20:1 And the son of Ader gathered all his
forces, and went up and besieged Samaria, [he] and thirty-two kings with
him, and all [his] horse and chariots: and they went up and besieged
Samaria, and fought against it.
20:2 And he sent into the city to Achaab king of Israel, and said to him,
Thus says the son of Ader,
20:3 Thy silver and thy gold are mine, and thy wives and thy children are
mine.
20:4 And the king of Israel answered and said, As thou hast said, my lord, O
king, I am thine, and all mine [also].
20:5 And the messengers came again, and said, Thus says the son of Ader, I
sent to thee, saying, Thou shalt give me thy silver and thy gold, and thy
wives and thy children.
20:6 For at this time to-morrow I will send my servants to thee, and they
shall search thy house, and the houses of thy servants, and it shall be that
all the desirable objects of their eyes on which they shall lay their hands,
they shall even take [them].
20:7 And the king of Israel called all the elders of the land, and said,
Take notice now and consider, that this man seeks mischief: for he has sent
to me concerning my wives, and concerning my sons an concerning my
daughters: I have not kept back from him my silver and my gold.
20:8 And the elders and all the people said to him, Hearken not, and consent
not.
20:9 And he said to the messengers of the son of Ader, Say to your master,
All things that thou hast sent to thy servant about at first I will do; but
this thing I shall not be able to do. And the men departed, and carried back
the answer to him.
20:10 And the son of Ader sent to him, saying, So do Elohim to me, and more
also, if the dust of Samaria shall suffice for foxes to all the people, even
my infantry.
20:11 And the king of Israel answered and said, Let it be sufficient; let
not the humpbacked boast as he that is upright.
20:12 And it came to pass when he returned him this answer, he and all the
kings with him were drinking in tents: and he said to his servants, Form a
trench. And they made a trench against the city.
20:13 And, behold, a prophet came to Achaab king of Israel, and said, Thus
saith Yehovah, Hast thou seen this great multitude? behold, I give it this
day into thine hands; and thou shalt know that I [am] Yehovah.
20:14 And Achaab said, Whereby? And he said, Thus saith Yehovah, by the
young men of the heads of the districts. And Achaab said, Who shall begin
the battle? and he said, Thou.
20:15 And Achaab numbered the young men the heads of the districts, and they
were two hundred and thirty: and afterwards he numbered the people, [even]
every man fit for war, seven thousand.
20:16 And he went forth at noon, an the son of Ader was drinking [and]
getting drunk in Socchoth, he and the kings, [even] thirty and two kings,
his allies.
20:17 And the young men the heads of the districts went forth first; and
they send and report to the king of Syria, saying, There are men come forth
out of Samaria.
20:18 And he said to them, If they come forth peaceably, take them alive;
and if they come forth to war, take them alive:
20:19 and let not the young men the heads of the districts go forth of the
city. And the force that was behind them
20:20 smote each one the man next to him; and each one a second time smote
the man next to him: and Syria fled, and Israel pursued them; and the son of
Ader, [even] the king of Syria, escapes on the horse of a horseman.
20:21 And the king of Israel went forth, and took all the horses and the
chariots, and smote [the enemy] with a great slaughter in Syria.
20:22 And the prophet came to the king of Israel, and said, Strengthen
thyself, and observe, and see what thou shalt do; for at the return of the
year the son of Ader king of Syria comes up against thee.
20:23 And the servants of the king of Syria, even they said, The Elohim of
Israel [is] a Elohim of mountains, and not a Elohim of valleys; therefore has he
prevailed against us: but if we should fight against them in the plain,
verily we shall prevail against them.
20:24 And do thou this thing: Send away the kings, each one to his place,
and set princes in their stead.
20:25 And we will give thee [another] army according to the army that was
destroyed, and cavalry according to the cavalry, and chariots according to
the chariots, and we will fight against them in the plain, and we shall
prevail against them. And he hearkened to their voice, and did so.
20:26 And it came to pass at the return of the year, that the son of Ader
reviewed Syria, and went up to Apheca to war against Israel.
20:27 And the children of Israel were numbered, and came to meet them: and
Israel encamped before them as two little flocks of goats, but Syria filled
the land.
20:28 And there came the man of Elohim, and said to the king of Israel, Thus
saith Yehovah, Because Syria has said, Yehovah Elohim of Israel [is] a Elohim of
the hills, and he [is] not a Elohim of the valleys, therefore will I give this
great army into thy hand, and thou shalt know that I [am] Yehovah.
20:29 And they encamp one over against the other before them seven days. And
it came to pass on the seventh day that the battle drew on, and Israel smote
Syria, [even] a hundred thousand footmen in one day.
20:30 And the est fled to Apheca, into the city; and the wall fell upon
twenty-seven thousand men that were left: and the son of Ader fled, and
entered into an inner chamber, into a closet.
20:31 And he said to his servants, I know that the kings of Israel are
merciful kings: let us now put sackcloth upon our loins, and ropes upon our
heads, and let us go forth to the king of Israel, if by any means he will
save our souls alive.
20:32 So they girt sackcloth upon their loins, and put ropes upon their
heads, and said to the king of Israel, Thy servant the son of Ader says, Let
our souls live, I pray thee. And he said, Does he yet live? He is my
brother.
20:33 And the men divined, and offered drink-offerings; and they caught the
word out of his mouth, and said, Thy brother the son of Ader. And he said,
Go ye in and fetch him. And the son of Ader went out to him, and they cause
him to go up to him into the chariot.
20:34 And he said to him, The cities which my father took from thy father I
will restore to thee; and thou shalt make streets for thyself in Damascus,
as my father made streets in Samaria; and I will let thee go with a
covenant. And he made a covenant with him, and let him go.
20:35 And a certain man of the sons of the prophets said to his neighbour by
the word of Yehovah, Smite me, I pray, And the man would not smite him.
20:36 And he said to him, Because thou hast not hearkened to the voice of
Yehovah, therefore, behold, as thou departest from me, a lion shall smite
thee: and he departed from him, and a lion found him, and smote him.
20:37 And he finds another man, and says, Smite me, I pray thee. And the man
smote him, and in smiting wounded [him].
20:38 And the prophet went and stood before the king of Israel by the way,
and bound his eyes with a bandage.
20:39 And it came to pass as the king passed by, that he cried aloud to the
king, and said, Thy servant went out to war, and, behold, a man brought
[another] man to me, and said to me, Keep his man; and if he should by any
means escape, then thy life shall go for his life, or thou shalt pay a
talent of silver.
20:40 And it came to pass, that thy servant looked round this way and that
way, and the man was gone. And the king of Israel said to him, Behold, thou
hast also destroyed snares [set] for me.
20:41 And he hasted, and took away the bandage from his eyes; and the king
of Israel recognized him, that he was one of the prophets.
20:42 And he said to him, Thus saith Yehovah, Because thou hast suffered to
escape out of thine hand a man appointed to destruction, therefore thy life
shall go for his life, and thy people for his people.
20:43 And the king of Israel departed confounded and discouraged, and came
to Samaria. |
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.
20:2 And he sent messengers to Ahab king of Israel into the city, and said
unto him, Thus saith Benhadad,
20:3 Thy silver and thy gold is mine; thy wives also and thy children, even
the goodliest, are mine.
20:4 And the king of Israel answered and said, My lord, O king, according to
thy saying, I am thine, and all that I have.
20:5 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;
20:6 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.
20:7 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.
20:8 And all the elders and all the people said unto him, Hearken not unto
him, nor consent.
20:9 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.
20:10 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.
20:11 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.
20:12 And it came to pass, when Ben-hadad 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.
20:13 And, behold, there came a prophet unto Ahab king of Israel, saying,
Thus saith Yehovah, Hast thou seen all this great multitude? behold, I will
deliver it into thine hand this day; and thou shalt know that I am Yehovah.
20:14 And Ahab said, By whom? And he said, Thus saith Yehovah, Even by the
young men of the princes of the provinces. Then he said, Who shall order the
battle? And he answered, Thou.
20:15 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.
20:16 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.
20:17 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.
20:18 And he said, Whether they be come out for peace, take them alive; or
whether they be come out for war, take them alive.
20:19 So these young men of the princes of the provinces came out of the
city, and the army which followed them.
20:20 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.
20:21 And the king of Israel went out, and smote the horses and chariots,
and slew the Syrians with a great slaughter.
20:22 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.
20:23 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.
20:24 And do this thing, Take the kings away, every man out of his place,
and put captains in their rooms:
20:25 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.
20:26 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.
20:27 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.
20:28 And there came a man of Elohim, and spake unto the king of Israel, and
said, Thus saith Yehovah, Because the Syrians have said, Yehovah is Elohim of
the hills, but he is not Elohim of the valleys, therefore will I deliver all
this great multitude into thine hand, and ye shall know that I am Yehovah.
20:29 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.
20:30 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.
20:31 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.
20:32 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.
20:33 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.
20:34 And Ben-hadad 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.
20:35 And a certain man of the sons of the prophets said unto his neighbor
in the word of Yehovah, Smite me, I pray thee. And the man refused to smite
him.
20:36 Then said he unto him, Because thou hast not obeyed the voice of the
Yehovah, 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.
20:37 Then he found another man, and said, Smite me, I pray thee. And the
man smote him, so that in smiting he wounded him.
20:38 So the prophet departed, and waited for the king by the way, and
disguised himself with ashes upon his face.
20:39 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.
20:40 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.
20:41 And he hasted, and took the ashes away from his face; and the king of
Israel discerned him that he was of the prophets.
20:42 And he said unto him, Thus saith Yehovah, 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.
20:43 And the king of Israel went to his house heavy and displeased, and
came to Samaria. |