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 Alas

¹Cov Alas tus vajntxwv Npeehada sau nws cov tub rog huvsi tuaj ua ke. Muaj peb caug ob tug vajntxwv nrog nws mus thiab nws muaj nees thiab tsheb ua rog. Nws mus vij lub nroog Xamali thiab ua rog rau lub nroog ntawd. ²Nws tso tej tub tshaj xo mus rau hauv cov Yixayee tus vajntxwv Ahaj lub nroog mus hais rau vajntxwv tias, “Npeehada hais li no tias, ³‘Koj tej nyiaj tej kub yog kuv li, koj tej pojniam thiab koj tej menyuam uas zoo kawg yog kuv li.’ ” ⁴Cov Yixayee tus vajntxwv teb tias, “Vajntxwv uas yog kuv tus tswv, yeej yog li uas koj hais ntag, kuv yeej yog koj li, tej uas kuv muaj yeej yog koj li.” ⁵Cov uas tshaj xo rov qab tuaj hais tias, “Npeehada hais li no tias, ‘Kuv twb xa xov rau koj tias koj cia li xa nyiaj xa kub xa koj pojniam menyuam mus rau kuv. ⁶Mas tagkis kwvlam lub sijhawm no kuv yuav xa kuv cov tub teg tub taws tuaj cuag koj. Lawv yuav tuaj xawb koj vaj koj tsev thiab xawb koj tej nom tswv tej vaj tse, mas tej uas koj nyiam lawv yuav txeeb coj huvsi mus.’ ”
⁷Ces Yixayee tus vajntxwv txawm hu cov kev txwj laus hauv lub tebchaws tuaj mas hais tias, “Sim saib, tus yawg ntawd nrhiav kev tuaj txob plaub rau peb. Nws tso neeg tuaj yuav muab kuv tej pojniam menyuam thiab kuv tej nyiaj tej kub los kuv tsis kwv tsis tawv li.” ⁸Mas cov kev txwj laus thiab cov pejxeem sawvdaws hais rau vajntxwv tias, “Tsis txhob mloog nws tsis txhob yeem li.” ⁹Nws thiaj hais rau Npeehada tej tub tshaj xo tias, “Nej cia li hais rau vajntxwv uas yog kuv tus tswv tias, ‘Txhua yam uas thawj zaug nws kom kuv uas yog nws tus qhev muab rau nws ntawd mas kuv muab tau rau nws, tiamsis tej lus uas nws hais zaum tom qab no mas kuv ua tsis tau.’ ” Mas cov tub tshaj xo rov mus hais rau Npeehada li ntawd. ¹⁰Mas Npeehada xa xov rov tuaj dua hais tias, “Yog cov hmoov av hauv Xamali no txaus cov neeg uas nrog kuv tuaj ib leeg tsuab ib taus tes mas thov cia tej dab ntuj dab teb rau txim rau kuv hnyav dua.” ¹¹Mas cov Yixayee tus vajntxwv teb mus tias, “Cia li hais rau Npeehada tias, ‘Tus uas tseem tabtom muab cuab yeej ua rog hnav tsis txhob khav theeb yam li tus uas twb ua rog tiav es muab cuab yeej ua rog hle lawm.’ ” ¹²Npeehada hnov tej lus no rau thaum nws tabtom nrog cov vajntxwv haus cawv txiv hmab ua ke hauv lawv lub tsev ntaub, nws txawm txhib nws cov tub rog tias, “Cia li npaj kom txhij.” Mas lawv thiaj npaj txhij zog yuav ntaus lub nroog ntag.
¹³Muaj ib tug xibhwb cev Vajtswv lus tuaj cuag cov Yixayee tus vajntxwv Ahaj thiab hais tias, “Yawmsaub hais li no tias, ‘Koj pom cov tub rog coob li no los tsis pom? Saib maj, hnub no kuv yuav muab lawv rau hauv koj txhais tes, koj thiaj yuav paub tias kuv yog Yawmsaub.’ ” ¹⁴Mas Ahaj hais tias, “Leejtwg yuav mus ntaus?” Tus xibhwb hais tias, “Yawmsaub hais li no tias, ‘Cov thawj uas kav hauv txhua lub xeev li tub rog hluas yuav mus ntaus ua ntej.’ ” Ahaj hais tias, “Tog twg yuav nqes tes ua ntej?” Tus xibhwb teb tias, “Koj tog yuav nqes tes ua ntej.” ¹⁵Ahaj thiaj li txhij tau cov thawj uas kav hauv txhua lub xeev li tub rog hluas muaj ob puas peb caug ob leeg, thiab tom qab txhij tag nrho cov Yixayee li tub rog huvsi tau xya txhiab leej.
¹⁶Lawv tawm mus rau thaum tav su mas Npeehada thiab peb caug ob tug vajntxwv uas pab nws tabtom haus cawv qaug rau hauv tej tsev ntaub. ¹⁷Cov thawj hauv txhua lub xeev li tub rog hluas xub ua ntej mus. Npeehada kuj xa ib co mus tshuaj saib mas lawv rov qab los hais rau nws tias, “Muaj neeg tawm hauv Xamali tuaj lawm.” ¹⁸Nws hais tias, “Yog lawv tuaj dawb tuaj huv kuj muab lawv ntes ciaj cia. Yog lawv tuaj ua rog kuj muab lawv ntes ciaj cia thiab.”
¹⁹Mas cov thawj hauv txhua lub xeev li tub rog thiaj li tawm hauv lub nroog mus, thiab cov tub rog sawvdaws kuj tawm raws qab mus. ²⁰Ib leeg tua ib tug yeeb ncuab ces cov Alas txawm thim khiav mas cov Yixayee caum lawv mus. Cov Alas tus vajntxwv Npeehada txawm caij nees nrog cov tub rog caij nees khiav mus lawm. ²¹Cov Yixayee tus vajntxwv tawm mus ntaus yeej cov nees thiab cov tsheb ua rog thiab tua tau cov Alas tuag coob kawg li.
²²Mas tus xibhwb cev Vajtswv lus thiaj tuaj cuag cov Yixayee tus vajntxwv thiab hais rau nws tias, “Cia li rov qab mus tsev mus npaj zog thiab ntaus tswvyim zoo zoo saib yuav ua li cas, rau qhov thaum lub ntuj qhua vajntxwv Alas yuav rov qab tuaj ntaus nej dua thiab.”
²³Alas cov tub teg tub taws hais rau vajntxwv tias, “Cov Yixayee tej timtswv yog tej timtswv nruab roob lawv thiaj muaj zog dua peb. Cia peb mus ntaus lawv rau nram tiaj mas peb yuav muaj zog dua lawv tiag tiag li. ²⁴Koj cia li ua li no, muab cov vajntxwv hle huvsi es tsa cov thawj rog nyob lawv chaw. ²⁵Koj cia li sau tub rog kom tau npaum li qub, thiab sau nees thiab tsheb ua rog ntxiv rau cov uas poob tag lawm, mas peb yuav mus ntaus lawv rau nram tiaj mas peb yeej yuav muaj zog dua lawv tiag tiag li.” Npeehada kuj mloog lawv lus thiab ua raws li lawv hais ntawd.
²⁶Thaum txog lub caij ntuj qhua Npeehada thiaj li txhij cov Alas ua tub rog nce mus rau lub moos Afe yuav ua rog rau cov Yixayee. ²⁷Mas cov Yixayee kuj raug sau ua tub rog thiab npaj mov noj mus ua rog rau cov Alas. Cov Yixayee ua yeej nyob yam li ob pab nyuag tshis tsawg tsawg ncaj ntawm cov Alas xubntiag, tiamsis cov Alas mas nyob puv nkaus tej nras tiaj ntawd. ²⁸Vajtswv li ib tug neeg tuaj hais rau cov Yixayee tus vajntxwv tias, “Yawmsaub hais li no tias, ‘Cov Alas hais tias Yawmsaub yog timtswv nruab roob xwb nws tsis yog timtswv nruab tiag. Vim li no kuv yuav muab pab neeg coob coob ntawd rau hauv koj txhais tes, mas koj yuav paub tias kuv yog Yawmsaub.’ ” ²⁹Mas lawv ob tog ua yeej nyob sib ncaj tau xya hnub, mas hnub uas xya thiaj li ua rog. Cov Yixayee tua cov Alas uas ua tub rog mus kotaw tuag 100,000 leej rau hnub ntawd. ³⁰Cov uas tshuav kuj khiav mus rau hauv lub moos Afe, mas lub ntsa loog ntawd kuj pob tais tuag ob vam xya txhiab leej thiab.
Npeehada kuj khiav mus thiab nws khiav mus nyob hauv ib chav tsev hauv lub plawv moos ntawd. ³¹Mas nws cov tub teg tub taws hais rau nws tias, “Peb hnov tias Yixayee tej vajntxwv yog cov uas muaj lub siab khuvleej. Cia peb muab khaub seev tsaj los sia thiab muab ib co hlua los rig peb taubhau ces peb tawm mus cuag cov Yixayee tus vajntxwv, tej zaum nws yuav tseg koj txojsia cia.”
³²Lawv thiaj muab khaub seev tsaj los sia thiab muab hlua rig taubhau mas mus cuag cov Yixayee tus vajntxwv thiab hais tias, “Npeehada uas yog koj tus qhev hais tias, ‘Thov tseg kuv txojsia cia.’ ” Mas vajntxwv teb tias, “Nws tseem ciaj sia thiab lov? Nws yog kuv kwv kuv tij.” ³³Cov neeg ntawd tabtom tos ntsoov saib Ahaj yuav teb li cas ces lawv txawm khaws vajntxwv cov lus ntawd mas teb nplawg ntia tias, “Yog li uas koj hais tiag, Npeehada yeej yog koj kwvtij.” Mas vajntxwv hais tias, “Mus coj nws tuaj.” Ces Npeehada txawm tawm tuaj cuag Ahaj, ces Ahaj txawm kom Npeehada nce mus rau hauv nws lub tsheb ua rog. ³⁴Ces Npeehada hais rau Ahaj tias, “Tej moos uas kuv txiv txeeb tau ntawm koj txiv los ntawd kuv muab thim rov qab rau koj. Koj yuav ua tsev kiab tsev khw rau hauv lub nroog Damaxaka kuj tau ib yam li kuv txiv tau ua rau hauv lub nroog Xamali.” Mas Ahaj hais tias, “Yog koj cog lus tseg li no kuv yuav tso koj dim.” Ahaj thiaj nrog Npeehada sib cog lus thiab muab nws tso mus.
³⁵Yawmsaub hais rau ib tug xibhwb cev Vajtswv lus kom nws hais rau tib pab xibhwb ntawd ib tug hais tias, “Thov koj ntaus kuv ib teg.” Tiamsis tus yawg ntawd tsis kam ntaus nws. ³⁶Ces nws txawm hais rau tus yawg ntawd tias, “Vim koj tsis mloog Yawmsaub tej lus mas thaum koj ncaim ntawm kuv mus lawd ib tug tsov ntxhuav yuav tom koj tuag.” Thaum nws ncaim ntawm tus xibhwb ntawd mus lawd ib tug tsov ntxhuav txawm los muab nws tom tuag lawm. ³⁷Mas tus xibhwb ntawd nrhiav tau dua ib tug yawg ces nws hais tias, “Thov koj ntaus kuv ib teg.” Tus yawg ntawd txawm muab tus xibhwb ntawd ntaus ntsuab ib qho. ³⁸Tus xibhwb cev Vajtswv lus thiaj mus lawm, nws mus tos vajntxwv ntawm ntug kev. Nws muab ntaub qhwv nws lub qhov muag tsis muaj leejtwg paub nws lawm. ³⁹Thaum vajntxwv taug kev los nws txawm qw rau vajntxwv tias, “Kuv uas yog koj tus qhev mus rau hauv tshav rog mas muaj ib tug tub rog tig rov los coj ib tug txivneej los rau kuv thiab hais rau kuv tias, ‘Zov tus yawg no cia zoo zoo. Yog nws dim tau li cas mus lawd mas yuav muab koj txojsia pauv nws txoj lossis koj yuav tsum them ib tala nyiaj.⚓’ ⁴⁰Ces thaum kuv tseem tab kaum rau qhov ub qhov no nws txawm ploj lawm.” Cov Yixayee tus vajntxwv txawm hais rau nws tias, “Koj yuav raug txim yam nkaus li ntawd ntag. Rau qhov koj twb hais li ntawd lawm.” ⁴¹Ces tus xibhwb txawm daws kiag daim ntaub uas npog nws qhov muag, ces cov Yixayee tus vajntxwv thiaj cim tau tias nws yog ib tug xibhwb cev Vajtswv lus. ⁴²Ces tus xibhwb thiaj hais rau nws tias, “Yawmsaub hais li no tias, ‘Vim koj tau tso tus yawg uas nyob hauv koj txhais tes mus lawm, yog tus uas kuv tu kom muab ua puam tsuaj, mas koj txojsia yuav pauv nws txojsia, thiab koj cov neeg yuav tuag theej nws cov neeg.’ ” ⁴³Mas cov Yixayee tus vajntxwv mus rau hauv nws lub vaj lub tsev hauv Xamali nyuaj siab kawg chim ntsej muag tsaus nti.