1 Kings 20:1-43 - Syrian-Israeli Conflicts: Ben-Hadad Vs. Ahab Of Israel
1 And Ben-hadad the king of Syria gathered all his army together. And there were thirty-two kings with him, and horses and chariots. And he went up and besieged Samaria, and fought against it. 2 And he sent messengers to Ahab king of Israel, into the city, and said to him, Thus says Ben-hadad, 3 Thy silver and thy gold is mine, thy wives also and thy sons, even the best, are mine.
4 And the king of Israel answered and said, It is according to thy saying, my lord, O king, I am thine, and all that I have.
5 And the messengers came again, and said, Thus speaks Ben-hadad, saying, I indeed sent to thee, saying, Thou shall deliver to me thy silver, and thy gold, and thy wives, and thy sons. 6 But I will send my servants to thee tomorrow about this time, and they shall search thy house, and the houses of thy servants. And it shall be, that whatever is pleasant in thine eyes, they shall put it in their hand, and take it a
7 Then the king of Israel called all the elders of the land, and said, Mark, I pray you, and see how this man seeks mischief, for he sent to me for my wives, and for my sons, and for my silver, and for my gold, and I did not deny him
8 And all the elders and all the people said to him, Do thou not hearken, nor consent.
9 Therefore he said to the messengers of Ben-hadad, Tell my lord the king, All that thou sent for to thy servant at the first I will do, but this thing I may not do. And the messengers departed, and brought him word again.
10 And Ben-hadad sent to him, and said, The gods do so to me, and more also, if the dust of Samaria shall suffice for handfuls for all the people that follow me.
11 And the king of Israel answered and said, Tell him, Let not him who girds on [his armor] boast himself as he who puts it off.
12 And it came to pass, when [Ben-hadad] heard this message as he was drinking, he and the kings, in the pavilions, that he said to his servants, Set [yourselves in array]. And they set [themselves in array] against the city.
13 And, behold, a prophet came near to Ahab king of Israel, and said, Thus says LORD, Have thou seen all this great multitude? Behold, I will deliver it into thy hand this day, and thou shall know that I am LORD.
14 And Ahab said, By whom? And he said, Thus says LORD, By the young men of the rulers of the provinces. Then he said, Who shall begin the battle? And he answered, Thou.
15 Then he mustered the young men of the rulers of the provinces, and they were two hundred and thirty-two. And after them he mustered all the people, even all the sons of Israel, being seven thousand. 16 And they went out at noon. But Ben-hadad was drinking himself drunk in the pavilions, he and the kings, the thirty-two kings who helped him. 17 And the young men of the rulers of the provinces went out first. And Ben-hadad sent out, and they told him, saying, There are men come out from Samaria.
18 And he said, Whether they come out for peace, take them alive, or whether they come out for war, taken them alive.
19 So these went out of the city, the young men of the rulers of the provinces, and the army which followed them. 20 And they killed everyone his man. And the Syrians fled, and Israel pursued them. And Ben-hadad the king of Syria escaped on a horse with horsemen. 21 And the king of Israel went out, and smote the horses and chariots, and killed the Syrians with a great slaughter.
22 And the prophet came near to the king of Israel, and said to him, Go, strengthen thyself. And mark, and see what thou do, for at the return of the year the king of Syria will come up against thee.
23 And the servants of the king of Syria said to him, Their god is a god of the hills, therefore they were stronger than we. But let us fight against them in the plain, and surely we shall be stronger than they. 24 And do this thing: Take the kings away, every man out of his place, and put captains in their place. 25 And number thee an army, like the army that thou have lost, horse for horse, and chariot for chariot. And we will fight against them in the plain, and surely we shall be stronger than they. And he hearkened to their voice, and did
26 And it came to pass at the return of the year, that Ben-hadad mustered the Syrians, and went up to Aphek to fight against Israel. 27 And the sons of Israel were mustered, and were supported, and went against them. And the sons of Israel encamped before them like two little flocks of kids, but the Syrians filled the country.
28 And a man of God came near and spoke to the king of Israel, and said, Thus says LORD, Because the Syrians have said, LORD is a god of the hills, but he is not a god of the valleys, therefore I will deliver all this great multitude
29 And they encamped one opposite the other seven days. And so it was, that in the seventh day the battle was joined. And the sons of Israel killed of the Syrians a hundred thousand footmen in one day. 30 But the rest fled to Aphek, into the city, and the wall fell upon twenty-seven thousand men who were left. And Ben-hadad fled, and came into the city, into an inner chamber. 31 And his servants said to him, Behold now, we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful kings. Let us, we pray thee, put sackcloth on our loins, and ropes upon our heads, and go out to the king of Israel. Perhaps
32 So they girded sackcloth on their loins, and [put] ropes on their heads, and came to the king of Israel, and said, Thy servant Ben-hadad says, I pray thee, let me live. And he said, Is he yet alive? He is my brother.
33 Now the men observed diligently whether anything would come from him. And they quickly caught it, and they said, Thy brother Ben-hadad. Then he said, Go ye, bring him. Then Ben-hadad came forth to him, and he caused him to come up 34 And [Ben-hadad] said to him, The cities which my father took from thy father I will restore, and thou shall make streets for thee in Damascus as my father made in Samaria. And I, [said Ahab], will let thee go with this covenant. So
35 And a certain man of the sons of the prophets said by the word of LORD to his fellow, Smite me, I pray thee. And the man refused to smite him.
36 Then said he to him, Because thou have not obeyed the voice of LORD, behold, as soon as thou are departed from me, a lion shall kill thee. And as soon as he was departed from him, a lion found him, and killed him.
37 Then he found another man, and said, Smite me, I pray thee. And the man smote him, smiting and wounding him. 38 So the prophet departed, and waited for the king by the way, and disguised himself with his headband over his eyes. 39 And as the king passed by, he cried out to the king, and he said, Thy servant went out into the midst of the battle, and, behold, a man turned aside, and brought a man to me, and said, Keep this man. If by any means he is missing, 40 And as thy servant was busy here and there, he was gone. And the king of Israel said to him, So shall thy judgment be, thyself have decided it.
41 And he hastened, and took the headband away from his eyes, and the king of Israel discerned him that he was of the prophets. 42 And he said to him, Thus says LORD, Because thou have let go out of thy hand the man whom I had devoted to destruction, therefore thy life shall go for his life, and thy people for his people. 43 And the king of Israel went to his house heavy and displeased, and came to Samaria.