1 B en-hadad king of Syria gathered all his army together; thirty-two kings were with him, and horses and chariots. And he went up and besieged Samaria, warring against it.

And Ben-Hadad king of Aram hath gathered all his force, and thirty and two kings with him, and horse and chariot, and he goeth up and layeth siege against Samaria, and fighteth with it,

2 H e sent messengers into Samaria to Ahab king of Israel and said to him, Thus says Ben-hadad:

and sendeth messengers unto Ahab king of Israel, to the city,

3 Y our silver and your gold are mine; your wives and your children, even the fairest, also are mine.

and saith to him, `Thus said Ben-Hadad, `Thy silver and thy gold are mine, and thy wives and thy sons -- the best -- are mine.'

4 A nd the king of Israel answered and said, My lord, O king, according to what you say, I am yours, and all that I have.

And the king of Israel answereth and saith, `According to thy word, my lord, O king: I thine, and all that I have.'

5 T he messengers came again and said, Thus says Ben-hadad: Although I have sent to you, saying, You shall deliver to me your silver, your gold, your wives, and your children—

And the messengers turn back and say, `Thus spake Ben-Hadad, saying, Surely I sent unto thee, saying, Thy silver, and thy gold, and thy wives, and thy sons, to me thou dost give;

6 Y et I will send my servants to you tomorrow about this time, and they shall search your house and the houses of your servants; and all the desire of your eyes they shall lay hands upon and take it away.

for if, at this time to-morrow, I send my servants unto thee then they have searched thy house, and the houses of thy servants, and it hath been, every desirable thing of thine eyes they place in their hand, and have taken away.'

7 T hen the king of Israel called all the elders of the land and said, Notice now and see how this man is seeking our destruction. He sent to me for my wives, my children, my silver, and my gold, and I did not refuse him.

And the king of Israel calleth to all the elders of the land, and saith, `Know, I pray you, and see that evil this is seeking, for he sent unto me for my wives, and for my sons, and for my silver, and for my gold, and I withheld not from him.'

8 A nd all the elders and all the people said to him, Do not heed him or consent.

And all the elders and all the people say unto him, `Do not hearken, nor consent.'

9 S o he said to Ben-hadad’s messengers, Tell my lord the king, All you first sent for to your servant I will do, but this thing I cannot do. And the messengers left; then they brought him word again.

And he saith to the messengers of Ben-Hadad, `Say to my lord the king, All that thou didst send for unto thy servant at the first I do, and this thing I am not able to do;' and the messengers go and take him back word.

10 B en-hadad sent to him and said, May the gods do so to me, and more also, if the rubbish of Samaria shall be enough for each one of all the people who are at my feet and follow me to get a handful.

And Ben-Hadad sendeth unto him, and saith, `Thus do the gods to me, and thus do they add, if the dust of Samaria suffice for handfuls for all the people who at my feet.'

11 T he king of Israel answered, Tell him: Let not him who girds on his harness boast as he who puts it off.

And the king of Israel answereth and saith, `Speak ye: let not him who is girding on boast himself as him who is loosing.'

12 W hen Ben-hadad heard this message as he and the kings were drinking in the booths, he said to his servants, Set the army in array. And they set themselves in array against.

And it cometh to pass at the hearing of this word -- and he is drinking, he and the kings, in the booths -- that he saith unto his servants, `Set yourselves;' and they set themselves against the city.

13 T hen a prophet came to Ahab king of Israel and said, Thus says the Lord: Have you seen all this great multitude? Behold, I will deliver it into your hand today, and you shall know and realize that I am the Lord.

And lo, a certain prophet hath come nigh unto Ahab king of Israel, and saith, `Thus said Jehovah, `Hast thou seen all this great multitude? lo, I am giving it into thy hand to-day, and thou hast known that I Jehovah.'

14 A hab said, By whom? And he said, Thus says the Lord: By the young men of the governors of the districts. Then Ahab said, Who shall order the battle? And he answered, You.

And Ahab saith, `By whom?' and he saith, `Thus said Jehovah, By the young men of the heads of the provinces;' and he saith, `Who doth direct the battle?' and he saith, `Thou.'

15 A hab numbered the attendants of the governors of the districts, and they were 232. After them he numbered all the people of Israel, 7, 000.

And he inspecteth the young men of the heads of the provinces, and they are two hundred, two and thirty, and after them he hath inspecteth the whole of the people, all the sons of Israel, seven thousand,

16 A nd they went out at noon. But Ben-hadad was drinking himself drunk in the booths, he and the thirty-two kings who helped him.

and they go out at noon, and Ben-Hadad is drinking -- drunk in the booths, he and the kings, the thirty and two kings, helping him.

17 T he servants of the governors of the districts went out first; and Ben-hadad sent out, and they told him, saying, There are men come out of Samaria.

And the young men of the heads of the provinces go out at the first, and Ben-Hadad sendeth, and they declare to him, saying, `Men have come out of Samaria.'

18 A nd he said, Whether they have come out for peace or for war, take them alive.

And he saith, `If for peace they have come out -- catch them alive; and if for battle they have come out -- alive catch them.'

19 S o these of the governors of the districts went out of, and the army followed them.

And these have gone out of the city -- the young men of the heads of the provinces -- and the force that after them,

20 A nd each one killed his man; the Syrians fled, and Israel pursued them. Ben-hadad king of Syria escaped on a horse with the horsemen.

and smite each his man, and Aram fleeth, and Israel pursueth them, and Ben-Hadad king of Aram escapeth on a horse, and the horsemen;

21 T he king of Israel went out and smote the horses and chariots and slew the Syrians with a great slaughter.

and the king of Israel goeth out, and smiteth the horses, and the charioteers, and hath smitten among the Aramaeans a great smiting.

22 T he prophet came to the king of Israel and said to him, Go, fortify yourself and become strong and give attention to what you must do, for at the first of next year the king of Syria will return against you.

And the prophet cometh nigh unto the king of Israel, and saith to him, `Go, strengthen thyself, and know and see that which thou dost, for at the turn of the year the king of Aram is coming up against thee.'

23 A nd the servants of the king of Syria said to him, Israel’s gods are gods 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.

And the servants of the king of Aram said unto him, `Gods of hills their gods, therefore they were stronger than we; and yet, we fight with them in the plain -- are we not stronger than they?

24 A nd do this thing: Remove the kings, each from his place, and put governors in their stead.

`And this thing do thou: turn aside the kings each out of his place, and set captains in their stead;

25 A nd muster yourself an army like the army you 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 heeded their speech and did so.

and thou, number to thee a force as the force that is fallen from thee, and horse for horse, and chariot for chariot, and we fight with them in the plain; are we not stronger than they?' and he hearkeneth to their voice, and doth so.

26 A nd at the return of the year, Ben-hadad mustered the Syrians and went up to Aphek to fight against Israel.

And it cometh to pass at the turn of the year, that Ben-Hadad inspecteth the Aramaeans, and goeth up to Aphek, to battle with Israel,

27 T he Israelites were counted and, all present, went against them. The Israelites encamped before the enemy like two little flocks of lost kids, but the Syrians filled the country.

and the sons of Israel have been inspected, and supported, and go to meet them, and the sons of Israel encamp before them, like two flocks of goats, and the Aramaeans have filled the land.

28 A man of God came and said to the king of Israel, Thus says the Lord: Because the Syrians have said, The Lord is God of the hills but He is not God of the valleys, therefore I will deliver all this great multitude into your hands, and you shall know and recognize by experience that I am the Lord.

And there cometh nigh a man of God, and speaketh unto the king of Israel, and saith, `Thus said Jehovah, Because that the Aramaeans have said, God of hills Jehovah, and He not God of valleys -- I have given the whole of this great multitude into thy hand, and ye have known that I Jehovah.'

29 T hey encamped opposite each other seven days. Then the battle was joined; and the Israelites slew of the Syrians 100, 000 foot soldiers in one day.

And they encamp one over-against another seven days, and it cometh to pass on the seventh day, that the battle draweth near, and the sons of Israel smite Aram -- a hundred thousand footmen in one day.

30 B ut the rest fled to the city of Aphek, and the wall fell upon 27, 000 men who were left. Ben-hadad fled into the city and from chamber to chamber.

And those left flee to Aphek, unto the city, and the wall falleth on twenty and seven chief men who are left, and Ben-Hadad hath fled, and cometh in unto the city, into the innermost part.

31 H is servants said to him, We have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful kings. Let us put sackcloth on our loins and ropes about our necks, and go out to the king of Israel; perhaps he will spare your life.

And his servants say unto him, `Lo, we pray thee, we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel -- that they are kind kings; let us put, we pray thee, sackcloth on our loins, and ropes on our heads, and we go out unto the king of Israel; it may be he doth keep thee alive.'

32 S o they girded sackcloth on their loins and put ropes on their necks, and came to the king of Israel and said, Your servant Ben-hadad says, I pray you, let me live. And King said, Is he yet alive? He is my brother.

And they gird sackcloth on their loins, and ropes on their heads, and they come in unto the king of Israel, and say, `Thy servant Ben-Hadad hath said, Let me live, I pray thee;' and he saith, `Is he yet alive? he my brother.'

33 N ow the men took it as an omen and they hastily took it up and said, Yes, your brother Ben-hadad. Then the king said, Go, bring him. Then Ben-hadad came forth to him, and the victorious king caused him to come up into the chariot.

And the men observe diligently, and hasten, and catch it from him, and say, `Thy brother Ben-Hadad;' and he saith, `Go ye in, bring him;' and Ben-Hadad cometh out unto him, and he causeth him to come up on the chariot.

34 B en-hadad said, The cities which my father took from your father I will restore; and you may maintain bazaars of your own in Damascus, as my father did in Samaria. Then, said Ahab, I will send you away on these terms. So he made a covenant with him and sent him away.

And he saith unto him, `The cities that my father took from thy father, I give back, and streets thou dost make for thee in Damascus, as my father did in Samaria;' -- `and I, with a covenant, send thee away;' and he maketh with him a covenant, and sendeth him away.

35 A nd a certain man of the sons of the prophets said to his neighbor, At the command of the Lord, strike me, I pray you. And the man refused to strike him.

And a certain man of the sons of the prophets said unto his neighbour by the word of Jehovah, `Smite me, I pray thee;' and the man refuseth to smite him,

36 T hen said he to him, Because you have not obeyed the voice of the Lord, behold, as soon as you have left me a lion will slay you. And as soon as he departed from him, a lion found him and killed him.

and he saith to him, `Because that thou hast not hearkened to the voice of Jehovah, lo, thou art going from me, and the lion hath smitten thee;' and he goeth from him, and the lion findeth him, and smiteth him.

37 T hen found another man and said, Strike me, I pray you. And the man struck him, so that in striking, he wounded him.

And he findeth another man, and saith, `Smite me, I pray thee;' and the man smiteth him, smiting and wounding,

38 S o the prophet departed and waited for King Ahab by the way, and disguised himself with ashes upon his face.

and the prophet goeth and standeth for the king on the way, and disguiseth himself with ashes on his eyes.

39 A nd as the king passed by, the cried out to him, Your 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 for any reason he is missing, then your life shall be required for his life, or else you shall pay a talent of silver.

And it cometh to pass -- the king is passing by -- that he hath cried unto the king, and saith, `Thy servant went out into the midst of the battle, and lo, a man hath turned aside and bringeth in unto me a man, and saith, Keep this man; if he be at all missing, then hath thy life been for his life, or a talent of silver thou dost weigh out;

40 B ut while your servant was busy here and there, he was gone. And the king of Israel said to him, Such is your own verdict; you yourself have decided it.

and it cometh to pass, thy servant is working hither and thither, and he is not!' and the king of Israel saith unto him, Right thy judgment; thou hast determined.'

41 T he man hastily removed the ashes from his face, and Ahab king of Israel recognized him as one of the prophets.

And he hasteth and turneth aside the ashes from off his eyes, and the king of Israel discerneth him, that he of the prophets,

42 A nd he said to the king, Thus says the Lord: Because you have let go out of your hand the man I had devoted to destruction, therefore your life shall go for his life, and your people for his people.

and he saith unto him, `Thus said Jehovah, Because thou hast sent away the man I devoted, out of hand, even thy life hath been for his life, and thy people for his people;'

43 A nd King of Israel went to his house resentful and sullen, and came to Samaria.

and the king of Israel goeth unto his house, sulky and wroth, and cometh in to Samaria.