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1 Kings 20
New English Translation

Ben Hadad Invades Israel

20 Now King Ben Hadad of Syria assembled all his army, along with thirty-two other kings with their horses and chariots. He marched against Samaria and besieged and attacked it.[a] 2 He sent messengers to King Ahab of Israel, who was in the city.[b] He said to him, “This is what Ben Hadad says: 3 ‘Your silver and your gold are mine, as well as the best of your wives and sons.’” 4 The king of Israel replied, “It is just as you say, my master, O king. I and all I own belong to you.”

5 The messengers came again and said, “This is what Ben Hadad says: ‘I sent this message to you, “You must give me your silver, gold, wives, and sons.” 6 But now at this time tomorrow I will send my servants to you and they will search through your palace and your servants’ houses. They will carry away all your valuables.’”[c] 7 The king of Israel summoned all the leaders[d] of the land and said, “Notice how this man is looking for trouble.[e] Indeed, he demanded my wives, sons, silver, and gold, and I did not resist him.” 8 All the leaders and people said to him, “Do not give in or agree to his demands.”[f] 9 So he said to the messengers of Ben Hadad, “Say this to my master, the king: ‘I will give you everything you demanded at first from your servant, but I am unable to agree to this latest demand.’”[g] So the messengers went back and gave their report.

10 Ben Hadad sent another message to him, “May the gods judge me severely[h] if there is enough dirt left in Samaria for all my soldiers to scoop up in their hands.”[i] 11 The king of Israel replied, “Tell him the one who puts on his battle gear should not boast like one who is taking it off.”[j] 12 When Ben Hadad received this reply,[k] he and the other kings were drinking in their quarters.[l] He ordered his servants, “Get ready to attack!” So they got ready to attack the city.

The Lord Delivers Israel

13 Now a prophet visited King Ahab of Israel and said, “This is what the Lord has said: ‘Do you see this huge army?[m] Look, I am going to hand it over to you this very day. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’” 14 Ahab asked, “By whom will this be accomplished?”[n] He answered, “This is what the Lord has said, ‘By the servants of the district governors.’” Ahab[o] asked, “Who will launch the attack?” He answered, “You will.”

15 So Ahab[p] assembled the 232 servants of the district governors. After that he assembled all the Israelite army, numbering 7,000. 16 They marched out at noon, while Ben Hadad and the 32 kings allied with him were drinking heavily[q] in their quarters.[r] 17 The servants of the district governors led the march. When Ben Hadad sent messengers, they reported back to him, “Men are marching out of Samaria.” 18 He ordered, “Whether they come in peace or to do battle, take them alive.”[s] 19 They marched out of the city with the servants of the district governors in the lead and the army behind them. 20 Each one struck down an enemy soldier;[t] the Syrians fled and Israel chased them. King Ben Hadad of Syria escaped on horseback with some horsemen. 21 Then the king of Israel marched out and struck down the horses and chariots; he thoroughly defeated[u] Syria.

The Lord Gives Israel Another Victory

22 The prophet[v] visited the king of Israel and instructed him, “Go, fortify your defenses.[w] Determine[x] what you must do, for in the spring[y] the king of Syria will attack[z] you.” 23 Now the advisers[aa] of the king of Syria said to him: “Their God is a god of the mountains. That’s why they overpowered us. But if we fight them in the plains, we will certainly overpower them. 24 So do this: Dismiss the kings from their command, and replace them with military commanders. 25 Muster an army like the one you lost, with the same number of horses and chariots.[ab] Then we will fight them in the plains; we will certainly overpower them.” He approved their plan and did as they advised.[ac]

26 In the spring[ad] Ben Hadad mustered the Syrian army[ae] and marched to Aphek to fight Israel.[af] 27 When the Israelites had mustered and received their supplies, they marched out to face them in battle. When the Israelites deployed opposite them, they were like two small flocks[ag] of goats, but the Syrians filled the land. 28 The prophet[ah] visited the king of Israel and said, “This is what the Lord has said: ‘Because the Syrians said, “The Lord is a god of the mountains and not a god of the valleys,” I will deliver this entire huge army into to your control. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’

29 The armies were deployed opposite each other for seven days. On the seventh day the battle began, and the Israelites killed 100,000 Syrian foot soldiers in one day. 30 The remaining 27,000 ran to Aphek and went into the city, but the wall fell on them.[ai] Now Ben Hadad ran into the city and hid in an inner room.[aj] 31 His advisers[ak] said to him, “Look, we have heard that the kings of the Israelite dynasty are kind.[al] Allow us to put sackcloth around our waists and ropes on our heads[am] and surrender[an] to the king of Israel. Maybe he will spare our lives.” 32 So they put sackcloth around their waists and ropes on their heads and went to the king of Israel. They said, “Your servant[ao] Ben Hadad says, ‘Please let me live!’” Ahab[ap] replied, “Is he still alive? He is my brother.”[aq] 33 The men took this as a good omen and quickly accepted his offer, saying, “Ben Hadad is your brother.” Ahab[ar] then said, “Go, get him.” So Ben Hadad came out to him, and Ahab pulled him up into his chariot. 34 Ben Hadad[as] said, “I will return the cities my father took from your father. You may set up markets[at] in Damascus, just as my father did in Samaria.” Ahab then said, “I want to make a treaty with you before I dismiss you.”[au] So he made a treaty with him and then dismissed him.

A Prophet Denounces Ahab’s Actions

35 One of the members of the prophetic guild[av] told his companion a message from the Lord, “Please wound me!” But the man refused to wound him. 36 So the prophet[aw] said to him, “Because you have disobeyed the Lord, as soon as you leave me a lion will kill you.” When he left him, a lion attacked and killed him. 37 He found another man and said, “Wound me!” So the man wounded him severely.[ax] 38 The prophet then went and stood by the road, waiting for the king. He also disguised himself by putting a bandage down over his eyes. 39 When the king passed by, he called out to the king, “Your servant went out into the heat[ay] of the battle, and then a man turned aside and brought me a prisoner.[az] He told me, ‘Guard this prisoner. If he ends up missing for any reason,[ba] you will pay with your life or with a talent[bb] of silver.’[bc] 40 Well, it just so happened that while your servant was doing this and that, he disappeared.” The king of Israel said to him, “Your punishment is already determined by your own testimony.”[bd] 41 The prophet[be] quickly removed the bandage from his eyes, and the king of Israel recognized he was one of the prophets. 42 The prophet[bf] then said to him, “This is what the Lord has said: ‘Because you released a man I had determined should die, you will pay with your life, and your people will suffer instead of his people.’”[bg] 43 The king of Israel went home to Samaria bitter and angry.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 20:1 tn Heb “and he went up and besieged Samaria and fought against it.”
  2. 1 Kings 20:2 tn Heb “to the city.”
  3. 1 Kings 20:6 tn Heb “all that is desirable to your eyes they will put in their hand and take.”
  4. 1 Kings 20:7 tn Heb “elders.”
  5. 1 Kings 20:7 tn Heb “Know and see that this [man] is seeking trouble.”
  6. 1 Kings 20:8 tn Heb “Do not listen and do not be willing.”
  7. 1 Kings 20:9 tn Heb “all which you sent to your servant in the beginning I will do, but this thing I am unable to do.”
  8. 1 Kings 20:10 tn Heb “So may the gods do to me, and so may they add.”
  9. 1 Kings 20:10 tn Heb “if the dirt of Samaria suffices for the handfuls of all the people who are at my feet.”
  10. 1 Kings 20:11 sn The point of the saying is that someone who is still preparing for a battle should not boast as if he has already won the battle. A modern parallel would be, “Don’t count your chickens before they’re hatched.”
  11. 1 Kings 20:12 tn Heb “When he heard this word.”
  12. 1 Kings 20:12 tn Heb “in the temporary shelters.” This is probably referring to tents.
  13. 1 Kings 20:13 tn Heb “see all this great horde.”
  14. 1 Kings 20:14 tn The words “will this be accomplished” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
  15. 1 Kings 20:14 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Ahab) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  16. 1 Kings 20:15 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Ahab) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  17. 1 Kings 20:16 tn Heb “drinking and drunken.”
  18. 1 Kings 20:16 tn Heb “in the temporary shelters.” This is probably referring to tents.
  19. 1 Kings 20:18 tn Heb “if they come in peace, take them alive; if they come for battle, take them alive.”
  20. 1 Kings 20:20 tn Heb “each struck down his man.”
  21. 1 Kings 20:21 tn Heb “struck down Aram with a great striking down.”
  22. 1 Kings 20:22 tn The definite article indicates previous reference, that is, “the prophet mentioned earlier” (see v. 13).
  23. 1 Kings 20:22 tn Heb “strengthen yourself.”
  24. 1 Kings 20:22 tn Heb “know and see.”
  25. 1 Kings 20:22 tn Heb “at the turning of the year.”
  26. 1 Kings 20:22 tn Heb “go up against.”
  27. 1 Kings 20:23 tn Or “servants.”
  28. 1 Kings 20:25 tn Heb “And you, you muster an army like the one that fell from you, horse like horse and chariot like chariot.”
  29. 1 Kings 20:25 tn Heb “he listened to their voice and did so.”
  30. 1 Kings 20:26 tn Heb “at the turning of the year.”
  31. 1 Kings 20:26 tn Heb “mustered Aram.”
  32. 1 Kings 20:26 tn Heb “and went up to Aphek for battle with Israel.”
  33. 1 Kings 20:27 tn The noun translated “small flocks” occurs only here. The common interpretation derives the word from the verbal root חשׂף, “to strip off; to make bare.” In this case the noun refers to something “stripped off” or “made bare.” HALOT 359 s.v. II חשׂף derives the noun from a proposed homonymic verbal root (which occurs only in Ps 29:9) meaning “cause a premature birth.” In this case the derived noun could refer to goats that are undersized because they are born prematurely.
  34. 1 Kings 20:28 tn Heb “the man of God.”
  35. 1 Kings 20:30 tn Heb “and the remaining ones fled to Aphek to the city and the wall fell on 27,000 men, the ones who remained.”
  36. 1 Kings 20:30 tn Heb “and Ben Hadad fled and went into the city, [into] an inner room in an inner room.”
  37. 1 Kings 20:31 tn Or “servants.”
  38. 1 Kings 20:31 tn Heb “that the kings of the house of Israel, that kings of kindness [are] they.” Or “merciful” rather than “kind.” The word used here often means “devoted” or “loyal.” Perhaps the idea is that the Israelite kings are willing to make treaties with other kings.
  39. 1 Kings 20:31 sn Sackcloth was worn as a sign of sorrow and repentance. The precise significance of the ropes on the head is uncertain, but it probably was a sign of submission. These actions were comparable to raising a white flag on the battlefield or throwing in the towel in a boxing match.
  40. 1 Kings 20:31 tn Heb “go out.”
  41. 1 Kings 20:32 sn Your servant. By referring to Ben Hadad as Ahab’s servant, they are suggesting that Ahab make him a subject in a vassal treaty arrangement.
  42. 1 Kings 20:32 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Ahab) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  43. 1 Kings 20:32 sn He is my brother. Ahab’s response indicates that he wants to make a parity treaty and treat Ben Hadad as an equal partner.
  44. 1 Kings 20:33 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Ahab) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  45. 1 Kings 20:34 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Ben Hadad) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  46. 1 Kings 20:34 tn Heb “streets,” but this must refer to streets set up with stalls for merchants to sell their goods. See HALOT 299 s.v. חוּץ.
  47. 1 Kings 20:34 tn Heb “I will send you away with a treaty.” The words “Ahab then said” are supplied in the translation. There is nothing in the Hebrew text to indicate that the speaker has changed from Ben Hadad to Ahab. Some suggest adding “and he said” before “I will send you away.” Others prefer to maintain Ben Hadad as the speaker and change the statement to, “Please send me away with a treaty.”
  48. 1 Kings 20:35 tn Heb “of the sons of the prophets.”
  49. 1 Kings 20:36 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the prophet) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  50. 1 Kings 20:37 tn Heb “and the man wounded him, wounding and bruising.”
  51. 1 Kings 20:39 tn Heb “middle.”
  52. 1 Kings 20:39 tn Heb “man” (also a second time later in this verse).
  53. 1 Kings 20:39 tn Heb “if being missed, he is missed.” The emphatic infinitive absolute before the finite verbal form lends solemnity to the warning.
  54. 1 Kings 20:39 tn The Hebrew term כִּכָּר (kikkar, “circle”) refers generally to something that is round. When used of metals it can refer to a disk-shaped weight made of the metal or to a standard unit of weight, generally regarded as a talent. Since the accepted weight for a talent of metal is about 75 pounds, this would have amounted to about 75 pounds of silver.
  55. 1 Kings 20:39 tn Heb “your life will be in place of his life, or a unit of silver you will pay.”
  56. 1 Kings 20:40 tn Heb “so [i.e., in accordance with his testimony] is your judgment, you have determined [it].”
  57. 1 Kings 20:41 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the prophet) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  58. 1 Kings 20:42 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the prophet) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  59. 1 Kings 20:42 tn Heb “Because you sent away the man of my destruction [i.e., that I determined should be destroyed] from [my/your?] hand, your life will be in place of his life, and your people in place of his people.”
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1 Kings 20
Living Bible

20 King Ben-hadad of Syria now mobilized his army and, with thirty-two allied nations and their hordes of chariots and horses, besieged Samaria, the Israeli capital. 2-3 He sent this message into the city to King Ahab of Israel: “Your silver and gold are mine, as are your prettiest wives and the best of your children!”

4 “All right, my lord,” Ahab replied. “All that I have is yours!”

5-6 Soon Ben-hadad’s messengers returned again with another message: “You must not only give me your silver, gold, wives, and children, but about this time tomorrow I will send my men to search your palace and the homes of your people, and they will take away whatever they like!”

7 Then Ahab summoned his advisors. “Look what this man is doing,” he complained to them. “He is stirring up trouble despite the fact that I have already told him he could have my wives and children and silver and gold, just as he demanded.”

8 “Don’t give him anything more,” the elders advised.

9 So he told the messengers from Ben-hadad, “Tell my lord the king, ‘I will give you everything you asked for the first time, but your men may not search the palace and the homes of the people.’”[a] So the messengers returned to Ben-hadad.

10 Then the Syrian king sent this message to Ahab: “May the gods do more to me than I am going to do to you if I don’t turn Samaria into handfuls of dust!”

11 The king of Israel retorted, “Don’t count your chickens before they hatch!”

12 This reply of Ahab’s reached Ben-hadad and the other kings as they were drinking in their tents.

“Prepare to attack!” Ben-hadad commanded his officers.

13 Then a prophet came to see King Ahab and gave him this message from the Lord: “Do you see all these enemy forces? I will deliver them all to you today. Then at last you will know that I am the Lord.”

14 Ahab asked, “How will he do it?”

And the prophet replied, “The Lord says, ‘By the troops from the provinces.’”

“Shall we attack first?” Ahab asked.

“Yes,” the prophet answered.

15 So he mustered the troops from the provinces, 232 of them, then the rest of his army of 7,000 men. 16 About noontime, as Ben-hadad and the thirty-two allied kings were still drinking themselves drunk, the first of Ahab’s troops marched out of the city.

17 As they approached, Ben-hadad’s scouts reported to him, “Some troops are coming!”

18 “Take them alive,” Ben-hadad commanded, “whether they have come for truce or for war.”

19 By now Ahab’s entire army had joined the attack. 20 Each one killed a Syrian soldier, and suddenly the entire Syrian army panicked and fled. The Israelis chased them, but King Ben-hadad and a few others escaped on horses. 21 However, the great bulk of the horses and chariots were captured, and most of the Syrian army was killed in a great slaughter.

22 Then the prophet approached King Ahab and said, “Get ready for another attack by the king of Syria.”

23 For after their defeat, Ben-hadad’s officers said to him, “The Israeli God is a god of the hills; that is why they won. But we can beat them easily on the plains. 24 Only this time replace the kings with generals! 25 Recruit another army like the one you lost; give us the same number of horses, chariots, and men, and we will fight against them in the plains; there’s not a shadow of a doubt that we will beat them.” So King Ben-hadad did as they suggested. 26 The following year he called up the Syrian army and marched out against Israel again, this time at Aphek. 27 Israel then mustered its army, set up supply lines, and moved into the battle; but the Israeli army looked like two little flocks of baby goats in comparison to the vast Syrian forces that filled the countryside!

28 Then a prophet went to the king of Israel with this message from the Lord: “Because the Syrians have declared, ‘The Lord is a God of the hills and not of the plains,’ I will help you defeat this vast army, and you shall know that I am indeed the Lord.”

29 The two armies camped opposite each other for seven days, and on the seventh day the battle began. And the Israelis killed 100,000 Syrian infantrymen that first day. 30 The rest fled behind the walls of Aphek, but the wall fell on them and killed another 27,000. Ben-hadad fled into the city and hid in the inner room of one of the houses.

31 “Sir,” his officers said to him, “we have heard that the kings of Israel are very merciful. Let us wear sackcloth and put ropes on our heads and go out to King Ahab to see if he will let you live.”

32 So they went to the king of Israel and begged, “Your servant Ben-hadad pleads, ‘Let me live!’”

“Oh, is he still alive?” the king of Israel asked. “He is my brother!”

33 The men were quick to grab this straw of hope and hurried to clinch the matter by exclaiming, “Yes, your brother Ben-hadad!”

“Go and get him,” the king of Israel told them. And when Ben-hadad arrived, he invited him up into his chariot!

34 Ben-hadad told him, “I will restore the cities my father took from your father, and you may establish trading posts in Damascus, as my father did in Samaria.”

35 Meanwhile, the Lord instructed one of the prophets to say to another man, “Strike me with your sword!” But the man refused.

36 Then the prophet told him, “Because you have not obeyed the voice of the Lord, a lion shall kill you as soon as you leave me.” And sure enough, as he turned to go a lion attacked and killed him.

37 Then the prophet turned to another man and said, “Strike me with your sword.” And he did, wounding him.

38 The prophet waited for the king beside the road, having placed a bandage over his eyes to disguise himself.

39 As the king passed by, the prophet called out to him, “Sir, I was in the battle, and a man brought me a prisoner and said, ‘Keep this man; if he gets away, you must die, or else pay me $2,000!’ 40 But while I was busy doing something else, the prisoner disappeared!”

“Well, it’s your own fault,” the king replied. “You’ll have to pay.”

41 Then the prophet yanked off the bandage from his eyes, and the king recognized him as one of the prophets. 42 Then the prophet told him, “The Lord says, ‘Because you have spared the man I said must die, now you must die in his place, and your people shall perish instead of his.’”

43 So the king of Israel went home to Samaria angry and sullen.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 20:9 your men may not search the palace and the homes of the people, literally, “this thing I cannot do.”
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1 Kings 20
New International Version

Ben-Hadad Attacks Samaria

20 Now Ben-Hadad(A) king of Aram mustered his entire army. Accompanied by thirty-two kings with their horses and chariots, he went up and besieged Samaria(B) and attacked it. 2 He sent messengers into the city to Ahab king of Israel, saying, “This is what Ben-Hadad says: 3 ‘Your silver and gold are mine, and the best of your wives and children are mine.’”

4 The king of Israel answered, “Just as you say, my lord the king. I and all I have are yours.”

5 The messengers came again and said, “This is what Ben-Hadad says: ‘I sent to demand your silver and gold, your wives and your children. 6 But about this time tomorrow I am going to send my officials to search your palace and the houses of your officials. They will seize everything you value and carry it away.’”

7 The king of Israel summoned all the elders(C) of the land and said to them, “See how this man is looking for trouble!(D) When he sent for my wives and my children, my silver and my gold, I did not refuse him.”

8 The elders and the people all answered, “Don’t listen to him or agree to his demands.”

9 So he replied to Ben-Hadad’s messengers, “Tell my lord the king, ‘Your servant will do all you demanded the first time, but this demand I cannot meet.’” They left and took the answer back to Ben-Hadad.

10 Then Ben-Hadad sent another message to Ahab: “May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if enough dust(E) remains in Samaria to give each of my men a handful.”

11 The king of Israel answered, “Tell him: ‘One who puts on his armor should not boast(F) like one who takes it off.’”

12 Ben-Hadad heard this message while he and the kings were drinking(G) in their tents,[a] and he ordered his men: “Prepare to attack.” So they prepared to attack the city.

Ahab Defeats Ben-Hadad

13 Meanwhile a prophet(H) came to Ahab king of Israel and announced, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Do you see this vast army? I will give it into your hand today, and then you will know(I) that I am the Lord.’”

14 “But who will do this?” asked Ahab.

The prophet replied, “This is what the Lord says: ‘The junior officers under the provincial commanders will do it.’”

“And who will start(J) the battle?” he asked.

The prophet answered, “You will.”

15 So Ahab summoned the 232 junior officers under the provincial commanders. Then he assembled the rest of the Israelites, 7,000 in all. 16 They set out at noon while Ben-Hadad and the 32 kings allied with him were in their tents getting drunk.(K) 17 The junior officers under the provincial commanders went out first.

Now Ben-Hadad had dispatched scouts, who reported, “Men are advancing from Samaria.”

18 He said, “If they have come out for peace, take them alive; if they have come out for war, take them alive.”

19 The junior officers under the provincial commanders marched out of the city with the army behind them 20 and each one struck down his opponent. At that, the Arameans fled, with the Israelites in pursuit. But Ben-Hadad king of Aram escaped on horseback with some of his horsemen. 21 The king of Israel advanced and overpowered the horses and chariots and inflicted heavy losses on the Arameans.

22 Afterward, the prophet(L) came to the king of Israel and said, “Strengthen your position and see what must be done, because next spring(M) the king of Aram will attack you again.”

23 Meanwhile, the officials of the king of Aram advised him, “Their gods are gods(N) of the hills. That is why they were too strong for us. But if we fight them on the plains, surely we will be stronger than they. 24 Do this: Remove all the kings from their commands and replace them with other officers. 25 You must also raise an army like the one you lost—horse for horse and chariot for chariot—so we can fight Israel on the plains. Then surely we will be stronger than they.” He agreed with them and acted accordingly.

26 The next spring(O) Ben-Hadad mustered the Arameans and went up to Aphek(P) to fight against Israel. 27 When the Israelites were also mustered and given provisions, they marched out to meet them. The Israelites camped opposite them like two small flocks of goats, while the Arameans covered the countryside.(Q)

28 The man of God came up and told the king of Israel, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Because the Arameans think the Lord is a god of the hills and not a god(R) of the valleys, I will deliver this vast army into your hands, and you will know(S) that I am the Lord.’”

29 For seven days they camped opposite each other, and on the seventh day the battle was joined. The Israelites inflicted a hundred thousand casualties on the Aramean foot soldiers in one day. 30 The rest of them escaped to the city of Aphek,(T) where the wall collapsed(U) on twenty-seven thousand of them. And Ben-Hadad fled to the city and hid(V) in an inner room.

31 His officials said to him, “Look, we have heard that the kings of Israel are merciful.(W) Let us go to the king of Israel with sackcloth(X) around our waists and ropes around our heads. Perhaps he will spare your life.”

32 Wearing sackcloth around their waists and ropes around their heads, they went to the king of Israel and said, “Your servant Ben-Hadad says: ‘Please let me live.’”

The king answered, “Is he still alive? He is my brother.”

33 The men took this as a good sign and were quick to pick up his word. “Yes, your brother Ben-Hadad!” they said.

“Go and get him,” the king said. When Ben-Hadad came out, Ahab had him come up into his chariot.

34 “I will return the cities(Y) my father took from your father,” Ben-Hadad(Z) offered. “You may set up your own market areas(AA) in Damascus,(AB) as my father did in Samaria.”

Ahab said, “On the basis of a treaty(AC) I will set you free.” So he made a treaty with him, and let him go.

A Prophet Condemns Ahab

35 By the word of the Lord one of the company of the prophets(AD) said to his companion, “Strike me with your weapon,” but he refused.(AE)

36 So the prophet said, “Because you have not obeyed the Lord, as soon as you leave me a lion(AF) will kill you.” And after the man went away, a lion found him and killed him.

37 The prophet found another man and said, “Strike me, please.” So the man struck him and wounded him. 38 Then the prophet went and stood by the road waiting for the king. He disguised himself with his headband down over his eyes. 39 As the king passed by, the prophet called out to him, “Your servant went into the thick of the battle, and someone came to me with a captive and said, ‘Guard this man. If he is missing, it will be your life for his life,(AG) or you must pay a talent[b] of silver.’ 40 While your servant was busy here and there, the man disappeared.”

“That is your sentence,”(AH) the king of Israel said. “You have pronounced it yourself.”

41 Then the prophet quickly removed the headband from his eyes, and the king of Israel recognized him as one of the prophets. 42 He said to the king, “This is what the Lord says: ‘You(AI) have set free a man I had determined should die.[c](AJ) Therefore it is your life for his life,(AK) your people for his people.’” 43 Sullen and angry,(AL) the king of Israel went to his palace in Samaria.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 20:12 Or in Sukkoth; also in verse 16
  2. 1 Kings 20:39 That is, about 75 pounds or about 34 kilograms
  3. 1 Kings 20:42 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them.
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1 Kings 20
New King James Version

Ahab Defeats the Syrians

20 Now (A)Ben-Hadad the king of Syria gathered all his forces together; thirty-two kings were with him, with horses and chariots. And he went up and besieged (B)Samaria, and made war against it. 2 Then he sent messengers into the city to Ahab king of Israel, and said to him, “Thus says Ben-Hadad: 3 ‘Your silver and your gold are mine; your loveliest wives and children are mine.’ ”

4 And the king of Israel answered and said, “My lord, O king, just as you say, I and all that I have are yours.”

5 Then the messengers came back and said, “Thus speaks Ben-Hadad, saying, ‘Indeed I have sent to you, saying, “You shall deliver to me your silver and your gold, your wives and your children”; 6 but I will send my servants to you tomorrow about this time, and they shall search your house and the houses of your servants. And it shall be, that whatever is [a]pleasant in your eyes, they will put it in their hands and take it.’ ”

7 So the king of Israel called all the elders of the land, and said, “Notice, please, and see how this man seeks trouble, for he sent to me for my wives, my children, my silver, and my gold; and I did not deny him.”

8 And all the elders and all the people said to him, “Do not listen or consent.”

9 Therefore he said to the messengers of Ben-Hadad, “Tell my lord the king, ‘All that you sent for to your servant the first time I will do, but this thing I cannot do.’ ”

And the messengers departed and brought back word to him.

10 Then Ben-Hadad sent to him and said, (C)“The gods do so to me, and more also, if enough dust is left of Samaria for a handful for each of the people [b]who follow me.”

11 So the king of Israel answered and said, “Tell him, ‘Let not the one who puts on his armor (D)boast like the one who takes it off.’ ”

12 And it happened when Ben-Hadad heard this message, as he and the kings were (E)drinking at the [c]command post, that he said to his servants, “Get ready.” And they got ready to attack the city.

13 Suddenly a prophet approached Ahab king of Israel, saying, “Thus says the Lord: ‘Have you seen all this great multitude? Behold, (F)I will deliver it into your hand today, and you shall know that I am the Lord.’ ”

14 So Ahab said, “By whom?”

And he said, “Thus says the Lord: ‘By the young leaders of the provinces.’ ”

Then he said, “Who will set the battle in order?”

And he answered, “You.”

15 Then he mustered the young leaders of the provinces, and there were two hundred and thirty-two; and after them he mustered all the people, all the children of Israel—seven thousand.

16 So they went out at noon. Meanwhile Ben-Hadad and the thirty-two kings helping him were (G)getting drunk at the command post. 17 The young leaders of the provinces went out first. And Ben-Hadad sent out a patrol, and they told him, saying, “Men are coming out of Samaria!” 18 So he said, “If they have come out for peace, take them alive; and if they have come out for war, take them alive.”

19 Then these young leaders of the provinces went out of the city with the army which followed them. 20 And each one killed his man; so the Syrians fled, and Israel pursued them; and Ben-Hadad the king of Syria escaped on a horse with the cavalry. 21 Then the king of Israel went out and attacked the horses and chariots, and killed the Syrians with a great slaughter.

22 And the prophet came to the king of Israel and said to him, “Go, strengthen yourself; take note, and see what you should do, (H)for [d]in the spring of the year the king of Syria will come up against you.”

The Syrians Again Defeated

23 Then the servants of the king of Syria said to him, “Their gods are gods of the hills. Therefore they were stronger than we; but if we fight against them in the plain, surely we will be stronger than they. 24 So do this thing: Dismiss the kings, each from his position, and put captains in their [e]places; 25 and you shall muster an army like the army [f]that you have lost, horse for horse and chariot for chariot. Then we will fight against them in the plain; surely we will be stronger than they.”

And he listened to their voice and did so.

26 So it was, in the spring of the year, that Ben-Hadad mustered the Syrians and went up to (I)Aphek to fight against Israel. 27 And the children of Israel were mustered and given provisions, and they went against them. Now the children of Israel encamped before them like two little flocks of goats, while the Syrians filled the (J)countryside.

28 Then a (K)man of God came and spoke to the king of Israel, and said, “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 (L)I will deliver all this great multitude into your hand, and you shall know that I am the Lord.’ ” 29 And they encamped opposite each other for seven days. So it was that on the seventh day the battle was joined; and the children of Israel killed one hundred thousand foot soldiers of the Syrians in one day. 30 But the rest fled to Aphek, into the city; then a wall fell on twenty-seven thousand of the men who were left.

And Ben-Hadad fled and went into the city, into an inner chamber.

Ahab’s Treaty with Ben-Hadad

31 Then his servants said to him, “Look now, we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful kings. Please, let us (M)put sackcloth around our waists and ropes around our heads, and go out to the king of Israel; perhaps he will spare your life.” 32 So they wore sackcloth around their waists and put ropes around their heads, and came to the king of Israel and said, “Your servant Ben-Hadad says, ‘Please let me live.’ ”

And he said, “Is he still alive? He is my brother.”

33 Now the men were watching closely to see whether any sign of mercy would come from him; and they quickly grasped at this word and said, “Your brother Ben-Hadad.”

So he said, “Go, bring him.” Then Ben-Hadad came out to him; and he had him come up into the chariot.

34 So Ben-Hadad said to him, (N)“The cities which my father took from your father I will restore; and you may set up marketplaces for yourself in Damascus, as my father did in Samaria.”

Then Ahab said, “I will send you away with this treaty.” So he made a treaty with him and sent him away.

Ahab Condemned

35 Now a certain man of (O)the sons of the prophets said to his neighbor (P)by the word of the Lord, “Strike me, please.” And the man refused to strike him. 36 Then he said to him, “Because you have not obeyed the voice of the Lord, surely, as soon as you depart from me, a lion shall kill you.” And as soon as he left him, (Q)a lion found him and killed him.

37 And he found another man, and said, “Strike me, please.” So the man struck him, inflicting a wound. 38 Then the prophet departed and waited for the king by the road, and disguised himself with a bandage over his eyes. 39 Now (R)as the king passed by, he cried out to the king and said, “Your servant went out into the midst of the battle; and there, a man came over and brought a man to me, and said, ‘Guard this man; if by any means he is missing, (S)your life shall be for his life, or else you shall [g]pay a talent of silver.’ 40 While your servant was busy here and there, he was gone.”

Then the king of Israel said to him, “So shall your judgment be; you yourself have decided it.”

41 And he hastened to take the bandage away from his eyes; and the king of Israel recognized him as one of the prophets. 42 Then he said to him, “Thus says the Lord: (T)‘Because you have let slip out of your hand a man whom I appointed to utter destruction, therefore your life shall go for his life, and your people for his people.’ ”

43 So the king of Israel (U)went to his house sullen and displeased, and came to Samaria.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 20:6 pleasing
  2. 1 Kings 20:10 Lit. at my feet
  3. 1 Kings 20:12 Lit. booths or shelters
  4. 1 Kings 20:22 Lit. at the return
  5. 1 Kings 20:24 positions
  6. 1 Kings 20:25 Lit. that fell from you
  7. 1 Kings 20:39 Lit. weigh
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