20

Ahab Defeats the Syrians

¹Now ⚓Ben-Hadad the king of Syria gathered all his forces together; thirty-two kings were with him, with horses and chariots. And he went up and besieged ⚓Samaria, and made war against it. ²Then he sent messengers into the city to Ahab king of Israel, and said to him, “Thus says Ben-Hadad: ³‘Your silver and your gold are mine; your loveliest wives and children are mine.’ ”
⁴And the king of Israel answered and said, “My lord, O king, just as you say, I and all that I have are yours.”
⁵Then the messengers came back and said, “Thus speaks Ben-Hadad, saying, ‘Indeed I have sent to you, saying, “You shall deliver to me your silver and your gold, your wives and your children”; ⁶but I will send my servants to you tomorrow about this time, and they shall search your house and the houses of your servants. And it shall be, that whatever is pleasant in your eyes, they will put it in their hands and take it.’ ”
⁷So the king of Israel called all the elders of the land, and said, “Notice, please, and see how this man seeks trouble, for he sent to me for my wives, my children, my silver, and my gold; and I did not deny him.”
⁸And all the elders and all the people said to him, “Do not listen or consent.”
⁹Therefore he said to the messengers of Ben-Hadad, “Tell my lord the king, ‘All that you sent for to your servant the first time I will do, but this thing I cannot do.’ ”
And the messengers departed and brought back word to him.
¹⁰Then Ben-Hadad sent to him and said, ⚓“The gods do so to me, and more also, if enough dust is left of Samaria for a handful for each of the people who follow me.”
¹¹So the king of Israel answered and said, “Tell him, ‘Let not the one who puts on his armor⚓boast like the one who takes it off.’ ”
¹²And it happened when Ben-Hadad heard this message, as he and the kings were⚓drinking at the command post, that he said to his servants, “Get ready.” And they got ready to attack the city.
¹³Suddenly a prophet approached Ahab king of Israel, saying, “Thus says the Lord: ‘Have you seen all this great multitude? Behold, ⚓I will deliver it into your hand today, and you shall know that I am the Lord.’ ”
¹⁴So Ahab said, “By whom?”
And he said, “Thus says the Lord: ‘By the young leaders of the provinces.’ ”
Then he said, “Who will set the battle in order?”
And he answered, “You.”
¹⁵Then he mustered the young leaders of the provinces, and there were two hundred and thirty-two; and after them he mustered all the people, all the children of Israel—seven thousand.
¹⁶So they went out at noon. Meanwhile Ben-Hadad and the thirty-two kings helping him were ⚓getting drunk at the command post. ¹⁷The young leaders of the provinces went out first. And Ben-Hadad sent out a patrol, and they told him, saying, “Men are coming out of Samaria!” ¹⁸So he said, “If they have come out for peace, take them alive; and if they have come out for war, take them alive.”
¹⁹Then these young leaders of the provinces went out of the city with the army which followed them. ²⁰And each one killed his man; so the Syrians fled, and Israel pursued them; and Ben-Hadad the king of Syria escaped on a horse with the cavalry. ²¹Then the king of Israel went out and attacked the horses and chariots, and killed the Syrians with a great slaughter.
²²And the prophet came to the king of Israel and said to him, “Go, strengthen yourself; take note, and see what you should do, ⚓for in the spring of the year the king of Syria will come up against you.”

The Syrians Again Defeated

²³Then the servants of the king of Syria said to him, “Their gods are gods of the hills. Therefore they were stronger than we; but if we fight against them in the plain, surely we will be stronger than they. ²⁴So do this thing: Dismiss the kings, each from his position, and put captains in their places; ²⁵and you shall muster an army like the army that you have lost, horse for horse and chariot for chariot. Then we will fight against them in the plain; surely we will be stronger than they.”
And he listened to their voice and did so.
²⁶So it was, in the spring of the year, that Ben-Hadad mustered the Syrians and went up to ⚓Aphek to fight against Israel. ²⁷And the children of Israel were mustered and given provisions, and they went against them. Now the children of Israel encamped before them like two little flocks of goats, while the Syrians filled the ⚓countryside.
²⁸Then a ⚓man of God came and spoke to the king of Israel, and said, “Thus says the Lord: ‘Because the Syrians have said, “The Lordis God of the hills, but He is not God of the valleys,” therefore ⚓I will deliver all this great multitude into your hand, and you shall know that I am the Lord.’ ” ²⁹And they encamped opposite each other for seven days. So it was that on the seventh day the battle was joined; and the children of Israel killed one hundred thousand foot soldiers of the Syrians in one day. ³⁰But the rest fled to Aphek, into the city; then a wall fell on twenty-seven thousand of the men who were left.
And Ben-Hadad fled and went into the city, into an inner chamber.

Ahab’s Treaty with Ben-Hadad

³¹Then his servants said to him, “Look now, we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful kings. Please, let us ⚓put sackcloth around our waists and ropes around our heads, and go out to the king of Israel; perhaps he will spare your life.” ³²So they wore sackcloth around their waists and put ropes around their heads, and came to the king of Israel and said, “Your servant Ben-Hadad says, ‘Please let me live.’ ”
And he said, “Is he still alive? He is my brother.”
³³Now the men were watching closely to see whether any sign of mercy would come from him; and they quickly grasped at this word and said, “Your brother Ben-Hadad.”
So he said, “Go, bring him.” Then Ben-Hadad came out to him; and he had him come up into the chariot.
³⁴So Ben-Hadad said to him, ⚓“The cities which my father took from your father I will restore; and you may set up marketplaces for yourself in Damascus, as my father did in Samaria.”
Then Ahab said, “I will send you away with this treaty.” So he made a treaty with him and sent him away.

Ahab Condemned

³⁵Now a certain man of ⚓the sons of the prophets said to his neighbor ⚓by the word of the Lord, “Strike me, please.” And the man refused to strike him. ³⁶Then he said to him, “Because you have not obeyed the voice of the Lord, surely, as soon as you depart from me, a lion shall kill you.” And as soon as he left him, ⚓a lion found him and killed him.
³⁷And he found another man, and said, “Strike me, please.” So the man struck him, inflicting a wound. ³⁸Then the prophet departed and waited for the king by the road, and disguised himself with a bandage over his eyes. ³⁹Now ⚓as the king passed by, he cried out to the king and said, “Your servant went out into the midst of the battle; and there, a man came over and brought a man to me, and said, ‘Guard this man; if by any means he is missing, ⚓your life shall be for his life, or else you shall pay a talent of silver.’ ⁴⁰While your servant was busy here and there, he was gone.”
Then the king of Israel said to him, “So shall your judgment be; you yourself have decided it.”
⁴¹And he hastened to take the bandage away from his eyes; and the king of Israel recognized him as one of the prophets. ⁴²Then he said to him, “Thus says the Lord: ⚓‘Because you have let slip out of your hand a man whom I appointed to utter destruction, therefore your life shall go for his life, and your people for his people.’ ”
⁴³So the king of Israel ⚓went to his house sullen and displeased, and came to Samaria.

20

Ahaj ntaus yeej cov Alaa

¹Cov Alaa tug vaajntxwv Npeehanta sau nwg cov tub rog huvsw tuaj ua ke. Muaj peb caug ob tug vaajntxwv nrug nwg moog hab nwg muaj neeg hab tsheb ua rog. Nwg moog vej lub nroog Xamali hab ua rog rua lub nroog hov. ²Nwg tso tej tub tshaaj xuv moog rua huv cov Yixayee tug vaajntxwv Ahaj lub nroog moog has rua vaajntxwv tas, “Npeehanta has le nuav tas, ³‘Koj tej nyaj tej kub yog kuv le, koj tej quaspuj hab koj tej mivnyuas kws zoo kawg yog kuv le.’ ” ⁴Cov Yixayee tug vaajntxwv teb tas, “Vaajntxwv kws yog kuv tug tswv, yeej yog le kws koj has ntaag, kuv yeej yog koj le, tej kws kuv muaj yeej yog koj le.” ⁵Cov kws tshaaj xuv rov qaab tuaj has tas, “Npeehanta has le nuav tas, ‘Kuv tub xaa xuv rua koj tas koj ca le xaa nyaj xaa kub xaa koj quaspuj mivnyuas moog rua kuv. ⁶Mas pigkig kwvlaam lub swjhawm nuav kuv yuav xaa kuv cov tub teg tub taw tuaj cuag koj. Puab yuav tuaj xawb koj vaaj koj tsev hab xawb koj tej num tswv tej vaaj tse, mas tej kws koj nyam puab yuav txeeb coj huvsw moog.’ ”
⁷Tes Yixayee tug vaajntxwv txawm hu cov kev txwj quas laug huv lub tebchaws tuaj mas has tas, “Swm saib, tug yawm hov nrhav kev tuaj txob plaub rua peb. Nwg tso tuabneeg tuaj yuav muab kuv tej quaspuj mivnyuas hab kuv tej nyaj tej kub los kuv tsw kwv tsw tawv le.” ⁸Mas cov kev txwj quas laug hab cov pejxeem suavdawg has rua vaajntxwv tas, “Tsw xob noog nwg tsw xob yeem le.” ⁹Nwg txhad has rua Npeehanta tej tub tshaaj xuv tas, “Mej ca le has rua vaajntxwv kws yog kuv tug tswv tas, ‘Txhua yaam kws thawj zag nwg kuas kuv kws yog nwg tug qhev muab rua nwg hov mas kuv muab tau rua nwg, tassws tej lug kws nwg has zag tom qaab nuav mas kuv ua tsw tau.’ ” Mas cov tub tshaaj xuv rov moog has rua Npeehanta le hov.
¹⁰Mas Npeehanta xaa xuv rov tuaj dua has tas, “Yog cov moov aav huv Xamali nuav txaus cov tuabneeg kws nrug kuv tuaj ib leeg tsuab ib taus teg mas thov ca tej daab ntuj daab teb rau txem rua kuv nyaav dua.” ¹¹Mas cov Yixayee tug vaajntxwv teb moog tas, “Ca le has rua Npeehanta tas, ‘Tug kws tseed saamswm muab cuab yeej ua rog naav tsw xob khaav theeb yaam le tug kws tub ua rog tav es muab cuab yeej ua rog hle lawm.’ ” ¹²Npeehanta nov tej lug nuav rua thaus nwg saamswm nrug cov vaajntxwv haus cawv txwv maab ua ke huv puab lub tsev ntaub, nwg txawm txhwb nwg cov tub rog tas, “Ca le npaaj kuas txhwj.” Mas puab txhad npaaj txhwj zog yuav ntaus lub nroog ntaag.
¹³Muaj ib tug xwbfwb cev Vaajtswv lug tuaj cuag cov Yixayee tug vaajntxwv Ahaj hab has tas, “Yawmsaub has le nuav tas, ‘Koj pum cov tub rog coob le nuav los tsw pum? Saib maj, nub nua kuv yuav muab puab rua huv koj txhais teg, koj txhad yuav paub tas kuv yog Yawmsaub.’ ” ¹⁴Mas Ahaj has tas, “Leejtwg yuav moog ntaus?” Tug xwbfwb has tas, “Yawmsaub has le nuav tas, ‘Cov thawj kws kaav huv txhua lub xeev le tub rog hluas yuav moog ntaus ua ntej.’ ” Ahaj has tas, “Tog twg yuav nqeg teg ua ntej?” Tug xwbfwb teb tas, “Koj tog yuav nqeg teg ua ntej.” ¹⁵Ahaj txhad le txhwj tau cov thawj kws kaav huv txhua lub xeev le tub rog hluas muaj ob puas peb caug ob leeg, hab tom qaab txhwj taag nrho cov Yixayee le tub rog huvsw tau xyaa txheeb leej.
¹⁶Puab tawm moog rua thaus taav su mas Npeehanta hab peb caug ob tug vaajntxwv kws paab nwg saamswm haus cawv qaug rua huv tej tsev ntaub. ¹⁷Cov thawj huv txhua lub xeev le tub rog hluas xub ua ntej moog. Npeehanta kuj xaa ib co moog tshuaj saib mas puab rov qaab lug has rua nwg tas, “Muaj tuabneeg tawm huv Xamali tuaj lawm.” ¹⁸Nwg has tas, “Yog puab tuaj dawb tuaj huv kuj muab puab nteg caj ca. Yog puab tuaj ua rog kuj muab puab nteg caj ca hab.”
¹⁹Mas cov thawj huv txhua lub xeev le tub rog txhad le tawm huv lub nroog moog, hab cov tub rog suavdawg kuj tawm lawv qaab moog. ²⁰Ib leeg tua ib tug yeeb ncuab tes cov Alaa txawm thim tswv mas cov Yixayee lawv puab moog. Cov Alaa tug vaajntxwv Npeehanta txawm caij neeg nrug cov tub rog caij neeg tswv moog lawm. ²¹Cov Yixayee tug vaajntxwv tawm moog ntaus yeej cov neeg hab cov tsheb ua rog hab tua tau cov Alaa tuag coob kawg le.
²²Mas tug xwbfwb cev Vaajtswv lug txhad tuaj cuag cov Yixayee tug vaajntxwv hab has rua nwg tas, “Ca le rov qaab moog tsev moog npaaj zug hab ntaus tswvyim zoo zoo saib yuav ua le caag, tsua qhov thaus lub ntuj qhua vaajntxwv Alaa yuav rov qaab tuaj ntaus mej dua hab.”
²³Alaa cov tub teg tub taw has rua vaajntxwv tas, “Cov Yixayee tej timtswv yog tej timtswv nruab roob puab txhad muaj zug dua peb. Ca peb moog ntaus puab rua nraag taj mas peb yuav muaj zug dua puab tag tag le. ²⁴Koj ca le ua le nuav, muab cov vaajntxwv hle huvsw es tsaa cov thawj rog nyob puab chaw. ²⁵Koj ca le sau tub rog kuas tau npaum le qub, hab sau neeg hab tsheb ua rog ntxwv rua cov kws poob taag lawm, mas peb yuav moog ntaus puab rua nraag taj mas peb yeej yuav muaj zug dua puab tag tag le.” Npeehanta kuj noog puab lug hab ua lawv le puab has hov.
²⁶Thaus txug lub caij ntuj qhua Npeehanta txhad le txhwj cov Alaa ua tub rog nce moog rua lub moos Afe yuav ua rog rua cov Yixayee. ²⁷Mas cov Yixayee kuj raug sau ua tub rog hab npaaj mov noj moog ua rog rua cov Alaa. Cov Yixayee ua yeej nyob yaam le ob paab nyuas tshws tsawg tsawg ncaaj ntawm cov Alaa xubndag, tassws cov Alaa mas nyob puv nkaus tej nraag taj hov. ²⁸Vaajtswv le ib tug tuabneeg tuaj has rua cov Yixayee tug vaajntxwv tas, “Yawmsaub has le nuav tas, ‘Cov Alaa has tas Yawmsaub yog timtswv nruab roob xwb nwg tsw yog timtswv nruab tag. Vem le nuav kuv yuav muab paab tuabneeg coob coob hov rua huv koj txhais teg, mas koj yuav paub tas kuv yog Yawmsaub.’ ” ²⁹Mas puab ob tog ua yeej nyob sws ncaag tau xyaa nub, mas nub kws xyaa txhad le ua rog. Cov Yixayee tua cov Alaa kws ua tub rog moog kwtaw tuag 100,000 leej rua nub hov. ³⁰Cov kws tshuav kuj tswv moog rua huv lub moos Afe, mas lub ntsaa loog hov kuj pob tais tuag ob vaam xyaa txheeb leej hab.
Npeehanta kuj tswv moog hab nwg tswv moog nyob huv ib chaav tsev huv plawv lub moos hov. ³¹Mas nwg cov tub teg tub taw has rua nwg tas, “Peb nov tas Yixayee tej vaajntxwv yog cov kws muaj lub sab khuvleej. Ca peb muab khaub seev tsaaj lug sa hab muab ib co hlua lug rwg peb taubhau tes peb tawm moog cuag cov Yixayee tug vaajntxwv, tej zag nwg yuav tseg koj txujsa ca.” ³²Puab txhad muab khaub seev tsaaj lug sa hab muab hlua rwg taubhau mas moog cuag cov Yixayee tug vaajntxwv hab has tas, “Npeehanta kws yog koj tug qhev has tas, ‘Thov tseg kuv txujsa ca.’ ” Mas vaajntxwv teb tas, “Nwg tseed caj sa hab lov? Nwg yog kuv kwv kuv tij.” ³³Cov tuabneeg hov saamswm tog ntsoov saib Ahaj yuav teb le caag tes puab txawm khaws vaajntxwv cov lug hov mas teb nplawg nta tas, “Yog le kws koj has tag, Npeehanta yeej yog koj kwvtij.” Mas vaajntxwv has tas, “Moog coj nwg tuaj.” Tes Npeehanta txawm tawm tuaj cuag Ahaj, tes Ahaj txawm kuas Npeehanta nce moog rua huv nwg lub tsheb ua rog. ³⁴Tes Npeehanta has rua Ahaj tas, “Tej moos kws kuv txwv txeeb tau ntawm koj txwv lug hov kuv muab thim rov qaab rua koj. Koj yuav ua tsev kab tsev khw rua huv lub nroog Ntamaxaka kuj tau ib yaam le kuv txwv tau ua rua huv lub nroog Xamali.” Mas Ahaj has tas, “Yog koj cog lug tseg le nuav kuv yuav tso koj dim.” Ahaj txhad nrug Npeehanta sws cog lug hab muab nwg tso moog.
³⁵Yawmsaub has rua ib tug xwbfwb cev Vaajtswv lug kuas nwg has rua tuab paab xwbfwb hov ib tug has tas, “Thov koj ntaus kuv ib teg.” Tassws tug yawm hov tsw kaam ntaus nwg. ³⁶Tes nwg txawm has rua tug yawm hov tas, “Vem koj tsw noog Yawmsaub tej lug mas thaus koj ncaim ntawm kuv moog lawd ib tug tsuv ntxhuav yuav tum koj tuag.” Thaus nwg ncaim ntawm tug xwbfwb hov moog lawd ib tug tsuv ntxhuav txawm lug muab nwg tum tuag lawm. ³⁷Mas tug xwbfwb hov nrhav tau dua ib tug yawm tes nwg has tas, “Thov koj ntaus kuv ib teg.” Tug yawm hov txawm muab tug xwbfwb hov ntaus ntsuab ib qho. ³⁸Tug xwbfwb cev Vaajtswv lug txhad moog lawm, nwg moog tog vaajntxwv ntawm ntug kev. Nwg muab ntaub qhwv nwg lub qhov muag tsw muaj leejtwg paub nwg lawm. ³⁹Thaus vaajntxwv taug kev lug nwg txawm qw rua vaajntxwv tas, “Kuv kws yog koj tug qhev moog rua huv tshaav rog mas muaj ib tug tub rog tig rov lug coj ib tug txwvneej lug rua kuv hab has rua kuv tas, ‘Zuv tug yawm nuav ca zoo zoo. Yog nwg dim tau le caag moog lawd mas yuav muab koj txujsa pauv nwg txuj lossws koj yuav tsum them ib talaa nyaj.’⚓ ⁴⁰Tes thaus kuv tseed taab kaum rua qhov nuav qhov u nwg txawm pluj lawm.” Cov Yixayee tug vaajntxwv txawm has rua nwg tas, “Koj yuav raug txem yaam nkaus le hov ntaag. Tsua qhov koj tub has le hov lawm.” ⁴¹Tes tug xwbfwb txawm daws kag daim ntaub kws npug nwg qhov muag, tes cov Yixayee tug vaajntxwv txhad cim tau tas nwg yog ib tug xwbfwb cev Vaajtswv lug. ⁴²Tes tug xwbfwb txhad has rua nwg tas, “Yawmsaub has le nuav tas, ‘Vem koj tau tso tug yawm kws nyob huv koj txhais teg moog lawm, yog tug kws kuv tu kuas muab ua puam tsuaj, mas koj txujsa yuav pauv nwg txujsa, hab koj cov tuabneeg yuav tuag theej nwg cov tuabneeg.’ ” ⁴³Mas cov Yixayee tug vaajntxwv moog rua huv nwg lub vaaj lub tsev huv Xamali nyuaj sab kawg chim ntsej muag tsaus nti.