Jump to:
I Kings
Chapter 20
1 And Benhadad the king of Syria gathered all his army 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.
2
And he sent messengers to Ahab king of Israel into the city,
and
said unto him,
"Thus
says Benhadad, 3
your
silver and your gold is mine.
Your
wives also and your children . . .
even
the 'good things' . . . are mine.
4
And the king of Israel answered and said,
"My
lord, O king, according to your saying,
'I
am yours, and all that I have.' "
5
And the messengers came again, and said,
"Thus
speaks Benhadad, saying,
"Although
I have sent unto you, saying,
you
shall deliver me your silver,
and
your gold, and your wives, and your children . . . 6
Yet
I will send my servants unto you tomorrow about this time,
and
they shall search your house,
and
the houses of your servants.
And
it shall be, that whatsoever is pleasant in your eyes,
they
shall put it in their hand, and take it away."
7
Then the king of Israel called all the elders of the land, and said,
"Mark,
please/'I pray you', and see how this man seeks 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."
8
And all the elders and all the people said unto him,
"Listen/Hearken
not unto him, nor consent."
9
Therefore he said unto the messengers of Benhadad,
"Tell
my lord the king,
'All
that you did send for,
to
your servant at the first I will do . . .
but
this thing I may not do."
And
the messengers departed,
and
brought him word again.
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 who follow me."
11
And the king of Israel answered and said,
"Tell
him, 'Let not him that girds on his harness
boast
himself . . . as he who putts it off."
12
And it came to pass, when Benhadad 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.
13
And, behold, there came a prophet
unto
Ahab king of Israel, saying,
"Thus
says Jehovah/God,
have
you seen all this great multitude?
Behold,
I will deliver it into yours hand this day;
and
you shall know that I am Jehovah/God."
14 And Ahab said, "By whom?"
And
he said, "Thus says Jehovah/God,
"Even
by the young men of the princes of the provinces."
Then he said, "Who shall order the battle?"
And he answered, "You."
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.
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.
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."
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."
19
So these young men of the princes of the provinces
came
out of the city,
and
the army which followed them.
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.
21
And the king of Israel went out,
and
smote the horses and chariots,
and
slew the Syrians with a great slaughter.
22
And the prophet came to the king of Israel, and said unto him,
"Go,
strengthen yourself, and mark,
and
see what you do.
For
at the return of the year
the
king of Syria will come up against you.
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."
24
And do this thing,
Take
the kings away,
every
man out of his place,
and
put generals in their place.
25
And number you an army,
like
the army that you have 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.
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.
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.
28
And there came a man of 'Elohiym/Godhead,
and
spoke unto the king of Israel, and said,
"Thus
says Jehovah/God,
'Because
the Syrians have said,
"Jehovah/God
is 'Elohiym/Godhead of the hills,
but
He is not 'Elohiym/Godhead of the valleys",
therefore
I will deliver all this great multitude into your hand,
and
you shall know that I am Jehovah/God."
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 people/sons of Israel slew of the Syrians
an
hundred thousand infantry in one day.
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.
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, please/'I pray you', put sackcloth on our loins,
and
ropes upon our heads,
and
go out to the king of Israel.
Perhaps he will save your life."
32
So they girded sackcloth on their loins,
and
put ropes on their heads,
and
came to the king of Israel,
and
said, "Your servant Benhadad says,
please/'I
pray you', let me live."
And he said, "Is he yet alive? He is my brother."
33
Now the men did diligently observe
whether
any thing would come from him,
and
did hastily catch it.
And they said, "Your brother Benhadad."
Then he said, "Go you, bring him."
Then Benhadad came forth to him.
And he caused him to come up into the chariot.
34 And Benhadad said unto him,
"The cities, which my father took from your father, I will restore.
And
you shall make streets for you in Damascus,
as
my father made in Samaria."
Then
said Ahab,
"I
will send you away with this covenant."
So he made a covenant with him, and sent him away.
35
And a certain man of the sons of the prophets
said
unto his neighbor
in
the word/'doctrinal communication' {dabar} of Jehovah/God,
"Smite
me, please/'I pray you'."
And the man refused to smite him.
36
Then said he unto him,
"Because
you have not obeyed the voice of Jehovah/God,
behold,
as soon as you are gone from me, a lion shall slay you."
And
as soon as he was departed from him,
a
lion found him, and slew him.
37
Then he found another man, and said,
"Smite
me, please/'I pray you'."
And
the man struck/smote him,
so
that in smiting he wounded him.
38
So the prophet departed,
and
waited for the king by the way,
and
disguised himself with ashes upon his face.
39
And as the king passed by,
he
shouted unto the king.
And
he said,
"Your
servant went out into the middle of the battle;
and,
behold, a man turned aside,
and
brought a man unto me, and said,
'Guard
this man.
If
by any means he be missing,
then
shall your life be for his life,
or
else you shall pay a talent of silver."
40 And as your servant was busy here and there, he was gone.
And
the king of Israel said unto him,
"So
shall your judgment be . . .
yourself
have decided it."
41 And he hurried, and took the ashes away from his face.
And
the king of Israel discerned him . . .
that
he was of the prophets.
42
And he said unto him,
"Thus
says Jehovah/God . . .
because
you have let go out of your hand
a
man whom I appointed to utter destruction . . .
therefore
your life shall go for his life,
and
your people for his people."
43
And the king of Israel went to his house
heavy
and displeased,
and
came to Samaria.
|
|
|
|
