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

Ua Rog Rau Cov Xilias

¹Cov Xilias tus Vajntxwv Npeehadas hu tagnrho nws cov tubrog tuaj ua ke, thiab tseem muaj peb caug ob tug vajntxwv muab lawv tej nees thiab tej tsheb nees tuaj pab nws, nws thiaj sawv kev tuaj mus vij lub nroog Xamalis thiab tua lub nroog ntawd. ²Nws tso neeg mus hais rau cov Yixalayees tus Vajntxwv Ahaj hauv lub nroog hais tias, “Vajntxwv Npeehadas hais li no hais tias, ³‘Koj tej nyiaj tej kub yog kuv li, koj cov pojniam thiab cov menyuam uas zoo nkauj zoo nraug los puavleej yog kuv li thiab.’ ”
⁴Ahaj teb hais tias, “Nej mus hais rau kuv tus tswv uas yog Vajntxwv Npeehadas hais tias kuv yeej zoo siab muab rau nws; kuv thiab txhua yam uas kuv muaj puavleej yog nws tug huv tibsi.”
⁵Npeehadas rov tso cov neeg coj nws tej lus mus hais rau Ahaj dua ntxiv li no: “Kuv rov tso xov tuaj rau koj, koj cia li xa koj tej nyiaj tej kub, koj cov pojniam thiab koj cov menyuam tuaj rau kuv. ⁶Tiamsis tagkis lub sijhawm no, kuv yuav tso kuv cov nomtswv tuaj tshawb hauv koj lub loog thiab hauv koj cov nomtswv tej tsev, thiab txhua yam uas zoo lawv yuav nqa mus kom tas.”
⁷Vajntxwv Ahaj hu tagnrho nws cov thawjcoj hauv nws lub tebchaws tuaj thiab hais rau lawv hais tias, “Thov nej nrog hnov, tus neeg no nws xav tuaj nrhiav kev kub ntxhov rau peb xwb. Nws tso xov tuaj rau kuv hais tias nws yuav yuav kuv cov pojniam, kuv cov menyuam thiab kuv tej nyiaj tej kub. Txawm li ntawd los kuv yeej txaus siab muab rau nws.”
⁸Cov thawjcoj ntawd teb hais tias, “Tsis txhob mloog nws hais thiab tsis txhob muab rau nws hlo li.”
⁹Yog li ntawd, Ahaj thiaj teb rau Npeehadas cov neeg xa xov hais tias, “Nej mus hais rau vajntxwv uas yog kuv tus tswv hais tias nws thawj tsab xov mas kuv txaus siab muab ntag, tiamsis tsab ob no kuv tsis txaus siab muab li nws hais ntawd.”
Cov xa xov coj tej lus ntawd rov mus hais rau Npeehadas thiab lawv rov coj dua lwm tsab xov ntawm ¹⁰Npeehadas tuaj hais tias, “Kuv yuav coj tubrog coob tuaj rhuav koj lub nroog no, thiab koj tej nyuag thwvcib uas tawg ua hmoov twb tsis txhua kuv cov neeg ib leeg nqa ib taus mus. Yog tsis muaj li kuv hais no, ces thov kom tej vajtswv muab kuv tua kom tuag!”
¹¹Vajntxwv Ahaj teb hais tias, “Nej rov mus hais rau Vajntxwv Npeehadas hais tias tus uas yog tubrog tiag nws yeej tsis tso cuabyeej ua rog tseg ua ntej nws tua yeej rog, tiamsis thaum yeej rog lawm, nws mam tso tseg.”
¹²Thaum Npeehadas tau txais Ahaj tej lus teb no, nws tseem tabtom nrog cov nomtswv uas tuaj nws tog haus cawv hauv lawv tej tsevntaub. Nws thiaj hais kom nws cov tubrog cia li npaj mus sib tua. Yog li ntawd, lawv thiaj npaj mus tua lub nroog.
¹³Tamsim ntawd, txawm muaj ib tug cev Vajtswv lus tuaj cuag Vajntxwv Ahaj thiab hais rau nws hais tias, “Tus TSWV hais tias koj puas pom pab tubrog coob coob ntawd? Hnub no kuv yuav pub kom koj tua yeej lawv, koj thiaj yuav paub hais tias kuv yog tus TSWV tiag.”
¹⁴Ahaj nug hais tias, “Leejtwg yuav ua tus thawj coj peb mus tua?”
Tus cev Vajtswv lus teb hais tias, “Tus TSWV hais tias, yog cov tswvxeev tej tubrog hluas yuav ua tej no ntag.”
Vajntxwv rov nug hais tias, “Leejtwg yuav ua tus thawjcoj peb tiag?”
Tus cev Vajtswv lus teb hais tias, “Koj yog tus coj ntag.”
¹⁵Yog li ntawd, vajntxwv thiaj txhij tau ob puas peb caug ob leej tubrog hluas ntawm cov thawj tubrog uas saib tej cheebtsam tuaj txoos ua ke. Nws txhij tau xya txhiab leej tubrog Yixalayees tuaj ntxiv.
¹⁶Lawv txawm tawm mus sib tua thaum tavsu, ces Npeehadas thiab peb caug ob tug vajntxwv uas tuaj nws tog tseem tabtom haus cawv hauv tej tsevntaub. ¹⁷Cov tubrog hluas tawm mus ua ntej. Ces cov tubrog uas Npeehadas tso mus tshuajxwm khiav rov los qhia rau nws hais tias, muaj ib pab tubrog tabtom tawm hauv lub nroog Xamalis tuaj lawm. ¹⁸Npeehadas hais tias, “Txawm yog lawv tuaj nrog peb sib tua lossis tuaj nrog peb cog kev phoojywg los xij, nej cia li muab ntes kiag cab los.”
¹⁹Cov tubrog hluas txawm ua cov ntaus thawj coj lawv kev mus, ces cov tubrog Yixalayees mam li lawv qab, ²⁰thiab txhua tus yeebncuab uas lawv pom, lawv muab tua tuag tas huv tibsi. Cov Xilias swb thiab khiav tawm, cov tubrog Yixalayees caum qab tua, tiamsis Npeehadas caij nees nrog cov tubrog uas caij nees khiav dim lawm. ²¹Vajntxwv Ahaj mus rau tom tiaj nrag, mus puav ntes cov nees, cov tsheb nees thiab muab cov tubrog Xilias tua tuag tas rau tod.
²²Ces tus cev Vajtswv lus rov mus hais rau Vajntxwv Ahaj hais tias, “Koj cia li rov qab mus txhij tubrog kom coob ntxiv thiab yuav tsum ceevfaj npaj kom zoo, rau qhov lwm xyoo txog lub caij ntuj nag, cov Xilias tus vajntxwv yuav rov tuaj tua nej dua.”

Cov Xilias Rov Tuaj Tua Dua Zaum Ob

²³Vajntxwv Npeehadas cov nomtswv hais rau nws hais tias, “Cov Yixalayees tej vajtswv yog tej vajtswv uas nyob saum roob xwb, twb yog vim li ntawd cov Yixalayees thiaj tua yeej peb. Tiamsis yog peb mus tua lawv nram tiaj nrag, peb yuav tua yeej lawv xwb. ²⁴Nimno cia li tshem peb caug ob tug vajntxwv ntawd tawm ntawm lawv lub luag haujlwm thiab coj lawv mus nrog cov thawj tubrog tom tiaj nrag nyob. ²⁵Txhij tubrog ntxiv kom coob npaum li cov uas thaum ub koj coj mus tuag tas lawm, npaj nees thiab tsheb nees kom ntau ib yam li cov qub. Peb yuav mus tua cov Yixalayees nyob tom tiaj nrag, mas zaum no peb yuav tua yeej lawv xwb.”
Vajntxwv Npeehadas txawm pom zoo ua raws li lawv hais ntawd. ²⁶Ces thaum uas txog ntua lub caij ntuj nag, Npeehadas txawm txhij nws cov tubrog thiab nws nrog lawv tuaj tua cov Yixalayees tom lub nroog Afekas. ²⁷Cov Yixalayees txhij tubrog thiab npaj cuabyeej; lawv faib ua ob pab mus tsuam yeej nyob sib ncag zos cov Xilias. Cov Xilias nyob puv nkaus rau tom tiaj nrag, tiamsis cov Yixalayees tsuas zoo li ob pab nyuag tshis uas tsawg tsawg xwb.
²⁸Ces tus cev Vajtswv lus txawm mus cuag Vajntxwv Ahaj thiab hais rau nws hais tias, “Tus TSWV hais rau koj hais tias, ‘Vim cov Xilias hais tias kuv yog tus vajtswv uas nyob saum tej roob xwb, kuv tsis yog tus vajtswv uas nyob nram tiaj nrag. Yog li ntawd, kuv yuav pub kom koj tua yeej lawv cov tubrog uas coob heev ntawd, koj thiab koj cov neeg thiaj yuav paub hais tias kuv yog tus TSWV tiag!’ ”
²⁹Cov Xilias thiab cov Yixalayees tsuam yeej nyob sib ncag, ib pab nyob ib sab tau xya hnub. Ces hnub xya lawv txawm pib sib tua, hnub ntawd cov Yixalayees tua cov Xilias tuag ib puas txhiab leej. ³⁰Cov seem tuag uas khiav mus cawm siav rau hauv lub nroog Afekas los tus ntsayeej uas thaiv lub nroog tseem vau los ntaus lawv tuag lawm nees nkaum xya txhiab leej thiab.
Npeehadas khiav mus rau hauv lub nroog, thiab nws mus nkaum rau hauv ib chav tsev. ³¹Npeehadas cov nomtswv tuaj cuag nws thiab hais rau nws hais tias, “Peb hnov hais tias, cov Yixalayees cov vajntxwv muaj lub siab hlub tshua heev. Thov tso cai rau peb, muab tej ris tsho ntaubtsaj rau peb pav duav thiab muab hlua rig peb taubhau mus cuag cov Yixalayees tus vajntxwv, tej zaum nws yuav tseg koj txojsia.” ³²Yog li ntawd, lawv thiaj muab tej ntaubtsaj los pav duav thiab muab hlua rig taubhau, ces lawv txawm mus cuag Ahaj thiab hais tias, “Koj tus tubtxib Npeehadas thov kom koj tseg nws txojsia nyob.”
Ahaj teb hais tias, “Nws tseem muaj sia nyob thiab los? Zoo lawm lauj! Nws zoo li kuv ib tug kwvtij thiab ntag.”
³³Npeehadas cov nomtswv tos ntsoov saib Ahaj puas hais tej lus zoo, thiab thaum Ahaj hais tias, “Tug kwvtij,” lawv txawm khaws nkaus lo lus ntawd thiab hais tias, “Yog li koj hais, Npeehadas yeej yog koj ib tug kwvtij tiag!”
Ahaj hais tias, “Nej cia li mus coj Npeehadas tuaj cuag kuv.” Thaum Npeehadas tuaj txog, Ahaj txawm caw nws mus nrog Ahaj caij tsheb nees ua ke. ³⁴Npeehadas hais rau Ahaj hais tias, “Kuv yuav muab lub nroog uas thaum ub kuv txiv txeeb tau ntawm koj txiv los rov qab rau koj, thiab yuav muab rau koj ua ib qhov chaw rau koj ua lag ua luam nyob hauv lub nroog Damaxes ib yam li kuv txiv tuaj ua nyob hauv lub nroog Xamalis.”
Ahaj teb hais tias, “Vim tej lus cog tseg no, kuv yuav tso koj mus.” Ces Ahaj nkawd thiaj coglus, thiab Ahaj txawm tso Npeehadas mus lawm.

Rau Txim Rau Ahaj

³⁵Tus TSWV hais rau ib tug cevlus uas nyob hauv pab cev Vajtswv lus, kom mus hais rau ib tug cev Vajtswv lus muab nws ntaus. Tiamsis tus cev Vajtswv lus ntawd tsis kam ntaus, ³⁶yog li ntawd, nws thiaj hais rau tus cev Vajtswv lus ntawd hais tias, “Vim koj tsis mloog tus TSWV lus, mas thaum koj ncaim kuv mus, tsov ntxhuav yuav tom koj.” Ces thaum nws ncaim mus lawm, ib tug tsov ntxhuav txawm cia li tom nws lawm tiag.
³⁷Ces tus cev Vajtswv lus no thiaj mus cuag dua lwm tus txivneej thiab hais rau nws hais tias, “Koj cia li ntaus kuv!” Tus txivneej ntawd thiaj ntaus nws; mas tus txivneej ntawd sib zog ntaus tus cev Vajtswv lus ntawd heev, ua rau nws raug mob sab kawg. ³⁸Tus cev Vajtswv lus ntawd thiaj muab ntaub los qhwv nws lub ntsejmuag, ua txuj ua cuav mus sawv tom kev tos cov Yixalayees tus vajntxwv taug kev tuaj. ³⁹Thaum vajntxwv taug kev tuaj ncaj, tus cev Vajtswv lus ntawd hu hais tias, “Vajntxwv, thaum kuv tabtom sib tua hauv tshavrog muaj ib tug tubrog ntes tau ib tug yeebncuab los rau kuv tuav thiab nws hais rau kuv hais tias, ‘Koj zov tus neeg no kom zoo; yog koj cia nws dim, mas yuav muab koj txojsia pauj nws txoj lossis koj yuav tau them peb txhiab daim nyiaj.’ ⁴⁰Tiamsis kuv muaj haujlwm ntau heev, mas tus neeg ntawd txawm cia li khiav lawm.”
Vajntxwv teb hais tias, “Koj yuav raug txim xwb, rau qhov koj yeej lees koj li ntawd lawm.”
⁴¹Tus cev Vajtswv lus muab cov khaubncaws uas qhwv nws ntsejmuag dua rhe povtseg, ces tamsim ntawd vajntxwv paub hais tias, nws yog ib tug hauv pab uas cev Vajtswv lus ntag. ⁴²Tus cev Vajtswv lus ntawd hais rau vajntxwv hais tias, “Tus TSWV hais tias, ‘Vim koj muab tus neeg uas kuv muab cob rau koj tua povtseg tso lawm, mas yuav muab koj txojsia pauj nws txoj, thiab koj cov tubrog yuav raug nws cov tubrog uas khiav dim lawm tua kom tuag tas huv tibsi.’ ”
⁴³Ces vajntxwv txawm rov mus tsev rau hauv lub nroog Xamalis lawm, mas nws txhawj thiab nyuaj siab kawg li.