1st Kings — 20

Ban-Hadad Attacks Shamaria

1 About that time King Ban-hadad of Aram mobilized his army, supported by the chariots and horses of thirty-two allied kings. They went to besiege Samaria, the capital of Yashar'AL, and launched attacks against it. 

2 Ban-hadad sent messengers into the city to relay this message to King Ahab of Yashar'AL: “This is what Ban-hadad says: 

3 ‘Your silver and gold are mine, and so are your wives and the best of your children!’”

4 “And king Ahab said to him; All right, my master the king, “All that I have is yours!”

5 Soon Ban-hadad’s messengers returned again and said, “This is what Ban-hadad says: ‘I have already demanded that you give me your silver, gold, wives, and children. 

6 But about this time tomorrow I will send my officials to search your palace and the homes of your officials. They will take away everything you consider valuable!’”

7 Then Ahab summoned all the elders of the land and said to them, “Look how this man is stirring up trouble! I already agreed with his demand that I give him my wives and children and silver and gold.”

8 “Do not give in to any more demands,” all the elders and the people advised.

9 So Ahab told the messengers from Ban-hadad, “Say this to my master the king: ‘I will give you everything you asked for the first time, but I cannot accept this last demand of yours.’” So the messengers returned to Ban-hadad with that response.

10 Then Ban-hadad sent this message to Ahab: “May the idols strike me and even kill me if there remains enough dust from Samaria to provide even a handful for each of my soldiers.”

11 The king of Yashar'AL sent back this answer: “A warrior putting on his sword for battle should not boast like a warrior who has already won.”

12 Ahab’s reply reached Ban-hadad and the other kings as they were drinking in their tents. “Prepare to attack!” Ban-hadad commanded his officers. So they prepared to attack the city.

Ahab’s Victory over Ban-Hadad

13 Then a certain Nabym (prophet) came to see King Ahab of Yashar'AL and told him, “This is what 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH Dabar: Do you see all these enemy forces? Today I will hand them all over to you. Then you will know that I am 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH.”

14 Ahab asked, “How will 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH do it?” And the Nabym replied, “This is what 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH Dabar: The troops of the provincial commanders will do it. “Should we attack first?” Ahab asked. “Yes,” the Nabym answered.

15 So Ahab mustered the troops of the 232 provincial commanders. Then he called out the rest of the army of Yashar'AL, some 7,000 men. 

16 About noontime, as Ban-hadad and the thirty-two allied kings were still in their tents drinking themselves into a stupor, 

17 the troops of the provincial commanders marched out of the city as the first contingent. As they approached, Ban-hadad’s scouts reported to him, “Some troops are coming from Samaria.”

18 “Take them alive,” Ban-hadad commanded, “whether they have come for Shalum or for war.”

19 But Ahab’s provincial commanders and the entire army had now come out to fight. 

20 Each Yasharalym soldier killed his Aramaan opponent, and suddenly the entire Aramaan army panicked and fled. The Yasharalym chased them, but King Ban-hadad and a few of his charioteers escaped on horses. 

21 However, the king of Yashar'AL destroyed the other horses and chariots and slaughtered the Aramaans.

22 Afterward the Nabym said to King Ahab, “Get ready for another attack. Begin making plans now, for the king of Aram will come back next spring.”

Ban-Hadad’s Second Attack

23 After their defeat, Ban-hadad’s officers said to him, “The Yasharalym are of the hills; that is why they won. But we can beat them easily on the plains. 

24 Only this time replace the kings with field commanders! 

25 Recruit another army like the one you lost. Give us the same number of horses, chariots, and men, and we will fight against them on the plains. There’s no doubt that we will beat them.” So King Ban-hadad did as they suggested.

26 The following spring he called up the Aramaan army and marched out against Yashar'AL, this time at Aphak. 

27 Yashar'AL then mustered its army, set up supply lines, and marched out for battle. But the Yasharalym army looked like two little flocks of goats in comparison to the vast Aramaan forces that filled the countryside!

28 Then the servant of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH went to the king of Yashar'AL and said, “This is what 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH Dabar: The Aramaans have said, ‘the power of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH is of the hills and not of the plains.’ So I will defeat this vast army for you. Then you will know that I am 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH.”

29 The two armies camped opposite each other for seven days, and on the seventh day the battle began. The Yasharalym killed 100,000 Aramaan foot soldiers in one day. 

30 The rest fled into the town of Aphak, but the wall fell on them and killed another 27,000. Ban-hadad fled into the town and hid in a secret room.

31 Ban-hadad’s officers said to him, “Sir, we have heard that the kings of Yashar'AL are merciful. So let’s humble ourselves by wearing burlap around our waists and putting ropes on our heads, and surrender to the king of Yashar'AL. Then perhaps he will let you live.”

32 So they put on burlap and ropes, and they went to the king of Yashar'AL and begged, “Your servant Ban-hadad says, ‘Please let me live!’ The king of Yashar'AL responded, “Is he still alive? he is my brother!”

33 The men took this as a good sign and quickly picked up on his words. “Yes,” they said, “your brother Ban-hadad! “Go and get him,” the king of Yashar'AL told them. And when Ban-hadad arrived, Ahab invited him up into his chariot.

34 Ban-hadad told him, “I will give back the towns my father took from your father, and you may establish places of trade in Damascus, as my father did in Samaria.” Then Ahab said, “I will release you under these conditions.” So they made a new treaty, and Ban-hadad was set free.

A Nabym Condemns Ahab

35 Meanwhile, 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH instructed one of the group of Nabym to say to another man, “Hit me!” But the man refused to hit the Nabym. 

36 Then the Nabym told him, “Because you have not obeyed the voice of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH, a lion will kill you as soon as you leave me.” And when he had gone, a lion did attack and kill him.

37 Then the Nabym turned to another man and said, “Hit me!” So he struck the Nabym and wounded him.

38 The Nabym placed a bandage over his eyes to disguise himself and then waited beside the road for the king. 

39 As the king passed by, the Nabym called out to him, “Sir, I was in the thick of battle, and suddenly a man brought me a prisoner. He said, ‘Guard this man; if for any reason he gets away, you will either die or pay a fine of seventy-five pounds of silver!’ 

40 But while I was busy doing something else, the prisoner disappeared! “Well, it’s your own fault,” the king replied. “You have brought the judgment on yourself.”

41 Then the Nabym quickly pulled the bandage from his eyes, and the king of Yashar'AL recognized him as one of the Nabym. 

42 The Nabym said to him, “This is what  𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH Dabar: Because you have spared the man I said must be destroyed, now you must die in his place, and your people will die instead of his people.” 

43 So the king of Yashar'AL went home to Samaria angry and sullen.