1 Kings, 20

1. 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.

1. Ben-hadad, king of Aram, gathered together his entire army. With him were thirty-two kings. With horses and chariots, he went to Samaria and besieged it.

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

2. He then sent messengers into the city to Ahab, king of Israel, and said to him, "Thus says Ben-hadad:

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

3. Your silver and gold are mine and so are your fairest wives and children."

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

4. The king of Israel answered, "As you say, my master, O king, I am yours with all that I possess."

5. 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;

5. Again Ben-hadad sent messengers to say, "I sent this message to you: 'Hand over to me your silver and gold, along with your wives and children,'

6. 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.

6. but now I will send my servants to you tomorrow about this time. They shall search your house and those of your officials and take with them whatever they want to take."

7. 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.

7. Then the king of Israel summoned all the elders of the land and said, "Look now and see how this man acts with evil intentions. He will send his officers to take my wives and children, and my silver and gold, although I agreed to deliver all to him."

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

8. The elders and the people said to him, "Pay no attention to him and do not agree to what he asks."

9. 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.

9. So the king of Israel told Ben-hadad's messengers, "Tell my master, the king, I will do everything you first demanded of me, but now it is too much." The messengers left and reported this to

10. 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.

10. Ben-hadad who then answered, "May I be cursed if enough dust remains of Samaria to give a handful to all the people who follow me."

11. 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.

11. But the king of Israel answered, "Let not he who puts on his armor boast like one who takes it off."

12. 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.

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

13. 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.

13. Then a prophet approached Ahab king of Israel and said, "Have you seen this immense crowd? This is the word of Yahweh: I will deliver it into your hands today and you shall know that I am Yahweh."

14. 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.

14. Ahab asked, "Who is to win over him?" The prophet replied, "The guards of the governors of the districts, for this is Yahweh's order." Again the king asked, "Who shall begin the battle?" He replied, "You!"

15. 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.

15. And so the king of Israel mustered the guards of the governors of the districts, numbering two hundred and thirty-two. After that, he mustered all the Israelites, numbering seven thousand.

16. 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.

16. They set out at noon while Ben-hadad was drinking himself drunk in the booths, together with the thirty-two kings who helped him.

17. 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.

17. The guards of the governors of the districts went out first. Someone reported to Ben-hadad, "People are coming out from Samaria."

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

18. He said, "If they have come out for peace, take them alive; if for war, take them alive as well."

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

19. So the guards of the governors of the city went out, and the army followed them,

20. 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.

20. and each one began to kill his man. The Arameans fled, with the Israelites pursuing them. Ben-hadad, king of Aram was able to escape on a horse with horsemen,

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

21. but the king of Israel captured horses and chariots and utterly defeated the Arameans.

22. 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.

22. Then the prophet came again to the king of Israel and said to him,"Courage, be on your guard and ponder well your next action, for next year the king of Aram will come up against you."

23. 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.

23. The officers of the king of Aram said to him, "Their gods are gods of the hills; that is why they were stronger than us.

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

24. Let us fight against them on the plain and we shall overcome them. But you must also replace the princes with officers appointed by you.

25. 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.

25. When you have gathered an army like the one you have lost, with the same amount of horses and chariots, we will fight on the plain, then we shall see who is stronger." Ben-hadad listened to their advice and did just that.

26. 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.

26. In the spring, Ben-hadad mustered the Arameans and set out for Aphek to fight against Israel.

27. 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.

27. The Israelites were also mustered and they set out against the Arameans. As they encamped, the Israelites looked like two little herds of goats, whereas the Arameans filled the countryside.

28. 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.

28. A man of God approached the king of Israel and said to him, "Thus says Yahweh: Because the Arameans have said: 'Yahweh is a god of the hills but not of the valleys,' therefore I will deliver this immense crowd into your hands and you shall know that I am Yahweh."

29. 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.

29. And they encamped facing each other for seven days. On the seventh day, the battle was engaged and that day the Israelites killed a hundred thousand Aramean foot soldiers.

30. 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.

30. As the rest fled into the city of Aphek, the wall fell on the twenty-seven thousand men that were left. Ben-hadad himself fled and entered an inner room in the city.

31. 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.

31. His officers said to him, "People say that the kings of Israel are merciful kings. Let us put sackcloth around our waists; perhaps he will spare your life."

32. 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.

32. So, putting sackcloth around their waists and ropes around their necks, they went to the king of Israel and said, "Your servant, Ben-hadad, pleads, 'Please, let me live." He then asked, "Is he still alive? He is my brother."

33. 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.

33. They quickly took up his word and said, "Yes, Ben-hadad is your brother." The king of Israel then said, "Go, bring him here." Ben-hadad came to him and he let Ben-hadad get into his chariot.

34. 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.

34. Ben-hadad then said to him, "I will give back the cities which my father took from your father, and you may put up business establishments for yourself in Damascus just as my father did in Samaria." He then made an agreement with Ben-hadad and let him go.

35. 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.

35. Now the word of Yahweh was directed to one of the fellow prophets, so he said to his companion, "Strike me, please." But his companion refused to strike him.

36. 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.

36. So he said to him, "Since you have not obeyed the voice of Yahweh, once you leave me, a lion shall kill you." And, indeed, as soon as he had left, a lion found him and killed him.

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

37. Then the fellow prophet found another man to whom he said, "Please, strike me." This man struck him, wounding him.

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

38. Then this prophet left, disguising himself with a bandage over his eyes, and waited for the king along the road.

39. 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.

39. When the king passed, he called to him and said, "O King! I, your servant, went into the thick of the battle when a soldier left the line and brought me a man, saying: 'Guard this man. Should he escape, your life shall be in exchange for his, or else you shall pay a talent of silver.'

40. 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].

40. While I was busy running around, my prisoner disappeared." The king of Israel said to him, "You yourself have said what your sentence shall be."

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

41. At once the man removed the bandage from his eyes and the king of Israel recognized him as one of the prophets.

42. 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.

42. Then the prophet told him, "Because you have released the man whom I have decreed to die, your life shall be in exchange for his and your people for his people."

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

43. And the king of Israel went back home to Samaria, resentful and sad.