1 Kings 20

1Ben Hadad the king of Syria gathered all his army together; and there were thirty-two kings with him, with horses and chariots. He went up and besieged Samaria, and fought against it.Cross-references: Gen 14:1 · Ex 14:7 · Lev 26:25 · Deut 20:1 · Deut 28:52 · Judg 1:7 · +19 more

2He sent messengers into the city to Ahab king of Israel and said to him, “Ben Hadad says,Cross-references: 2Ki 19:9 · Isa 36:2 · Isa 37:9

3‘Your silver and your gold are mine. Your wives also and your children, even the best, are mine.’”Cross-references: Ex 15:9 · Isa 10:13

4The king of Israel answered, “It is according to your saying, my lord, O king. I am yours, and all that I have.”Cross-references: Lev 26:36 · Deut 28:48 · Judg 15:11 · 1Sam 13:6 · 2Ki 18:14

5The messengers came again and said, “Ben Hadad says, ‘I sent indeed to you, saying, “You shall deliver me your silver, your gold, your wives, and your children;

6but I will send my servants to you tomorrow about this time, and they will search your house and the houses of your servants. Whatever is pleasant in your eyes, they will put it in their hand, and take it away.”’”Cross-references: Gen 27:15 · 1Sam 13:19 · 2Sam 24:14 · 2Ki 18:31 · Ezra 8:27 · Isa 44:9 · +5 more

7Then the king of Israel called all the elders of the land, and said, “Please notice how this man seeks mischief; for he sent to me for my wives, and for my children, and for my silver, and for my gold; and I didn’t deny him.”Cross-references: 1Ki 8:1 · 2Ki 5:7 · 1Chr 13:1 · 1Chr 28:1 · Job 15:35 · Ps 7:14 · +9 more

8All the elders and all the people said to him, “Don’t listen, and don’t consent.”

9Therefore he said to the messengers of Ben Hadad, “Tell my lord the king, ‘All that you sent for to your servant at the first I will do, but this thing I cannot do.’” The messengers departed and brought him back the message.

10Ben Hadad sent to him, and said, “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.”Cross-references: Ex 11:8 · Judg 4:10 · 2Sam 17:12 · 1Ki 19:2 · 2Ki 19:23 · Isa 10:13 · +2 more

11The king of Israel answered, “Tell him, ‘Don’t let him who puts on his armor brag like he who takes it off.’”Cross-references: 1Sam 14:6 · 1Sam 14:12 · 1Sam 17:44 · Prov 27:1 · Eccl 9:11 · Isa 10:15 · +2 more

12When Ben Hadad heard this message as he was drinking, he and the kings in the pavilions, he said to his servants, “Prepare to attack!” So they prepared to attack the city.Cross-references: 1Sam 25:36 · 2Sam 13:28 · 1Ki 16:9 · 1Ki 20:16 · Prov 31:4 · Jer 43:10 · +4 more

13Behold, a prophet came near to Ahab king of Israel, and said, “Yahweh says, ‘Have you seen all this great multitude? Behold, I will deliver it into your hand today. Then you will know that I am Yahweh.’”Cross-references: Ex 14:18 · Ex 16:12 · 1Ki 18:36 · 1Ki 20:28 · 2Ki 6:8 · 2Ki 7:1 · +8 more

14Ahab said, “By whom?” He said, “Yahweh says, ‘By the young men of the princes of the provinces.’” Then he said, “Who shall begin the battle?” He answered, “You.”Cross-references: Gen 14:14 · Judg 7:16 · 1Sam 17:50 · 1Ki 18:44 · 1Cor 1:27

15Then he mustered the young men of the princes of the provinces, and they were two hundred and thirty-two. After them, he mustered all the people, even all the children of Israel, being seven thousand.Cross-references: Judg 7:7 · Judg 7:16 · 1Sam 14:2 · 1Sam 14:6 · 1Ki 19:18 · 2Ki 13:7 · +2 more

16They went out at noon. But Ben Hadad was drinking himself drunk in the pavilions, he and the kings, the thirty-two kings who helped him.Cross-references: 1Ki 16:7 · 1Ki 16:9 · 1Ki 20:11 · Prov 23:29 · Eccl 10:16 · Isa 54:15 · +1 more

17The young men of the princes of the provinces went out first; and Ben Hadad sent out, and they told him, saying, “Men are coming out from Samaria.”Cross-references: 1Ki 20:14 · 1Ki 20:19

18He said, “If they have come out for peace, take them alive; or if they have come out for war, take them alive.”Cross-references: 1Sam 2:3 · 1Sam 14:11 · 1Sam 17:44 · 2Ki 14:8 · Prov 18:12

19So these went out of the city, the young men of the princes of the provinces, and the army which followed them.

20They each killed his man. The Syrians fled, and Israel pursued them. Ben Hadad the king of Syria escaped on a horse with horsemen.Cross-references: Lev 26:8 · Judg 7:20 · 1Sam 14:13 · 1Sam 30:16 · 2Sam 2:16 · 2Ki 7:6 · +4 more

21The king of Israel went out and struck the horses and chariots, and killed the Syrians with a great slaughter.Cross-references: Judg 3:28 · Judg 7:23 · 1Sam 14:20 · 1Sam 17:52 · 2Ki 3:18 · 2Ki 3:24

22The prophet came near to the king of Israel and said to him, “Go, strengthen yourself, and plan what you must do, for at the return of the year, the king of Syria will come up against you.”Cross-references: 2Sam 11:1 · 1Ki 19:10 · 1Ki 20:13 · 1Ki 20:26 · 1Ki 20:38 · 1Ki 22:8 · +13 more

23The servants of the king of Syria said to him, “Their god is a god of the hills; therefore they were stronger than we. But let’s fight against them in the plain, and surely we will be stronger than they.Cross-references: 1Sam 4:8 · 1Ki 14:23 · 1Ki 20:28 · 2Ki 19:12 · 2Chr 32:13 · Ps 50:21 · +3 more

24Do this thing: take the kings away, every man out of his place, and put captains in their place.Cross-references: 1Ki 20:1 · 1Ki 20:16 · 1Ki 22:31 · Prov 21:30

25Muster an army like the army that you have lost, horse for horse and chariot for chariot. We will fight against them in the plain, and surely we will be stronger than they are.” He listened to their voice and did so.Cross-references: Ps 10:3

26At the return of the year, Ben Hadad mustered the Syrians and went up to Aphek to fight against Israel.Cross-references: Josh 13:4 · Josh 19:30 · Judg 1:31 · 1Sam 4:1 · 1Sam 29:1 · 1Ki 20:22 · +2 more

27The children of Israel were mustered and given provisions, and went against them. The children of Israel encamped before them like two little flocks of young goats, but the Syrians filled the country.Cross-references: Deut 32:30 · Josh 1:11 · Judg 6:5 · Judg 7:8 · 1Sam 13:5 · 1Sam 14:2 · +2 more

28A man of God came near and spoke to the king of Israel, and said, “Yahweh says, ‘Because the Syrians have said, “Yahweh is a god of the hills, but he is not a god of the valleys,” therefore I will deliver all this great multitude into your hand, and you shall know that I am Yahweh.’”Cross-references: Ex 6:7 · Ex 7:5 · Ex 8:22 · Deut 29:6 · Deut 32:27 · Josh 7:8 · +18 more

29They encamped opposite each other for seven days. Then on the seventh day the battle was joined; and the children of Israel killed one hundred thousand footmen of the Syrians in one day.Cross-references: Josh 6:15 · 1Sam 17:16 · 2Sam 10:18 · 2Chr 13:17 · 2Chr 20:23 · 2Chr 28:6 · +2 more

30But the rest fled to Aphek, into the city; and the wall fell on twenty-seven thousand men who were left. Ben Hadad fled and came into the city, into an inner room.Cross-references: 1Ki 20:10 · 1Ki 20:20 · 1Ki 20:26 · 1Ki 22:25 · 2Chr 18:24 · Ps 18:25 · +7 more

31His servants said to him, “See now, we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful kings. Please let us put sackcloth on our bodies and ropes on our heads, and go out to the king of Israel. Maybe he will save your life.”Cross-references: Gen 37:34 · 2Sam 3:31 · 2Sam 14:2 · 1Ki 20:23 · 1Ki 21:27 · 2Ki 5:13 · +13 more

32So they put sackcloth on their bodies 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.”Cross-references: 1Sam 15:8 · 1Ki 20:3 · 1Ki 20:31 · 1Ki 20:42 · Job 12:17 · Job 40:11 · +4 more

33Now the men observed diligently and hurried to take this phrase; and they said, “Your brother Ben Hadad.” Then he said, “Go, bring him.” Then Ben Hadad came out to him; and he caused him to come up into the chariot.Cross-references: 2Ki 10:15 · Prov 25:13 · Luke 16:8 · Acts 8:31

34Ben Hadad said to him, “The cities which my father took from your father I will restore. You shall make streets for yourself in Damascus, as my father made in Samaria.” “I”, said Ahab, “will let you go with this covenant.” So he made a covenant with him and let him go.Cross-references: 1Ki 15:20 · 1Ki 20:42 · 1Ki 22:31 · 2Chr 16:4 · 2Chr 18:30 · Isa 8:12 · +1 more

35A certain man of the sons of the prophets said to his fellow by Yahweh’s word, “Please strike me!” The man refused to strike him.Cross-references: 1Sam 10:12 · 1Ki 13:1 · 1Ki 13:17 · 1Ki 20:37 · 2Ki 2:3 · 2Ki 2:15 · +8 more

36Then he said to him, “Because you have not obeyed Yahweh’s voice, behold, as soon as you have departed from me, a lion will kill you.” As soon as he had departed from him, a lion found him and killed him.Cross-references: 1Sam 15:22 · 1Ki 13:21 · 1Ki 13:26

37Then he found another man, and said, “Please strike me.” The man struck him and wounded him.Cross-references: Ex 21:12 · 1Ki 20:35

38So the prophet departed and waited for the king by the way, and disguised himself with his headband over his eyes.Cross-references: 2Sam 14:2 · 1Ki 14:2 · 1Ki 22:30 · Matt 6:16

39As the king passed by, he cried to the king, and he said, “Your servant went out into the middle of the battle; and behold, a man came over and brought a man to me, and said, ‘Guard this man! If by any means he is missing, then your life shall be for his life, or else you shall pay a talent of silver.’Cross-references: Ex 21:30 · Judg 9:7 · 2Sam 12:1 · 2Sam 14:5 · 1Ki 20:42 · 2Ki 10:24 · +6 more

40As your servant was busy here and there, he was gone.” The king of Israel said to him, “So shall your judgment be. You yourself have decided it.”Cross-references: 2Sam 12:5 · Job 15:6 · Matt 21:41 · Matt 25:24 · Luke 19:22

41He hurried, and took the headband away from his eyes; and the king of Israel recognized that he was one of the prophets.Cross-references: 2Sam 13:19 · 1Ki 20:38 · Job 2:8 · Jer 6:26

42He said to him, “Yahweh says, ‘Because you have let go out of your hand the man whom I had devoted to destruction, therefore your life will take the place of his life, and your people take the place of his people.’”Cross-references: 1Sam 15:9 · 1Ki 20:34 · 1Ki 20:39 · 1Ki 22:31 · 2Ki 6:24 · 2Ki 8:12 · +1 more

43The king of Israel went to his house sullen and angry, and came to Samaria.Cross-references: 1Ki 21:4 · 1Ki 22:8 · Esth 5:13 · Esth 6:12 · Job 5:2 · Prov 19:3