1Kings 20
20About that time King Ben-hadad of Aram mobilized his army, supported by the chariots and horses of thirty-two allied kings. They went to besiege Samaria, the capital of Israel, and launched attacks against it.H1130H4428H758H6908H2428H6908H7970H8147H4428H5483H7393H5927H6696H8111H38982Ben-hadad sent messengers into the city to relay this message to King Ahab of Israel: "This is what Ben-hadad says.H7971H4397H256H4428H3478H5892H559H559H11303'Your silver and gold are mine, and so are your wives and the best of your children!'"H3701H2091H802H1121H28964"All right, my lord the king," Israel's king replied. "All that I have is yours!"H4428H3478H6030H559H113H4428H16975Soon Ben-hadad's messengers returned again and said, "This is what Ben-hadad says: 'I have already demanded that you give me your silver, gold, wives, and children.H4397H7725H559H559H1130H559H7971H559H5414H3701H2091H802H11216But about this time tomorrow I will send my officials to search your palace and the homes of your people. They will take away everything you consider valuable!'"H7971H5650H4279H6256H2664H1004H1004H5650H1961H4261H5869H7760H3027H39477Then Ahab summoned all the elders of the land and said to them, "Look how this man is stirring up trouble! I already agreed with his demand that I give him my wives and children and silver and gold."H4428H3478H7121H2205H776H559H3045H7200H1245H7451H7971H802H1121H3701H2091H45138"Don't give in to any more demands," all the elders and the people advised.H2205H5971H559H8085H149So Ahab told the messengers from Ben-hadad, "Say this to my lord the king: 'I will give you everything you asked for the first time, but I cannot accept this last demand of yours.'" So the messengers returned to Ben-hadad with that response.H559H4397H1130H559H113H4428H7971H5650H7223H6213H1697H3201H6213H4397H3212H7725H1697H772510Then Ben-hadad sent this message to Ahab: "May the gods strike me and even kill me if there remains enough dust from Samaria to provide even a handful for each of my soldiers."H1130H7971H559H430H6213H3254H6083H8111H5606H8168H5971H727211The king of Israel sent back this answer: "A warrior putting on his sword for battle should not boast like a warrior who has already won."H4428H3478H6030H559H1696H2296H1984H660512Ahab's reply reached Ben-hadad and the other kings as they were drinking in their tents. "Prepare to attack!" Ben-hadad commanded his officers. So they prepared to attack the city.H8085H1697H8354H4428H5521H559H5650H7760H7760H589213Then a certain prophet came to see King Ahab of Israel and told him, "This is what the LORD says: Do you see all these enemy forces? Today I will hand them all over to you. Then you will know that I am the LORD."H5066H259H5030H256H4428H3478H559H559H3068H7200H1419H1995H5414H3027H3117H3045H306814Ahab asked, "How will he do it?" And the prophet replied, "This is what the LORD says: The troops of the provincial commanders will do it." "Should we attack first?" Ahab asked."Yes," the prophet answered.H256H559H559H559H3068H5288H8269H4082H559H631H4421H55915So Ahab mustered the troops of the 232 provincial commanders. Then he called out the rest of the army of Israel, some 7,000 men.H6485H5288H8269H4082H8147H3967H7970H8147H310H6485H5971H1121H3478H7651H50516About noontime, as Ben-hadad and the thirty-two allied kings were still in their tents drinking themselves into a stupor,H3318H6672H1130H8354H7910H5521H4428H7970H8147H4428H582617the troops of the provincial commanders marched out of the city as the first contingent. As they approached, Ben-hadad's scouts reported to him, "Some troops are coming from Samaria."H5288H8269H4082H3318H7223H1130H7971H5046H559H582H3318H811118"Take them alive," Ben-hadad commanded, "whether they have come for peace or for war."H559H3318H7965H8610H2416H3318H4421H8610H241619But Ahab's provincial commanders and the entire army had now come out to fight.H5288H8269H4082H3318H5892H2428H31020Each Israelite soldier killed his Aramean opponent, and suddenly the entire Aramean army panicked and fled. The Israelites chased them, but King Ben-hadad and a few of his charioteers escaped on horses.H5221H376H376H758H5127H3478H7291H1130H4428H758H4422H5483H657121However, the king of Israel destroyed the other horses and chariots and slaughtered the Arameans.H4428H3478H3318H5221H5483H7393H5221H758H1419H434722Afterward the prophet said to King Ahab, "Get ready for another attack. Begin making plans now, for the king of Aram will come back next spring."H5030H5066H4428H3478H559H3212H2388H3045H7200H6213H8666H8141H4428H758H592723After their defeat, Ben-hadad's officers said to him, "The Israelite gods are gods of the hills; that is why they won. But we can beat them easily on the plains.H5650H4428H758H559H430H430H2022H2388H199H3898H4334H3808H238824Only this time replace the kings with field commanders!H6213H1697H5493H4428H376H4725H7760H634625Recruit another army like the one you lost. Give us the same number of horses, chariots, and men, and we will fight against them on the plains. There's no doubt that we will beat them." So King Ben-hadad did as they suggested.H4487H2428H2428H5307H5483H5483H7393H7393H3898H854H4334H2388H8085H6963H621326The following spring he called up the Aramean army and marched out against Israel, this time at Aphek.H8666H8141H1130H6485H758H5927H663H4421H347827Israel then mustered its army, set up supply lines, and marched out for battle. But the Israelite army looked like two little flocks of goats in comparison to the vast Aramean forces that filled the countryside!H1121H3478H6485H3557H3212H7125H1121H3478H2583H8147H2835H5795H758H4390H77628Then the man of God went to the king of Israel and said, "This is what the LORD says: The Arameans have said, 'The LORD is a god of the hills and not of the plains.' So I will defeat this vast army for you. Then you will know that I am the LORD."H5066H376H430H559H4428H3478H559H559H3068H758H559H3068H430H2022H430H6010H5414H1419H1995H3027H3045H306829The two armies camped opposite each other for seven days, and on the seventh day the battle began. The Israelites killed 100,000 Aramean foot soldiers in one day.H2583H428H5227H428H7651H3117H7637H3117H4421H7126H1121H3478H5221H758H3967H505H7273H259H311730The rest fled into the town of Aphek, but the wall fell on them and killed another 27,000. Ben-hadad fled into the town and hid in a secret room.H3498H5127H663H5892H2346H5307H6242H7651H505H376H3498H1130H5127H935H5892H2315H231531Ben-hadad's officers said to him, "Sir, we have heard that the kings of Israel are merciful. So let's humble ourselves by wearing burlap around our waists and putting ropes on our heads, and surrender to the king of Israel. Then perhaps he will let you live."H5650H559H8085H4428H1004H3478H2617H4428H7760H8242H4975H2256H7218H3318H4428H3478H2421H531532So they put on burlap and ropes, and they went to the king of Israel and begged, "Your servant Ben-hadad says, 'Please let me live!'" The king of Israel responded, "Is he still alive? He is my brother!"H2296H8242H4975H2256H7218H935H4428H3478H559H5650H1130H559H2421H5315H559H2416H25133The men took this as a good sign and quickly picked up on his words. "Yes," they said, "your brother Ben-hadad!" "Go and get him," the king of Israel told them. And when Ben-hadad arrived, Ahab invited him up into his chariot.H582H5172H4116H2480H559H251H1130H559H935H3947H1130H3318H5927H481834Ben-hadad told him, "I will give back the towns my father took from your father, and you may establish places of trade in Damascus, as my father did in Samaria." Then Ahab said, "I will release you under these conditions." So they made a new treaty, and Ben-hadad was set free.H559H5892H1H3947H1H7725H7760H2351H1834H1H7760H8111H7971H1285H3772H1285H797135Meanwhile, the LORD instructed one of the group of prophets to say to another man, "Hit me!" But the man refused to hit the prophet.H259H376H1121H5030H559H7453H1697H3068H5221H376H3985H522136Then the prophet told him, "Because you have not obeyed the voice of the LORD, a lion will kill you as soon as you leave me." And when he had gone, a lion did attack and kill him.H559H8085H6963H3068H1980H738H5221H3212H681H738H4672H522137Then the prophet turned to another man and said, "Hit me!" So he struck the prophet and wounded him.H4672H312H376H559H5221H376H5221H5221H648138The prophet placed a bandage over his eyes to disguise himself and then waited beside the road for the king.H5030H3212H5975H4428H1870H2664H666H586939As the king passed by, the prophet called out to him, "Sir, I was in the thick of battle, and suddenly a man brought me a prisoner. He said, 'Guard this man; if for any reason he gets away, you will either die or pay a fine of seventy-five pounds of silver!'H4428H5674H6817H4428H559H5650H3318H7130H4421H376H5493H935H376H559H8104H376H6485H6485H5315H5315H8254H3603H370140But while I was busy doing something else, the prisoner disappeared!" "Well, it's your own fault," the king replied. "You have brought the judgment on yourself."H5650H6213H369H4428H3478H559H4941H278241Then the prophet quickly pulled the bandage from his eyes, and the king of Israel recognized him as one of the prophets.H4116H666H5493H5869H4428H3478H5234H503042The prophet said to him, "This is what the LORD says: Because you have spared the man I said must be destroyed, now you must die in his place, and your people will die instead of his people."H559H559H3068H7971H3027H376H2764H5315H5315H5971H597143So the king of Israel went home to Samaria angry and sullen.H4428H3478H3212H1004H5620H2198H935H8111
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. "Prepare to attack!" Ben-hadad commanded his officers. So they prepared to attack the city.H8085
