rsv 1Kings:20:22-42
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.
rsv@1Kings:20:35 @ And a certain man of the sons of the prophets said to his fellow at the command of the LORD, "Strike me, I pray." But the man refused to strike him.
rsv@1Kings:20:36 @ Then he said to him, "Because you have not obeyed the voice of the LORD, behold, as soon as you have gone from me, a lion shall kill you." And as soon as he had departed from him, a lion met him and killed him.
rsv@1Kings:20:37 @ Then he found another man, and said, "Strike me, I pray." And the man struck him, smiting and wounding him.
rsv@1Kings:20:38 @ So the prophet departed, and waited for the king by the way, disguising himself with a bandage over his eyes.
rsv@1Kings:20:39 @ And as the king passed, he cried to the king and said, "Your servant went out into the midst of the battle; and behold, a soldier turned and brought a man to me, and said, `Keep this man; if by any means he be missing, your life shall be for his life, or else you shall pay a talent of silver.'
rsv@1Kings:20:40 @ And as your servant was busy here and there, he was gone." The king of Israel said to him, "So shall your judgment be; you yourself have decided it."
rsv@1Kings:20:41 @ Then he made haste to take the bandage away from his eyes; and the king of Israel recognized him as one of the prophets.
rsv@1Kings:20:42 @ And he said to him, "Thus says the LORD, `Because you have let go out of your hand the man whom I had devoted to destruction, therefore your life shall go for his life, and your people for his people.'"