1 Kings 20

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 Ben-Hadad king of Aram mustered his whole army -- thirty-two kings were with him, and horses andchariots -- and marched on Samaria, to besiege it and take it by assault.	1 Ben-hadad, king of Aram, gathered all his forces, and accompanied by thirty-two kings with horses and chariotry, proceeded to invest and attack Samaria.
2 He sent messengers into the city to Ahab king of Israel to tel him, 'Ben-Hadad says this,	2 He sent couriers to Ahab, king of Israel, within the city,
3 "Your silver and gold are mine. Your wives and children remain yours." '	3 and said to him, "This is Ben-hadad's message: 'Your silver and gold are mine, and your wives and your promising sons are mine.'"
4 The king of Israel replied, 'As you command, my lord king. Myself and al I have are yours.'	4 The king of Israel answered, "As you say, my lord king, I and all I have are yours."
5 The messengers came again, this time they said, 'Ben-Hadad says this, "I have already sent you anorder to hand over your silver and your gold, your wives and your children;	5 But the couriers came again and said, "This is Ben-hadad's message: 'I sent you word to give me your silver and gold, your wives and your sons.
6 but I swear, this time tomorrow, I shal send my servants to ransack your house and your servants'houses and lay hands on everything that they value and take it away." '	6 Now, however, at this time tomorrow I will send my servants to you, and they shall ransack your house and the houses of your servants. They shall seize and take away whatever they consider valuable.'"
7 The king of Israel summoned al the elders of the country and said, 'You can see clearly how this manintends to ruin us. He has already demanded my wives and my children, although I have not refused him mysilver and gold.'	7 The king of Israel then summoned all the elders of the land and said: "Understand clearly that this man wants to ruin us. When he sent to me for my wives and sons, my silver and my gold, I did not refuse him."
8 Al the elders and all the people said, 'Take no notice. Do not consent.'	8 All the elders and all the people said to him, "Do not listen. Do not give in."
9 So he gave this answer to Ben-Hadad's messengers, 'Say to my lord the king, "Al you first required ofyour servant I wil do, but this I cannot do." ' And the messengers went back with the answer.	9 Accordingly he directed the couriers of Ben-hadad, "Say to my lord the king, 'I will do all that you demanded of your servant the first time. But this I cannot do.'" The couriers left and reported this.
10 Ben-Hadad then sent him the following message, 'May the gods bring unnameable ills on me andworse il s too, if there is enough dust in Samaria for each of my fol owers to have a handful!'	10 Ben-hadad then sent him the message, "May the gods do thus and so to me if there is enough dust in Samaria to make handfuls for all my followers."
11 But the king of Israel returned this answer, 'Say: the man who puts on his armour is not the one toboast, but the man who takes it off.'	11 The king of Israel replied, "Tell him, 'It is not for the man who is buckling his armor to boast as though he were taking it off.'"
12 When Ben-Hadad heard this message -- he was under the awnings drinking with the kings -- he gaveorders to his servants, 'Take up position!' And they took up their positions against the city.	12 Ben-hadad was drinking in the pavilions with the kings when he heard this reply. "Prepare the assault," he commanded his servants; and they made ready to storm the city.
13 A prophet then arrived, looking for Ahab king of Israel. 'Yahweh says this,' he said. ' "You have seenthis huge army? This very day I shal deliver it into your hands, and you will know that I am Yahweh." '	13 Then a prophet came up to Ahab, king of Israel and said: "The LORD says, 'Do you see all this huge army? When I deliver it up to you today, you will know that I am the LORD.'"
14 'By whose means?' Ahab asked. The prophet replied, 'Yahweh says this, "By means of the guards ofthe district governors." ' 'Who wil co-ordinate the attack?' Ahab asked. 'You will,' the prophet replied.	14 But Ahab asked, "Through whom will it be delivered up?" He answered, "The LORD says, 'Through the retainers of the governors of the provinces.'" Then Ahab asked, "Who is to attack?" He replied, "You are."
15 So Ahab inspected the guards of the district governors: there were two hundred and thirty-two. Afterthese he reviewed the army, all the Israelites: there were seven thousand.	15 So Ahab called up the retainers of the governors of the provinces, two hundred thirty-two of them. Behind them he mustered all the Israelite soldiery, who numbered seven thousand.
16 They made a sortie at midday, when Ben-Hadad was drinking himself senseless under the awnings,he and the thirty-two kings who were al ies.	16 They marched out at noon, while Ben-hadad was drinking heavily in the pavilions with the thirty-two kings who were his allies.
17 The guards of the district governors led the sortie. A report was made to Ben-Hadad: 'Some menhave come out of Samaria.'	17 When the retainers of the governors of the provinces marched out first, Ben-hadad received word that some men had marched out of Samaria.
18 He said, 'If they have come out for peace, take them alive; if they have come out for war, take themalive too.'	18 He answered, "Whether they have come out for peace or for war, in any case take them alive."
19 So they made a sortie from the city, the district governors' guards and behind them the army,	19 But when these had come out of the city-the soldiers of the governors of the provinces with the army following them--
20 and each struck down his man. Aram took to flight and Israel pursued; Ben-Hadad king of Aramescaped on horseback.	20 each of them struck down his man. The Arameans fled with Israel pursuing them, while Ben-hadad, king of Aram, escaped on a chariot steed.
21 The king of Israel then advanced, capturing horses and chariots and inflicting a great defeat on Aram.	21 The king of Israel went out, took the horses and chariots, and inflicted a severe defeat on Aram.
22 The prophet then went to the king of Israel and said, 'Now is the time to be resolute and think careful yabout what you should do, for at the turn of the year the king of Aram wil march against you.'	22 Then the prophet went up to the king of Israel and said to him: "Go, regroup your forces. Mark well what you do, for at the beginning of the year the king of Aram will attack you."
23 The servants of the king of Aram said to him, 'Their gods are gods of the mountains; that is why theyhave proved stronger than we are. But if we fight them on level ground, we shal certainly beat them.	23 On the other hand, the servants of the king of Aram said to him: "Their gods are gods of mountains. That is why they defeated us. But if we fight them on level ground, we shall be sure to defeat them.
24 This is what you must do: remove all these kings from their commands and appoint professionalsoldiers in their place.	24 This is what you must do: Take the kings from their posts and put prefects in their places.
25 You, for your part, must recruit an army as large as the one which deserted you, with as many horsesand as many chariots; then if we fight them on level ground, we shal certainly beat them.' He listened to theiradvice and acted accordingly.	25 Mobilize an army as large as the army that has deserted you, horse for horse, chariot for chariot. Let us fight them on level ground, and we shall surely defeat them." He took their advice and did this.
26 At the turn of the year, Ben-Hadad mustered the Aramaeans and marched on Aphek to fight Israel.	26 At the beginning of the year, Ben-hadad mobilized Aram and went up to Aphek to fight against Israel.
27 The Israelites were already mobilised and provisioned, and marched out to meet them. Encampedopposite them, the Israelites looked like two herds of goats, whereas the Aramaeans fil ed the countryside.	27 The Israelites, too, were called to arms and supplied with provisions; then they went out to engage the foe. The Israelites, encamped opposite them, seemed like a couple of small flocks of goats, while Aram covered the countryside.
28 The man of God then went to the king of Israel and said, 'Yahweh says this, "Since Aram has saidthat Yahweh is a god of the mountains and not a god of the plains, I shall put the whole of this huge army intoyour power, and you will know that I am Yahweh." '	28 A man of God came up and said to the king of Israel: "The LORD says, 'Because Aram has said the LORD is a god of mountains, not a god of plains, I will deliver up to you all this large army, that you may know I am the LORD.'"
29 For seven days they were encamped opposite each other. On the seventh day battle was joined andthe Israelites slaughtered the Aramaeans, a hundred thousand foot soldiers in one day.	29 They were encamped opposite each other for seven days. On the seventh day battle was joined, and the Israelites struck down one hundred thousand foot soldiers of Aram in one day.
30 The rest fled to Aphek, into the citadel, but the city walls collapsed on twenty-seven thousand of thesurvivors. Now Ben-Hadad had fled and taken refuge in an inner room inside the citadel.	30 The survivors, twenty-seven thousand of them, fled into the city of Aphek, and there the wall collapsed. Ben-hadad, too, fled, and took refuge within the city, in an inside room.
31 'Look,' his servants said to him, 'we have heard that the kings of Israel are faithful and kind kings. Letus put sackcloth round our waists and cords round our heads and go out to the king of Israel; perhaps he wilspare your life.'	31 His servants said to him: "We have heard that the kings of the land of Israel are merciful kings. Allow us, therefore, to garb ourselves in sackcloth, with cords around our heads, and go out to the king of Israel. Perhaps he will spare your life."
32 So they wrapped sackcloth round their waists and put cords round their heads and went to the king ofIsrael, and said, 'Your servant Ben-Hadad says, "Spare my life." '	32 So they dressed in sackcloth girded at the waist, and wearing cords around their heads, they went to the king of Israel. "Your servant Ben-hadad pleads for his life," they said. "Is he still alive?" the king asked. "He is my brother."
33 'So he is stil alive?' he replied. 'He is my brother.' The men took this for a good omen and quicklyseized on his words. 'Yes,' they said, 'Ben-Hadad is your brother.' Ahab said, 'Go and fetch him.' Then Ben-Hadad came out to him and Ahab made him get up into his chariot.	33 Hearing this as a good omen, the men quickly took him at his word and said, "Ben-hadad is your brother." He answered, "Go and get him." When Ben-hadad came out to him, the king had him mount his chariot.
34 Ben-Hadad said, 'I shall restore the towns which my father took from your father and you may set upa trading quarter for yourself in Damascus as my father did in Samaria.' 'With a treaty,' Ahab said, 'I shall set youfree.' Granting him a treaty, Ahab let him go.	34 Ben-hadad said to him, "I will restore the cities which my father took from your father, and you may make yourself bazaars in Damascus, as my father did in Samaria." "On these terms," Ahab replied, "I will set you free." So he made an agreement with him and then set him free.
35 At Yahweh's command a member of the brotherhood of prophets said to a companion of his, 'Strikeme,' but the man refused to strike him.	35 One of the guild prophets was prompted by the LORD to say to his companion, "Strike me." But he refused to strike him.
36 So he said to him, 'Since you have disobeyed Yahweh's order, the very moment you leave me a lionwil kill you.' And no sooner had he left him than he met a lion, which killed him.	36 Then he said to him, "Since you did not obey the voice of the LORD, a lion will kill you when you leave me." When they parted company, a lion came upon him and killed him.
37 The prophet then went to find another man and said, 'Strike me,' and the man struck him andwounded him.	37 The prophet met another man and said, "Strike me." The man struck him a blow and wounded him.
38 The prophet then went and stood waiting for the king on the road, disguising himself with a bandageover his eyes.	38 The prophet went on and waited for the king on the road, having disguised himself with a bandage over his eyes.
39 As the king passed, he cal ed out to him, 'Your servant was making his way to where the fight wasthickest when someone left the fighting to bring a man to me, and said, "Guard this man; if he is found missing,your life wil pay for his, or else you wil have to pay one talent of silver."	39 As the king was passing, he called out to the king and said: "Your servant went into the thick of the battle, and suddenly someone turned and brought me a man and said, 'Guard this man. If he is missing, you shall have to pay for his life with your life or pay out a talent of silver.'
40 But your servant was busy with one thing and another, the man disappeared.' The king of Israel said,'That is your sentence then. You have pronounced it yourself.'	40 But while your servant was looking here and there, the man disappeared." The king of Israel said to him, "That is your sentence. You have decided it yourself."
41 At this the man quickly pul ed off the bandage over his eyes, and the king of Israel recognised him asone of the prophets.	41 He immediately removed the bandage from his eyes, and the king of Israel recognized him as one of the prophets.
42 He said to the king, 'Yahweh says this, "Since you have let the man escape who was under my curseof destruction, your life wil pay for his, your people for his people." '	42 He said to him: "The LORD says, 'Because you have set free the man I doomed to destruction, your life shall pay for his life, your people for his people.'"
43 And the king of Israel went home, gloomy and out of temper, back to Samaria.	43 Disturbed and angry, the king of Israel went off homeward and entered Samaria.