Ahab Attacks The Arameans

[1] And Benhadad the king of Syria gathered all his host together: and there were thirty and two kings with him, and horses, and chariots: and he went up and besieged Samaria, and warred against it. [2] And he sent messengers to Ahab king of Israel into the city, and said unto him, Thus saith Benhadad, [3] Thy silver and thy gold is mine; thy wives also and thy children, even the goodliest, are mine. [4] And the king of Israel answered and said, My lord, O king, according to thy saying, I am thine, and all that I have. [5] And the messengers came again, and said, Thus speaketh Benhadad, saying, Although I have sent unto thee, saying, Thou shalt deliver me thy silver, and thy gold, and thy wives, and thy children; [6] Yet I will send my servants unto thee to morrow about this time, and they shall search thine house, and the houses of thy servants; and it shall be, that whatsoever is pleasant in thine eyes, they shall put it in their hand, and take it away. [7] Then the king of Israel called all the elders of the land, and said, Mark, I pray you, and see how this man seeketh mischief: for he sent unto me for my wives, and for my children, and for my silver, and for my gold; and I denied him not. [8] And all the elders and all the people said unto him, Hearken not unto him, nor consent. [9] Wherefore he said unto the messengers of Benhadad, Tell my lord the king, All that thou didst send for to thy servant at the first I will do: but this thing I may not do. And the messengers departed, and brought him word again. [10] And Benhadad sent unto him, and said, The gods do so unto me, and more also, if the dust of Samaria shall suffice for handfuls for all the people that follow me. [11] And the king of Israel answered and said, Tell him, Let not him that girdeth on his harness boast himself as he that putteth it off. [12] And it came to pass, when Benhadad heard this message, as he was drinking, he and the kings in the pavilions, that he said unto his servants, Set yourselves in array. And they set themselves in array against the city.

And the prophet came to the king of Israel, and said unto him, Go, strengthen thyself, and mark, and see what thou doest: for at the return of the year the king of Syria will come up against thee.

And he went with Joram the son of Ahab to the war against Hazael king of Syria in Ramothgilead; and the Syrians wounded Joram.

And the king of Israel went out, and smote the horses and chariots, and slew the Syrians with a great slaughter.

And, behold, there came a prophet unto Ahab king of Israel, saying, Thus saith the LORD, Hast thou seen all this great multitude? behold, I will deliver it into thine hand this day; and thou shalt know that I am the LORD.

• Horn
• Iron

And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made him horns of iron: and he said, Thus saith the LORD, With these shalt thou push the Syrians, until thou have consumed them.

So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went up to Ramothgilead.

And Joab drew nigh, and the people that were with him, unto the battle against the Syrians: and they fled before him.