1995 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

1 Kings 20

1 Ben-hadad, not content with Ahab's homage, besiegeth Samaria. 13 By the direction of a prophet, the Syrians are slain. 22 As the prophet forewarned Ahab, the Syrians, trusting in the valleys, come against him in Aphek. 28 By the word of the prophet, and God's judgment, the Syrians are smitten again. 31 The Syrians, submitting themselves, Ahab sendeth Ben-hadad away with a covenant. 35 The prophet, under the parable of a prisoner, making Ahab judge himself, denounceth God's judgment against him.

 20:1 Now Ben-hadad 1130 king 4428 of Aram 758 gathered 6908 all 3605 his army 2428, and there [were] thirty-two 7970 8147 kings 4428 with him, and horses 5483b and chariots 7393. And he went 5927 up and besieged 6696a 5921 Samaria 8111 and fought 3898a against it.

 20:2 Then he sent 7971 messengers 4397 to the city 5892b to Ahab 256 king 4428 of Israel 3478 and said 559 to him, “Thus 3541 says 559 Ben-hadad 1130,

 20:3 ‘Your silver 3701 and your gold 2091 are mine; your most beautiful 2896a wives 802 and children 1121 are also mine.’”

 20:4 The king 4428 of Israel 3478 replied 6030a, “It is according to your word 1697, my lord 113, O king 4428; I am yours, and all 3605 that I have.”

 20:5 Then the messengers 4397 returned 7725 and said 559, “Thus 3541 says 559 Ben-hadad 1130, ‘Surely 3588, I sent 7971 to you saying 559, “You shall give 5414 me your silver 3701 and your gold 2091 and your wives 802 and your children 1121,”

 20:6 but about this time 6256 tomorrow 4279 I will send 7971 my servants 5650 to you, and they will search 2664 your house 1004 and the houses 1004 of your servants 5650; and whatever 3605 is desirable 4261 in your eyes 5869, they will take 7760 in their hand 3027 and carry 3947 away.’”

 20:7 ¶ Then the king 4428 of Israel 3478 called 7121 all 3605 the elders 2205 of the land 776 and said 559, “Please 4994 observe 3045 and see 7200 how 3588 this 2088 man is looking 1245 for trouble 7463a; for he sent 7971 to me for my wives 802 and my children 1121 and my silver 3701 and my gold 2091, and I did not refuse 4513 him.”

 20:8 All 3605 the elders 2205 and all 3605 the people 5971a said 559 to him, “Do not listen 8085 or consent 14.”

 20:9 So he said 559 to the messengers 4397 of Ben-hadad 1130, “Tell 559 my lord 113 the king 4428, ‘All 3605 that you sent 7971 for to your servant 5650 at the first 7223 I will do 6213a, but this 2088 thing 1697 I cannot 3201 3808 do 6213a.’” And the messengers 4397 departed 1980 and brought 7725 him word 1697 again 7725.

 20:10 Ben-hadad 1130 sent 7971 to him and said 559, “May the gods 430 do 6213a so 3541 to me and more 3254 also 3541, if 518 the dust 6083 of Samaria 8111 will suffice 8230b for handfuls 8168 for all 3605 the people 5971a who 834 follow 7272 me.”

 20:11 Then the king 4428 of Israel 3478 replied 6030a, “Tell 1696 [him], ‘Let not him who girds 2296 on [his armor] boast 1984b like him who takes 6605a [it] off 6605a.’”

 20:12 When [Ben-hadad] heard 8085 this 2088 message 1697, as he was drinking 8354 with the kings 4428 in the temporary 5521 shelters 5521, he said 559 to his servants 5650, “Station 7760 [yourselves].” So they stationed 7760 [themselves] against 5921 the city 5892b.

 20:13 ¶ Now behold 2009, a prophet 5030 approached 5066 Ahab 256 king 4428 of Israel 3478 and said 559, “Thus 3541 says 559 the LORD 3068, ‘Have you seen 7200 all 3605 this 2088 great 1419 multitude 1995? Behold 2009, I will deliver 5414 them into your hand 3027 today 3117, and you shall know 3045 that I am the LORD 3068.’”

 20:14 Ahab 256 said 559, “By whom 4310?” So he said 559, “Thus 3541 says 559 the LORD 3068, ‘By the young 5288 men 5288 of the rulers 8269 of the provinces 4082.’” Then he said 559, “Who 4310 shall begin 631 the battle 4421?” And he answered 559, “You.”

 20:15 Then he mustered 6485 the young 5288 men 5288 of the rulers 8269 of the provinces 4082, and there were 232 3967 8147 7970; and after 310 them he mustered 6485 all 3605 the people 5971a, [even] all 3605 the sons 1121 of Israel 3478, 7,000 7651 505.

 20:16 ¶ They went 3318 out at noon 6672a, while Ben-hadad 1130 was drinking 8354 himself drunk 7910 in the temporary 5521 shelters 5521 with the thirty-two 7970 8147 kings 4428 who helped 5826 him.

 20:17 The young 5288 men 5288 of the rulers 8269 of the provinces 4082 went 3318 out first 7223; and Ben-hadad 1130 sent 7971 out and they told 5046 him, saying 559, “Men 376 have come 3318 out from Samaria 8111.”

 20:18 Then he said 559, “If 518 they have come 3318 out for peace 7965, take 8610 them alive 2416a; or if 518 they have come 3318 out for war 4421, take 8610 them alive 2416a.”

 20:19 ¶ So these 428 went 3318 out from the city 5892b, the young 5288 men 5288 of the rulers 8269 of the provinces 4082, and the army 2428 which 834 followed 310 them.

 20:20 They killed 5221 each 376 his man 376; and the Arameans 758 fled 5127 and Israel 3478 pursued 7291 them, and Ben-hadad 1130 king 4428 of Aram 758 escaped 4422 on a horse 5483b with horsemen 6571b.

 20:21 The king 4428 of Israel 3478 went 3318 out and struck 5221 the horses 5483b and chariots 7393, and killed 5221 the Arameans 758 with a great 1419 slaughter 4347.

 20:22 ¶ Then the prophet 5030 came 5066 near 5066 to the king 4428 of Israel 3478 and said 559 to him, “Go 1980, strengthen 2388 yourself and observe 3045 and see 7200 what 834 you have to do 6213a; for at the turn 8666 of the year 8141 the king 4428 of Aram 758 will come 5927 up against 5921 you.”

 20:23 ¶ Now the servants 5650 of the king 4428 of Aram 758 said 559 to him, “Their gods 430 are gods 430 of the mountains 2022, therefore 5921 3651 they were stronger 2388 than 4480 we; but rather 199 let us fight 3898a against 854 them in the plain 4334, [and] surely 518 3808 we will be stronger 2388 than 4480 they.

 20:24 “Do 6213a this 2088 thing 1697: remove 5493 the kings 4428, each 376 from his place 4725, and put 7760 captains 6346 in their place 8478,

 20:25 and muster 4487 an army 2428 like the army 2428 that you have lost 5307, horse 5483b for horse 5483b, and chariot 7393 for chariot 7393. Then we will fight 3898a against 854 them in the plain 4334, and surely 518 3808 we will be stronger 2388 than 4480 they.” And he listened 8085 to their voice 6963 and did 6213a so 3651.

 20:26 ¶ At the turn 8666 of the year 8141, Ben-hadad 1130 mustered 6485 the Arameans 758 and went 5927 up to Aphek 663 to fight 4421 against 5973 Israel 3478.

 20:27 The sons 1121 of Israel 3478 were mustered 6485 and were provisioned 3557 and went 1980 to meet 7122 them; and the sons 1121 of Israel 3478 camped 2583 before 5048 them like two 8147 little 2835 flocks 2835 of goats 5795, but the Arameans 758 filled 4390 the country 776.

 20:28 Then a man 376 of God 430 came 5066 near 5066 and spoke 559 to the king 4428 of Israel 3478 and said 559, “Thus 3541 says 559 the LORD 3068, ‘Because 3282 834 the Arameans 758 have said 559, “The LORD 3068 is a god 430 of [the] mountains 2022, but He is not a god 430 of [the] valleys 6010,” therefore I will give 5414 all 3605 this 2088 great 1419 multitude 1995 into your hand 3027, and you shall know 3045 that I am the LORD 3068.’”

 20:29 So they camped 2583 one 428 over 5227 against 5227 the other 428 seven 7651 days 3117. And on the seventh 7637 day 3117 the battle 4421 was joined 7126, and the sons 1121 of Israel 3478 killed 5221 [of] the Arameans 758 100,000 3967 505 foot 7273 soldiers 7273 in one 259 day 3117.

 20:30 But the rest 3498 fled 5127 to Aphek 663 into the city 5892b, and the wall 2346 fell 5307 on 27,000 6242 7651 505 men 376 who were left 3498. And Ben-hadad 1130 fled 5127 and came 935 into the city 5892b into an inner 2315 chamber 2315.

 20:31 ¶ His servants 5650 said 559 to him, “Behold 2009 now 4994, we have heard 8085 that the kings 4428 of the house 1004 of Israel 3478 are merciful 2617a kings 4428, please 4994 let us put 7760 sackcloth 8242 on our loins 4975 and ropes 2256a on our heads 7218, and go 3318 out to the king 4428 of Israel 3478; perhaps 194 he will save 2421a your life 5315.”

 20:32 So they girded 2296 sackcloth 8242 on their loins 4975 and [put] ropes 2256a on their heads 7218, and came 935 to the king 4428 of Israel 3478 and said 559, “Your servant 5650 Ben-hadad 1130 says 559, ‘Please 4994 let me live 2421a.’” And he said 559, “Is he still 5750 alive 2416a? He is my brother 251.”

 20:33 Now the men 376 took 5172 this as an omen 5172, and quickly 4116 catching 2480 his word said 559, “Your brother 251 Ben-hadad 1130.” Then he said 559, “Go 935, bring 3947 him.” Then Ben-hadad 1130 came 3318 out to him, and he took 5927 him up into the chariot 4818.

 20:34 [Ben-hadad] said 559 to him, “The cities 5892b which 834 my father 1 took 3947 from your father 1 I will restore 7725, and you shall make 7760 streets 2351 for yourself in Damascus 1834, as my father 1 made 7760 in Samaria 8111.” [Ahab said], “And I will let 7971 you go 7971 with this covenant 1285.” So he made 3772 a covenant 1285 with him and let 7971 him go 7971.

 20:35 ¶ Now a certain 259 man 376 of the sons 1121 of the prophets 5030 said 559 to another 7453 by the word 1697 of the LORD 3068, “Please 4994 strike 5221 me.” But the man 376 refused 3985 to strike 5221 him.

 20:36 Then he said 559 to him, “Because 3282 834 you have not listened 8085 to the voice 6963 of the LORD 3068, behold 2009, as soon as you have departed 1980 from me, a lion 743b will kill 5221 you.” And as soon as he had departed 1980 from him a lion 743b found 4672 him and killed 5221 him.

 20:37 Then he found 4672 another 312 man 376 and said 559, “Please 4994 strike 5221 me.” And the man 376 struck 5221 him, wounding 6481 5221 him.

 20:38 So the prophet 5030 departed 1980 and waited 5975 for the king 4428 by the way 1870, and disguised 2664 himself with a bandage 666 over 5921 his eyes 5869.

 20:39 As the king 4428 passed 5674a by, he cried 6817 to the king 4428 and said 559, “Your servant 5650 went 3318 out into the midst 7130 of the battle 4421; and behold 2009, a man 376 turned 5493 aside 5493 and brought 935 a man 376 to me and said 559, ‘Guard 8104 this 2088 man 376; if 518 for any 6485 reason 6485 he is missing 6485, then your life 5315 shall be for his life 5315, or 176 else you shall pay 8254 a talent 3603 of silver 3701.’

 20:40 “While your servant 5650 was busy 6213a here 2008 and there 2008, he was gone 369.” And the king 4428 of Israel 3478 said 559 to him, “So 3651 shall your judgment 4941 be; you yourself 859 have decided 2782 [it].”

 20:41 Then he hastily 4116 took 5493 the bandage 666 away 5493 from his eyes 5869, and the king 4428 of Israel 3478 recognized 5234 him that he was of the prophets 5030.

 20:42 He said 559 to him, “Thus 3541 says 559 the LORD 3068, ‘Because 3282 you have let 7971 go 7971 out of [your] hand 3027 the man 376 whom I had devoted 2764a to destruction 2764a, therefore your life 5315 shall go 1961 for his life 5315, and your people 5971a for his people 5971a.’”

 20:43 So the king 4428 of Israel 3478 went 1980 to his house 1004 sullen 5620 and vexed 2198, and came 935 to Samaria 8111.