The Shared Word Translation · Study & Discuss
1 Kings 20
Ben-hadad king of Aram gathered all his army, with thirty-two kings allied with him, horses, and chariots. He went up, laid siege to Samaria, and fought against it.
He sent messengers into the city to Ahab king of Israel
and said to him, “Thus says Ben-hadad: ‘Your silver and your gold are mine; your wives also and your finest children are mine.’”
The king of Israel answered, “According to your word, my lord the king: I am yours, with all that is mine.”
The messengers returned and said, “Thus says Ben-hadad: ‘I sent to you, saying, “You must give me your silver and your gold, your wives and your children.”
But about this time tomorrow I will send my servants to you. They will search your house and the houses of your servants, and whatever is desirable in your eyes they will put in their hands and take away.’”
Then the king of Israel summoned all the elders of the land and said, “Please consider and see that this man is seeking harm. For he sent for my wives, my children, my silver, and my gold, and I did not withhold them from him.”
All the elders and all the people said to him, “Do not listen, and do not consent.”
So he said to Ben-hadad’s messengers, “Say to my lord the king, ‘Everything that you first demanded of your servant I will do, but this thing I cannot do.’” The messengers went and brought him word again.
Ben-hadad sent word to him and said, “May the gods do so to me, and more also, if the dust of Samaria will be enough for handfuls for all the people who follow me.”
The king of Israel answered, “Tell him: ‘Let not one who puts on armor boast like one who takes it off.’”
When Ben-hadad heard this word, while he and the kings were drinking in the shelters, he said to his servants, “Take your positions.” So they took their positions against the city.
Then a prophet came near to Ahab king of Israel and said, “Thus says the LORD: ‘Have you seen all this great multitude? Look, I am giving it into your hand today, and you will know that I am the LORD.’”
Ahab said, “By whom?” He said, “Thus says the LORD: ‘By the young men of the provincial commanders.’” Then he said, “Who will begin the battle?” He said, “You.”
So he mustered the young men of the provincial commanders: they were two hundred and thirty-two. After them he mustered all the people, all the people of Israel: seven thousand.
They went out at noon, while Ben-hadad was drinking himself drunk in the shelters, he and the thirty-two kings who were helping him.
The young men of the provincial commanders went out first. Ben-hadad sent out scouts, and they reported to him, “Men have come out from Samaria.”
He said, “If they have come out for peace, seize them alive; and if they have come out for battle, seize them alive.”
These came out from the city: the young men of the provincial commanders, with the army following them.
Each struck down his opponent, and Aram fled. Israel pursued them, while Ben-hadad king of Aram escaped on a horse with horsemen.
The king of Israel went out and struck the horses and the chariots, inflicting a great defeat on Aram.
Then the prophet came near to the king of Israel and said to him, “Go, strengthen yourself. Consider and see what you must do, for at the turn of the year the king of Aram will come up against you.”
Now the servants of the king of Aram said to him, “Their god is a god of the hills; that is why they were stronger than we were. But let us fight them on the plain, and surely we will be stronger than they.
Do this: remove the kings, each from his post, and appoint governors in their place.
Muster for yourself an army like the army that fell from you, horse for horse and chariot for chariot. Then let us fight them on the plain, and surely we will be stronger than they.” He listened to their voice and did so.
At the turn of the year Ben-hadad mustered Aram and went up to Aphek to fight against Israel.
The people of Israel were mustered and provisioned, and they went out to meet them. The people of Israel camped opposite them like two little flocks of goats, while Aram filled the land.
Then a man of God came near and spoke to the king of Israel, saying, “Thus says the LORD: ‘Because Aram has said, “the LORD is a god of the hills, but not a god of the valleys,” I will give all this great multitude into your hand, and you will know that I am the LORD.’”
They camped opposite one another for seven days. On the seventh day the battle drew near, and the people of Israel struck down one hundred thousand Aramean foot soldiers in one day.
Those who remained fled to Aphek, into the city; and the wall fell on twenty-seven thousand of the remaining men. Ben-hadad fled and entered the city, into an inner room.
His servants said to him, “Look, please, we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are kings of steadfast love. Let us, please, put sackcloth around our waists and ropes on our heads, and go out to the king of Israel. Perhaps he will let you live.”
So they fastened sackcloth around their waists and ropes on their heads, and came to the king of Israel. They said, “Your servant Ben-hadad says, ‘Please let me live.’” He said, “Is he still alive? He is my brother.”
The men took this as an omen and quickly seized on it from him. They said, “Your brother Ben-hadad.” He said, “Come, bring him.” Ben-hadad came out to him, and Ahab had him come up into the chariot.
Ben-hadad said to him, “The cities that my father took from your father I will restore. You may establish streets for yourself in Damascus, as my father established them in Samaria.” Ahab said, “On the basis of a covenant, I will send you away.” So he made a covenant with him and sent him away.
Now one man from among the sons of the prophets said to his companion by the word of the LORD, “Please strike me.” But the man refused to strike him.
Then he said to him, “Because you have not listened to the voice of the LORD, look, when you leave me, a lion will strike you.” When he left him, a lion found him and struck him down.
Then he found another man and said, “Please strike me.” So the man struck him, striking and wounding him.
The prophet went and stood waiting for the king along the road. He disguised himself with a bandage over his eyes.
As the king was passing by, he cried out to the king and said, “Your servant went out into the midst of the battle, and look, a man turned aside and brought a man to me. He said, ‘Guard this man. If he should be missing, then your life shall be for his life, or you shall weigh out a talent of silver.’
But while your servant was busy here and there, he was gone.” The king of Israel said to him, “So is your judgment; you yourself have decided it.”
Then he quickly removed the bandage from over his eyes, and the king of Israel recognized that he was one of the prophets.
He said to him, “Thus says the LORD: ‘Because you have let go from your hand the man devoted to me for destruction, your life shall be for his life, and your people for his people.’”
The king of Israel went to his house sullen and troubled, and came to Samaria.