1 Kings 20 in plain modern English. New Ground English Translation.

Ben-Hadad king of Aram gathered his entire army. Thirty-two kings joined him with horses and chariots, and he marched up and laid siege to Samaria, attacking it.

He sent messengers into the city to Ahab king of Israel, telling him, "This is what Ben-Hadad says: 'Your silver and gold are mine. Your best wives and children are mine.'"

The king of Israel replied, "Just as you say, my lord the king — I and everything I have are yours."

The messengers came back and said, "This is what Ben-Hadad says: 'I sent word to you demanding your silver and gold, your wives and your children.

But now I'm sending my officials to you tomorrow about this time. They will search your palace and the houses of your officials. They will seize whatever you value most and carry it away.'"

The king of Israel summoned all the elders of the land and said, "See how this man is looking for trouble! When he demanded my wives and children, my silver and gold, I didn't refuse him."

All the elders and the whole assembly told him, "Don't listen to him. Don't give in."

So he told Ben-Hadad's messengers, "Tell my lord the king: Everything you first demanded of your servant, I will do. But this new demand I cannot meet." The messengers left and brought the answer back.

Ben-Hadad then sent another message to Ahab: "May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if enough dust remains in Samaria to give each of my soldiers a handful."

The king of Israel sent back this answer: "Tell him: 'The one who straps on armor shouldn't boast like the one who takes it off.'"

When Ben-Hadad heard this message while he and the other kings were drinking in their tents, he ordered his men, "Get into position!" And they prepared to attack the city.

Just then, a prophet approached Ahab king of Israel and said, "This is what Yahweh says: 'Do you see this massive army? I am going to hand it over to you today, and you will know that I am Yahweh.'"

Ahab asked, "But through whom will this happen?" The prophet answered, "This is what Yahweh says: 'Through the young officers who serve the provincial commanders.'" Ahab asked, "And who will start the battle?" The prophet replied, "You will."

So Ahab assembled the young officers of the provincial commanders — two hundred and thirty-two of them. After them, he assembled the rest of the Israelite forces — seven thousand in all.

They marched out at noon while Ben-Hadad and the thirty-two kings allied with him were getting drunk in their tents.

The young officers of the provincial commanders went out first. Ben-Hadad had sent out scouts, and they reported back, "Men are advancing from Samaria."

He said, "If they've come out for peace, take them alive. If they've come out for war, take them alive."

The young officers of the provincial commanders marched out of the city with the army behind them,

and each one struck down his opponent. The Arameans fled, with Israel chasing them. But Ben-Hadad king of Aram escaped on horseback with some of his cavalry.

The king of Israel advanced and struck down the horses and chariots, inflicting a massive defeat on the Arameans.

Then the prophet came to the king of Israel and said, "Go strengthen your position and think carefully about what to do, because the king of Aram will attack you again next spring."

Meanwhile, the officials of the king of Aram advised him, "Their gods are mountain gods — that's why they overpowered us. But if we fight them on the plains, we'll definitely overpower them.

And do this: Remove all the kings from their commands and replace them with professional officers.

Then raise an army the same size as the one you lost — horse for horse, chariot for chariot — and we'll fight them on the plains. We'll definitely overpower them." He listened to their advice and acted on it.

The following spring, Ben-Hadad mustered the Arameans and marched to Aphek to fight against Israel.

When Israel was also mustered and supplied, they marched out to face them. The Israelites camped opposite them like two small flocks of goats, while the Arameans covered the countryside.

A man of God came up and told the king of Israel, "This is what Yahweh says: 'Because the Arameans think Yahweh is a god of the mountains and not a god of the valleys, I will hand this entire massive army over to you, and you will know that I am Yahweh.'"

For seven days the two armies camped facing each other. On the seventh day, the battle began, and the Israelites struck down a hundred thousand Aramean foot soldiers in a single day.

The rest fled to the city of Aphek, where a wall collapsed on twenty-seven thousand of the survivors. Ben-Hadad himself fled into the city and hid in an inner room.

His officials told him, "Look, we've heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful kings. Let us put sackcloth around our waists and ropes around our heads, and go out to the king of Israel. Maybe he'll spare your life."

So they wrapped sackcloth around their waists and put ropes around their heads, went to the king of Israel and said, "Your servant Ben-Hadad says: 'Please let me live.'" Ahab replied, "Is he still alive? He is my brother."

The men took this as a good sign and quickly latched onto his word: "Yes! Ben-Hadad is your brother!" Ahab said, "Go get him." When Ben-Hadad came out to him, Ahab had him climb into his chariot.

Ben-Hadad said to him, "I will return the cities my father took from your father. You may set up market districts in Damascus, as my father did in Samaria." Ahab said, "On those terms, I'll let you go." So he made a treaty with him and released him.

Now one of the members of the prophetic guild told his companion, "By Yahweh's word, hit me!" But the man refused to hit him.

So the prophet told him, "Because you have not obeyed the voice of Yahweh, as soon as you leave me, a lion will kill you." And when he left, a lion found him and killed him.

The prophet found another man and said, "Hit me!" So the man struck him and wounded him.

Then the prophet went and waited for the king along the road, disguising himself with a bandage over his eyes.

As the king passed by, the prophet called out to him and said, "Your servant went into the thick of the battle, and a soldier brought a prisoner to me and said, 'Guard this man. If he goes missing, it will be your life for his life, or you will pay a talent of silver.'

While your servant was busy here and there, the prisoner disappeared." The king of Israel said to him, "That is your sentence — you've decided it yourself."

Then the prophet quickly pulled the bandage off his eyes, and the king of Israel recognized him as one of the prophets.

He said to the king, "This is what Yahweh says: 'You set free the man I had devoted to destruction. Therefore, it will be your life for his life, your people for his people.'"

The king of Israel went home to Samaria, sullen and angry.

He arrived at his palace in Samaria, sullen and angry.