| Berean Study Bible | Christian Standard Bible |
| 1Now Ben-hadad king of Aram assembled his entire army. Accompanied by thirty-two kings with their horses and chariots, he marched up, besieged Samaria, and waged war against it. | 1Now King Ben-hadad of Aram assembled his entire army. Thirty-two kings, along with horses and chariots, were with him. He marched up, besieged Samaria, and fought against it. |
| 2Then he sent messengers into the city to Ahab king of Israel, | 2He sent messengers into the city to King Ahab of Israel and said to him, "This is what Ben-hadad says: |
| 3saying, “This is what Ben-hadad says: ‘Your silver and gold are mine, and your best wives and children are mine!’ ” | 3'Your silver and your gold are mine! And your best wives and children are mine as well!'" |
| 4And the king of Israel replied, “Just as you say, my lord the king: I am yours, along with all that I have.” | 4Then the king of Israel answered, "Just as you say, my lord the king: I am yours, along with all that I have." |
| 5The messengers came back and said, “This is what Ben-hadad says: ‘I have sent to you to demand your silver, your gold, your wives, and your children. | 5The messengers then returned and said, "This is what Ben-hadad says: 'I have sent messengers to you, saying: You are to give me your silver, your gold, your wives, and your children. |
| 6But about this time tomorrow I will send my servants to search your palace and the houses of your servants. They will seize and carry away all that is precious to you.’ ” | 6But at this time tomorrow I will send my servants to you, and they will search your palace and your servants' houses. They will lay their hands on and take away whatever is precious to you.'" |
| 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 when he demanded my wives, my children, my silver, and my gold, I did not deny him.” | 7Then the king of Israel called for all the elders of the land and said, "Recognize that this one is only looking for trouble, for he demanded my wives, my children, my silver, and my gold, and I didn't turn him down." |
| 8And the elders and the people all said, “Do not listen to him or consent to his terms.” | 8All the elders and all the people said to him, "Don't listen or agree." |
| 9So Ahab answered 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.’ ” So the messengers departed and relayed the message to Ben-hadad. | 9So he said to Ben-hadad's messengers, "Say to my lord the king, 'Everything you demanded of your servant the first time, I will do, but this thing I cannot do.'" So the messengers left and took word back to him. |
| 10Then Ben-hadad sent another message to Ahab: “May the gods deal with me, and ever so severely, if enough dust remains of Samaria for each of my men to have a handful.” | 10Then Ben-hadad sent messengers to him and said, "May the gods punish me and do so severely if Samaria's dust amounts to a handful for each of the people who follow me." |
| 11And the king of Israel replied, “Tell him: ‘The one putting on his armor should not boast like one taking it off.’ ” | 11The king of Israel answered, "Say this: 'Don't let the one who puts on his armor boast like the one who takes it off.'" |
| 12Ben-hadad received this message while he and the kings were drinking in their tents, and he said to his servants, “Take your positions.” So they stationed themselves against the city. | 12When Ben-hadad heard this response, while he and the kings were drinking in their quarters, he said to his servants, "Take your positions." So they took their positions against the city. |
| 13Meanwhile a prophet approached Ahab king of Israel and declared, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Do you see this entire great army? Behold, I will deliver it into your hand this very day, and you will know that I am the LORD.’ ” | 13A prophet approached King Ahab of Israel and said, "This is what the LORD says: 'Do you see this whole huge army? Watch, I am handing it over to you today so that you may know that I am the LORD.'" |
| 14“By whom?” Ahab asked. And the prophet replied, “This is what the LORD says: ‘By the young officers of the district governors.’ ” “Who will start the battle?” asked Ahab. “You will,” answered the prophet. | 14Ahab asked, "By whom?" And the prophet said, "This is what the LORD says: 'By the young men of the provincial leaders.'" Then he asked, "Who is to start the battle?" He said, "You." |
| 15So Ahab assembled the young officers of the district governors, and there were 232 men. And after them, he assembled the rest of the Israelite troops, 7,000 in all. | 15So Ahab mobilized the young men of the provincial leaders, and there were 232. After them he mobilized all the Israelite troops: 7,000. |
| 16They marched out at noon while Ben-hadad and the 32 kings allied with him were in their tents getting drunk. | 16They marched out at noon while Ben-hadad and the thirty-two kings who were helping him were getting drunk in their quarters. |
| 17And the young officers of the district governors marched out first. Now Ben-hadad had sent out scouts, who reported to him, “Men are marching out of Samaria.” | 17The young men of the provincial leaders marched out first. Then Ben-hadad sent out scouts, and they reported to him, saying, "Men are marching out of Samaria." |
| 18“If they have marched out in peace,” he said, “take them alive. Even if they have marched out for war, take them alive.” | 18So he said, "If they have marched out in peace, take them alive, and if they have marched out for battle, take them alive." |
| 19Meanwhile, these young officers of the district governors marched out of the city, with the army behind them, | 19The young men of the provincial leaders and the army behind them marched out from the city, |
| 20and each one struck down his opponent. So the Arameans fled, with the Israelites in pursuit. But Ben-hadad king of Aram escaped on horseback with the cavalry. | 20and each one struck down his opponent. So the Arameans fled and Israel pursued them, but King Ben-hadad of Aram escaped on a horse with the cavalry. |
| 21Then the king of Israel marched out and attacked the horses and chariots, inflicting a great slaughter on the Arameans. | 21Then the king of Israel marched out and attacked the cavalry and the chariots. He inflicted a severe slaughter on Aram. |
| 22Afterward, the prophet approached the king of Israel and said, “Go and strengthen your position, and take note what you must do, for in the spring the king of Aram will come up against you.” | 22The prophet approached the king of Israel and said to him, "Go and strengthen yourself, then consider carefully what you should do, for in the spring the king of Aram will attack you." |
| 23Meanwhile, the servants of the king of Aram said to him, “Their gods are gods of the hills. That is why they prevailed over us. Instead, we should fight them on the plains; surely then we will prevail. | 23Now the king of Aram's servants said to him, "Their gods are gods of the hill country. That's why they were stronger than we were. Instead, we should fight with them on the plain; then we will certainly be stronger than they are. |
| 24So do this: Dismiss all the kings from their positions and replace them with other officers. | 24Also do this: remove each king from his position and appoint captains in their place. |
| 25And you must raise an army like the one you have lost—horse for horse and chariot for chariot—so we can fight the Israelites on the plain, where we will surely prevail.” And the king approved their plan and acted accordingly. | 25Raise another army for yourself like the army you lost--horse for horse, chariot for chariot--and let's fight with them on the plain; and we will certainly be stronger than they are." The king listened to them and did it. |
| 26In the spring, Ben-hadad mobilized the Arameans and went up to Aphek to fight against Israel. | 26In the spring, Ben-hadad mobilized the Arameans and went up to Aphek to battle Israel. |
| 27The Israelites also mobilized, gathered supplies, and marched out to meet them. The Israelites camped before them like two small flocks of goats, while the Arameans covered the countryside. | 27The Israelites mobilized, gathered supplies, and went to fight them. The Israelites camped in front of them like two little flocks of goats, while the Arameans filled the landscape. |
| 28Then the man of God approached the king of Israel and said, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Because the Arameans think the LORD is a god of the hills and not of the valleys, I will deliver all this great army into your hand. Then you will know that I am the LORD.’ ” | 28Then the man of God approached and said to the king of Israel, "This is what the LORD says: 'Because the Arameans have said: The LORD is a god of the mountains and not a god of the valleys, I will hand over all this whole huge army to you. Then you will know that I am the LORD.'" |
| 29For seven days the armies camped opposite each other, and on the seventh day the battle ensued, and the Israelites struck down the Arameans—a hundred thousand foot soldiers in one day. | 29They camped opposite each other for seven days. On the seventh day, the battle took place, and the Israelites struck down the Arameans--one hundred thousand foot soldiers in one day. |
| 30The rest of them fled into the city of Aphek, where the wall fell on twenty-seven thousand of the remaining men. Ben-hadad also fled to the city and hid in an inner room. | 30The ones who remained fled into the city of Aphek, and the wall fell on those twenty-seven thousand remaining men. Ben-hadad also fled and went into an inner room in the city. |
| 31Then the servants of Ben-hadad said to him, “Look now, we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful. Let us go out to the king of Israel with sackcloth around our waists and ropes around our heads. Perhaps he will spare your life.” | 31His servants said to him, "Consider this: we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful kings. So let's put sackcloth around our waists and ropes around our heads, and let's go out to the king of Israel. Perhaps he will spare your life." |
| 32So with sackcloth around their waists and ropes around their heads, they went to the king of Israel and said, “Your servant Ben-hadad says, ‘Please spare my life.’ ” And the king answered, “Is he still alive? He is my brother.” | 32So they dressed with sackcloth around their waists and ropes around their heads, went to the king of Israel, and said, "Your servant Ben-hadad says, 'Please spare my life.'" So he said, "Is he still alive? He is my brother." |
| 33Now the men were looking for a sign of hope, and they quickly grasped at this word and replied, “Yes, your brother Ben-hadad.” “Go and get him!” said the king. Then Ben-hadad came out, and Ahab had him come up into his chariot. | 33Now the men were looking for a sign of hope, so they quickly picked up on this and responded, "Yes, it is your brother Ben-hadad." Then he said, "Go and bring him." So Ben-hadad came out to him, and Ahab had him come up into the chariot. |
| 34Ben-hadad said to him, “I will restore the cities my father took from your father; you may set up your own marketplaces in Damascus, as my father did in Samaria.” “By this treaty I release you,” Ahab replied. So he made a treaty with him and sent him away. | 34Then Ben-hadad said to him, "I restore to you the cities that my father took from your father, and you may set up marketplaces for yourself in Damascus, like my father set up in Samaria." Ahab responded, "On the basis of this treaty, I release you." So he made a treaty with him and released him. |
| 35Meanwhile, by the word of the LORD, one of the sons of the prophets said to his companion, “Strike me, please!” But the man refused to strike him. | 35One of the sons of the prophets said to his fellow prophet by the word of the LORD, "Strike me!" But the man refused to strike him. |
| 36Then the prophet said to him, “Because you have not obeyed the voice of the LORD, as soon as you depart from me a lion will kill you.” And when he left, a lion found him and killed him. | 36He told him, "Because you did not listen to the LORD, mark my words: When you leave me, a lion will kill you." When he left him, a lion attacked and killed him. |
| 37Then the prophet found another man and said, “Strike me, please!” So the man struck him and wounded him, | 37The prophet found another man and said to him, "Strike me!" So the man struck him, inflicting a wound. |
| 38and the prophet went and waited on the road for the king, disguising himself with a bandage over his eyes. | 38Then the prophet went and waited for the king on the road. He disguised himself with a bandage over his eyes. |
| 39As the king passed by, he cried out to the king: “Your servant had marched out into the middle of the battle, when suddenly a man came over with a captive and told me, ‘Guard this man! If he goes missing for any reason, your life will be exchanged for his life, or you will weigh out a talent of silver.’ | 39As the king was passing by, he cried out to the king and said, "Your servant marched out into the middle of the battle. Suddenly, a man turned aside and brought someone to me and said, 'Guard this man! If he is ever missing, it will be your life in place of his life, or you will weigh out seventy-five pounds of silver.' |
| 40But while your servant was busy here and there, the man disappeared.” And the king of Israel said to him, “So shall your judgment be; you have pronounced it on yourself.” | 40But while your servant was busy here and there, he disappeared." The king of Israel said to him, "That will be your sentence; you yourself have decided it." |
| 41Then the prophet quickly removed the bandage from his eyes, and the king of Israel recognized him as one of the prophets. | 41He quickly removed the bandage from his eyes. The king of Israel recognized that he was one of the prophets. |
| 42And the prophet said to the king, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Because you have let slip from your hand the man I had devoted to destruction, your life will be exchanged for his life, and your people for his people.’ ” | 42The prophet said to him, "This is what the LORD says: 'Because you released from your hand the man I had set apart for destruction, it will be your life in place of his life and your people in place of his people.'" |
| 43Sullen and angry, the king of Israel went home to Samaria. | 43The king of Israel left for home resentful and angry, and he entered Samaria. |
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