1 Ben-Hadad, the king of Aram, gathered his entire army along with thirty-two kings, horses, and chariots. He marched up, laid siege to Samaria, and attacked 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.

2 He sent messengers to Ahab, king of Israel, in the city,

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

3 saying, 'This is what Ben-Hadad says: Your silver and gold are mine, and so are the best of your wives and children.'

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

4 The king of Israel answered, 'As you say, my lord the king. I and all that I have are yours.'

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

5 But the messengers came back and said, 'This is what Ben-Hadad says: I sent to demand your silver, gold, wives, and children. You must give them to me.'

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;

6 'About this time tomorrow, I will send my officials to search your palace and the houses of your officials. They will take whatever you value and carry it off.'

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.

7 Then the king of Israel called all the elders of the land and said, 'See how this man is seeking trouble! He sent for my wives, my sons, 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.

8 The elders and all the people said to him, 'Do not listen to or agree to his demands.'

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

9 So he replied to Ben-Hadad's messengers, 'Tell my lord the king: I will do what you originally demanded of me, but this I cannot do.' The messengers left and reported back to Ben-Hadad.

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.

10 Then Ben-Hadad sent another message: 'May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if the dust of Samaria will suffice for even a handful for each of 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.

11 The king of Israel replied, 'Tell him: One who arms himself for battle should not boast as if he is already victorious.'

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.

12 When Ben-Hadad heard this reply while he and the kings were drinking in their tents, he commanded his officials, 'Prepare to attack,' and they prepared to attack the city.

And it came to pass, when Benhadad 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.

13 Meanwhile, a prophet approached Ahab, king of Israel, and said, 'This is what the LORD says: Do you see this vast army? I will give it into your hand today, and you will 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.

14 Then Ahab asked, 'By whom will this be accomplished?' The prophet replied, 'This is what the LORD says: By the young men of the provincial leaders.' Ahab further asked, 'Who will start the battle?' The prophet answered, '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.

15 So Ahab mustered the young men of the provincial leaders, and there were two hundred thirty-two of them. After them, he assembled all the people of Israel—seven thousand in total.

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.

16 They marched out at noon, while Ben-Hadad and the thirty-two kings allied with him were drinking themselves drunk in their tents.

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.

17 The young men of the provincial leaders went out first, and Ben-Hadad sent scouts who reported to him, '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.

18 He said, 'If they have come out for peace, capture them alive; and if they have come out for war, capture them alive.'

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

19 The young men of the provincial leaders marched out of the city, followed by the army.

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

20 Each man struck down his opponent, and the Arameans fled with Israel pursuing them. Ben-Hadad, king of Aram, escaped on horseback along with some cavalry.

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.

21 The king of Israel went out and struck down the horses and chariots, and he inflicted a great defeat on the Arameans.

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

22 Afterward, the prophet came to the king of Israel and said, 'Strengthen your position and see what you must do, because next spring the king of Aram will come up against you again.'

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.

23 Meanwhile, the servants of the king of Aram said to him, 'Their gods are gods of the hills; that is why they were stronger than us. But if we fight them on the plains, surely we will be stronger than they are.'

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.

24 They advised, 'Do this: Remove all the kings from their posts and replace them with governors.

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

25 You must assemble an army like the one you lost, with horses and chariots like the ones before. Then we will fight them on the plains, and surely we will be stronger than they are." Ben-Hadad listened to their advice and did as they instructed.

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.

26 At the turn of the year, Ben-Hadad mustered the Arameans and went 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.

27 The Israelites were also mustered and supplied with provisions. They went out to meet the Arameans and camped opposite them, appearing like two small flocks of goats, while the Arameans covered the countryside.

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.

28 Then a man of God approached the king of Israel and said, "This is what the LORD says: Because the Arameans think that the LORD is a god of the hills and not a god of the valleys, I will deliver this vast army into your hands, and you will 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.

29 For seven days, the two armies camped opposite each other. On the seventh day, the battle began, and the Israelites struck down 100,000 Aramean foot soldiers in one 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.

30 The rest of the Arameans fled to the city of Aphek, where a wall collapsed on 27,000 of them. Meanwhile, Ben-Hadad fled to the city and hid in an inner room.

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.

31 His servants said to him, "We have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful. Let us put sackcloth around our waists and ropes on our heads and go to the king of Israel; perhaps he will spare your life."

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.

32 So they put sackcloth around their waists and ropes on their heads, went to the king of Israel, and said, "Your servant Ben-Hadad says: 'Please let me live.'" The king answered, "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.

33 The men interpreted this as a good sign and quickly seized on it, saying, 'Yes, Ben-Hadad is your brother!' The king said, 'Go and bring him.' So Ben-Hadad came out to him, and Ahab had him brought into his 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.

34 Ben-Hadad said to him, 'I will restore the cities that my father took from your father, and you can set up marketplaces for yourself in Damascus, as my father did in Samaria.' Ahab replied, 'On the basis of a treaty, I will let you go.' So he made a treaty with him and let him go.

And Benhadad 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.

35 One of the sons of the prophets said to his companion by the word of the LORD, 'Strike me, please.' 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.

36 Then the prophet said to him, 'Because you have not obeyed the voice of the LORD, 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.

37 The prophet found another man and said, 'Please strike me.' So the man struck him and wounded 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.

38 Then the prophet went and stood by the road to wait for the king, disguising 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.

39 As the king passed by, the prophet called out to him and said, 'Your servant went into the middle of the battle, and suddenly a man brought another man to me and said, "Guard this man. If he is missing, your life will be for his life, or you will 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.

40 But while your servant was busy here and there, the man disappeared.' The king of Israel said to him, 'That is your sentence; you have pronounced it yourself.'

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.

41 Then the prophet quickly removed the bandage from his eyes, and the king of Israel recognized him as 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.

42 The prophet said to him, 'This is what the LORD says: Because you released a man I had determined should die, it will be your life for his life, and your people for 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.

43 Sullen and angry, the king of Israel went to his palace in Samaria.

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