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Now Ben-hadad, king of Aram, gathered all his army, and there were thirty-two kings with him, and horses and chariots. And he went up and besieged Samaria, and fought against it.

And Benhadad the king of Syria gathered all his host together: and there were thirty and two kings with him, and horses, and chariots; and he went up and besieged Samaria, and warred against it.

Then he sent messengers to the city to Ahab, king of Israel, and said to him, "This is what Ben-hadad says:

And he sent messengers to Ahab king of Israel into the city, and said unto him, Thus saith Benhadad,

'Your silver and your gold are mine; your most beautiful wives and children are also mine.'"

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

And the king of Israel replied, "As you say, my lord, O king; I am yours, as well as all that I have."

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

Then the messengers returned and said, "Ben-hadad says this: 'I did indeed send word to you, saying, "You shall give me your silver, your gold, your wives, and your children";

And the messengers came again, and said, Thus speaketh Benhadad, saying, Although I have sent unto thee, saying, Thou shalt deliver me thy silver, and thy gold, and thy wives, and thy children;

but about this time tomorrow I will send my servants to you, and they will search your house and the houses of your servants; and they will take in their hands everything that is pleasing to your eyes, and take it all away.'"

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

Then the king of Israel summoned all the elders of the land and said, "Please be aware and see that this man is looking for trouble; for he sent me his demand for my wives, my children, my silver, and my gold, and I did not refuse him."

Then the king of Israel called all the elders of the land, and said, Mark, I pray you, and see how this man seeketh mischief: for he sent unto me for my wives, and for my children, and for my silver, and for my gold; and I denied him not.

Then all the elders and all the people said to him, "Do not listen nor consent."

And all the elders and all the people said unto him, Hearken not unto him, nor consent.

So he said to the messengers of Ben-hadad, "Tell my lord the king, 'Everything that you sent as a demand to your servant at the first, I will do; but this thing I cannot do.'" Then the messengers departed, and brought him word again.

Wherefore he said unto the messengers of Benhadad, Tell my lord the king, All that thou didst send 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.

Ben-hadad sent word to him and said, "May the gods do so to me and more so, if the dust of Samaria will be enough for handfuls for all the people who follow me."

And Benhadad sent unto him, and said, The gods do so unto me, and more also, if the dust of Samaria shall suffice for handfuls for all the people that follow me.

Then the king of Israel replied, "Tell him, 'He who straps on his weapons had better not boast like one who takes them off.'"

And the king of Israel answered and said, Tell him, Let not him that girdeth on his harness boast himself as he that putteth it off.

And when Ben-hadad heard this message, while he was drinking with the kings in the temporary shelters, he said to his servants, "Take your positions." So they took their positions against the city.

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 unto his servants, Set yourselves in array. And they set themselves in array against the city.

Now behold, a prophet approached Ahab king of Israel, and said, "This is what the LORD says: 'Have you seen all this great multitude? Behold, I am going to hand them over to you today, and you shall know that I am the LORD.'"

And, behold, there came a prophet unto Ahab king of Israel, saying, Thus saith the Lord , Hast thou seen all this great multitude? behold, I will deliver it into thine hand this day; and thou shalt know that I am the Lord .

But Ahab said, "By whom?" So he said, "The LORD says this: 'By the young men of the leaders of the provinces.'" Then he said, "Who will begin the battle?" And he said, "You will."

And Ahab said, By whom? And he said, Thus saith the Lord , Even by the young men of the princes of the provinces. Then he said, Who shall order the battle? And he answered, Thou.

So he mustered the young men of the leaders of the provinces, and there were 232; and after them he mustered all the people, all the sons of Israel: seven thousand.

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

They went out at noon, while Ben-hadad was drinking himself drunk in the temporary shelters with the thirty-two kings who were helping him.

And they went out at noon. But Benhadad was drinking himself drunk in the pavilions, he and the kings, the thirty and two kings that helped him.

The young men of the leaders of the provinces went out first; and Ben-hadad sent out scouts, and they reported to him, saying, "Men have come out from Samaria."

And the young men of the princes of the provinces went out first; and Benhadad sent out, and they told him, saying, There are men come out of Samaria.

Then he said, "If they have come out for peace, take them alive; or if they have come out for war, take them alive as well."

And he said, Whether they be come out for peace, take them alive; or whether they be come out for war, take them alive.

So these men went out from the city, the young men of the leaders of the provinces, and the army which followed them.

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

And they killed, each one, his man; and the Arameans fled and Israel pursued them, and Ben-hadad the king of Aram escaped on a horse with horsemen.

And they slew every one his man: and the Syrians fled; and Israel pursued them: and Benhadad the king of Syria escaped on an horse with the horsemen.

The king of Israel also went out and struck the horses and chariots, and killed the Arameans in a great slaughter.

And the king of Israel went out, and smote the horses and chariots, and slew the Syrians with a great slaughter.

Then the prophet approached the king of Israel and said to him, "Go, show yourself courageous and be aware and see what you have to do; for at the turn of the year the king of Aram will march against you."

And the prophet came to the king of Israel, and said unto him, Go, strengthen thyself, and mark, and see what thou doest: for at the return of the year the king of Syria will come up against thee.

Now the servants of the king of Aram said to him, "Their gods are gods of the mountains; for that reason they were stronger than we. But let us fight them in the plain, and we will certainly be stronger than they.

And the servants of the king of Syria said unto him, Their 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.

"Carry out this plan: remove the kings, each from his place, and put governors in their place,

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

and muster an army like the army that you have lost, horse for horse and chariot for chariot. Then we will fight against them in the plain, and we will certainly be stronger than they." And he listened to their voice and did so.

And number thee an army, like the army that thou hast 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 unto their voice, and did so.

So at the turn of the year Ben-hadad mustered the Arameans and went up to Aphek to fight against Israel.

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

And the sons of Israel were mustered and given provisions, and they went to meet them; and the sons of Israel camped opposite them like two little flocks of goats, while the Arameans filled the country.

And the children of Israel were numbered, and were all present, and went against them: and the children of Israel pitched before them like two little flocks of kids; but the Syrians filled the country.

Then a man of God approached and spoke to the king of Israel, and said, "This is what the LORD says: 'Since the Arameans have said, "The LORD is a god of mountains, but He is not a god of valleys," therefore I will hand over to you all this great multitude, and you shall know that I am the LORD.'"

And there came a man of God, and spake unto the king of Israel, and said, Thus saith the Lord , Because the Syrians have said, The Lord is God of the hills, but he is not God of the valleys, therefore will I deliver all this great multitude into thine hand, and ye shall know that I am the Lord .

So they camped, one opposite the other, for seven days. And on the seventh day the battle was joined, and the sons of Israel killed of the Arameans a hundred thousand foot soldiers in a single day.

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

But the rest fled to Aphek into the city, and the wall fell on twenty-seven thousand men who were left. And Ben-hadad fled and came into the city, going from one inner room to another.

But the rest fled to Aphek, into the city; and there a wall fell upon twenty and seven thousand of the men that were left. And Benhadad fled, and came into the city, into an inner chamber.

But his servants said to him, "Behold now, we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful kings. Please let's put sackcloth around our waists and ropes on our heads, and go out to the king of Israel; perhaps he will let you live."

And his servants said unto him, Behold now, we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful kings: let us, I pray thee, put sackcloth on our loins, and ropes upon our heads, and go out to the king of Israel: peradventure he will save thy life.

So they put sackcloth around their waists and ropes on their heads, and came to the king of Israel and said, "Your servant Ben-hadad says, 'Please let me live.'" And Ahab said, "Is he still alive? He is my brother."

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

Now the men took this as a good omen, and quickly accepting it from him, they said, "Your brother Ben-hadad." Then he said, "Go, bring him." Then Ben-hadad came out to him, and he had him mount the chariot.

Now the men did diligently observe whether any thing would come from him, and did hastily catch it: and they said, Thy brother Benhadad. Then he said, Go ye, bring him. Then Benhadad came forth to him; and he caused him to come up into the chariot.

And Ben-hadad said to him, "The cities which my father took from your father I will restore, and you can make streets for yourself in Damascus, as my father made in Samaria." Ahab said, "And I will let you go with this covenant." So he made a covenant with him and let him go.

And Ben-hadad said unto him, The cities, which my father took from thy father, I will restore; and thou shalt make streets for thee in Damascus, as my father made in Samaria. Then said Ahab, I will send thee away with this covenant. So he made a covenant with him, and sent him away.

Now a man from the sons of the prophets said to another by the word of the LORD, "Please strike me." But the man refused to strike him.

And a certain man of the sons of the prophets said unto his neighbour in the word of the Lord , Smite me, I pray thee. And the man refused to smite him.

Then he said to him, "Because you have not listened to the voice of the LORD, behold, as soon as you leave me, a lion will kill you." And as soon as he left him a lion found him and killed him.

Then said he unto him, Because thou hast not obeyed the voice of the Lord , behold, as soon as thou art departed from me, a lion shall slay thee. And as soon as he was departed from him, a lion found him, and slew him.

Then he found another man and said, "Please strike me." And the man struck him, injuring him.

Then he found another man, and said, Smite me, I pray thee. And the man smote him, so that in smiting he wounded him.

So the prophet departed and waited for the king by the road, and disguised himself with a bandage over his eyes.

So the prophet departed, and waited for the king by the way, and disguised himself with ashes upon his face.

And as the king passed by, he cried out to the king and said, "Your servant went out into the midst of the battle; and behold, a man turned aside and brought a man to me and said, 'Guard this man; if for any reason he goes missing, then your life shall be forfeited in place of his life, or else you shall pay a talent of silver.'

And as the king passed by, he cried unto 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 unto me, and said, Keep this man: if by any means he be missing, then shall thy life be for his life, or else thou shalt pay a talent of silver.

"Now while your servant was busy here and there, he disappeared." And the king of Israel said to him, "So shall your judgment be; you yourself determined it."

And as thy servant was busy here and there, he was gone. And the king of Israel said unto him, So shall thy judgment be; thyself hast decided it.

Then he quickly took the bandage away from his eyes, and the king of Israel recognized him, that he was one of the prophets.

And he hasted, and took the ashes away from his face; and the king of Israel discerned him that he was of the prophets.

And the prophet said to him, "This is what the LORD says: 'Since you have let go from your hand the man I had designated for destruction, your life shall be forfeited in place of his life, and your people in place of his people.'"

And he said unto him, Thus saith the Lord , Because thou hast let go 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.

So the king of Israel went to his house sullen and furious, and came to Samaria.

And the king of Israel went to his house heavy and displeased, and came to Samaria.