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1 Kings 20:1-43 — Ben-Hadad Attacks Samaria

1Kgs.20.1-43

¹Now Ben-Hadad king of Aram assembled his entire army. Thirty-two kings were with him, along with horses and chariots. He went up, besieged Samaria, and fought against it. ²He sent messengers into the city to Ahab king of Israel, ³and said to him, “This is what Ben-Hadad says: 'Your silver and your gold are mine, and your best wives and children are mine.'” ⁴The king of Israel answered and said, “Just as you say, my lord the king: I am yours, and all that I have.” ⁵The messengers returned and said, “This is what Ben-Hadad says: 'I sent to you, saying, ”You shall give me your silver, your gold, your wives, and your children." ⁶But about this time tomorrow I will send my servants to you, and they will search your house and the houses of your servants. Whatever is precious in your eyes, they will lay their hands on it and take it away.'" ⁷Then the king of Israel summoned all the elders of the land and said, “Please take note and see that this man is looking for trouble; for he sent to me for my wives, my children, my silver, and my gold, and I did not deny him.” ⁸All the elders and all the people said to him, “Do not listen, and do not consent.” ⁹So he said to the messengers of Ben-Hadad, “Tell my lord the king, 'All that you demanded of your servant the first time I will do, but this thing I cannot do.'” The messengers departed and brought him back word. ¹⁰Then Ben-Hadad sent to him and said, “May the gods do so to me and more also, if the dust of Samaria will be enough for handfuls for all the people who follow me.” ¹¹The king of Israel answered and said, “Tell him: 'Let not the one putting on his armor boast like the one taking it off.'” ¹²When Ben-Hadad heard this message, while he and the kings were drinking in the tents, he said to his servants, “Take your positions.” So they took their positions against the city. ¹³And behold, a prophet approached Ahab king of Israel and said, “This is what Yahweh says: 'Have you seen all this great multitude? Behold, I am giving it into your hand today, and you will know that I am Yahweh.'” ¹⁴Ahab said, “By whom?” He said, “This is what Yahweh says: 'By the young men of the provincial commanders .'” Then he said, “Who will begin the battle?” He answered, “You.” ¹⁵So he mustered the young men of the provincial commanders, and there were two hundred and thirty-two. After them he mustered all the people, all the children of Israel, seven thousand. ¹⁶They marched out at noon, while Ben-Hadad was drinking himself drunk in the tents, he and the thirty-two kings helping him. ¹⁷The young men of the provincial commanders marched out first. Ben-Hadad sent out scouts, and they reported to him, saying, “Men have marched out from Samaria.” ¹⁸He said, “If they have marched out for peace, take them alive; or if they have marched out for war, take them alive.” ¹⁹So these marched out of the city—the young men of the provincial commanders and the army that followed them. ²⁰Each one struck down his man. Aram fled, and Israel pursued them. Ben-Hadad king of Aram escaped on horseback with the cavalry. ²¹The king of Israel marched out and struck the horses and chariots, and struck Aram with a great slaughter. ²²Then the prophet approached the king of Israel and said to him, “Go, strengthen yourself, and consider and see what you must do, for at the return of the year the king of Aram will come up against you.” ²³The servants of the king of Aram said to him, "Their gods are gods of the hills ; therefore they were stronger than we. But let us fight them on the plain, and surely we will be stronger than they. ²⁴Do this thing: remove the kings, each from his place, and put governors in their place. ²⁵Muster an army for yourself like the army that fell from you, horse for horse and chariot for chariot. Then we will fight them on the plain, and surely we will be stronger than they." He listened to their voice and did so. ²⁶At the return of the year, Ben-Hadad mustered Aram and went up to Aphek to fight against Israel. ²⁷The children of Israel were mustered and provisioned, and they went to meet them. The children of Israel camped opposite them like two little flocks of goats, while Aram filled the land. ²⁸A man of God approached and said to the king of Israel, “This is what Yahweh says: 'Because Aram has said, ”Yahweh is a god of the hills, but he is not a god of the valleys,“ I will give all this great multitude into your hand, and you will know that I am Yahweh.'” ²⁹They camped opposite each other for seven days. On the seventh day the battle was joined, and the children of Israel struck down one hundred thousand foot soldiers of Aram in one day. ³⁰The rest fled to Aphek, into the city, and the wall fell on twenty-seven thousand of the remaining men. Ben-Hadad fled and came into the city, into an inner room. ³¹His servants said to him, “Behold now, we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful kings. Please let us put sackcloth on our loins and ropes on our heads, and go out to the king of Israel. Perhaps he will spare your life.” ³²So they tied sackcloth on their loins and ropes on their heads, and came to the king of Israel and said, “Your servant Ben-Hadad says, 'Please let me live.'” He said, “Is he still alive? He is my brother.” ³³Now the men were looking for an omen , and they quickly caught his word and said, “Your brother Ben-Hadad!” He said, “Go, bring him.” Then Ben-Hadad came out to him, and he brought him up into the chariot. ³⁴Ben-Hadad said to him, “The cities that 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.” Ahab said, “And I will let you go with this covenant.” So he made a covenant with him and let him go. ³⁵Now a certain man of the sons of the prophets said to his companion by the word of Yahweh, “Strike me, please!” But the man refused to strike him. ³⁶Then he said to him, “Because you have not obeyed the voice of Yahweh, behold, as soon as you depart from me, a lion will strike you down.” When he departed from him, a lion found him and struck him down. ³⁷Then he found another man and said, “Strike me, please!” So the man struck him, striking and wounding him. ³⁸The prophet went and waited for the king on the road, and disguised himself with a bandage over his eyes. ³⁹As the king was passing by, he cried out to the king and said, "Your servant went out into the midst of the battle, and behold, a man turned aside and brought a man to me, and said, 'Guard this man! If he is missing at all, your life will be for his life, or you will weigh out a talent of silver.' ⁴⁰But as your servant was busy here and there, he was gone.“ The king of Israel said to him, ”So is your judgment; you yourself have decided it." ⁴¹He quickly removed the bandage from his eyes, and the king of Israel recognized him, that he was one of the prophets. ⁴²He said to him, “This is what Yahweh says: 'Because you have let the man I devoted to destruction slip from your hand, your life will be for his life, and your people for his people.'” ⁴³The king of Israel set off for his house sullen and angry, and came to Samaria.

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4/11/2026

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