1 Kings 20:13-34

1 Kings 20:13-34

[13] And, behold, there came  prophet  unto Ahab  king  of Israel,  saying,  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.  [14] And Ahab  said,  the LORD,  Even by the young men  of the princes  of the provinces.  Then he said,  Who shall order  the battle?  And he answered,  [15] Then he numbered  the young men  of the princes  of the provinces,  and they were two  hundred  and thirty  two:  and after  them he numbered  all the people,  even all the children  of Israel,  being seven  thousand.  [16] And they went out  at noon.  But Benhadad  was drinking  himself drunk  in the pavilions,  he and the kings,  the thirty  and two  kings  that helped  him. [17] And the young men  of the princes  of the provinces  went out  first;  and Benhadad  sent out,  and they told  him, saying,  There are men  come out  of Samaria.  [18] And he said,  Whether they be come out  for peace,  take  them alive;  or whether they be come out  for war,  take  them alive.  [19] So these young men  of the princes  of the provinces  came out  of the city,  and the army  which followed  [20] And they slew  every one  and the Syrians  fled;  and Israel  pursued  them: and Benhadad  the king  of Syria  escaped  on an horse  with the horsemen.  [21] And the king  of Israel  went out,  and smote  the horses  and chariots,  and slew  the Syrians  with a great  slaughter.  [22] And the prophet  came  to the king  of Israel,  and said  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. [23] And the servants  of the king  of Syria  said  unto him, Their gods  of the hills;  therefore they were stronger  than we; but  let us fight  against them in the plain,  and surely  we shall be stronger  [24] And do  this thing,  Take  the kings  away, every man  out of his place,  and put  captains  [25] And number  thee an army,  that thou hast lost,  horse  and chariot  and we will fight  them in the plain,  and surely we shall be stronger  than they. And he hearkened  unto their voice,  and did so.  [26] And it came to pass at the return  of the year,  that Benhadad  numbered  the Syrians,  and went up  to Aphek,  to fight  against Israel.  [27] And the children  of Israel  were numbered,  and were all present,  against  them: and the children  of Israel  pitched  before them like two  little flocks  of kids;  but the Syrians  filled  the country.  [28] And there came  a man  of God,  and spake  unto the king  of Israel,  and said,  the LORD,  Because the Syrians  have said,  The LORD  is God  of the hills,  but he is not God  of the valleys,  therefore will I deliver  all this great  multitude  into thine hand,  and ye shall know  that I am the LORD.  [29] And they pitched  one  over against  the other  seven  days.  And so it was, that in the seventh  day  the battle  was joined:  and the children  of Israel  slew  of the Syrians  an hundred  thousand  footmen  in one  day.  [30] But the rest  fled  to Aphek,  into the city;  and there a wall  fell  upon twenty  and seven  thousand  of the men  that were left.  And Benhadad  fled,  and came  into the city,  into an inner  [31] And his servants  said  unto him, Behold now, we have heard  that the kings  of the house  of Israel  are merciful  kings:  let us, I pray thee, put  sackcloth  on our loins,  and ropes  upon our heads,  and go out  to the king  of Israel:  peradventure he will save  thy life.  [32] So they girded  sackcloth  on their loins,  and put ropes  on their heads,  and came  to the king  of Israel,  and said,  Thy servant  Benhadad  saith,  I pray thee, let me live.  And he said,  Is he yet alive?  he is my brother.  [33] did diligently observe  whether any thing would come from him, and did hastily  catch  it: and they said,  Thy brother  Benhadad.  Then he said,  Go  ye, bring  him. Then Benhadad  came forth  to him; and he caused him to come up  into the chariot.  [34] And Benhadad said  unto him, The cities,  which my father  took  from thy father,  I will restore;  and thou shalt make  streets  for thee in Damascus,  as my father  made  in Samaria.  Then said Ahab, I will send thee away  with this covenant.  So he made  a covenant  with him, and sent him away.