1 Kings, Chapter 20:

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

Ben-Hadad attacks Samaria

• 1. King Ben-Hadad of Syria gathered his entire army, accompanied by thirty-two kings with their horses and chariots, and surrounded Samaria to attack it.
• 2. He sent messengers to the city to speak to King Ahab of Israel, and they said, “This is what Ben-Hadad says: ‘Your silver and gold are mine, and your most beautiful wives and children are mine.’”
• 3. King Ahab replied, “As my lord the king wishes, I and everything I have are at your disposal.”
• 4. The messengers returned and reported the message 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 officials. They will take everything you consider valuable.’”
• 5. The king of Israel summoned all the elders of Israel and said, “Look! This man is trying to ruin us! He has sent messengers to take my wives and children, my silver and my gold, and I have not withheld anything from him.”
• 6. All the authorities and the people replied, “Do not listen to him or carry out his demands.”
• 7. Then Ahab replied to Ben-Hadad's messengers, "Tell my lord the king, 'I will do everything you demanded the first time, but this demand I cannot fulfill.'" So the messengers brought the answer to Ben-Hadad.
• 8. Ben-Hadad sent another message to Ahab, saying, “May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if there is enough dust in Samaria to fill the hands of my soldiers.”
• 9. The king of Israel replied, “Tell him, ‘One who is preparing for battle should not boast like one who has already won.’ “
• 10. When Ben-Hadad heard this, he and the kings were drinking in their tents. He ordered his servants, “Prepare for the attack.” So they prepared for battle.
• 11. In the meantime a prophet came to Ahab king of Israel and said to him, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Have you seen all this army? Today I will deliver it 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.’ ” Then Ahab asked, “Who will start the battle?” The prophet replied, “You.”

Ahab defeats Ben-Hadad

• 13. King Ahab summoned the young commanders of the provinces, two hundred and thirty-two in all. Then he assembled the entire army of Israel, seven thousand men in all.
• 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 commanders of the provinces went out first. Then Ben-Hadad sent spies who reported, “Some men are coming out of Samaria.”
• 16. Ben-Hadad ordered, “Whether they are coming out to fight or to 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 Aram escaped on horseback with some of his horsemen.
• 19. The king of Israel advanced and destroyed the horses and chariots of the Arameans, inflicting great casualties.
• 20. Then the prophet went to the king of Israel and said to him, “Be strong and be careful, because in the spring the king of Syria will come against you again.”
• 21. Meanwhile, the officials of the king of Syria said to him, “The gods of the Israelites are gods of the hills. That is why they were stronger than us. But if we fight against them on level ground, we will certainly be stronger than they.
• 22. Now therefore replace the kings with commanders and reorganize an army like the one you lost, with the same number of horses and chariots, so that we can fight them in the plains. Then we will surely win.” The king followed their advice and did as they said.
• 23. The following spring Ben-Hadad summoned the Arameans and marched against Aphek to fight against Israel.
• 24. The Israelites were summoned, given provisions, and went out to face the Arameans. The Israelites camped opposite them, looking like two small flocks 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 this entire army into your hands, so that you may know that I am the Lord.’”
• 26. They camped opposite each other for seven days. On the seventh day they began to fight, and the Israelites killed a hundred thousand Arameans on foot in a single day.
• 27. The rest of the Arameans 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, 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: ‘Because the Arameans think that the Lord is a god of the mountains and not a god of the valleys, I will give this entire vast army into your hands. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’ ”
• 29. They camped opposite each other for seven days, 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 officials said, “We have heard that the kings of Israel are kind. Let us put on sackcloth and put ropes around our necks, and go to the king of Israel. Perhaps he will spare your life.”
• 32. Then they put on sackcloth and put ropes around their necks, and 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,” the king said. When Ben-Hadad came forward, Ahab had him get into his chariot.
• 34. Then Ben-Hadad said, “I will restore the cities my father took from your father, and you will establish markets in Damascus, as my father did in Samaria.” Ahab replied, “Based on 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, at the Lord's command, “Please strike me.” But the man refused to do so.
• 36. Then the prophet said, “Since you have not obeyed the Lord’s command, when you go away from here, a lion will kill you.” And as soon as he went away, a lion attacked him and killed him.
• 37. The prophet found another man and said to him, “Please strike me.” And the man struck 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, “Look, your servant was in the midst of the battle when a man came bringing 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 kilos of silver.’
• 40. While I was busy here and there, the prisoner disappeared.” The king of Israel replied, “That is your sentence; you yourself pronounced it.”
• 41. Then the prophet quickly removed the scarf 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 decreed to be put to death. Therefore your life will be exchanged for his, and your people for his people.’”
• 43. Angry and irritated, the king of Israel returned to his palace in Samaria.

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