rsv 1Kings:20:13-34
rsv@1Kings:20:13 @ And behold, a prophet came near to Ahab king of Israel and said, "Thus says the LORD, Have you seen all this great multitude? Behold, I will give it into your hand this day; and you shall know that I am the LORD."
rsv@1Kings:20:14 @ And Ahab said, "By whom?" He said, "Thus says the LORD, By the servants of the governors of the districts." Then he said, "Who shall begin the battle?" He answered, "You."
rsv@1Kings:20:15 @ Then he mustered the servants of the governors of the districts, and they were two hundred and thirty-two; and after them he mustered all the people of Israel, seven thousand.
rsv@1Kings:20:16 @ And they went out at noon, while Ben-ha'dad was drinking himself drunk in the booths, he and the thirty-two kings who helped him.
rsv@1Kings:20:17 @ The servants of the governors of the districts went out first. And Ben-ha'dad sent out scouts, and they reported to him, "Men are coming out from Sama'ria."
rsv@1Kings:20:18 @ He said, "If they have come out for peace, take them alive; or if they have come out for war, take them alive."
rsv@1Kings:20:19 @ So these went out of the city, the servants of the governors of the districts, and the army which followed them.
rsv@1Kings:20:20 @ And each killed his man; the Syrians fled and Israel pursued them, but Ben-ha'dad king of Syria escaped on a horse with horsemen.
rsv@1Kings:20:21 @ And the king of Israel went out, and captured the horses and chariots, and killed the Syrians with a great slaughter.
rsv@1Kings:20:22 @ Then the prophet came near to the king of Israel, and said to him, "Come, strengthen yourself, and consider well what you have to do; for in the spring the king of Syria will come up against you."
rsv@1Kings:20:23 @ And the servants of the king of Syria said to him, "Their gods are gods of the hills, and so they were stronger than we; but let us fight against them in the plain, and surely we shall be stronger than they.
rsv@1Kings:20:24 @ And do this: remove the kings, each from his post, and put commanders in their places;
rsv@1Kings:20:25 @ 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 surely we shall be stronger than they." And he hearkened to their voice, and did so.
rsv@1Kings:20:26 @ In the spring Ben-ha'dad mustered the Syrians, and went up to Aphek, to fight against Israel.
rsv@1Kings:20:27 @ And the people of Israel were mustered, and were provisioned, and went against them; the people of Israel encamped before them like two little flocks of goats, but the Syrians filled the country.
rsv@1Kings:20:28 @ And a man of God came near and said to the king of Israel, "Thus says the LORD, `Because the Syrians have said, "The LORD is a god of the hills but he is not a god of the valleys," therefore I will give all this great multitude into your hand, and you shall know that I am the LORD.'"
rsv@1Kings:20:29 @ And they encamped opposite one another seven days. Then on the seventh day the battle was joined; and the people of Israel smote of the Syrians a hundred thousand foot soldiers in one day.
rsv@1Kings:20:30 @ And the rest fled into the city of Aphek; and the wall fell upon twenty-seven thousand men that were left. Ben-ha'dad also fled, and entered an inner chamber in the city.
rsv@1Kings:20:31 @ And his servants said to him, "Behold now, we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful kings; let us put sackcloth on our loins and ropes upon our heads, and go out to the king of Israel; perhaps he will spare your life."
rsv@1Kings:20:32 @ So they girded sackcloth on their loins, and put ropes on their heads, and went to the king of Israel and said, "Your servant Ben-ha'dad says, `Pray, let me live.'" And he said, "Does he still live? He is my brother."
rsv@1Kings:20:33 @ Now the men were watching for an omen, and they quickly took it up from him and said, "Yes, your brother Ben-ha'dad." Then he said, "Go and bring him." Then Ben-ha'dad came forth to him; and he caused him to come up into the chariot.
rsv@1Kings:20:34 @ And Ben-ha'dad said to him, "The cities which my father took from your father I will restore; and you may establish bazaars for yourself in Damascus, as my father did in Sama'ria." And Ahab said, "I will let you go on these terms." So he made a covenant with him and let him go.
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