201 Now Ben-hadad king of Aram gathered all his army , and there were thirty-two e kings with him, and horses and chariots . And he went up and besieged e Samaria and fought against it. 2 Then he sent messengers to the city to Ahab king of Israel and said to him, "Thus says Ben-hadad , 3 'Your silver and your gold are mine; your most beautiful wives and children are also mine.' " 4 The king of Israel replied , "It is according to your word , my lord , O king ; I am yours, and all that I have." 5 Then the messengers returned and said , "Thus says Ben-hadad , 'Surely , I sent to you saying , "You shall give me your silver and your gold and your wives and your children ," 6 but about this time tomorrow I will send my servants to you, and they will search your house and the houses of your servants ; and whatever is desirable in your eyes , they will take in their hand and carry away.' " 7 Then the king of Israel called all the elders of the land and said , "Please observe and see how this man is looking for trouble ; for he sent to me for my wives and my children and my silver and my gold , and I did not refuse him." 8 All the elders and all the people said to him, "Do not listen or consent ." 9 So he said to the messengers of Ben-hadad , "Tell my lord the king , 'All that you sent for to your servant at the first I will do , but this thing I cannot e do .' " And the messengers departed and brought him word again . 10 Ben-hadad sent to him and said , "May the gods do so to me and more also , if the dust of Samaria will suffice for handfuls for all the people who follow me." 11 Then the king of Israel replied , "Tell him, ' Let not him who girds on his armor boast like him who takes it off .' "
12 When Ben-hadad heard this message , as he was drinking with the kings in the temporary shelters , he said to his servants , "Station yourselves." So they stationed themselves against the city . 13 Now behold , a prophet approached Ahab king of Israel and said , "Thus says the Lord , 'Have you seen all this great multitude ? Behold , I will deliver them into your hand today , and you shall know that I am the Lord .' " 14 Ahab said , "By whom ?" So he said , "Thus says the Lord , 'By the young men of the rulers of the provinces .' " Then he said , "Who shall begin the battle ?" And he answered , "You." 15 Then he mustered the young men of the rulers of the provinces , and there were 232 e e ; and after them he mustered all the people , even all the sons of Israel , 7,000 e . 16 They went out at noon , while Ben-hadad was drinking himself drunk in the temporary shelters with the thirty-two e kings who helped him. 17 The young men of the rulers of the provinces went out first ; and Ben-hadad sent out and they told him, saying , "Men have come out from Samaria ." 18 Then he said , "If they have come out for peace , take them alive ; or if they have come out for war , take them alive ." 19 So these went out from the city , the young men of the rulers of the provinces , and the army which followed them. 20 They killed each his man ; and the Arameans fled and Israel pursued them, and Ben-hadad king of Aram escaped on a horse with horsemen . 21 The king of Israel went out and struck the horses and chariots , and killed the Arameans with a great slaughter .
22 Then the prophet came near to the king of Israel and said to him, "Go , strengthen yourself and observe and see what you have to do ; for at the turn of the year the king of Aram will come up against you." 23 Now the servants of the king of Aram said to him, " Their gods are gods of the mountains , therefore e they were stronger than we; but rather let us fight against them in the plain , and surely e we will be stronger than they. 24 "Do this thing : remove the kings , each from his place , and put captains in their place , 25 and muster an army like the army that you have lost , horse for horse , and chariot for chariot . Then we will fight against them in the plain , and surely e we will be stronger than they." And he listened to their voice and did so . 26 At the turn of the year , Ben-hadad mustered the Arameans and went up to Aphek to fight against Israel . 27 The sons of Israel were mustered and were provisioned and went to meet them; and the sons of Israel camped before them like two little flocks of goats , but the Arameans filled the country . 28 Then a man of God came near and spoke to the king of Israel and said , "Thus says the Lord , 'Because e the Arameans have said , " The Lord is a god of the mountains , but He is not a god of the valleys ," therefore I will give all this great multitude into your hand , and you shall know that I am the Lord .' " 29 So they camped one over against the other seven days . And on the seventh day the battle was joined , and the sons of Israel killed of the Arameans 100,000 e foot soldiers in one day . 30 But the rest fled to Aphek into the city , and the wall fell on 27,000 e e men who were left . And Ben-hadad fled and came into the city into an inner chamber .
31 His servants said to him, "Behold now , we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful kings , please let us put sackcloth on our loins and ropes on 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 Ben-hadad says , 'Please let me live .' " And he said , "Is he still alive ? He is my brother ." 33 Now the men took this as an omen , and quickly catching his word said , "Your brother Ben-hadad ." Then he said , "Go , bring him." Then Ben-hadad came out to him, and he took him up into the chariot . 34 Ben-hadad said to him, " The cities which my father took from your father I will restore , and you shall make streets for yourself in Damascus , as my father made in Samaria ." Ahab said, "And I will let you go with this covenant ." So he made a covenant with him and let him go . 35 Now a certain man of the sons of the prophets said to another by the word of the Lord , "Please strike me." But the man refused to strike him. 36 Then he said to him, "Because e you have not listened to the voice of the Lord , behold , as soon as you have departed from me, a lion will kill you." And as soon as he had departed from him a lion found him and killed him. 37 Then he found another man and said , "Please strike me." And the man struck him, wounding e him. 38 So the prophet departed and waited for the king by the way , and disguised himself with a bandage over his eyes . 39 As the king passed by, he cried to the king and said , "Your servant went out into the midst of the battle ; and behold , a man turned aside and brought a man to me and said , 'Guard this man ; if for any reason he is missing , then your life shall be for his life , or else you shall pay a talent of silver .' 40 "While your servant was busy here and there , he was gone ." And the king of Israel said to him, "So shall your judgment be; you yourself have decided it." 41 Then he hastily took the bandage away from his eyes , and the king of Israel recognized him that he was of the prophets . 42 He said to him, "Thus says the Lord , 'Because you have let go out of your hand the man whom I had devoted to destruction , therefore your life shall go for his life , and your people for his people .' " 43 So the king of Israel went to his house sullen and vexed , and came to Samaria .
