MLV(i)
1 And Ben-hadad the king of Syria gathered all his army together. And there were thirty-two kings with him and horses and chariots. And he went up and besieged Samaria and fought against it.
2 And he sent messengers to Ahab King of Israel, into the city and said to him, Thus says Ben-hadad,
3 Your silver and your gold is mine, your wives also and your sons, even the best, are mine.
4 And the King of Israel answered and said, It is according to your saying, my lord, O king, I am your and all that I have.
5 And the messengers came again and said, Thus speaks Ben-hadad, saying, I indeed sent to you, saying, You will deliver to me your silver and your gold and your wives and your sons. 6 But I will send my servants to you tomorrow about this time and they will search your house and the houses of your servants. And it will be, that whatever is pleasant in your eyes, they will 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 beseech you* and see how this man seeks mischief, for he sent to me for my wives and for my sons and for my silver and for my gold and I did not deny him. 8 And all the elders and all the people said to him, Do you not listen, nor consent.
9 Therefore he said to the messengers of Ben-hadad, Tell my lord the king, All that you sent for to your 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 to him and said, The gods do so to me and more also, if the dust of Samaria will suffice for handfuls for all the people that follow me. 11 And the King of Israel answered and said, Tell him, Let he who girds on his armor boast himself as he who puts it off.
12 And it happened, when Ben-hadad heard this message as he was drinking, he and the kings, in the pavilions, that he said to his servants, Set yourselves in array. And they set themselves in array against the city.
13 And behold, a prophet came near to Ahab King of Israel and said, Jehovah says thus, Have you seen all this great multitude? Behold, I will deliver it into your hand this day and you will know that I am Jehovah. 14 And Ahab said, By whom? And he said, Jehovah says thus, By the young men of the rulers of the provinces. Then he said, Who will begin the battle? And he answered, You.
15 Then he mustered the young men of the rulers of the provinces and they were two hundred and thirty-two. And after them he mustered all the people, even all the sons 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-two kings who helped him. 17 And the young men of the rulers of the provinces went out first. And Ben-hadad sent out and they told him, saying, There are men come out from Samaria. 18 And he said, Whether they come out for peace, take them alive, or whether they come out for war, take them alive.
19 So these went out of the city, the young men of the rulers of the provinces and the army which followed them. 20 And they killed everyone his man. And the Syrians fled and Israel pursued them. And Ben-hadad the king of Syria escaped on a horse with horsemen. 21 And the King of Israel went out and killed* the horses and chariots and killed the Syrians with a great slaughter.
22 And the prophet came near to the King of Israel and said to him, Go, strengthen yourself. And mark and see what you do, for at the return of the year the king of Syria will come up against you.
5 And the messengers came again and said, Thus speaks Ben-hadad, saying, I indeed sent to you, saying, You will deliver to me your silver and your gold and your wives and your sons. 6 But I will send my servants to you tomorrow about this time and they will search your house and the houses of your servants. And it will be, that whatever is pleasant in your eyes, they will 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 beseech you* and see how this man seeks mischief, for he sent to me for my wives and for my sons and for my silver and for my gold and I did not deny him. 8 And all the elders and all the people said to him, Do you not listen, nor consent.
9 Therefore he said to the messengers of Ben-hadad, Tell my lord the king, All that you sent for to your 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 to him and said, The gods do so to me and more also, if the dust of Samaria will suffice for handfuls for all the people that follow me. 11 And the King of Israel answered and said, Tell him, Let he who girds on his armor boast himself as he who puts it off.
12 And it happened, when Ben-hadad heard this message as he was drinking, he and the kings, in the pavilions, that he said to his servants, Set yourselves in array. And they set themselves in array against the city.
13 And behold, a prophet came near to Ahab King of Israel and said, Jehovah says thus, Have you seen all this great multitude? Behold, I will deliver it into your hand this day and you will know that I am Jehovah. 14 And Ahab said, By whom? And he said, Jehovah says thus, By the young men of the rulers of the provinces. Then he said, Who will begin the battle? And he answered, You.
15 Then he mustered the young men of the rulers of the provinces and they were two hundred and thirty-two. And after them he mustered all the people, even all the sons 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-two kings who helped him. 17 And the young men of the rulers of the provinces went out first. And Ben-hadad sent out and they told him, saying, There are men come out from Samaria. 18 And he said, Whether they come out for peace, take them alive, or whether they come out for war, take them alive.
19 So these went out of the city, the young men of the rulers of the provinces and the army which followed them. 20 And they killed everyone his man. And the Syrians fled and Israel pursued them. And Ben-hadad the king of Syria escaped on a horse with horsemen. 21 And the King of Israel went out and killed* the horses and chariots and killed the Syrians with a great slaughter.
22 And the prophet came near to the King of Israel and said to him, Go, strengthen yourself. And mark and see what you do, for at the return of the year the king of Syria will come up against you.