1And Benhadad1130 the king4428 of Syria758 gathered6908 all his host2428 together6908: and there were thirty7970 and two8147 kings4428 with him, and horses5483, and chariots7393: and he went up5927 and besieged6696 Samaria8111, and warred3898 against it.
2And he sent7971 messengers4397 to Ahab256 king4428 of Israel3478 into the city5892, and said559 unto him, Thus saith559 Benhadad1130,
3Thy silver3701 and thy gold2091 is mine; thy wives802 also and thy children1121, even the goodliest2896, are mine.
4And the king4428 of Israel3478 answered6030 and said559, My lord113, O king4428, according to thy saying1697, I am thine, and all that I have.
5And the messengers4397 came again7725, and said559, Thus speaketh559 Benhadad1130, saying559, Although I have sent7971 unto thee, saying559, Thou shalt deliver5414 me thy silver3701, and thy gold2091, and thy wives802, and thy children1121;
6Yet I will send7971 my servants5650 unto thee to morrow4279 about this time6256, and they shall search2664 thine house1004, and the houses1004 of thy servants5650; and it shall be1961, that whatsoever is pleasant4261 in thine eyes5869, they shall put7760 it in their hand3027, and take it away3947.
7Then the king4428 of Israel3478 called7121 all the elders2205 of the land776, and said559, Mark3045, I pray you, and see7200 how this man seeketh1245 mischief7451: for he sent7971 unto me for my wives802, and for my children1121, and for my silver3701, and for my gold2091; and I denied4513 him not.
8And all the elders2205 and all the people5971 said559 unto him, Hearken8085 not unto him, nor consent14.
9Wherefore he said559 unto the messengers4397 of Benhadad1130, Tell559 my lord113 the king4428, All that thou didst send7971 for to thy servant5650 at the first7223 I will do6213: but this thing1697 I may3201 not do6213. And the messengers4397 departed3212, and brought7725 him word1697 again7725.
10And Benhadad1130 sent7971 unto him, and said559, The gods430 do so6213 unto me, and more also3254, if the dust6083 of Samaria8111 shall suffice5606 for handfuls8168 for all the people5971 that follow7272 me.
11And the king4428 of Israel3478 answered6030 and said559, Tell1696 him, Let not him that girdeth2296 on his harness boast1984 himself as he that putteth it off6605.
12And it came to pass, when Benhadad heard8085 this message1697, as he was drinking8354, he and the kings4428 in the pavilions5521, that he said559 unto his servants5650, Set7760 yourselves in array. And they set7760 themselves in array against the city5892.
13And, behold, there came5066 a259 prophet5030 unto Ahab256 king4428 of Israel3478, saying559, Thus saith559 the LORD3068, Hast thou seen7200 all this great1419 multitude1995? behold, I will deliver5414 it into thine hand3027 this day3117; and thou shalt know3045 that I am the LORD3068.
14And Ahab256 said559, By whom? And he said559, Thus saith559 the LORD3068, Even by the young men5288 of the princes8269 of the provinces4082. Then he said559, Who shall order631 the battle4421? And he answered559, Thou.
15Then he numbered6485 the young men5288 of the princes8269 of the provinces4082, and they were two8147 hundred3967 and thirty7970 two8147: and after310 them he numbered6485 all the people5971, even all the children1121 of Israel3478, being seven7651 thousand505.
16And they went out3318 at noon6672. But Benhadad1130 was drinking8354 himself drunk7910 in the pavilions5521, he and the kings4428, the thirty7970 and two8147 kings4428 that helped5826 him.
17And the young men5288 of the princes8269 of the provinces4082 went out3318 first7223; and Benhadad1130 sent out7971, and they told5046 him, saying559, There are men582 come out3318 of Samaria8111.
18And he said559, Whether they be come out3318 for peace7965, take8610 them alive2416; or whether they be come out3318 for war4421, take8610 them alive2416.
19So these young men5288 of the princes8269 of the provinces4082 came out3318 of the city5892, and the army2428 which followed310 them.
20And they slew5221 every one376 his man376: and the Syrians758 fled5127; and Israel3478 pursued7291 them: and Benhadad1130 the king4428 of Syria758 escaped4422 on an horse5483 with the horsemen6571.
21And the king4428 of Israel3478 went out3318, and smote5221 the horses5483 and chariots7393, and slew5221 the Syrians758 with a great1419 slaughter4347.
22And the prophet5030 came5066 to the king4428 of Israel3478, and said559 unto him, Go3212, strengthen2388 thyself, and mark3045, and see7200 what thou doest6213: for at the return8666 of the year8141 the king4428 of Syria758 will come up5927 against thee.
23And the servants5650 of the king4428 of Syria758 said559 unto him, Their gods430 are gods430 of the hills2022; therefore they were stronger2388 than we; but199 let us fight3898 against them in the plain4334, and surely3808 we shall be stronger2388 than they.
24And do6213 this thing1697, Take5493 the kings4428 away, every man376 out of his place4725, and put7760 captains6346 in their rooms:
25And number4487 thee an army2428, like the army2428 that thou hast lost5307, horse5483 for horse5483, and chariot7393 for chariot7393: and we will fight3898 against854 them in the plain4334, and surely we shall be stronger2388 than they. And he hearkened8085 unto their voice6963, and did so6213.
26And it came to pass at the return8666 of the year8141, that Benhadad1130 numbered6485 the Syrians758, and went up5927 to Aphek663, to fight4421 against Israel3478.
27And the children1121 of Israel3478 were numbered6485, and were all present3557, and went3212 against7125 them: and the children1121 of Israel3478 pitched2583 before them like two8147 little flocks2835 of kids5795; but the Syrians758 filled4390 the country776.
28And there came5066 a man376 of God430, and spake559 unto the king4428 of Israel3478, and said559, Thus saith559 the LORD3068, Because the Syrians758 have said559, The LORD3068 is God430 of the hills2022, but he is not God430 of the valleys6010, therefore will I deliver5414 all this great1419 multitude1995 into thine hand3027, and ye shall know3045 that I am the LORD3068.
29And they pitched2583 one428 over against5227 the other428 seven7651 days3117. And so it was, that in the seventh7637 day3117 the battle4421 was joined7126: and the children1121 of Israel3478 slew5221 of the Syrians758 an hundred3967 thousand505 footmen7273 in one259 day3117.
30But the rest3498 fled5127 to Aphek663, into the city5892; and there a wall2346 fell5307 upon twenty6242 and seven7651 thousand505 of the men376 that were left3498. And Benhadad1130 fled5127, and came935 into the city5892, into an inner2315 chamber2315.
31And his servants5650 said559 unto him, Behold now, we have heard8085 that the kings4428 of the house1004 of Israel3478 are merciful2617 kings4428: let us, I pray thee, put7760 sackcloth8242 on our loins4975, and ropes2256 upon our heads7218, and go out3318 to the king4428 of Israel3478: peradventure he will save2421 thy life5315.
32So they girded2296 sackcloth8242 on their loins4975, and put ropes2256 on their heads7218, and came935 to the king4428 of Israel3478, and said559, Thy servant5650 Benhadad1130 saith559, I pray thee, let me live2421 5315. And he said559, Is he yet alive2416? he is my brother251.
33Now the men582 did diligently observe5172 whether any thing would come from him, and did hastily4116 catch2480 it: and they said559, Thy brother251 Benhadad1130. Then he said559, Go935 ye, bring3947 him. Then Benhadad1130 came forth3318 to him; and he caused him to come up5927 into the chariot4818.
34And Benhadad said559 unto him, The cities5892, which my father1 took3947 from thy father1, I will restore7725; and thou shalt make7760 streets2351 for thee in Damascus1834, as my father1 made7760 in Samaria8111. Then said Ahab, I will send thee away7971 with this covenant1285. So he made3772 a covenant1285 with him, and sent him away7971.
35And a certain259 man376 of the sons1121 of the prophets5030 said559 unto his neighbour7453 in the word1697 of the LORD3068, Smite5221 me, I pray thee. And the man376 refused3985 to smite5221 him.
36Then said559 he unto him, Because thou hast not obeyed8085 the voice6963 of the LORD3068, behold, as soon as thou art departed1980 from me, a lion738 shall slay5221 thee. And as soon as he was departed3212 from him681, a lion738 found4672 him, and slew5221 him.
37Then he found4672 another312 man376, and said559, Smite5221 me, I pray thee. And the man376 smote5221 him, so that in smiting5221 he wounded6481 him.
38So the prophet5030 departed3212, and waited5975 for the king4428 by the way1870, and disguised2664 himself with ashes666 upon his face5869.
39And as the king4428 passed by5674, he cried6817 unto the king4428: and he said559, Thy servant5650 went out3318 into the midst7130 of the battle4421; and, behold, a man376 turned aside5493, and brought935 a man376 unto me, and said559, Keep8104 this man376: if by any means6485 he be missing6485, then shall thy life5315 be for his life5315, or else thou shalt pay8254 a talent3603 of silver3701.
40And as thy servant5650 was busy6213 here and there, he was gone369. And the king4428 of Israel3478 said559 unto him, So shall thy judgment4941 be; thyself hast decided2782 it.
41And he hasted4116, and took the ashes666 away5493 from his face5869; and the king4428 of Israel3478 discerned5234 him that he was of the prophets5030.
42And he said559 unto him, Thus saith559 the LORD3068, Because thou hast let go7971 out of thy hand3027 a man376 whom I appointed to utter destruction2764, therefore thy life5315 shall go for his life5315, and thy people5971 for his people5971.
43And the king4428 of Israel3478 went3212 to his house1004 heavy5620 and displeased2198, and came935 to Samaria8111.