Dual Panel1Now King <04428> Ben Hadad <01130> of Syria <0758> assembled <06908> all <03605> his army <02426>, along with thirty-two <08147> <07970> other kings <04428> with <0854> their horses <05483> and chariots <07393>. He marched <05927> against <05921> Samaria <08111> and besieged <06696> and attacked <03898> it.
2He sent <07971> messengers <04397> to <0413> King <04428> Ahab <0256> of Israel <03478>, who was in the city <05892>.
3He said to him, “This is what Ben Hadad says, ‘Your silver <03701> and your gold <02091> are mine <01931>, as well as the best <02896> of your wives <0802> and sons <01121>.’”
4The king <04428> of Israel <03478> replied <06030>, “It is just as you say <01697>, my master <0113>, O king <04428>. I <0589> and all <03605> I own <0834> belong to you.”
5The messengers <04397> came again <07725> and said <0559>, “This is what <03541> Ben Hadad <01130> says <0559>, ‘I sent <07971> this message to <0413> you, “You must give <05414> me your silver <03701>, gold <02091>, wives <0802>, and sons <01121>.”
6But <0518> now at this time <06256> tomorrow <04279> I will send <07971> my servants <05650> to <0413> you and they will search <02664> through your palace <01004> and your servants <05650>’ houses <01004>. They will <01961> carry away <03947> all <03605> your valuables <05869> <04261>.”
7The king <04428> of Israel <03478> summoned <07121> all <03605> the leaders <02205> of the land <0776> and said <0559>, “Notice <03045> how this <02088> man is looking for <01245> trouble <07451>. Indeed <03588>, he demanded <07971> my wives <0802>, sons <01121>, silver <03701>, and gold <02091>, and I did not <03808> resist <04513> him.”
8All <03605> <03605> the leaders <02205> and people <05971> said <0559> to <0413> him, “Do not <0408> give in <08085> or <03808> agree <08085> to his demands <014>.”
9So he said <0559> to the messengers <04397> of Ben Hadad <01130>, “Say <0559> this to my master <0113>, the king <04428>, ‘I will give <07971> you everything <0834> <03605> you demanded at first <07223> from your servant <05650>, but I am unable <03201> <03808> to agree <06213> to this <02088> latest demand <01697>.’” So the messengers <04397> went back <01980> and gave <07725> their report <01697>.
10Ben Hadad <01130> sent <07971> another message to <0413> him, “May <03541> the gods <0430> judge <06213> me severely <03254> if <0518> there is enough dirt <06083> left <05606> in Samaria <08111> for my soldiers <05971> to scoop up in <08168> their hands <08168>.”
11The king <04428> of Israel <03478> replied <06030>, “Tell <01696> him the one who puts on <02296> his battle gear <02296> should not <0408> boast <01984> like one who is taking <06605> it off <06605>.”
12When <01961> Ben Hadad received <08085> this <02088> reply <01697>, he <01931> and the other kings <04428> were drinking <08354> in their quarters <05521>. He ordered <0559> his servants <05650>, “Get ready to attack <07760>!” So they got ready to attack <07760> the city <05892>.
13Now <02009> a <0259> prophet <05030> visited <05066> King <04428> Ahab <0256> of Israel <03478> and said <0559>, “This is what <03541> the Lord <03068> says <0559>, ‘Do you see <07200> this <02088> huge <01419> army <01995>? Look <02005>, I am going to hand <03027> <05414> it over <03027> <05414> to you this very day <03117>. Then you will know <03045> that <03588> I <0589> am the Lord <03068>.’”
14Ahab <0256> asked <0559>, “By whom <04310> will this be accomplished?” He answered <0559>, “This is what <03541> the Lord <03068> says <0559>, ‘By the servants <05288> of the district <04082> governors <08269>.’” Ahab asked <0559>, “Who <04310> will launch <0631> the attack <04421>?” He answered <0559>, “You <0859> will.”
15So Ahab assembled <06485> the 232 <07970> <08147> <03967> servants <05288> of the district <04082> governors <08269>. After <0310> that he assembled <06485> all <03605> <03605> the Israelite <03478> <01121> army <05971>, numbering 7,000 <0505> <07651>.
16They marched out <03318> at noon <06672>, while Ben Hadad <01130> and the thirty-two <08147> <07970> kings <04428> allied <05826> with him were drinking heavily <07910> <08354> in their quarters <05521>.
17The servants <05288> of the district <04082> governors <08269> led <07223> the march <03318>. When Ben Hadad <01130> sent <07971> messengers, they reported back <05046> to him, “Men <0582> are marching out <03318> of Samaria <08111>.”
18He ordered <0559>, “Whether <0518> they come <03318> in peace <07965> or <0518> to do battle <04421>, take <08610> them alive <02416>.”
19They <0428> marched out <03318> of <04480> the city <05892> with the servants <05288> of the district <04082> governors <08269> in the lead and the army <02428> behind <0310> them.
20Each one struck down <05221> an enemy soldier <0376> <0376>; the Syrians <0758> fled <05127> and Israel <03478> chased <07291> them. King <04428> Ben Hadad <01130> of Syria <0758> escaped <04422> on <05921> horseback <05483> with some horsemen <06571>.
21Then the king <04428> of Israel <03478> marched <03318> out and struck down <05221> the horses <05483> and chariots <07393>; he thoroughly <04347> defeated <01419> Syria <0758>.
22The prophet <05030> visited <05066> the king <04428> of Israel <03478> and instructed <0559> him, “Go <01980>, fortify <02388> your defenses. Determine <07200> <03045> what <0834> you must do <06213>, for <03588> in the spring <08141> <08666> the king <04428> of Syria <0758> will attack <05921> <05927> you.”
23Now the advisers <05650> of the king <04428> of Syria <0758> said <0559> to him <0413>: “Their God <0430> is a god <0430> of the mountains <02022>. That’s why <03651> they overpowered <04480> <02388> us. But if <0199> we fight <03898> them in <0854> the plains <04334>, we will certainly <03808> <0518> overpower <02388> them <01992>.
24So do <06213> this <02088>: Dismiss <05493> the kings <04428> from their command <01697>, and replace <07760> <04725> them with military commanders <06346>.
25Muster <04487> an army <02428> like the one <02428> you <0859> lost <05307>, with the same number <07393> <05483> of horses <05483> and chariots <07393>. Then we will fight <03898> them in the plains <04334>; we will certainly <03808> <0518> overpower <02388> them <01992>.” He approved <08085> their plan <06963> and did <06213> as they advised <03651>.
26In the spring <08141> <08666> Ben Hadad <01130> mustered <06485> the Syrian <0758> army and marched <05927> to Aphek <0663> to fight <04421> Israel <03478>.
27When the Israelites <03478> <01121> had mustered <06485> and had received their supplies <03557>, they marched out <01980> to face <07125> them in battle <02583>. When the Israelites <03478> <01121> deployed opposite <05048> them, they were like two <08147> small flocks <02835> of goats <05795>, but the Syrians <0758> filled <04390> the land <0776>.
28The prophet <0430> <0376> visited <05066> the king <04428> of Israel <03478> and said <0559>, “This is what <03541> the Lord <03068> says <0559>: ‘Because <0834> <03282> the Syrians <0758> said <0559>, “The Lord <03068> is a god <0430> of the mountains <02022> and not <03808> a god <0430> of the valleys <06010>,” I <01931> will hand over <03027> <05414> to you this <02088> entire <03605> huge <01419> army <01995>. Then you will know <03045> that <03588> I <0589> am the Lord <03068>.’”
29The armies were deployed <02583> opposite <05227> each other <0428> <0428> for seven <07651> days <03117>. On the seventh <07637> day <03117> the battle <04421> began <07126>, and the Israelites <03478> <01121> killed <05221> 100,000 <0505> <03967> Syrian <0758> foot soldiers <07273> in one <0259> day <03117>.
30The remaining <03498> 27,000 <0505> <07651> <06242> ran <05127> to Aphek <0663> and went into <0413> the city <05892>, but the wall <02346> fell <05307> on <05921> them <0376>. Now Ben Hadad <01130> ran <05127> into <0413> the city <05892> and hid <0935> in an inner room <02315> <02315>.
31His advisers <05650> said <0559> to <0413> him, “Look <02009>, we have heard <08085> that <03588> the kings <04428> of the Israelite <03478> dynasty <01004> are kind <02617>. Allow us to put <07760> sackcloth <08242> around our waists <04975> and ropes <02256> on our heads <07218> and surrender <03318> to <0413> the king <04428> of Israel <03478>. Maybe <0194> he will spare <02421> our lives <05315>.”
32So they put <02296> sackcloth <08242> around <02296> their waists <04975> and ropes <02256> on their heads <07218> and went <0935> to <0413> the king <04428> of Israel <03478>. They said <0559>, “Your servant <05650> Ben Hadad <01130> says <0559>, ‘Please <04994> let me live <05315> <02421>!’” Ahab replied <0559>, “Is he still <05750> alive <02416>? He <01931> is my brother <0251>.”
33The men <0376> took <05172> this as a good omen <05172> and quickly <04116> accepted <02480> his offer, saying <0559>, “Ben Hadad <01130> is your brother <0251>.” Ahab then said <0559>, “Go <0935>, get <03947> him.” So Ben Hadad <01130> came out <03318> to <0413> him, and Ahab pulled <05927> him up <05927> into <05921> his chariot <04818>.
34Ben Hadad said <0559>, “I will return <07725> the cities <05892> my father <01> took <03947> from your father <01>. You may set up <07760> markets <02351> in Damascus <01834>, just <0834> as my father <01> did <07760> in Samaria <08111>.” Ahab then said, “I <0589> want to make a treaty <01285> with you before I dismiss <07971> you.” So he made <03772> a treaty <01285> with him and then dismissed <07971> him.
35One <0259> of the members <01121> of the prophetic guild <05030>, speaking <0559> with <0413> divine <03068> authority <01697>, ordered his companion <07453>, “Wound <05221> me!” But the man <0376> refused <03985> to wound <05221> him.
36So the prophet said <0559> to him, “Because <0834> <03282> you have disobeyed <06963> <08085> <03808> the Lord <03068>, as soon as you leave <01980> me a lion <0738> will kill <05221> you.” When he left <0681> <01980> him, a lion <0738> attacked <04672> and killed <05221> him.
37He found <04672> another <0312> man <0376> and said <0559>, “Wound <05221> me!” So the man <0376> wounded <05221> him severely <06481> <05221>.
38The prophet <05030> then went <01980> and stood <05975> by the road <01870>, waiting for <05921> the king <04428>. He also disguised <02664> himself by putting a bandage <0666> down over <05921> his eyes <05869>.
39When <01961> the king <04428> passed by <05674>, he <01931> called out <06817> to <0413> the king <04428>, “Your servant <05650> went out <03318> into the heat <07130> of the battle <04421>, and then a man <0376> turned aside <05493> and brought <0935> me a prisoner <0376>. He told <0559> me, ‘Guard <08104> this <02088> prisoner <0376>. If <0518> he ends up missing <06485> <06485> for <08478> any reason, you will pay <01961> with your life <05315> or <0176> with a talent <03603> of silver <03701>.’
40Well, it just so happened <01961> that while your servant <05650> was doing <06213> this <02008> and that <02008>, he <01931> disappeared <0369>.” The king <04428> of Israel <03478> said <0559> to <0413> him, “Your punishment <04941> is already determined <02782> by your <0859> own testimony.”
41The prophet quickly <04116> removed <05493> the bandage <0666> from <05921> his eyes <05869> and the king <04428> of Israel <03478> recognized <05234> he <01931> was one of the prophets <05030>.
42The prophet then said <0559> to <0413> him, “This is what <03541> the Lord <03068> says <0559>, ‘Because <03282> you released <07971> a man <0376> I had determined should die <02764>, you will pay with <08478> your life <05315> and your people <05971> will suffer instead <08478> of his people <05971>.’”
43The king <04428> of Israel <03478> went <01980> home <01004> to Samaria <08111> bitter <05620> and angry <02198>.