Ahab & Ben Hadad Battle |
1 Kings 20:1-43 1 Kings [in Smaller Chunks] |
Ben Hadad, [Syria's] king, gathered all his [army] together, [along] with: 32 kings, horses & chariots & [attacked] Samaria & [battled] against it. |
[Ben Hadad] sent messengers into the city to Ahab, [Israel's] king & [Ben Hadad's messengers said on his behalf:] Your silver & gold [are] mine & even your wife, your children & [everything of value] are mine. |
King [Ahab] of Israel answered & said, My lord, O king, according to what [you say,] I am yours & all I have. [Ben Hadad's] messengers [returned] to [Ahab] & said, Ben Hadad [says,] Although I have sent to you saying, You shall deliver [to] me your silver, gold, wives & children; |
I will [still] send my servants to you tomorrow about this time & they shall search your house & the houses of your servants & will take away [whatever is pleasing]. |
Then, [Ahab] called all the elders of the land & said, I pray that you see how this man [looks for trouble] for he has sent to me for my wives, children, silver & my gold & I didn't [say, No, to him]. |
All the elders & all the people said to [Ahab,] Don't [listen] to him [or agree to this]. [Therefore, Ahab] said to the messengers of Ben Hadad, Tell my lord, the king, All that you first sent for, I will do, but I may not do this thing. |
The messengers [left] & brought [Ben Hadad his reply]. Ben Hadad sent to [Ahab] & said, The gods do [the same] to me & also more, if [enough] dust [remains in] Samaria, for all the people [who] follow me to have a handful. |
[Ahab,] king of Israel, answered & said, Don't let [the person who straps] on [his armor], boast [like someone taking] it off. It [happened] when Ben Hadad heard this message [while] he was drinking [with] the kings in the pavilions. |
[Ben Hadad] said to his servants, [Get ready to attack] & they [got themselves ready] in [rows] against the city. A prophet came to Ahab, [Israel's] king, saying, The Lord says [this,] Have you seen all this [large] multitude? |
[Look,] I [the Lord God] will deliver it into your hand this day, [so] you shall know that I am the Lord. Ahab said, By whom? The [prophet] said, The Lord says [this,] By the young [officers] of the provinces. |
Then [Ahab] said, Who shall [lead] them to battle? And [the prophet] said, You. Then, [Ahab counted] the young [officers] & there were 232. After them, he [counted] all the children [people] of Israel & [there were] 7,0000. |
They went out at noon [while] Ben Hadad was [getting] drunk in the pavilions [with the] 32 kings [who] helped him. The young [officers] went out 1st. Ben Haddad sent out [scouts] & they told him, There are men [coming] out of Samaria. |
[Ben Hadad] said, Whether they come out for peace or for war, take them alive. The young [officers] came out of the city [followed by] the army & every one [struck down] his [opponent] & the Syrians fled & Israel pursued them. |
Ben Hadad, [Syria's] king, escaped on a horse with the horsemen. [Ahab] went out & [attacked] the horses, chariots & [killed] the Syrians with a [large] slaughter. |
The prophet came to [Ahab] & said to him, Go & strengthen yourself & be ready & watch what you do; for [after the beginning] of the year, the king of Syria will come against you. |
[Ben Hadad's] servants said to him, Their gods are gods of the hills; therefore they were stronger than [us;] but let us fight against them in the plain & we shall surely be stronger than [them]. |
Do this, Take the kings away & put captains in their [place]. [Muster] an army like the army you have lost, horse for horse, chariot for chariot & we will fight against them in the plain & we shall surely be stronger than [them]. |
[Ben Hadad listened to them] & did so. It [happened after the beginning] of the year, Ben Hadad [mustered] the Syrians & went up to Aphek to fight against Israel. |
The [people] of Israel were [mustered] & were all present & went against them. The [people] of Israel pitched [tents in front of them,] like 2 little flocks of [kid goats,] but the Syrians filled the country. |
A man of God came & spoke to [Ahab, Israel's] king & said, The Lord [God] says [this;] Because the Syrians have said, The Lord is God of the hills, but He isn't the God of the valleys, I [the Lord God] therefore, will deliver all this [large] multitude into your hand & you shall know I am the Lord. |
They [camped opposite each other for] 7 days. [On] the 7th day, they joined into battle & the [people] of Israel killed 100,000 Syrian footmen in 1 day. But the rest fled to Apphek, into the city & a wall there fell upon 27,000 men [who] were left. |
Ben Hadad fled & came into his inner [room] in the city. His servants said to him, We have heard the kings of the house of Israel are merciful kings. I pray that you let us put on sackcloth on our [waists] & ropes upon our heads [signs of mourning] & go out to the king of Israel. |
So, they [strapped] on sackcloths on their [waists,] & put ropes on their heads & came to king [Ahab of] Israel & said, Your servant, Ben Hadad, says, I pray that you, let me live. [Ahab] said, Is he [still] alive? He is my brother. |
Now, the men [watched] diligently, to [see] whether anything would come from him & they [quickly caught] it. They said, Your brother, Ben Hadad. Then [Ahab] said, Go & bring him & [Ahab let them go] in a chariot. |
Ben Hadad said to him, I will restore these cities [that] my father took from your father & you shall make streets for [yourself] in Damascus, [like] my father made in Samaria. |
Then, Ahab said, I will send you away with this covenant [contract]. So [Ahab] made a covenant with [Ben Hadad,] and sent him away. [By the word of the Lord, [one] of the [prophet's] sons said to his neighbor, I pray that you [hit] me. The man refused to [hit] him. |
Then, the [prophet] said to him, Because you haven't obeyed the voice of the Lord, as soon as you [have left] from me, a lion shall [kill] you. And as soon as he departed from him, a lion found him & [killed] him. |
Then, the [prophet] found another man & said, I pray that you [hit] me & the man [did] & wounded [the prophet]. So, the prophet [left] & waited for the king by the [road] & disguised himself with ashes upon his face. |
As the king passed by, [the prophet] cried out to the king & said, Your servant went out into the midst of the battle & [someone] came to me & brought a man I said, Kiip this man. If he [ends] up missing, then I will take your life for his life, or you shall pay a talent of silver. |
While [I,] your servant was busy here & there & he was gone. [Ahab,] the king of Israel said to [the disguised prophet,] Your judgment shall be so, because [you,] yourself have decided it. |
[The disguised prophet hurried]& took the ashes away from his face & [Ahab, Israel's] king [realized] he was one of the prophets. |
[The prophet] said to the king, The Lord [God] says [this, Because you have let a man go [free] whom I appointed to [total] destruction, out of your hand, therefore, your life, shall [be] for his life, and your people, shall [be] for his people. |
[Ahab,] the king of Israel went to his house [saddened] & displeased & came to Samaria. |