1 porro Benadad rex Syriae congregavit omnem exercitum suum
et triginta et duos reges secum et equos et currus
et ascendens pugnabat contra Samariam et obsidebat eam
2 mittensque nuntios ad Ahab regem Israhel in civitatem
3 ait
haec dicit Benadad
argentum tuum et aurum tuum meum est
et uxores tuae et filii tui optimi mei sunt
4 responditque rex Israhel
iuxta verbum tuum domine mi rex tuus sum ego et omnia mea
5 revertentesque nuntii dixerunt
haec dicit Benadad qui misit nos ad te
argentum tuum et aurum tuum et uxores tuas et filios tuos dabis mihi
6 cras igitur hac eadem hora mittam servos meos ad te
et scrutabuntur domum tuam et domum servorum tuorum
et omne quod eis placuerit ponent in manibus suis et auferent
7 vocavit autem rex Israhel omnes seniores terrae et ait
animadvertite et videte quoniam insidietur nobis
misit enim ad me pro uxoribus meis et filiis
et pro argento et auro et non abnui
8 dixeruntque omnes maiores natu et universus populus ad eum
non audias neque adquiescas illi
9 respondit itaque nuntiis Benadad dicite domino meo regi
omnia propter quae misisti ad me servum tuum initio faciam
hanc autem rem facere non possum
10 reversique nuntii rettulerunt ei
qui remisit et ait haec faciant mihi dii et haec addant
si suffecerit pulvis Samariae pugillis omnis populi qui sequitur
me
11 et respondens rex Israhel ait
dicite ei ne glorietur accinctus aeque ut discinctus
12 factum est autem cum audisset verbum istud
bibebat ipse et reges in umbraculis
et ait servis suis circumdate civitatem
et circumdederunt eam
13 et ecce propheta unus accedens ad Ahab regem Israhel ait
haec dicit Dominus
certe vidisti omnem multitudinem hanc nimiam
ecce ego tradam eam in manu tua hodie
ut scias quia ego sum Dominus
14 et ait Ahab per quem
dixitque ei haec dicit Dominus
per pedisequos principum provinciarum
et ait quis incipiet proeliari
et ille dixit tu
15 recensuit ergo pueros principum provinciarum
et repperit numerum ducentorum triginta duum
et post eos recensuit populum omnes filios Israhel
septem milia
16 et egressi sunt meridie
Benadad autem bibebat temulentus in umbraculo suo
et reges triginta duo cum eo qui ad auxilium eius venerant
17 egressi sunt autem pueri principum provinciarum in prima fronte
misit itaque Benadad qui nuntiaverunt ei dicentes
viri egressi sunt de Samaria
18 at ille sive ait pro pace veniunt adprehendite
eos vivos
sive ut proelientur vivos eos capite
19 egressi sunt ergo pueri principum provinciarum
ac reliquus exercitus sequebatur
20 et percussit unusquisque virum qui contra se venerat
fugeruntque Syri et persecutus est eos Israhel
fugit quoque Benadad rex Syriae in equo cum equitibus
21 nec non et egressus rex Israhel percussit equos et currus
et percussit Syriam plaga magna
22 accedens autem propheta ad regem Israhel dixit ei
vade et confortare et scito et vide quid facias
sequenti enim anno rex Syriae ascendet contra te
23 servi vero regis Syriae dixerunt ei
dii montium sunt dii eorum ideo superaverunt nos
sed melius est ut pugnemus contra eos in campestribus
et obtinebimus eos
24 tu ergo verbum hoc fac
amove reges singulos ab exercitu suo
et pone principes pro eis
25 et instaura numerum militum qui ceciderunt de tuis
et equos secundum equos pristinos
et currus secundum currus quos ante habuisti
et pugnabimus contra eos in campestribus
et videbis quod obtinebimus eos
credidit consilio eorum et fecit ita
26 igitur postquam annus transierat
recensuit Benadad Syros et ascendit in Afec
ut pugnaret contra Israhel
27 porro filii Israhel recensiti sunt
et acceptis cibariis profecti ex adverso
castraque metati contra eos
quasi duo parvi greges caprarum
Syri autem repleverunt terram
28 et accedens unus vir Dei dixit ad regem Israhel
haec dicit Dominus
quia dixerunt Syri deus montium est Dominus et non est deus vallium
dabo omnem multitudinem grandem hanc in manu tua
et scietis quia ego Dominus
29 dirigebant septem diebus ex adverso hii atque
illi acies
septima autem die commissum est bellum
percusseruntque filii Israhel de Syris centum milia peditum in die una
30 fugerunt autem qui remanserant in Afec in civitatem
et cecidit murus super viginti septem milia hominum qui
remanserant
porro Benadad fugiens ingressus est civitatem
in cubiculum quod erat intra cubiculum
31 dixeruntque ei servi sui
ecce audivimus quod reges domus Israhel clementes sint
ponamus itaque saccos in lumbis nostris
et funiculos in capitibus nostris
et egrediamur ad regem Israhel
forsitan salvabit animas nostras
32 accinxerunt saccis lumbos suos
et posuerunt funes in capitibus
veneruntque ad regem Israhel et dixerunt
servus tuus Benadad dicit vivat oro te anima mea
et ille ait si adhuc vivit frater meus est
33 quod acceperunt viri pro omine
et festinantes rapuerunt verbum ex ore eius atque dixerunt
frater tuus Benadad
et dixit eis ite et adducite eum
egressus est ergo ad eum Benadad
et levavit eum in currum suum
34 qui dixit ei civitates quas tulit pater meus a patre tuo reddam
et plateas fac tibi in Damasco sicut fecit pater meus in Samaria
et ego foederatus recedam a te
pepigit ergo foedus et dimisit eum
35 tunc vir quidam de filiis prophetarum
dixit ad socium suum in sermone Domini percute me
at ille noluit percutere
36 cui ait quia noluisti audire vocem Domini
ecce recedes a me et percutiet te leo
cumque paululum recessisset ab eo invenit eum leo atque percussit
37 sed et alterum conveniens virum
dixit ad eum percute me
qui percussit eum et vulneravit
38 abiit ergo propheta et occurrit regi in via
et mutavit aspersione pulveris os et oculos suos
39 cumque rex transiret clamavit ad regem et ait
servus tuus egressus est ad proeliandum comminus
cumque fugisset vir unus adduxit eum quidam ad me et ait
custodi virum istum
qui si lapsus fuerit erit anima tua pro anima eius
aut talentum argenti adpendes
40 dum autem ego turbatus huc illucque me verterem
subito non conparuit
et ait rex Israhel ad eum
hoc est iudicium tuum quod ipse decrevisti
41 at ille statim abstersit pulverem de facie sua
et cognovit eum rex Israhel quod esset de prophetis
42 qui ait ad eum haec dicit Dominus
quia dimisisti virum dignum morte de manu tua
erit anima tua pro anima eius
et populus tuus pro populo eius
43 reversus est igitur rex Israhel in domum suam
audire contemnens et furibundus venit Samariam
1 And Ben-hadad the king of Syria gathered all his host together: and there were thirty and two kings with him, and horses, and chariots: and he went up and besieged Samaria, and warred against it. 2 And he sent messengers to Ahab king of Israel into the city, and said unto him, Thus saith Ben-hadad, 3 Thy silver and thy gold is mine; thy wives also and thy children, even the goodliest, are mine. 4 And the king of Israel answered and said, My lord, O king, according to thy saying, I am thine, and all that I have. 5 And the messengers came again, and said, Thus speaketh Ben-hadad, saying, Although I have sent unto thee, saying, Thou shalt deliver me thy silver, and thy gold, and thy wives, and thy children; 6 Yet I will send my servants unto thee to morrow about this time, and they shall search thine house, and the houses of thy servants; and it shall be, that whatsoever is pleasant in thine eyes, they shall put it in their hand, and take it away. 7 Then the king of Israel called all the elders of the land, and said, Mark, I pray you, and see how this man seeketh mischief: for he sent unto me for my wives, and for my children, and for my silver, and for my gold; and I denied him not. 8 And all the elders and all the people said unto him, Hearken not unto him , nor consent. 9 Wherefore he said unto the messengers of Ben-hadad, Tell my lord the king, All that thou didst send for to thy servant at the first I will do: but this thing I may not do. And the messengers departed, and brought him word again. 10 And Ben-hadad sent unto him, and said, The gods do so unto me, and more also, if the dust of Samaria shall suffice for handfuls for all the people that follow me. 11 And the king of Israel answered and said, Tell him , Let not him that girdeth on his harness boast himself as he that putteth it off.
12 And it came to pass, when Ben-hadad heard this message, as he was drinking, he and the kings in the pavilions, that he said unto his servants, Set yourselves in array . And they set themselves in array against the city.
13 ¶ And, behold, there came a prophet unto Ahab king of Israel, saying, Thus saith the LORD, Hast thou seen all this great multitude? behold, I will deliver it into thine hand this day; and thou shalt know that I am the LORD. 14 And Ahab said, By whom? And he said, Thus saith the LORD, Even by the young men of the princes of the provinces. Then he said, Who shall order the battle? And he answered, Thou. 15 Then he numbered the young men of the princes of the provinces, and they were two hundred and thirty two: and after them he numbered all the people, even all the children of Israel, being seven thousand. 16 And they went out at noon. But Ben-hadad was drinking himself drunk in the pavilions, he and the kings, the thirty and two kings that helped him. 17 And the young men of the princes of the provinces went out first; and Ben-hadad sent out, and they told him, saying, There are men come out of Samaria. 18 And he said, Whether they be come out for peace, take them alive; or whether they be come out for war, take them alive. 19 So these young men of the princes of the provinces came out of the city, and the army which followed them. 20 And they slew every one his man: and the Syrians fled; and Israel pursued them: and Ben-hadad the king of Syria escaped on an horse with the horsemen. 21 And the king of Israel went out, and smote the horses and chariots, and slew the Syrians with a great slaughter.
22 ¶ And the prophet came to the king of Israel, and said unto him, Go, strengthen thyself, and mark, and see what thou doest: for at the return of the year the king of Syria will come up against thee. 23 And the servants of the king of Syria said unto him, Their gods are gods of the hills; therefore they were stronger than we; but let us fight against them in the plain, and surely we shall be stronger than they. 24 And do this thing, Take the kings away, every man out of his place, and put captains in their rooms: 25 And number thee an army, like the army that thou hast lost, horse for horse, and chariot for chariot: and we will fight against them in the plain, and surely we shall be stronger than they. And he hearkened unto their voice, and did so. 26 And it came to pass at the return of the year, that Ben-hadad numbered the Syrians, and went up to Aphek, to fight against Israel. 27 And the children of Israel were numbered, and were all present, and went against them: and the children of Israel pitched before them like two little flocks of kids; but the Syrians filled the country.
28 ¶ And there came a man of God, and spake unto the king of Israel, and said, Thus saith the LORD, Because the Syrians have said, The LORD is God of the hills, but he is not God of the valleys, therefore will I deliver all this great multitude into thine hand, and ye shall know that I am the LORD. 29 And they pitched one over against the other seven days. And so it was, that in the seventh day the battle was joined: and the children of Israel slew of the Syrians an hundred thousand footmen in one day. 30 But the rest fled to Aphek, into the city; and there a wall fell upon twenty and seven thousand of the men that were left. And Ben-hadad fled, and came into the city, into an inner chamber.
31 ¶ And his servants said unto him, Behold now, we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful kings: let us, I pray thee, put sackcloth on our loins, and ropes upon our heads, and go out to the king of Israel: peradventure he will save thy life. 32 So they girded sackcloth on their loins, and put ropes on their heads, and came to the king of Israel, and said, Thy servant Ben-hadad saith, I pray thee, let me live. And he said, Is he yet alive? he is my brother. 33 Now the men did diligently observe whether any thing would come from him, and did hastily catch it: and they said, Thy brother Ben-hadad. Then he said, Go ye, bring him. Then Ben-hadad came forth to him; and he caused him to come up into the chariot. 34 And Ben-hadad said unto him, The cities, which my father took from thy father, I will restore; and thou shalt make streets for thee in Damascus, as my father made in Samaria. Then said Ahab , I will send thee away with this covenant. So he made a covenant with him, and sent him away.
35 ¶ And a certain man of the sons of the prophets said unto his neighbour in the word of the LORD, Smite me, I pray thee. And the man refused to smite him. 36 Then said he unto him, Because thou hast not obeyed the voice of the LORD, behold, as soon as thou art departed from me, a lion shall slay thee. And as soon as he was departed from him, a lion found him, and slew him. 37 Then he found another man, and said, Smite me, I pray thee. And the man smote him, so that in smiting he wounded him . 38 So the prophet departed, and waited for the king by the way, and disguised himself with ashes upon his face. 39 And as the king passed by, he cried unto the king: and he said, Thy servant went out into the midst of the battle; and, behold, a man turned aside, and brought a man unto me, and said, Keep this man: if by any means he be missing, then shall thy life be for his life, or else thou shalt pay a talent of silver. 40 And as thy servant was busy here and there, he was gone. And the king of Israel said unto him, So shall thy judgment be; thyself hast decided it . 41 And he hasted, and took the ashes away from his face; and the king of Israel discerned him that he was of the prophets. 42 And he said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Because thou hast let go out of thy hand a man whom I appointed to utter destruction, therefore thy life shall go for his life, and thy people for his people. 43 And the king of Israel went to his house heavy and displeased, and came to Samaria.