1 Kings, Chapter 20:

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Verses from 1 Kings, Chapter 20 of the book of 1 Samuel of the Bible.

1 Kings - Old Testament — 1 Kings – Old Testament

Ben-hadad attacks Samaria

1. King Ben-hadad of Syria assembled all his army, accompanied by thirty-two kings with their horses and chariots, and surrounded Samaria to attack it.
2. He sent messengers into the city to speak to King Ahab of Israel, and they said, “This is what Ben-hadad says: 'Your silver and your gold are mine, and your wives and most beautiful children are mine too.'” .
3. King Ahab replied, “As my lord the king wishes, I and everything I own are at your disposal.”
4. The messengers returned and conveyed the reply to Ben-hadad, who then said to them: “This is what Ben-hadad says: 'I will send messengers at this time tomorrow to search your house and the houses of your officers. They will take everything you consider valuable'”.
5. The king of Israel summoned all the rulers of Israel and said, “Watch and see how this man seeks our ruin! He sent messengers to take my women and children, my silver and my gold, and I withheld nothing from him.”
6. All the authorities and the people replied, “Do not listen to him or comply with his demands.”
7. Then Ahab answered the messengers of Ben-hadad, “Tell my lord the king, 'I will do whatever you demanded the first time, but this demand I cannot fulfill'”. And the messengers took the answer to Ben-hadad.
8. Ben-hadad sent another message to Ahab, saying, "May the gods punish me severely if there is enough dust in Samaria to fill the hands of my soldiers."
9. The king of Israel replied, “Say to him, 'Whoever is preparing for battle should not boast like one who has already won'”.
10. When Ben-hadad received this reply, he and the kings were drinking in their tents. He ordered his servants: "Prepare for attack". And they prepared for battle.
11. In the meantime, a prophet went to Ahab king of Israel and said to him, “This is what the Lord says: 'Have you seen all this army? Today I will give you into your hands, so that you may know that I am the Lord' ".
12. Ahab asked, "Who will attack?" The prophet replied, “This is what the Lord says: 'The young commanders of the provinces will attack'”. So Ahab asked, "Who will start the battle?" The prophet replied, "You."

Ahab defeats Ben-hadad

13. King Ahab summoned the young captains of the provinces, two hundred and thirty-two in all. Then he assembled the entire army of Israel, a total of seven thousand men.
14. They left at noon, while Ben-hadad and the thirty-two kings allied with him were getting drunk in their tents.
15. The young provincial commanders left first. Then Ben-hadad sent spies who reported, "Some men are leaving Samaria."
16. Ben-hadad ordered, "Whether they are going out to fight or surrender, take them alive."
17. The young commanders of the provinces left the city, with the army following them.
18. Each of them killed his opponent. The Arameans fled and the Israelites pursued them. Ben-hadad, king of Syria, managed to escape on horseback with some of his horsemen.
19. The king of Israel advanced and destroyed the Arameans' horses and chariots, causing heavy casualties.
20. Then the prophet went to the king of Israel and said to him, “Strengthen yourself and be careful, because in the spring the king of Syria will come against you again.”
21. Meanwhile, the advisers of the king of Syria said to him: ′′ The gods of the Israelites are gods of the mountains. That's why they were stronger than us. But if we fight them on flat ground, we will certainly be stronger than them.
22. So now replace the kings with commanders and reorganize an army like the one you lost, with the same number of horses and war chariots, so that we can fight them on the plains. So we will definitely win.” The king took their advice and did as they said.
23. The following spring Ben-hadad called out the Arameans and marched into Aphek to fight Israel.
24. The Israelites were summoned, given provisions, and set out to face the Arameans. The Israelites camped in front of them, looking like two small herds of goats, while the Arameans covered the entire landscape.
25. Then the man of God went to the king of Israel and said to him, “This is what the LORD says: 'Because the Arameans think that the LORD is a God of the mountains and not a God of the valleys, I will give all this army into their hands. hands, that you may know that I am the Lord' ".
26. For seven days they camped face to face. On the seventh day they began to fight, and the Israelites killed a hundred thousand Arameans on foot in a single day.
27. The remnant of the Arameans fled to the city of Aphek, but the wall fell on twenty-seven thousand of them. Ben-hadad also fled into the city and hid himself, going from one hiding place to another.
28. Then a man came to the king of Israel and said to him, “This is what the LORD says: 'Since the Arameans think that the LORD is a God of the mountains and not a God of the valleys, I will give all this huge army into their hands. hands. And so you will know that I am the Lord' ".
29. For seven days they camped face to face, until on the seventh day they began the battle. The Israelites killed a hundred thousand Arameans on foot in one day.
30. The rest fled to the city of Aphek, but the wall fell on twenty-seven thousand of them. Ben-hadad also fled to the city and hid in a room.
31. Ben-hadad's advisers said, “We have heard that the kings of Israel are kind. We will put on sackcloth and put ropes around our necks, and we will go to the king of Israel. Perhaps he will spare your life.”
32. So they put on sackcloth and put ropes around their necks, went to the king of Israel and said, “Your servant Ben-hadad says, 'Please let me live'”. Ahab replied, “Are you still alive? He is my brother!"
33. The men took this as a good sign and were ready to catch him in what he had said. “Yes,” they said, “Ben-hadad is your brother.” “Bring him here,” said the king. When Ben-hadad introduced himself, Ahab had him get into his chariot.
34. Then Ben-hadad offered: "I will restore the cities that my father took from your father, and you will establish markets in Damascus, as my father did in Samaria." Ahab replied, "On the basis of this treaty, I will let you go." So they made a treaty and Ben-hadad was released.

The prophet reproves Ahab

35. Meanwhile, one of the prophet's disciples said to another, by the Lord's command, "Please, smite me." But the man refused to do so.
36. Then the prophet said, "Since you have not obeyed the Lord's order, when you leave here, a lion will kill you." And as soon as he walked away, a lion attacked him and killed him.
37. The prophet found another man and said to him, "Please strike me." And the man smote him.
38. So the prophet went and stood by the roadside, waiting for the king to pass by. He disguised himself by covering his eyes with a handkerchief.
39. As the king passed by, the prophet called out to him, “See, your servant was in the midst of the battle when a man approached carrying a prisoner. He said to me, 'Guard this man. If he escapes, your life will be exchanged for his, or you will pay thirty-five pounds of silver.'
40. While I was busy here and there, the prisoner disappeared.” The king of Israel replied: “This is your sentence; you yourself pronounced it”.
41. Then the prophet quickly removed the handkerchief from his eyes and the king recognized that he was one of the prophets.
42. The prophet said to the king, “This is what the Lord says: 'You have freed a man whom I had put to death. Therefore, your life will be exchanged for his, and your people for his people' ".
43. Displeased and irritated, the king of Israel returned to his palace in Samaria.