1Kings:20

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* And Ben-Hadad king of Syria assembled all his host ; and there were thirty-two kings with him , and horses and chariots ; and he went up and besieged Samaria , and fought against it . * And he sent messengers to Ahab king of Israel into the city , and said to him , Thus says Ben-Hadad : * Thy silver and thy gold is mine ; thy wives also and thy children , the goodliest , are mine . * And the king of Israel answered and said , My lord , O king , according to thy saying , I am thine , and all that I have . * And the messengers came again , and said , Thus speaks Ben-Hadad saying : I sent to thee indeed , saying , Thou shalt deliver me thy silver , and thy gold , and thy wives , and thy children ; * but to-morrow about this time I will send my servants to thee , and they shall search thy house , and the houses of thy servants ; and it shall be , that whatsoever is pleasant in thy sight , they shall put in their hand and take away . * And the king of Israel called all the elders of the land and said , Mark , I pray you , and see how this [man ] seeks mischief ; for he sent to me for my wives , and for my children , and for my silver , and for my gold ; and I denied him not . * And all the elders and all the people said to him , Hearken not , nor consent . * And he said to the messengers of Ben-Hadad , Tell my lord the king , All that thou didst send for to thy servant at the first I will do ; but this thing I cannot do . And the messengers departed , and brought him word again . * And Ben-Hadad sent to him and said , The gods do so to me , and more also , if the dust of Samaria shall suffice for handfuls for all the people that follow me ! * And the king of Israel answered and said , Tell [him ], Let not him that girdeth on boast himself as he that putteth off ! * And it came to pass when he heard this word , as he was drinking , he and the kings in the tents , that he said to his servants , Set yourselves . And they set themselves against the city . * And behold , a prophet drew near to Ahab king of Israel , and said , Thus saith Jehovah : Hast thou seen all this great multitude ? behold , I will deliver it into thy hand this day ; and thou shalt know that I am Jehovah . * And Ahab said , By whom ? And he said , Thus saith Jehovah : By the servants of the princes of the provinces . Then he said , Who shall begin the battle ? And he said , Thou . * And he numbered the servants of the princes of the provinces , and they were two hundred and thirty-two ; and after them he numbered all the people , all the children of Israel , seven thousand . * And they went out at noon ; and Ben-Hadad drank himself drunk in the tents , he and the kings , the thirty-two kings that helped him . * And the servants of the princes of the provinces went out first ; and Ben-Hadad sent out , and they told him saying , There are men come out of Samaria . * And he said , Whether they be come out for peace , take them alive ; or whether they be come out for war , take them alive . * And these servants of the princes of the provinces came out of the city , and the army that followed them . * And they slew every one his man ; and the Syrians fled , and Israel pursued them ; and Ben-Hadad the king of Syria escaped on a horse with the horsemen . * And the king of Israel went out , and smote the horses and chariots , and slew the Syrians with a great slaughter . * And the prophet drew near to the king of Israel , and said to him , Go , strengthen thyself , and understand , and see what thou shalt do ; for at the return of the year the king of Syria will come up against thee . * And the servants of the king of Syria said to him , Their gods are gods of the mountains ; therefore they were stronger than we ; but if we fight against them on the plateau , shall we not be stronger than they ? * And do this : take the kings away , every man out of his place , and put governors in their stead ; * 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 on the plateau : shall we not be stronger than they ? And he hearkened to their voice , and did so . * And it came to pass , at the return of the year , that Ben-Hadad numbered the Syrians , and went up to Aphek , to fight against Israel . * And the children of Israel were numbered and victualled , and they went against them ; and the children of Israel encamped before them like two little flocks of goats ; but the Syrians filled the land . * And the man of God drew near , and spoke to the king of Israel and said , Thus saith Jehovah : Because the Syrians have said , Jehovah is a god of the mountains , but he is not a god of the valleys , I will give all this great multitude into thy hand , and ye shall know that I am Jehovah . * And they encamped one over against the other seven days ; and it came to pass that on the seventh day the battle was joined ; and the children of Israel smote of the Syrians a hundred thousand footmen in one day . * And the rest fled to Aphek , into the city ; and the wall fell on twenty-seven thousand men of them that were left . And Ben-Hadad fled , and came into the city , [from ] chamber to chamber . * And his servants said to 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 ; perhaps he will save thy life . * And they girded sackcloth on their loins , and ropes on their heads , and came to the king of Israel , and said , Thy servant Ben-Hadad says , I pray thee , let me live . And he said , Is he yet alive ? he is my brother . * And the men took it as a good omen , and hastened to catch what came from him , and they said , Thy brother Ben-Hadad .... And he said , Go , bring him . And Ben-Hadad came forth to him ; and he caused him to come up into the chariot . * And [Ben-Hadad ] said to him , The cities that my father took from thy father I will restore ; and thou shalt make streets for thyself in Damascus , as my father made in Samaria . And I [said Ahab ] will send thee away with this covenant . So he made a covenant with him , and sent him away . * And a certain man of the sons of the prophets said to another by the word of Jehovah , Smite me , I pray thee . But the man refused to smite him . * Then said he to him , Because thou hast not hearkened to the voice of Jehovah , behold , when thou departest from me , the lion will slay thee . And when he had departed from him , the lion found him and slew him . * Then he found another man , and said , Smite me , I pray thee . And the man smote him violently , and wounded [him ]. * And the prophet departed , and waited for the king by the way , and disguised himself with a sash over his eyes . * And as the king passed by , he cried to the king and said , Thy 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 by any means he be missing , then shall thy life be for his life , or thou shalt pay a talent of silver . * And as thy servant was busy here and there , he was gone . And the king of Israel said to him , So [is ] thy judgment : thyself hast decided [it ]. * Then he hastily took the sash away from his face ; and the king of Israel discerned him , that he was of the prophets . * And he said to him , Thus saith Jehovah : Because thou hast let go out of thy hand the man that I had devoted to destruction , thy life shall be for his life , and thy people for his people . * And the king of Israel went to his house sullen and vexed , and came to Samaria .

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