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1 Kings 20
Expanded Bible
1 Kings 20
Expanded Bible
Ben-Hadad and Ahab Go to War
20 Ben-Hadad king of Aram ·gathered together [mobilized; mustered] all his army. There were thirty-two kings with their horses and chariots who went with him and ·surrounded [besieged] Samaria and attacked it. 2 The king sent messengers into the city to Ahab king of Israel.
This was his message: “Ben-Hadad says, 3 ‘Your silver and gold ·belong to me [are mine], as well as the best of your wives and children.’”
4 Ahab king of Israel answered, “My ·master [lord] and king, ·I agree to what you say [L it is as you say/according to your word]. I and everything I have ·belong to you [are yours].”
5 Then the messengers came to Ahab again. They said, “Ben-Hadad says, ‘I told you before that you must give me your silver and gold, your wives and your children. 6 About this time tomorrow I will send my ·men [officials; servants], who will search everywhere in your ·palace [L house] and in the homes of your ·officers [officials; servants]. Whatever ·they want [or you value] they will take and carry off.’”
7 Then Ahab called a meeting of all the elders of his country. He said, “Ben-Hadad is looking for trouble. First he said I had to give him my wives, my children, my silver, and my gold, and I have not refused him.”
8 The elders and all the people said, “Don’t listen to him or ·agree to this [consent].”
9 So Ahab said to Ben-Hadad’s messengers, “Tell my ·master [lord] the king: ‘I will do what you said at first, but ·I cannot allow this second command [this thing I cannot do].’” And King Ben-Hadad’s men carried the message back to him.
10 Then Ben-Hadad sent another message to Ahab: “May the gods ·punish me terribly [deal severely with me, and worse; L do to me, and even more] if I don’t completely destroy Samaria. There won’t be enough left for each of my men to get a handful of dust!”
11 Ahab answered, “Tell Ben-Hadad, ‘·The man who puts on his armor should not brag. It’s the man who lives to take it off who has the right to brag [L Let not him who puts on boast like him who takes off; C that is, boast only after victory in battle, not before].’”
12 Ben-Hadad was drinking in his tent with the ·other rulers [kings] when the message came from Ahab. Ben-Hadad commanded his men to prepare to attack the city, and they ·moved into place for battle [took their positions].
13 At the same time a prophet came to Ahab king of Israel. The prophet said, “Ahab, ·the Lord says to you [T thus says the Lord], ‘Do you see that ·big army [L great multitude]? I will hand it over to you today so you will know I am the Lord.’ ”
14 Ahab asked, “·Who will you use to defeat them [By what means; L By whom]?”
The prophet answered, “·The Lord says [T Thus says the Lord], ‘The young officers of the ·district governors [provincial commanders] will defeat them.’”
Then the king asked, “Who will ·command the main army [or attack first; begin the battle]?”
The prophet answered, “You will.”
15 So Ahab ·gathered [summoned; mustered] the young officers of the ·district governors [provincial commanders], two hundred thirty-two of them. Then he called together the ·army [L sons] of Israel, about seven thousand people in all.
16 They marched out at noon, while Ben-Hadad and the thirty-two ·rulers [kings] helping him were getting drunk in their tents. 17 The young officers of the ·district governors [provincial commanders] attacked first. Ben-Hadad sent out scouts who told him that soldiers were coming from Samaria. 18 Ben-Hadad said, “They may be coming to fight, or they may be coming to ask for peace. In either case capture them alive.”
19 The young officers of the ·district governors [provincial commanders] ·led the attack [went out from the city], followed by the army of Israel. 20 Each officer of Israel killed the man who came against him. The men from Aram ran away as Israel chased them, but Ben-Hadad king of Aram escaped on a horse with some of his ·horsemen [cavalry; charioteers]. 21 Ahab king of Israel ·led the army [L went out] and destroyed the horses and chariots and slaughtered the Arameans.
22 Then the prophet went to Ahab king of Israel and said, “The king of Aram will attack you again ·next spring [L at the turn of the year]. So go home now and strengthen ·your army [L yourself] and see what you need to do.”
23 Meanwhile the officers of Ben-Hadad king of Aram said to him, “The gods of Israel are mountain gods, so they were stronger. Let’s fight them on the ·flat land [plain], and then we will ·win [be stronger]. 24 This is what you should do. ·Don’t allow the thirty-two rulers to command the armies, but [L Remove the kings from their place/commands, and] put other commanders in their places. 25 ·Gather [Recruit; Raise; Muster] an army like the one ·that was destroyed and as many horses and chariots as before [L you lost, horse for horse and chariot for chariot]. We will fight the Israelites on ·flat land [the plain], and then we will ·win [be stronger].” Ben-Hadad ·agreed with their advice [L heeded their voice] and did what they said.
26 ·The next spring [L At the turn of the year] Ben-Hadad ·gathered [mustered] the army of Aram and went up to Aphek to fight against Israel.
27 The ·Israelites [L sons/T children of Israel] also had ·prepared for war [mustered and gathered provisions]. They marched out to meet the Arameans and camped opposite them. The Israelites looked like two small flocks of goats, but the Arameans covered the ·area [countryside].
28 A man of God came to the king of Israel with this message: “·The Lord says [T Thus says the Lord], ‘The people of Aram say that I, the Lord, am a god of the mountains, not a god of the ·valleys [plains]. So I will ·allow you to defeat this huge army [L give this great multitude into your hands], and then you will know I am the Lord.’”
29 The armies were camped across from each other for seven days. On the seventh day the battle began. The ·Israelites [L sons of Israel] ·killed [slaughtered] one hundred thousand Aramean soldiers in one day. 30 The rest of them ran away to the city of Aphek, where a city wall fell on twenty-seven thousand of them. Ben-Hadad also ran away to the city and hid in a room.
31 His ·officers [officials; L servants] said to him, “We have heard that the kings of Israel are ·trustworthy [merciful]. Let’s dress in ·rough cloth [sackcloth; burlap; C indicating sorrow], and wear ropes on our heads. Then we will go to the king of Israel, and perhaps he will ·let you live [spare your life].”
32 So they dressed in ·rough cloth [sackcloth; burlap] and wore ropes on their heads and went to the king of Israel. They said, “Your servant Ben-Hadad says, ‘Please ·let me live [spare my life].’”
Ahab answered, “Is he still alive? He is my brother.”
33 Ben-Hadad’s men ·had wanted a sign from Ahab [took this as a good sign]. They quickly ·caught [picked up on] his word, “Yes! Ben-Hadad is your brother.”
Ahab said, “Bring him to me.” When Ben-Hadad came, Ahab asked him to join him in the chariot.
34 Ben-Hadad said to him, “Ahab, I will ·give you back [restore] the cities my father took from your father. And you may ·put shops [establish bazaars/markets/trading areas] in Damascus, as my father did in Samaria.”
Ahab said, “If you ·agree [covenant] to this, I will allow you to go free.” So the two kings made a ·peace agreement [covenant; treaty]. Then Ahab let Ben-Hadad go free.
A Prophet Speaks Against Ahab
35 One ·prophet from one of the groups of prophets [L of the sons of the prophets] told another, “Hit me!” He said this ·because the Lord had commanded it [by the word of the Lord], but the other man refused. 36 The prophet said, “You did not obey the ·Lord’s command [L voice of the Lord], so a lion will kill you as soon as you leave me.” When the man left, a lion found him and killed him.
37 The prophet went to another man and said, “Hit me, please!” So the man hit him and hurt him. 38 The prophet ·wrapped his face in a cloth [placed a bandage over his eyes; C to disguise himself]. Then he went and waited by the road for the king. 39 As Ahab king of Israel passed by, the prophet called out to him. “I went to fight in the battle,” the prophet said. “One of our men brought an ·enemy soldier [L man] to me. Our man said, ‘Guard this man. If he ·runs away [is missing], ·you will have to give your life in his place [L it will be your life for his life]. Or, you will have to pay a ·fine of seventy-five pounds [L talent] of silver.’ 40 But I was busy doing other things, so the man ran away.”
The king of Israel answered, “That is your ·sentence [judgment]. You have ·already said what the punishment is [pronounced it yourself].
41 Then the prophet quickly took the ·cloth from his face [bandage from his eyes]. When the king of Israel saw him, he knew he was one of the prophets. 42 The prophet said to the king, “·This is what the Lord says [T Thus says the Lord]: ‘You freed the man I ·said should die [L had devoted to destruction], so your life will be ·taken instead of his [for his life]. ·The lives of your people will also be taken instead of the lives of […and your people for] his people.’”
43 Then King Ahab went back to his palace in Samaria, ·angry and upset [resentful and sullen].
1 Kings 20
New International Version
1 Kings 20
New International Version
Ben-Hadad Attacks Samaria
20 Now Ben-Hadad(A) king of Aram mustered his entire army. Accompanied by thirty-two kings with their horses and chariots, he went up and besieged Samaria(B) and attacked it. 2 He sent messengers into the city to Ahab king of Israel, saying, “This is what Ben-Hadad says: 3 ‘Your silver and gold are mine, and the best of your wives and children are mine.’”
4 The king of Israel answered, “Just as you say, my lord the king. I and all I have are yours.”
5 The messengers came again and said, “This is what Ben-Hadad says: ‘I sent to demand your silver and gold, your wives and your children. 6 But about this time tomorrow I am going to send my officials to search your palace and the houses of your officials. They will seize everything you value and carry it away.’”
7 The king of Israel summoned all the elders(C) of the land and said to them, “See how this man is looking for trouble!(D) When he sent for my wives and my children, my silver and my gold, I did not refuse him.”
8 The elders and the people all answered, “Don’t listen to him or agree to his demands.”
9 So he replied to Ben-Hadad’s messengers, “Tell my lord the king, ‘Your servant will do all you demanded the first time, but this demand I cannot meet.’” They left and took the answer back to Ben-Hadad.
10 Then Ben-Hadad sent another message to Ahab: “May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if enough dust(E) remains in Samaria to give each of my men a handful.”
11 The king of Israel answered, “Tell him: ‘One who puts on his armor should not boast(F) like one who takes it off.’”
12 Ben-Hadad heard this message while he and the kings were drinking(G) in their tents,[a] and he ordered his men: “Prepare to attack.” So they prepared to attack the city.
Ahab Defeats Ben-Hadad
13 Meanwhile a prophet(H) came to Ahab king of Israel and announced, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Do you see this vast army? I will give it into your hand today, and then you will know(I) that I am the Lord.’”
14 “But who will do this?” asked Ahab.
The prophet replied, “This is what the Lord says: ‘The junior officers under the provincial commanders will do it.’”
“And who will start(J) the battle?” he asked.
The prophet answered, “You will.”
15 So Ahab summoned the 232 junior officers under the provincial commanders. Then he assembled the rest of the Israelites, 7,000 in all. 16 They set out at noon while Ben-Hadad and the 32 kings allied with him were in their tents getting drunk.(K) 17 The junior officers under the provincial commanders went out first.
Now Ben-Hadad had dispatched scouts, who reported, “Men are advancing from Samaria.”
18 He said, “If they have come out for peace, take them alive; if they have come out for war, take them alive.”
19 The junior officers under the provincial commanders marched out of the city with the army behind them 20 and each one struck down his opponent. At that, the Arameans fled, with the Israelites in pursuit. But Ben-Hadad king of Aram escaped on horseback with some of his horsemen. 21 The king of Israel advanced and overpowered the horses and chariots and inflicted heavy losses on the Arameans.
22 Afterward, the prophet(L) came to the king of Israel and said, “Strengthen your position and see what must be done, because next spring(M) the king of Aram will attack you again.”
23 Meanwhile, the officials of the king of Aram advised him, “Their gods are gods(N) of the hills. That is why they were too strong for us. But if we fight them on the plains, surely we will be stronger than they. 24 Do this: Remove all the kings from their commands and replace them with other officers. 25 You must also raise an army like the one you lost—horse for horse and chariot for chariot—so we can fight Israel on the plains. Then surely we will be stronger than they.” He agreed with them and acted accordingly.
26 The next spring(O) Ben-Hadad mustered the Arameans and went up to Aphek(P) to fight against Israel. 27 When the Israelites were also mustered and given provisions, they marched out to meet them. The Israelites camped opposite them like two small flocks of goats, while the Arameans covered the countryside.(Q)
28 The man of God came up and told the king of Israel, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Because the Arameans think the Lord is a god of the hills and not a god(R) of the valleys, I will deliver this vast army into your hands, and you will know(S) that I am the Lord.’”
29 For seven days they camped opposite each other, and on the seventh day the battle was joined. The Israelites inflicted a hundred thousand casualties on the Aramean foot soldiers in one day. 30 The rest of them escaped to the city of Aphek,(T) where the wall collapsed(U) on twenty-seven thousand of them. And Ben-Hadad fled to the city and hid(V) in an inner room.
31 His officials said to him, “Look, we have heard that the kings of Israel are merciful.(W) Let us go to the king of Israel with sackcloth(X) around our waists and ropes around our heads. Perhaps he will spare your life.”
32 Wearing sackcloth around their waists and ropes around their heads, they went to the king of Israel and said, “Your servant Ben-Hadad says: ‘Please let me live.’”
The king answered, “Is he still alive? He is my brother.”
33 The men took this as a good sign and were quick to pick up his word. “Yes, your brother Ben-Hadad!” they said.
“Go and get him,” the king said. When Ben-Hadad came out, Ahab had him come up into his chariot.
34 “I will return the cities(Y) my father took from your father,” Ben-Hadad(Z) offered. “You may set up your own market areas(AA) in Damascus,(AB) as my father did in Samaria.”
Ahab said, “On the basis of a treaty(AC) I will set you free.” So he made a treaty with him, and let him go.
A Prophet Condemns Ahab
35 By the word of the Lord one of the company of the prophets(AD) said to his companion, “Strike me with your weapon,” but he refused.(AE)
36 So the prophet said, “Because you have not obeyed the Lord, as soon as you leave me a lion(AF) will kill you.” And after the man went away, a lion found him and killed him.
37 The prophet found another man and said, “Strike me, please.” So the man struck him and wounded him. 38 Then the prophet went and stood by the road waiting for the king. He disguised himself with his headband down over his eyes. 39 As the king passed by, the prophet called out to him, “Your servant went into the thick of the battle, and someone came to me with a captive and said, ‘Guard this man. If he is missing, it will be your life for his life,(AG) or you must pay a talent[b] of silver.’ 40 While your servant was busy here and there, the man disappeared.”
“That is your sentence,”(AH) the king of Israel said. “You have pronounced it yourself.”
41 Then the prophet quickly removed the headband from his eyes, and the king of Israel recognized him as one of the prophets. 42 He said to the king, “This is what the Lord says: ‘You(AI) have set free a man I had determined should die.[c](AJ) Therefore it is your life for his life,(AK) your people for his people.’” 43 Sullen and angry,(AL) the king of Israel went to his palace in Samaria.
Footnotes
- 1 Kings 20:12 Or in Sukkoth; also in verse 16
- 1 Kings 20:39 That is, about 75 pounds or about 34 kilograms
- 1 Kings 20:42 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them.
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