Ben-hadad, not content with Ahab's homage, besiegeth Samaria.

1 ¶ And Benhadadº the kingº of Syriaº gathered¹ª all his host¹ together:ºª²²² and [there were] thirtyº and twoº kingsº with² him, and horses,º and chariots:º and he went upºª and besiegedºª² Samaria,º and warredºª against it. 2 And he sentºª messengersº to² Ahabº kingº of Israelº into the city,º and saidºª unto him, Thus² saithºª Benhadad,º 3 Thy silverº and thy goldº [is] mine; thy wivesº also and thy children,º [even] the goodliest,º [are] mine. 4 And the kingº of Israelº answeredºª and said,ºª My lord,º O king,º according to thy saying,º I² [am] thine, and all² that² I have. 5 And the messengersº came again,ºª and said,ºª Thus² speakethºª Benhadad,º saying,ºª Although² I have sentºª unto² thee, saying,ºª Thou shalt deliverºª me thy silver,º and thy gold,º and thy wives,º and thy children;º 6 Yet² I will sendºª² my servantsº unto² thee to morrowº about² this time,º and they shall searchºª² thine house,º and the housesº of thy servants;º and it shall be,ºª [that] whatsoever² is pleasantº in thine eyes,º they shall putºª [it] in their hand,º and take [it] away.ºª 7 Then the kingº of Israelº calledºª all² the eldersº of the land,º and said,ºª Mark,ºª I pray you,² and seeºª how² this² [man] seekethºª mischief:º for² he sentºª unto² me for my wives,º and for my children,º and for my silver,º and for my gold;º and I deniedºª² him not.² 8 And all² the eldersº and all² the peopleº saidºª unto² him, Hearkenºª not² [unto him], nor² consent.ºª 9 Wherefore he saidºª unto the messengersº of Benhadad,º Tellºª my lordº the king,º All² that² thou didst sendºª for to² thy servantº at the firstº I will do:ºª but this² thingº I mayºª not² do.ºª And the messengersº departed,¹ª² and broughtºª him wordº again.¹ª 10 And Benhadadº sentºª unto² him, and said,ºª The godsº do² so¹ª² unto me, and more² also,¹ª² if² the dustº of Samariaº shall sufficeºª for handfulsº for all² the peopleº that² followº me. 11 And the kingº of Israelº answeredºª and said,ºª Tellºª [him], Let not² him that girdethºª on [his harness] boast¹ª himself² as he that putteth it off.ºª 12 And it came to pass,² when [Benhadad] heardºª² this² message,º as he² [was] drinking,ºª he² and the kingsº in the pavilions,º that he saidºª unto² his servants,º Setºª [yourselves in array]. And they setºª [themselves in array] against² the city.º

By the direction of a prophet, the Syrians are slain.

13 ¶ And, behold,² there cameºª aº prophetº unto² Ahabº kingº of Israel,º saying,ºª Thus² saithºª the LORD,º Hast thou seenºª² all² this² greatº multitude?º behold,² I will deliverºª it into thine handº this day;º and thou shalt knowºª that² I² [am] the LORD.º 14 And Ahabº said,ºª By whom?² And he said,ºª Thus² saithºª the LORD,º [Even] by the young menº of the princesº of the provinces.º Then he said,ºª Who² shall orderºª the battle?º And he answered,ºª Thou.² 15 Then he numberedºª² the young menº of the princesº of the provinces,º and they were² two¹ hundredº and thirtyº two:º and afterº them he numberedºª² all² the people,º [even] all² the childrenº of Israel,º [being] sevenº thousand.º 16 And they went outºª at noon.º But Benhadadº [was] drinkingºª himself drunkº in the pavilions,º he² and the kings,º the thirtyº and twoº kingsº that helpedºª him. 17 And the young menº of the princesº of the provincesº went outºª first;º and Benhadadº sent out,ºª and they toldºª him, saying,ºª There are men¹² come outºª of Samaria.º² 18 And he said,ºª Whether² they be come outºª for peace,º takeºª them alive;º or whether² they be come outºª for war,º takeºª them alive.º 19 So these² young menº of the princesº of the provincesº came outºª of² the city,º and the armyº which² followedº them. 20 And they slewºª every oneº his man:º and the Syriansº fled;ºª and Israelº pursuedºª them: and Benhadadº the kingº of Syriaº escapedºª on² an horseº with the horsemen.º 21 And the kingº of Israelº went out,ºª and smoteºª² the horsesº and chariots,º and slewºª the Syriansº with a greatº slaughter.º

As the prophet forewarned Ahab, the Syrians, trusting in the valleys, come against him in Aphek.

22 ¶ And the prophetº cameºª to² the kingº of Israel,º and saidºª unto him, Go,¹ª² strengthen¹ª thyself,² and mark,ºª and seeºª² what² thou doest:ºª for² at the returnº of the yearº the kingº of Syriaº will come upºª against² thee. 23 And the servantsº of the kingº of Syriaº saidºª unto² him, Their godsº [are] godsº of the hills;º therefore²² they were strongerºª than² we; butº let us fightºª against² them in the plain,º and surely¹² we shall be strongerºª² than² they. 24 And doºª this² thing,º Take¹ª the kings¹ away,²² every manº out of his place,º² and putºª captainsº in their rooms:² 25 And numberºª² thee an army,º like the armyº that thou hast lost,ºª²² horseº for horse,º and chariotº for chariot:º and we will fight¹ª against¹² them in the plain,º [and] surely²² we shall be strongerºª than² they. And he hearkenedºª unto their voice,º and did² so.¹ª² 26 And it came to pass² at the returnº of the year,º that Benhadadº numberedºª² the Syrians,º and went upºª to Aphek,º to fightº against² Israel.º 27 And the childrenº of Israelº were numbered,ºª and were all present,ºª and went¹ª² against¹ª² them: and the childrenº of Israelº pitchedºª before² them like twoº little flocksº of kids;º but the Syriansº filledºª² the country.º

By the word of the prophet, and God's judgment, the Syrians are smitten again.

28 ¶ And there cameºª a manº of God,º and spakeºª unto² the kingº of Israel,º and said,ºª Thus² saithºª the LORD,º Because²² the Syriansº have said,ºª The LORDº [is] Godº of the hills,º but he² [is] not² Godº of the valleys,º therefore will I deliverºª² all² this² greatº multitudeº into thine hand,º and ye shall knowºª that² I² [am] the LORD.º 29 And they pitchedºª oneº over againstº the otherº sevenº days.º And [so] it was,² that in the seventhº dayº the battleº was joined:ºª and the childrenº of Israelº slewºª of² the Syriansº an hundredº thousandº footmenº in oneº day.º 30 But the restºª fledºª to Aphek,º into² the city;º and [there] a wallº fellºª upon² twentyº and sevenº thousandº of the menº [that were] left.ºª And Benhadadº fled,ºª and cameºª into² the city,º into an inner¹ chamber.º

The Syrians, submitting themselves, Ahab sendeth Ben-hadad away with a covenant.

31 ¶ And his servantsº saidºª unto² him, Behold² now,² we have heardºª that² the kingsº of the houseº of Israelº [are] mercifulº kings:º let us, I pray thee,² putºª sackclothº on our loins,º and ropesº upon our heads,º and go outºª to² the kingº of Israel:º peradventure² he will saveºª² thy life.º 32 So they girdedºª sackclothº on their loins,º and [put] ropesº on their heads,º and cameºª to² the kingº of Israel,º and said,ºª Thy servantº Benhadadº saith,ºª I pray thee,² let me² live.ºª¹ And he said,ºª [Is] he yet² alive?º he² [is] my brother.º 33 Now the men¹² did diligently observeºª whether [any thing would come] from² him, and did hastilyºª catchºª [it]: and they said,ºª Thy brotherº Benhadad.º Then he said,ºª Goºª ye, bringºª him. Then Benhadadº came forthºª to² him; and he caused him to come upºª into² the chariot.º 34 And [Benhadad] saidºª unto² him, The cities,º which² my fatherº tookºª from²² thy father,º I will restore;ºª and thou shalt makeºª streetsº for thee in Damascus,º as² my fatherº madeºª in Samaria.º Then [said Ahab], I² will send thee awayºª with this covenant.º So he madeºª a covenantº with him, and sent him away.ºª

The prophet, under the parable of a prisoner, making Ahab judge himself, denounceth God's judgment against him.

35 ¶ And a certainº manº of the sonsº² of the prophetsº saidºª unto² his neighbourº in the wordº of the LORD,º Smiteºª me, I pray thee.² And the manº refusedºª to smiteºª him. 36 Then saidºª he unto him, Because²² thou hast not² obeyedºª the voiceº of the LORD,º behold,² as soon as thou art departedºª from²² me, a lionº shall slayºª thee. And as soon as he was departed¹ª² from²² him,¹ a lionº foundºª him, and slewºª him. 37 Then he foundºª anotherº man,º and said,ºª Smiteºª me, I pray thee.² And the manº smoteºª him, so that in smitingºª he woundedºª [him]. 38 So the prophetº departed,¹ª² and waitedºª for the kingº by² the way,º and disguised¹ª himself² with ashesº upon² his face.º 39 And as² the kingº passed by,ºª he² criedºª unto² the king:º and he said,ºª Thy servantº went outºª into the midstº of the battle;º and, behold,² a manº turned aside,ºª and broughtºª a manº unto² me, and said,ºª Keepºª² this² man:º if² by any means¹ª he be missing,ºª then shall thy lifeº be² for² his life,º or² else thou shalt payºª a talentº of silver.º 40 And as thy servantº was² busyºª here² and there,² he² was gone.º And the kingº of Israelº saidºª unto² him, So² [shall] thy judgmentº [be]; thyself² hast decidedºª [it]. 41 And he hasted,ºª and took²² the ashesº away¹ª from²² his face;º and the kingº of Israelº discernedºª him that² he² [was] of the prophets.º² 42 And he saidºª unto² him, Thus² saithºª the LORD,º Because² thou hast let goºª out of [thy] handº²² a manº whom I appointed to utter destruction,º therefore thy lifeº shall go² for² his life,º and thy peopleº for² his people.º 43 And the kingº of Israelº went¹ª² to² his houseº heavyº and displeased,º and cameºª to Samaria.º