{"book":"1 Kings","slug":"1-kings","ch":20,"genre":"prose","sub":"1 Kings","prev":"1-kings/19","next":"1-kings/21","verses":[{"v":1,"t":"Now Ben-hadad king of Aram assembled his entire army. Accompanied by thirty-two kings with their horses and chariots, he marched up, besieged Samaria, and waged war against it.","f":[],"h":"Ben-hadad Attacks Samaria","style":"reg"},{"v":2,"t":"Then he sent messengers into the city to Ahab king of Israel,","f":[]},{"v":3,"t":"saying,“ This is what Ben-hadad says:‘ Your silver and gold are mine, and your best wives and children are mine!’”","f":["Some texts break verse 2 and begin verse 3 at this point."]},{"v":4,"t":"And the king of Israel replied,“ Just as you say, my lord the king: I am yours, along with all that I have.”","f":[],"style":"reg"},{"v":5,"t":"The messengers came back and said,“ This is what Ben-hadad says:‘ I have sent to you to demand your silver, your gold, your wives, and your children.","f":[],"style":"reg"},{"v":6,"t":"But about this time tomorrow I will send my servants to search your palace and the houses of your servants. They will seize and carry away all that is precious to you.’”","f":[]},{"v":7,"t":"Then the king of Israel summoned all the elders of the land and said,“ Please take note and see that this [man] is looking for trouble, for when he demanded my wives, my children, my silver, and my gold, I did not deny him.”","f":[],"style":"reg"},{"v":8,"t":"And the elders and the people all said,“ Do not listen to him or consent to his terms.”","f":[],"style":"reg"},{"v":9,"t":"So [Ahab] answered the messengers of Ben-hadad,“ Tell my lord the king,‘ All that you demanded of your servant the first time I will do, but this thing I cannot do.’” So the messengers departed and relayed the message to [Ben-hadad].","f":[],"lines":[{"style":"reg","t":"So [Ahab] answered the messengers of Ben-hadad,“ Tell my lord the king,‘ All that you demanded of your servant the first time I will do, but this thing I cannot do.’”"},{"style":"reg","t":"So the messengers departed and relayed the message to [Ben-hadad]."}],"style":"reg"},{"v":10,"t":"Then Ben-hadad sent another message to [Ahab]:“ May the gods deal with me, and ever so severely, if [enough] dust remains of Samaria for each of my men [to have] a handful.”","f":[],"style":"reg"},{"v":11,"t":"And the king of Israel replied,“ Tell him:‘ The one putting on [his armor] should not boast like one taking [it off].’”","f":[],"style":"reg"},{"v":12,"t":"Ben-hadad received this message while he and the kings were drinking in their tents, and he said to his servants,“ Take your positions.” So they stationed themselves against the city.","f":["Or in Succoth; also in verse 16"],"style":"reg"},{"v":13,"t":"Meanwhile a prophet approached Ahab king of Israel and declared,“ This is what the LORD says:‘ Do you see this entire great army? Behold, I will deliver it into your hand this very day, and you will know that I am the LORD.’”","f":[],"h":"Ahab Defeats Ben-hadad","style":"reg"},{"v":14,"t":"“ By whom?” Ahab asked. And the prophet replied,“ This is what the LORD says:‘ By the young officers of the district governors.’”“ Who will start the battle?” asked [Ahab].“ You [will],” answered the prophet.","f":[],"lines":[{"style":"reg","t":"“ By whom?” Ahab asked."},{"style":"reg","t":"And the prophet replied,“ This is what the LORD says:‘ By the young officers of the district governors.’”"},{"style":"reg","t":"“ Who will start the battle?” asked [Ahab]."},{"style":"reg","t":"“ You [will],” answered the prophet."}],"style":"reg"},{"v":15,"t":"So Ahab assembled the young officers of the district governors, and there were 232 men. And after them, he assembled [the rest of] the Israelite troops, 7,000 {} in all.","f":[],"style":"reg"},{"v":16,"t":"They marched out at noon while Ben-hadad and the 32 kings allied with him were in their tents getting drunk.","f":[],"style":"reg"},{"v":17,"t":"And the young officers of the district governors marched out first. Now Ben-hadad had sent out scouts, who reported to him,“ Men are marching out of Samaria.”","f":[],"lines":[{"style":"","t":"And the young officers of the district governors marched out first."},{"style":"reg","t":"Now Ben-hadad had sent out scouts, who reported to him,“ Men are marching out of Samaria.”"}],"style":"reg"},{"v":18,"t":"“ If they have marched out in peace,” he said,“ take them alive. Even if they have marched out for war, take them alive.”","f":[],"style":"reg"},{"v":19,"t":"Meanwhile, these young officers of the district governors marched out of the city, with the army behind them,","f":[],"style":"reg"},{"v":20,"t":"and each one struck down his opponent. So the Arameans fled, with the Israelites in pursuit. But Ben-hadad king of Aram escaped on horseback with the cavalry.","f":[]},{"v":21,"t":"Then the king of Israel marched out and attacked the horses and chariots, inflicting a great slaughter on the Arameans.","f":[],"style":"reg"},{"v":22,"t":"Afterward, the prophet approached the king of Israel and said,“ Go and strengthen [your position], and take note what you must do, for in the spring the king of Aram will come up against you.”","f":["Literally at the turn of the year; similarly in verse 26"],"style":"reg"},{"v":23,"t":"Meanwhile, the servants of the king of Aram said to him,“ Their gods [are] gods of the hills. That is why they prevailed over us. Instead, we should fight them on the plains; surely then we will prevail.","f":[],"style":"reg"},{"v":24,"t":"So do this: Dismiss all the kings from their positions and replace them with other officers.","f":[]},{"v":25,"t":"And you must raise an army like the [one] you have lost — horse for horse and chariot for chariot — so we can fight [the Israelites] on the plain, where we will surely prevail.” And [the king] approved their plan and acted accordingly.","f":[],"lines":[{"style":"","t":"And you must raise an army like the [one] you have lost — horse for horse and chariot for chariot — so we can fight [the Israelites] on the plain, where we will surely prevail.”"},{"style":"reg","t":"And [the king] approved their plan and acted accordingly."}],"style":"reg"},{"v":26,"t":"In the spring, Ben-hadad mobilized the Arameans and went up to Aphek to fight against Israel.","f":[],"h":"Another War with Ben-hadad","style":"reg"},{"v":27,"t":"The Israelites also mobilized, gathered supplies, and marched out to meet them. The Israelites camped before them like two small flocks of goats, while the Arameans covered the countryside.","f":[],"lines":[{"style":"","t":"The Israelites also mobilized, gathered supplies, and marched out to meet them."},{"style":"reg","t":"The Israelites camped before them like two small flocks of goats, while the Arameans covered the countryside."}],"style":"reg"},{"v":28,"t":"Then the man of God approached the king of Israel and said,“ This is what the LORD says:‘ Because the Arameans have said that the LORD is a god of the hills and not of the valleys, I will deliver all this great army into your hand. Then you will know that I am the LORD.’”","f":[],"style":"reg"},{"v":29,"t":"For seven days [the armies] camped opposite each other, and on the seventh day the battle ensued, and the Israelites struck down the Arameans — a hundred thousand foot soldiers in one day.","f":[],"style":"reg"},{"v":30,"t":"The rest of them fled into the city of Aphek, where the wall fell on twenty-seven thousand of the remaining men. Ben-hadad also fled to the city and hid in an inner room.","f":[],"style":"reg"},{"v":31,"t":"Then the servants of [Ben-hadad] said to him,“ Look now, we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful. Let us go out to the king of Israel [with] sackcloth around our waists and ropes around our heads. Perhaps he will spare your life.”","f":[],"h":"Ahab Spares Ben-hadad","style":"reg"},{"v":32,"t":"So [with] sackcloth around their waists and ropes around their heads, they went to the king of Israel and said,“ Your servant Ben-hadad says,‘ Please spare my life.’” And [the king] answered,“ Is he still alive? He is my brother.”","f":[],"lines":[{"style":"reg","t":"So [with] sackcloth around their waists and ropes around their heads, they went to the king of Israel and said,“ Your servant Ben-hadad says,‘ Please spare my life.’”"},{"style":"reg","t":"And [the king] answered,“ Is he still alive? He is my brother.”"}],"style":"reg"},{"v":33,"t":"Now the men were looking for a sign of hope, and they quickly grasped [at this word] and replied,“ Yes, your brother Ben-hadad.”“ Go and get him!” said [the king]. Then Ben-hadad came out, and Ahab had him come up into his chariot.","f":[],"lines":[{"style":"reg","t":"Now the men were looking for a sign of hope, and they quickly grasped [at this word] and replied,“ Yes, your brother Ben-hadad.”"},{"style":"reg","t":"“ Go and get him!” said [the king]."},{"style":"reg","t":"Then Ben-hadad came out, and Ahab had him come up into his chariot."}],"style":"reg"},{"v":34,"t":"Ben-hadad said to him,“ I will restore the cities my father took from your father; you may set up your own marketplaces in Damascus, as my father [did] in Samaria.”“ By this treaty I release you,” [Ahab replied]. So he made a treaty with him and sent him away.","f":["Forms of the Hebrew berit are translated in most passages as covenant; twice in this verse."],"lines":[{"style":"reg","t":"Ben-hadad said to him,“ I will restore the cities my father took from your father; you may set up your own marketplaces in Damascus, as my father [did] in Samaria.”"},{"style":"reg","t":"“ By this treaty I release you,” [Ahab replied]. So he made a treaty with him and sent him away."}],"style":"reg"},{"v":35,"t":"Meanwhile, by the word of the LORD, one of the sons of the prophets said to his companion,“ Strike me, please!” But [the man] refused to strike him.","f":[],"lines":[{"style":"reg","t":"Meanwhile, by the word of the LORD, one of the sons of the prophets said to his companion,“ Strike me, please!”"},{"style":"reg","t":"But [the man] refused to strike him."}],"h":"A Prophet Reproves Ahab","style":"reg"},{"v":36,"t":"Then [the prophet] said to him,“ Because you have not obeyed the voice of the LORD, as soon as you depart from me a lion will kill you.” And when he left, a lion found him and killed him.","f":[],"lines":[{"style":"reg","t":"Then [the prophet] said to him,“ Because you have not obeyed the voice of the LORD, as soon as you depart from me a lion will kill you.”"},{"style":"reg","t":"And when he left, a lion found him and killed him."}],"style":"reg"},{"v":37,"t":"Then the prophet found another man and said,“ Strike me, please!” So the man struck him and wounded him,","f":[],"lines":[{"style":"reg","t":"Then the prophet found another man and said,“ Strike me, please!”"},{"style":"reg","t":"So the man struck him and wounded him,"}],"style":"reg"},{"v":38,"t":"and the prophet went and waited on the road for the king, disguising himself with a bandage over his eyes.","f":[]},{"v":39,"t":"As the king passed by, he cried out to the king:“ Your servant had marched out into the middle of the battle, when suddenly a man came over with a captive and told me,‘ Guard this man! If he goes missing for any reason, your life will be exchanged for his life, or you will weigh out a talent of silver.’","f":["A talent is approximately 75.4 pounds or 34.2 kilograms of silver."],"style":"reg"},{"v":40,"t":"But while your servant was busy here and there, [the man] disappeared.” And the king of Israel said to him,“ So [shall] your judgment [be]; you have pronounced it on yourself.”","f":[],"lines":[{"style":"","t":"But while your servant was busy here and there, [the man] disappeared.”"},{"style":"reg","t":"And the king of Israel said to him,“ So [shall] your judgment [be]; you have pronounced it on yourself.”"}],"style":"reg"},{"v":41,"t":"Then [the prophet] quickly removed the bandage from his eyes, and the king of Israel recognized him as one of the prophets.","f":[],"style":"reg"},{"v":42,"t":"And [the prophet] said to [the king],“ This is what the LORD says:‘ Because you have let slip from your hand the man I had devoted to destruction, your life will be exchanged for his life, and your people for his people.’”","f":["Forms of the Hebrew cherem refer to the giving over of things or persons to the LORD, either by destroying them or by giving them as an offering."],"style":"reg"},{"v":43,"t":"Sullen and angry, the king of Israel went home to Samaria.","f":[],"style":"reg"}]}