Chapter 20

And Benhadad the king of Syria gathered all his host together:¹ and [there were] thirty and two kings with him, and horses, and chariots: and he went up⁴ and besieged⁴ Samaria, and warred¹¹ against it.

And he sent⁴ messengers to Ahab king of Israel into the city, and said⁴ unto him, Thus saith¹ Benhadad,

Thy silver and thy gold [is] mine; thy wives also and thy children, [even] the goodliest, [are] mine.

And the king of Israel answered⁴ and said,⁴ My lord, O king, according to thy saying, I [am] thine, and all that I have.

And the messengers came again,⁴ and said,⁴ Thus speaketh¹ Benhadad, saying,² Although I have sent¹ unto thee, saying,² Thou shalt deliver⁴ me thy silver, and thy gold, and thy wives, and thy children;

Yet I will send⁴ my servants unto thee to morrow about this time, and they shall search¹⁴ thine house, and the houses of thy servants; and it shall be,¹ [that] whatsoever is pleasant in thine eyes, they shall put⁴ [it] in their hand, and take [it] away.¹

Then the king of Israel called⁴ all the elders of the land, and said,⁴ Mark,³ I pray you, and see³ how this [man] seeketh¹⁸ mischief: for he sent¹ unto me for my wives, and for my children, and for my silver, and for my gold; and I denied¹ him not.

And all the elders and all the people said⁴ unto him, Hearken⁴ not [unto him], nor consent.⁴

Wherefore he said⁴ unto the messengers of Benhadad, Tell³ my lord the king, All that thou didst send¹ for to thy servant at the first I will do:⁴ but this thing I may⁴ not do.² And the messengers departed,⁴ and brought him word again.⁵⁵

And Benhadad sent⁴ unto him, and said,⁴ The gods do⁴ so unto me, and more⁵⁵ also, if the dust of Samaria shall suffice⁴ for handfuls for all the people that follow me.

And the king of Israel answered⁴ and said,⁴ Tell¹⁶ [him], Let not him that girdeth⁶ on [his harness] boast¹⁰¹ himself as he that putteth it off.¹⁸

And it came to pass, when [Benhadad] heard² this message, as he [was] drinking,⁶ he and the kings in the pavilions, that he said⁴ unto his servants, Set³ [yourselves in array]. And they set⁴ [themselves in array] against the city.

And, behold, there came⁸ a prophet unto Ahab king of Israel, saying,⁴ Thus saith¹ the LORD, Hast thou seen¹ all this great multitude? behold, I will deliver⁶ it into thine hand this day; and thou shalt know¹ that I [am] the LORD.

And Ahab said,⁴ By whom? And he said,⁴ Thus saith¹ the LORD, [Even] by the young men of the princes of the provinces. Then he said,⁴ Who shall order⁴ the battle? And he answered,⁴ Thou.

Then he numbered⁴ the young men of the princes of the provinces, and they were two hundred and thirty two: and after them he numbered¹ all the people, [even] all the children of Israel, [being] seven thousand.

And they went out⁴ at noon. But Benhadad [was] drinking⁶ himself drunk in the pavilions, he and the kings, the thirty and two kings that helped⁶ him.

And the young men of the princes of the provinces went out⁴ first; and Benhadad sent out,⁴ and they told⁵⁵ him, saying,² There are men come out¹ of Samaria.

And he said,⁴ Whether they be come out¹ for peace, take³ them alive; or whether they be come out¹ for war, take³ them alive.

So these young men of the princes of the provinces came out¹ of the city, and the army which followed them.

And they slew⁵⁵ every one his man: and the Syrians fled;⁴ and Israel pursued⁴ them: and Benhadad the king of Syria escaped¹¹ on an horse with the horsemen.

And the king of Israel went out,⁴ and smote⁵⁵ the horses and chariots, and slew⁵² the Syrians with a great slaughter.

And the prophet came⁴ to the king of Israel, and said⁴ unto him, Go,³ strengthen¹⁰⁰ thyself, and mark,³ and see³ what thou doest:⁴ for at the return of the year the king of Syria will come up⁶ against thee.

And the servants of the king of Syria said¹ unto him, Their gods [are] gods of the hills; therefore they were stronger¹ than we; but let us fight¹¹ against them in the plain, and surely we shall be stronger⁴ than they.

And do³ this thing, Take the kings away,⁵⁴ every man out of his place, and put³ captains in their rooms:

And number⁴ thee an army, like the army that thou hast lost,⁶ horse for horse, and chariot for chariot: and we will fight¹¹ against them in the plain, [and] surely we shall be stronger⁴ than they. And he hearkened⁴ unto their voice, and did⁴ so.

And it came to pass at the return of the year, that Benhadad numbered⁴ the Syrians, and went up⁴ to Aphek, to fight against Israel.

And the children of Israel were numbered,¹²⁰ and were all present,⁴⁸ and went⁴ against² them: and the children of Israel pitched⁴ before them like two little flocks of kids; but the Syrians filled¹⁴ the country.

And there came⁴ a man of God, and spake⁴ unto the king of Israel, and said,⁴ Thus saith¹ the LORD, Because the Syrians have said,¹ The LORD [is] God of the hills, but he [is] not God of the valleys, therefore will I deliver¹ all this great multitude into thine hand, and ye shall know¹ that I [am] the LORD.

And they pitched⁴ one over against the other seven days. And [so] it was, that in the seventh day the battle was joined:⁴ and the children of Israel slew⁵⁵ of the Syrians an hundred thousand footmen in one day.

But the rest¹² fled⁴ to Aphek, into the city; and [there] a wall fell⁴ upon twenty and seven thousand of the men [that were] left.¹² And Benhadad fled,¹ and came⁴ into the city, into an inner chamber.

And his servants said⁴ unto him, Behold now, we have heard¹ that the kings of the house of Israel [are] merciful kings: let us, I pray thee, put⁴ sackcloth on our loins, and ropes upon our heads, and go out⁴ to the king of Israel: peradventure he will save¹⁷ thy life.

So they girded⁴ sackcloth on their loins, and [put] ropes on their heads, and came⁴ to the king of Israel, and said,⁴ Thy servant Benhadad saith,¹ I pray thee, let me live.⁴ And he said,⁴ [Is] he yet alive? he [is] my brother.

Now the men did diligently observe¹⁷ whether [any thing would come] from him, and did hastily¹⁷ catch⁵⁵ [it]: and they said,⁴ Thy brother Benhadad. Then he said,⁴ Go³ ye, bring³ him. Then Benhadad came forth⁴ to him; and he caused him to come up⁵⁵ into the chariot.

And [Benhadad] said⁴ unto him, The cities, which my father took¹ from thy father, I will restore;⁵⁵ and thou shalt make⁴ streets for thee in Damascus, as my father made¹ in Samaria. Then [said Ahab], I will send thee away¹⁷ with this covenant. So he made⁴ a covenant with him, and sent him away.¹⁷

And a certain man of the sons of the prophets said¹ unto his neighbour in the word of the LORD, Smite⁵⁴ me, I pray thee. And the man refused¹⁷ to smite⁵³ him.

Then said⁴ he unto him, Because thou hast not obeyed¹ the voice of the LORD, behold, as soon as thou art departed⁶ from me, a lion shall slay⁵² thee. And as soon as he was departed⁴ from him, a lion found⁴ him, and slew⁵⁵ him.

Then he found⁴ another man, and said,⁴ Smite⁵⁴ me, I pray thee. And the man smote⁵⁵ him, so that in smiting⁵³ he wounded² [him].

So the prophet departed,⁴ and waited⁴ for the king by the way, and disguised¹⁰¹ himself with ashes upon his face.

And as the king passed by,⁶ he cried¹ unto the king: and he said,⁴ Thy servant went out¹ into the midst of the battle; and, behold, a man turned aside,¹ and brought⁵⁵ a man unto me, and said,⁴ Keep³ this man: if by any means⁹ he be missing,¹¹ then shall thy life be for his life, or else thou shalt pay⁴ a talent of silver.

And as thy servant was busy⁶ here and there, he was gone. And the king of Israel said⁴ unto him, So [shall] thy judgment [be]; thyself hast decided¹ [it].

And he hasted,¹⁷ and took the ashes away⁵⁵ from his face; and the king of Israel discerned⁵⁵ him that he [was] of the prophets.

And he said⁴ unto him, Thus saith¹ the LORD, Because thou hast let go¹⁴ out of [thy] hand a man whom I appointed to utter destruction, therefore thy life shall go for his life, and thy people for his people.

And the king of Israel went⁴ to his house heavy and displeased, and came⁴ to Samaria.