[H1004] of Israel[H3478] are merciful[H2617]kings[H4428]: let us, I pray thee, put[H7760]sackcloth[H8242] on our loins[H4975], and ropes[H2256] upon our heads[H7218], and go out[H3318] to the king[H4428] of Israel[H3478]: peradventure he will save[H2421] thy life[H5315].
32
So they girded[H2296]sackcloth[H8242] on their loins[H4975], and put ropes[H2256] on their heads[H7218], and came[H935] to the king[H4428] of Israel[H3478], and said[H559], Thy servant[H5650]Benhadad[H1130]saith[H559], I pray thee, let me live[H2421]. And he said[H559], Is he yet alive?[H2416] he is my brother[H251].
33
Now the men[H582] did diligently observe[H5172] whether any thing would come from him, and did hastily[H4116]catch[H2480] it: and they said[H559], Thy brother[H251]Benhadad[H1130]. Then he said[H559], Go[H935] ye, bring[H3947] him. Then Benhadad[H1130] came forth[H3318] to him; and he caused him to come up[H5927] into the chariot[H4818].
34
And Benhadad said[H559] unto him, The cities[H5892], which my father[H1]took[H3947] from thy father[H1], I will restore[H7725]; and thou shalt make[H7760]streets[H2351] for thee in Damascus[H1834], as my father[H1]made[H7760] in Samaria[H8111]. Then said[H559] Ahab, I will send thee away[H7971] with this covenant[H1285]. So he made[H3772] a covenant[H1285] with him, and sent him away[H7971].
35
And a certain[H259]man[H376] of the sons[H1121] of the prophets[H5030]said[H559] unto his neighbour[H7453] in the word[H1697] of the LORD[H3068], Smite[H5221] me, I pray thee. And the man[H376]refused[H3985] to smite[H5221] him.
36
Then said[H559] he unto him[H681], Because thou hast not obeyed[H8085] the voice[H6963] of the LORD[H3068], behold, as soon as thou art departed[H1980] from me, a lion[H738] shall slay[H5221] thee. And as soon as he was departed[H3212] from him[H681], a lion[H738]found[H4672]him[H681], and slew[H5221]him[H681].
37
Then he found[H4672]another[H312]man[H376], and said[H559], Smite[H5221] me, I pray thee. And the man[H376]smote[H5221] him, so that in smiting[H5221] he wounded[H6481] him.
38
So the prophet[H5030]departed[H3212], and waited[H5975] for the king[H4428] by the way[H1870], and disguised[H2664] himself with ashes[H666] upon his face[H5869].
39
And as the king[H4428] passed by[H5674], he cried[H6817] unto the king[H4428]: and he said[H559], Thy servant[H5650] went out[H3318] into the midst[H7130] of the battle[H4421]; and, behold, a man[H376] turned aside[H5493], and brought[H935] a man[H376] unto me, and said[H559], Keep[H8104] this man[H376]: if by[H5674] any means[H6485] he be missing[H6485], then shall thy life[H5315] be for his life[H5315], or else thou shalt pay[H8254] a talent[H3603] of silver[H3701].
40
And as thy servant[H5650] was busy[H6213] here and there, he was gone[H369]. And the king[H4428] of Israel[H3478]said[H559] unto him, So shall thy judgment[H4941] be; thyself hast decided[H2782] it.
41
And he hasted[H4116], and took the ashes[H666]away[H5493] from his face[H5869]; and the king[H4428] of Israel[H3478]discerned[H5234] him that he was of the prophets[H5030].
42
And he said[H559] unto him, Thus saith[H559] the LORD[H3068], Because thou hast let go[H7971] out of thy hand[H3027] a man[H376] whom I appointed to utter destruction[H2764], therefore thy life[H5315] shall go[H7971] for his life[H5315], and thy people[H5971] for his people[H5971].
43
And the king[H4428] of Israel[H3478]went[H3212] to his house[H1004]heavy[H5620] and displeased[H2198], and came[H935] to Samaria[H8111].