1Ki 20 | ABEn | STEP | And the son of Hadad king of Syria gathered together all his force, and thirty-two kings with him, and horses and chariots. And they ascended, and laid siege against Samaria, and waged war against it.

1 Kings 20

CHAPTER 20 Syria Wages War with Ahab

1 And the son of Hadad king of Syria gathered together all his force, and thirty-two kings with him, and horses and chariots. And they ascended, and laid siege against Samaria, and waged war against it. 2 And he sent messengers to Ahab king of Israel, into the city, and he said to him, Thus says the son of Hadad. 3 Your silver and your gold is mine; and your wives and your children, the best is mine. 4 And [⁴answered ¹the ²king ³of Israel] and said, As you have spoken, O my master, O king, [³yours ¹I ²am], and all my things. 5 And [³returned ¹the ²messengers] and said, Thus says the son of Hadad, I have sent to you, saying, Your silver and your gold and your wives and your children you shall give to me, 6 for this hour tomorrow I will send my servants to you, and they will search your house, and the houses of your servants. And it will be that all the desires of their eyes, of what ever they should put upon with their hands, they shall take. 7 And [⁴called ¹the ²king ³of Israel] all the elders of the land, and he said, Know indeed and behold! that [³evil ¹this one ²seeks], for he has sent to me for my wives, and for my children. And my silver and my gold I have not kept back from him. 8 And [⁷said ⁸to him ¹the ²elders ³and ⁴all ⁵the ⁶people], You should not hearken, and you should not want. 9 And he said to the messengers of the son of Hadad, Say to your master! All as much as you sent to your servant at first, I will do; but this thing I shall not be able to do. And [³departed ¹the ²men] and returned to him the word. 10 And [³sent ⁴to ⁵him ¹the son ²of Hadad] saying, Thus may [³do ⁴to me ¹the ²gods], and thus may they add, if [⁴shall suffice ¹the ²dust ³of Samaria] for the handful to all the people, to my footmen. 11 And [⁴answered ¹the ²king ³of Israel] and said, Let it be enough! Let not [³boast ¹the ²humpback] as the one standing straight! 12 And it came to pass when he answered to him this word, [²was ³drinking ¹he] and all the kings with him in tents. And he said to his servants, Build a siege mound! And they put a siege mound against the city. 13 And behold, [²prophet ¹one] came forward to Ahab king of Israel, and he said, Thus says the lord, Have you seen all [³multitude ²great ¹this]? Behold, I give it today into your hands; and you shall know that I am the lord. 14 And Ahab said, By whom? And he said, Thus says the lord, By the young men of the rulers of the regions. And Ahab said, Who shall join together for the war? And he said, You. 15 And Ahab numbered the servants of the rulers of the regions, and they were two hundred thirty and two. And after these things he numbered the people, every son of power -- seven thousand. 16 And he went forth at midday. And the son of Hadad was drinking and being intoxicated in Succoth, he and the kings, thirty and two kings, the allies with him. 17 And came forth the young men, the rulers of the regions at first. And [³sent ¹the son ²of Hadad], and they led up to him, saying, Men have come forth from out of Samaria. 18 And he said to them, If in peace they come forth, seize them alive! And if for war they came forth, seize them alive! 19 And [³went forth ⁴from ⁵the city ¹the ²young men] of the rulers of the regions, and the force after them. 20 And [²struck ¹each man] the one by him. And Syria fled, and [²pursued ³them ¹Israel]. And [⁵escaped ¹the son ²of Hadad ³king ⁴of Syria] upon a horse of a horseman. 21 And [⁴came forth ¹the ²king ³of Israel], and he took the horses, and the chariots, and he struck [²calamity ¹a great] against Syria. 22 And [³came forward ¹the ²prophet] to the king of Israel, and he said, Strengthen yourself, and know, and see what you shall do! for returning during the year, the son of Hadad king of Syria will ascend against you. 23 And the servants of the king of Syria said to him, The God of mountains is the God of Israel, and not a God of valleys; on account of this they powered over us. But if we wage war against them according to the straight plains, assuredly we shall power over them. 24 And this thing you do! Let [⁴depart ¹the ²kings ³each] to his place, and establish [²in place of ³them ¹satraps]! 25 And you exchange according to the force falling from you -- even horse for horse, and chariots for chariots. And we will wage war against them in the straight plains, and we will power over them. And he hearkened to their voice, and did thus. 26 And it came to pass at the return of the year, that [³mustered ¹the son ²of Hadad] Syria, and he ascended into Aphek for war against Israel. 27 And the sons of Israel were mustered, and they came to meet them. And Israel camped right opposite them, as two flocks of goats. And Syria filled the land. 28 And came forward a man of God, and he said to the king of Israel, Thus says the lord, Because Syria said, [⁴is God ⁵of the mountains ¹the lord ²God ³of Israel], and [²is not ³God ⁴of the valleys ¹he], that I will give [³force ²great ¹this] into [²hand ¹your], and you shall know that I am the lord.

Israel Strikes Syria

29 And these camped before those seven days. And it came to pass in the [²day ¹seventh], that [³led on ¹the ²war]. And Israel struck Syria -- a hundred thousand footmen in one day. 30 And [³fled ¹the ²rest] unto Aphek, into the city. And [³fell ¹the ²wall] upon twenty and seven thousand men of the ones remaining. And the son of Hadad fled, and he entered into the house of the bedroom, into the inner chamber. 31 And [²said ¹his servants] to him, Indeed behold we heard that the kings of the house of Israel [²kings ³of mercy ¹are]. We should place indeed sackcloths upon our loins, and rough cords upon our heads, and we should go forth to the king of Israel; if by any means he shall bring forth alive our lives. 32 And they girded sackcloths upon their loins, and put rough cords upon their heads. And they said to the king of Israel, Your servant, the son of Hadad says, Let [³live ²indeed ¹my soul]! And he said, Does he still live? [²brother ¹he is my]. 33 And the men foretold and hastened and gathered up the word out of his mouth, and they said, Your brother the son of Hadad. And he said, Enter, and receive him! And [³came forth ⁴to ⁵him ¹the son ²of Hadad]; and they transported him upon the chariot to him. 34 And he said to him, The cities which [³took ²father ¹my] from your father, I give back to you. And [²streets ¹you shall establish] in Damascus for yourself, as [²established ¹my father] in Samaria. And I by covenant shall send you out. And he ordained with him a covenant, and sent him out. 35 And [²man ¹one] of the sons of the prophets said to his neighbor, by a word of the lord, Strike me indeed! And [⁴not ³would ¹the ²man] strike him. 36 And he said to him, Because you hearkened not to the voice of the lord, behold, as you run from me, [²shall strike ³you ¹a lion]. And he went forth from him, and [²found ³him ¹a lion], and struck him. 37 And he finds [²man ¹another], and he said, Strike indeed me! And [³struck ⁴him ¹the ²man], and striking he broke him. 38 And [³went ¹the ²prophet] and stood to the king of Israel upon the way, and he bound [²with ³a ligature ¹his eyes]. 39 And it came to pass as the king came near, that he yelled out to the king. And he said, Your servant went forth with the military for war, and behold, a man brought to me another man, and he said to me, Guard this man! And if by rushing away he should rush away, then [³will be required ²life ¹your] for his life, or a talent of silver you establish for it. 40 And it came to pass as your servant looked round about here this way and here that way, that this man was not around. And [⁴said ⁵to ⁶him ¹the ²king ³of Israel], Behold, you are the magistrate, [²for ³me ¹you murdered]. 41 And he hastened and removed the ligature from his eyes. And [⁴recognized ⁵him ¹the ²king ³of Israel], that [²was of ³the ⁴prophets ¹this one]. 42 And he said to him, Thus says the lord, Because you sent out [²man ¹a pernicious] to escape from out of your hand, even [²will be required ¹your life] for his life, and your people for his people. 43 And [⁴went forth ¹the ²king ³of Israel] being confounded and faint, and came unto Samaria.