1 Kings 20:1-22 King Benhadad of Syria mustered his entire army, accompanied by thirty-two other kings with their horses and chariots, he laid siege on Samaria, and launched attacks against it.

NSB⁽ⁱ⁾ ¹ King Benhadad of Syria mustered his entire army, accompanied by thirty-two other kings with their horses and chariots, he laid siege on Samaria, and launched attacks against it. ² He sent messengers into the city to King Ahab of Israel to say: »King Benhadad demands that ³ you surrender to him your silver and gold, your women and the strongest of your children.« ⁴ Tell my lord, King Benhadad, that I agree; he can have everything I own, Ahab answered. ⁵ Later the messengers came back to Ahab with another demand from Benhadad: »I sent you word that you were to hand over to me your silver and gold, your women and your children.« ⁶ Now I will send my officers to search your palace and the homes of your officials. They will take everything they consider valuable. They will be there about this time tomorrow. ⁷ Then the king of Israel sent for all the responsible men of the land, and said: »Now will you take note and see the evil purpose of this man. He sent for my wives and my children, my silver and my gold, and I did not keep them back.« ⁸ All the responsible men and the people said to him: »Do not pay attention to him or do what he says.« ⁹ So he said to the representatives of Benhadad: »Say to my lord the king: ‘All the orders you sent the first time I will do. But I will not do this thing.« The representatives went back with this answer. ¹⁰ Benhadad sent Ahab the following message: »May the gods strike me dead if there will be enough dust left from Samaria to give a handful to each soldier who follows me.« ¹¹ The king of Israel responded: »It is said, let not the one who puts on his armor boast like the one who takes it off.« ¹² Benhadad heard this when he and his allies were drinking in their tents. He told his officers to get ready. So they got prepared to attack the city. ¹³ A prophet approached King Ahab of Israel and said: »This is what Jehovah says: ‘Have you seen this large army? I will hand it over to you today. Then you will know that I am Jehovah.’« ¹⁴ Ahab asked: »How will this be done?« The prophet answered: »This is what Jehovah says: ‘By using the young officers of the district governors.« »Who will start the battle?« Ahab asked. »You will,« the prophet answered. ¹⁵ Ahab mustered the young officers of the district governors. There were two hundred and thirty-two. After counting them, he counted all the Israelite soldiers. There were seven thousand. ¹⁶ In the middle of the day they went out. But Benhadad was drinking in the tents with the thirty-two kings who were helping him. ¹⁷ The servants of the chiefs who were over the divisions of the land went forward first. Benhadad sent out a patrol and they told him: »Men have come out from Samaria.« ¹⁸ He said: »If they have come out for peace, take them alive and if they have come out for war, take them alive.« ¹⁹ So the servants of the chiefs of the divisions of the land went out of the town, with the army following them. ²⁰ Each one killed his opponent. The Syrians (Aramaeans) went in flight with Israel after them. Benhadad the king of Aram got away safely on a horse with his horsemen. ²¹ The king of Israel took the horses and the war-carriages and caused great destruction among the Syrians. ²² Then the prophet came up to the king of Israel, and said: »Now make yourself strong. Be careful what you do. Otherwise a year from now the king of Aram will come up against you again.«