3 Kingdoms 21

1Now the son of Hadad the king of Syria gathered all his forces, and went up and besieged Samaria, and made war against it. He had thirty-two kings with him, with horses and chariots.

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2Then he sent notice to Ahab king of Israel in the city

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3and said to him, 'Thus says the son of Hadad, 'Your silver and your gold are mine; your wives and your children are mine.' '

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4The king of Israel answered and said, 'O lord and king, I am yours, and everything I have.'

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5Then the messengers came back and said, 'Thus says the son of Hadad, 'Indeed I sent notice to you, saying, 'You shall deliver to me your silver and gold, your wives and children,'

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6for I will send my servants to you at this time tomorrow, and they shall search your house and the houses of your servants. Whatever is pleasant in their eyes, they will put it in their hands and take it.' '

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7The king of Israel then called all the elders and said, 'Know and consider, this man seeks to ruin us. He sent notice to me concerning my wives, my sons and daughters, although I did not deny him my silver and my gold.'

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8But all the elders and all the people said to him, 'Do not listen or consent.'

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9Thus he said to the messengers of the son of Hadad, 'Tell your lord, 'Everything you sent as a demand to your servant the first time I will do, but this thing I cannot do.' ' The messengers departed and carried back to him a response.

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10Then the son of Hadad sent word back and said to him, 'May God do so to me and more also, if the dust of Samaria shall be sufficient for all the cunning people of my infantry.'

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11So the king of Israel answered and said, 'Enough! Let the hunchback not boast like a man who stands erect.'

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12And it came to pass, when the son of Hadad heard this answer, he and all the kings were drinking in their tents. He said to his servants, 'Build ramparts, and place ramparts against the city.'

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13Then behold, a prophet approached the king of Israel, saying, 'Thus says the Lord, 'Have you seen this great multitude? Behold today, I will deliver it into your hand, and you shall know that I am the Lord.' '

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14So Ahab said, 'In what way?' The prophet said, 'Thus says the Lord, 'By the young men of the governors of the regions.' ' Then Ahab said, 'Who will set the battle in order?' The prophet answered, 'You.'

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15So Ahab visited the young men of the governors of the regions, and they were two hundred thirty. After them he reviewed all the people, every son of the army, sixty thousand.

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16Then he marched out at noon, while the son of Hadad was drinking himself senseless in Sochoh, he and his allies of thirty-two kings.

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17The young men of the governors of the regions went out first. Those of Syria sent a report to the king of Syria, saying, 'Men have come out from Samaria.'

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18The son of Hadad said to them, 'If they have come for peace, take them alive. If they have come out for war, take them alive';

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19because he did not believe the young men of the governors of the regions had marched out of the city.

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20But the army that went out behind them, each of them struck down the man beside him, and each of them struck down two more. So the Syrians fled, and Israel pursued them vigorously. The son of Hadad the king of Syria escaped on a horse of a cavalryman.

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21Then the king of Israel went out and took the horses and chariots. He killed those of Syria with a great slaughter.

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22Then the prophet came to the king of Israel and said, 'Strengthen and reinforce yourself; learn and observe what you will do, because the son of Hadad the king of Syria will be returning within the year to march against you.'

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23The servants of the king of Syria said to him, 'The God of Israel is a god of the mountains, and not a god of the valleys. Therefore he was stronger than we. But if we battle them in the plain, surely they will not be stronger than we.

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24But do this: Send away the kings, each one to his place, and replace them with satraps of Persia.

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25Then you shall muster an army equal to the army you lost, horse for horse and chariot for chariot. Then we will battle against them in the plain, and surely we will be stronger than they.' And the son of Hadad listened to their voice and did so.

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26When it was one year later, the son of Hadad reviewed the Syrians and went up to Aphek to war against Israel.

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27They were well organized and went to meet them. The sons of Israel encamped before them like two flocks of goats, but the Syrians filled the land with their army.

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28Then a man of God came and spoke to the king of Israel and said, 'Thus says the Lord, 'Because Syria said, 'The Lord God of Israel is a god of the mountains, but He is not a god of the valleys,' therefore, I will deliver this entire great multitude into your hand, and you shall know I am the Lord.' '

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29So they encamped opposite them for seven days. And on the seventh day the battle was joined, and in one day the children of Israel killed one hundred thousand foot soldiers of the Syrians.

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30The rest fled to Aphek, into the city, but there a wall fell upon twenty-seven thousand of the remaining men. As for the son of Hadad, he fled into a house and hid in the private chamber of the bedroom.

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31Then he said to his servants, 'I know the kings of Israel to be merciful kings. Let us put sackcloth around our waists and ropes around our heads, and go out to the king of Israel; perhaps he may spare our lives.'

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32So they put sackcloth around their waists and put ropes around their heads and said to Ahab the king of Israel, 'Your servant the son of Hadad says, 'Allow my life to be spared.' ' The king said, 'Does he still live? He is my brother.'

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33The men took this as an omen, and listened carefully to the words from the mouth of the servant. Then the men said, 'Your brother is the son of Hadad.' The king said, 'Go in and bring him here.' So the son of Hadad came out with them, and they brought him to the chariot.

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34He said to him, 'I will restore the cities my father took from your father. You may set up marketplaces for yourself in Damascus, as my father did in Samaria. I will make a treaty with you.' So he made a treaty with him and sent him away.

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35Now a certain man of the sons of the prophets said to his neighbor by the word of the Lord, 'Strike me down.' But the man refused to strike him.

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36Then he said to him, 'Because you did not obey the voice of the Lord, surely, as soon as you depart from me, a lion shall kill you.' Thus as soon as he left him, a lion found and killed him.

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37Then he found another man and said, 'Strike me down.' So the man struck him and inflicted a wound.

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38The prophet departed, and waited for the king of Israel by the road, and disguised himself with a bandage over his eyes.

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39Now as the king passed by, he cried out to the king and said, 'Your servant went out against the army in the war, and behold, a man brought a man to me and said to me, 'Guard this man. But if by some means he escapes, your life shall be for his life, or else you shall pay a talent of silver.'

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40So it came to pass that your servant was looking here and there, but he was not to be found. But the king of Israel said to him, 'Behold, you destroyed the ambush meant for me.' '

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41Then the prophet hurried to take the bandage off his eyes, and the king of Israel recognized him as one of the prophets.

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42He said to him, 'Thus says the Lord, 'Because you freed a man meant for destruction at your hand; therefore, your life shall be in place of his life, and your people in place of his people.' '

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43So the king of Israel left, and returned to Samaria confused and weary.

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