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

Mben Haa^ndatc Mborqv Saa^maa^lie

¹Silie Guoqv⚓ nyei hungh, Mben Haa^ndatc, diuc nzoih ninh nyei baeng-guanh. Maaih faah ziepc nyeic dauh hungh caux ninh mbuo nyei maaz caux mborqv jaax nyei maaz-cie. Ninh ziouc faaux mingh weih jienv mborqv Saa^maa^lie Zingh. ²Ninh paaiv douc fienx mienh bieqc zingh mingh mbuox I^saa^laa^en nyei hungh, Aa^hapc, “Mben Haa^ndatc hnangv naaiv nor gorngv, ³‘Meih nyei jiem nyaanh benx yie nyei. Meih nyei gauh longx jiex nyei auv caux fu'jueiv yaac benx yie nyei.’+”
⁴I^saa^laa^en nyei hungh dau, “Yie nyei ziouv, hungh diex, aah! Hnangv meih gorngv nor. Yie caux yie maaih nyei yietc zungv benx meih nyei.”
⁵Douc fienx mienh aengx daaih nzunc gorngv, “Mben Haa^ndatc hnangv naaiv nor gorngv, ‘Yie bun waac mingh heuc meih zorqv meih nyei jiem nyaanh caux meih nyei auv, meih nyei fu'jueiv jiu bun yie. ⁶Mv baac njang hnoi leih maiv go naaiv norm ziangh hoc, yie bun yie nyei jien mingh meih wuov sou meih nyei biauv caux meih nyei jien nyei biauv. Ninh mbuo buatc haaix nyungc horpc ninh mbuo nyei hnyouv, ninh mbuo ziouc zorqv dorh mingh aqv.’+”
⁷I^saa^laa^en Mienh nyei hungh heuc wuov norm deic-bung nyei zuangx mienh gox daaih zunv, gorngv mbuox ninh mbuo, “Mangc maah! Naaiv dauh mienh za'gengh oix cuoqv sic aqv, weic zuqc ninh bun waac daaih heuc yie zorqv yie nyei auv, yie nyei fu'jueiv caux yie nyei jiem nyaanh fungx mingh bun ninh. Yie yaac maiv ngaengc ninh.”
⁸Zuangx mienh gox caux zuangx baeqc fingx gorngv, “Maiv dungx muangx, maiv dungx laengz.”
⁹Aa^hapc Hungh ziouc dau Mben Haa^ndatc nyei douc fienx mienh, “Yie nyei ziouv, hungh diex aah! Daauh nzunc meih heuc yie zoux nyei yietc zungv yie oix ei jienv zoux. Mv baac naaiv nzunc tov nyei yie maiv haih zoux.” Douc fienx mienh ziouc nzuonx mingh mbuox Mben Haa^ndatc.
¹⁰Mben Haa^ndatc aengx bun waac mingh mbuox Aa^hapc, “Yie oix dorh mienh camv! nyei mingh mietc meih mbuo. Saa^maa^lie nyei nie-mbung zungv maiv gaux ninh mbuo yietc dauh yietc nyau. Se gorngv yie maiv zoux, tov zuangx zienh hniev-hniev nyei zoux bun yie.”
¹¹I^saa^laa^en nyei hungh dau, “Oix zuqc mbuox ninh, ‘Maiv gaengh zuqv mborqv jaax nyei zorng-zuqv mingh mborqv jaax nyei mienh maiv horpc zuqc bungx waac-maux hnangv mborqv liuz jaax jaiv nqoi mborqv jaax nyei zorng-zuqv nor.’+”
¹²Mben Haa^ndatc caux zuangx hungh diex yiem ninh mbuo nyei ndopv-liuh hopv diuv wuov zanc, Mben Haa^ndatc haiz naaiv deix fienx. Ninh ziouc gorngv mbuox ninh nyei baeng, “Gorqv-mienh yiem gorqv-mienh nyei dorngx liuc leiz ziangx mborqv jaax aqv.” Gorqv-mienh ziouc mingh yiem gorqv-mienh nyei dorngx liuc leiz ziangx mborqv wuov norm zingh.

Aa^hapc Mborqv Hingh Mben Haa^ndatc

¹³Maaih dauh douc waac mienh daaih lorz I^saa^laa^en Mienh nyei hungh, Aa^hapc. Ninh gorngv, “Ziouv hnangv naaiv nor gorngv, ‘Meih buatc naaiv deix domh baeng-guanh fai? Ih hnoi yie oix zorqv ninh mbuo jiu bun meih. Meih ziouc hiuv duqv yie se Ziouv ’+”
¹⁴Aa^hapc naaic, “Bangc haaix dauh zoux?”
Douc waac mienh gorngv, “Ziouv hnangv naaiv gorngv, ‘Bangc zuangx saengv-ziouv nyei baeng-bieiv lunx.’+”
Aa^hapc naaic, “Haaix dauh oix zuqc jiez gorn mborqv?”
Douc waac mienh dau, “Meih oix zuqc jiez gorn mborqv.”
¹⁵Hungh diex ziouc diuc nzoih dauh dauh saengv-ziouv nyei mienh lunx mienh. Yietc zungv maaih nyic baeqv faah ziepc nyeic dauh. Nqa'haav aengx diuc nzoih I^saa^laa^en nyei zuangx baeng, yietc zungv maaih siec cin dauh. ¹⁶Ziangx lungh aanx ninh mbuo cuotv zingh mingh mborqv jaax doix Mben Haa^ndatc caux tengx ninh wuov deix faah ziepc nyeic dauh hungh diex yiem ninh mbuo nyei ndopv-liuh hopv gau diuv oix nquin aqv. ¹⁷Saengv-ziouv nyei mienh lunx mienh cuotv zingh ndaangc.
Mben Haa^ndatc paaiv mienh cuotv mingh zaah deic-bung. Ninh mbuo nzuonx daaih gorngv, “Maaih mienh yiem Saa^maa^lie hungx jienv daaih aqv.”
¹⁸Mben Haa^ndatc gorngv, “Se gorngv ninh mbuo daaih weic oix gorngv horpc, liemh nangh zorqv ninh mbuo. Se gorngv ninh mbuo daaih mborqv jaax, liemh nangh nyei zorqv ninh mbuo maah!”
¹⁹Naaiv deix mienh ziouc cuotv zingh mingh, se zuangx saengv-ziouv nyei mienh lunx mienh. Baeng-guanh yaac gan jienv ninh mbuo mingh. ²⁰Gorqv-mienh daix caux gorqv-mienh mborqv jaax wuov deix win-wangv. Silie Mienh biaux, I^saa^laa^en Mienh zunc jienv gan ninh mbuo nyei nqa'haav nqaang, mv baac Silie nyei hungh, Mben Haa^ndatc, geh jienv maaz caux geh maaz nyei baeng tiux biaux. ²¹I^saa^laa^en nyei hungh cuotv zingh mingh caangv maaz caux mborqv jaax nyei cie yaac daix Silie Mienh camv haic.
²²Nqa'haav wuov dauh douc waac mienh daaih lorz I^saa^laa^en Mienh nyei hungh gorngv, “Meih oix zuqc henv jiez daaih weic zuqc taux cun-gen hnoi Silie nyei hungh zungv oix daaih mborqv meih aqv.”
²³Silie nyei hungh, Mben Haa^ndatc, nyei jien gorngv mbuox ninh, “I^saa^laa^en Mienh nyei zienh se yiem mbong nyei zienh ninh mbuo cingx daaih gauh henv mbuo. Mv baac bun mbuo yiem ndau-baengh mborqv nor, mbuo ndongc haaix zungv gauh henv ninh mbuo. ²⁴Oix zuqc hnangv naaiv nor zoux. Tov zorqv yietc zungv hungh diex cuotv, maiv dungx bun gunv mborqv jaax nyei jauv. Aengx liepc baeng-bieiv div ninh mbuo. ²⁵Meih oix zuqc liepc baeng-guanh ndongc zinh ndaangc daic wuov deix camv, yaac lorz maaz div maaz, lorz mborqv jaax nyei maaz-cie div mborqv jaax nyei maaz-cie, mbuo ziouc yiem ndau-baengh caux I^saa^laa^en Mienh mborqv jaax. Hnangv naaic mbuo ndongc haaix zungv hingh aqv.” Mben Haa^ndatc haiz horpc hnyouv nyei ziouc ei jienv zoux.
²⁶Taux da'nyeic hnyangx nyei cun-gen hnoi, Mben Haa^ndatc diuc nzoih Silie nyei baeng yaac cuotv mingh taux Aafekv Zingh, oix caux I^saa^laa^en Mienh mborqv jaax. ²⁷I^saa^laa^en Mienh yaac diuc nzoih baeng, bun jienv bienh fuix, ziouc cuotv mingh caux ninh mbuo mborqv jaax. Ninh mbuo hnangv i guanh zoqc nyei yungh liepc ciangv yiem Silie baeng nyei ciangv doix-ngaanc. Silie nyei baeng buangv nzengc ndau-beih.
²⁸Tin-Hungh nyei mienh daaih mbuox I^saa^laa^en nyei hungh, “Ziouv hnangv naaiv gorngv, ‘Laaix Silie Mienh gorngv Ziouv se yiem mbong nyei zienh, maiv zeiz horngz nyei zienh, yie oix zorqv naaiv domh guanh baeng jiu bun yiem meih nyei buoz-ndiev. Meih ziouc hiuv duqv yie se Ziouv ’+”
²⁹I^saa^laa^en Mienh caux Silie Mienh nyei ciangv doix-ngaanc. Ninh mbuo yiem ciangv siec hnoi. Taux siec hnoi wuov hnoi ninh mbuo ziouc cuotv mingh mborqv jaax aqv. Nduqc hnoi hnangv I^saa^laa^en Mienh daix yietc sinx dauh Silie Mienh nyei yangh jauv baeng. ³⁰Silie Mienh zengc njiec nyei baeng biaux bieqc Aafekv Zingh. Zingh laatc mbaang njiec, ndapv daic i waanc siec cin dauh. Mben Haa^ndatc biaux bieqc zingh gu'nyuoz bingx jienv zingh gu'nyuoz jiex nyei yietc qongx.
³¹Ninh nyei jien gorngv mbuox ninh, “Yie mbuo haiz gorngv I^saa^laa^en Mienh nyei hungh korv-lienh mienh. Bun yie mbuo sai jienv la'maah ndie-cou yaac zorqv hlaang kou jienv m'nqorngv mingh lorz I^saa^laa^en nyei hungh. Nziex ninh oix liouh meih nyei maengc.”
³²Ninh mbuo ziouc sai jienv la'maah ndie-cou, m'nqorngv yaac kou jienv hlaang, mingh lorz I^saa^laa^en nyei hungh. Ninh mbuo gorngv, “Meih nyei bou, Mben Haa^ndatc, gorngv, ‘Tov meih liouh ninh nyei maengc oc.’+”
Hungh diex dau, “Ninh corc maaih maengc nyei? Ninh zoux hnangv yie nyei youz.”
³³Naaiv deix mienh haiz ninh hnangv naaiv nor gorngv ziouc siepv-siepv nyei zorqv ninh nyei waac gorngv, “Zeiz nyei. Mben Haa^ndatc hnangv meih nyei youz.”
Hungh diex gorngv, “Mingh dorh ninh daaih maah!” Mben Haa^ndatc cuotv daaih wuov zanc, Aa^hapc heuc ninh faaux Aa^hapc nyei mborqv jaax cie.
³⁴Mben Haa^ndatc gorngv, “Yie nyei die caangv meih nyei die nyei wuov deix zingh yie oix fungx nzuonx bun meih. Meih gunv liepc meih ganh nyei hei-horngc yiem Ndaa^matv^gatc Zingh hnangv yie nyei die yiem Saa^maa^lie liepc nor.”
Aa^hapc gorngv, “Ziux meih gorngv nyei liepc ngaengc waac yie ziouc bungx meih mingh.” Ninh ziouc caux Mben Haa^ndatc liepc ngaengc waac aengx bungx ninh mingh aqv.

Douc Waac Mienh Dingc Aa^hapc Nyei Zuiz

³⁵Maaih guanh douc waac mienh nyei yietc dauh ziux Ziouv gorngv nyei waac mbuox caux ninh zoux guanh nyei yietc dauh doic, “Tov meih mborqv yie.” Mv baac wuov dauh mienh maiv kangv mborqv ninh. ³⁶Ninh ziouc gorngv, “Laaix meih maiv muangx Ziouv nyei waac, meih yietv leih yie, maaih dauh sienh oix ngaatc daic meih.” Wuov dauh mienh yietv leih nqoi hnangv ziouc maaih dauh sienh daaih ngaatc daic ninh mi'aqv.⚓
³⁷Wuov dauh douc waac mienh aengx buangh zuqc ganh dauh mienh ziouc gorngv mbuox ninh, “Tov mborqv yie maah!” Wuov dauh mienh ziouc mborqv ninh mun mi'aqv. ³⁸Naaiv dauh douc waac mienh ziouc mingh souv jienv jauv-hlen zuov hungh diex jiex. Ninh longc ndie buang jienv m'zing weic bun mienh zieqv maiv duqv ninh. ³⁹Hungh diex jiex jauv wuov zanc, wuov dauh douc waac mienh heuc jienv gorngv mbuox hungh diex, “Meih nyei bou yiem mborqv jaax ciangv wuov zanc, maaih dauh mienh dorh dauh zorqv daaih nyei win-wangv daaih gorngv, ‘Goux longx naaiv dauh mienh. Se gorngv ninh biaux ndutv, meih nyei maengc oix zuqc div ninh nyei maengc. Maiv zei aeqv, oix zuqc cuotv nyic ziepc yietv joih nyaanh.’⚓ ⁴⁰Mv baac yie, meih nyei bou, nyauv jienv naaiv nyauv jienv wuov nyei ziangh hoc, maiv buatc naaiv dauh mienh mi'aqv.”
I^saa^laa^en nyei hungh gorngv, “Meih nyei zuiz m'daaih oix zuqc hnangv naaic dingc weic zuqc meih ganh dingc liuz aqv.”
⁴¹Wuov dauh douc waac mienh ziouc siepv-siepv nyei zorqv nqoi buang m'zing nyei ndie. I^saa^laa^en nyei hungh diex ziouc zieqv duqv ninh benx yietc dauh wuov deix douc waac mienh. ⁴²Ninh gorngv mbuox hungh diex, “Ziouv hnangv naaiv nor gorngv, ‘Weic zuqc meih bungx yietc dauh dongh yie dingc oix zuqc daic nyei mienh⚓ biaux, meih nyei maengc oix zuqc div ninh nyei maengc, meih nyei baeqc fingx yaac div ninh nyei baeqc fingx.’ ” ⁴³I^saa^laa^en nyei hungh, Aa^hapc, ziouc nzuonx taux Saa^maa^lie, ninh nyei hungh dinc wuov, youc qiex jiez youc nzauh.