And Ben-hadad the kingof Syriagathered all his host together: and there were thirtyand twokingswithhim, and horses, and chariots: and he went upand besiegedSamaria, and warredagainst it. And he sentmessengerstoAhabkingof Israelinto the city, and saidunto him, ThussaithBen-hadad, Thy silverand thy gold is mine; thy wivesalso and thy children, even the goodliest, are mine. And the kingof Israelansweredand said, My lord, O king, according to thy saying, I am thine, and allthatI have. And the messengerscame again, and said, ThusspeakethBen-hadad, saying, AlthoughI have sentuntothee, saying, Thou shalt deliverme thy silver, and thy gold, and thy wives, and thy children; YetI will sendmy servantsuntothee tomorrowaboutthis time, and they shall searchthine house, and the housesof thy servants; and it shall be, that whatsoeveris pleasantin thine eyes, they shall put it in their hand, and take it away. Then the kingof Israelcalledallthe eldersof the land, and said, Mark, I pray you, and seehowthis man seekethmischief: forhe sentuntome for my wives, and for my children, and for my silver, and for my gold; and I deniedhim not. And allthe eldersand allthe peoplesaiduntohim, Hearkennot unto him , norconsent. Wherefore he saidunto the messengersof Ben-hadad, Tellmy lordthe king, Allthatthou didst sendfor tothy servantat the firstI will do: but thisthingI maynotdo. And the messengersdeparted, and broughthim wordagain. And Ben-hadad sentuntohim, and said, The godsdosounto me, and morealso, ifthe dustof Samariashall sufficefor handfulsfor allthe peoplethatfollowme. And the kingof Israelansweredand said, Tell him , Let nothim that girdethon his harness boast himselfas he that putteth it off. And it came to pass, when Ben-hadad heardthismessage, as he was drinking, heand the kingsin the pavilions, that he saiduntohis servants, Set yourselves in array . And they set themselves in array againstthe city. And, behold, there cameaprophetuntoAhabkingof Israel, saying, Thussaiththe LORD, Hast thou seenallthisgreatmultitude? behold, I will deliverit into thine handthis day; and thou shalt knowthatI am the LORD. And Ahabsaid, By whom? And he said, Thussaiththe LORD, Even by the young menof the princesof the provinces. Then he said, Whoshall orderthe battle? And he answered, Thou. Then he numberedthe young menof the princesof the provinces, and they weretwo hundredand thirtytwo: and afterthem he numberedallthe people, even allthe childrenof Israel, being seventhousand. And they went outat noon. But Ben-hadad was drinkinghimself drunkin the pavilions, heand the kings, the thirtyand twokingsthat helpedhim. And the young menof the princesof the provinceswent outfirst; and Ben-hadad sent out, and they toldhim, saying, There are mencome outof Samaria. And he said, Whetherthey be come outfor peace, takethem alive; or whetherthey be come outfor war, takethem alive. So theseyoung menof the princesof the provincescame outofthe city, and the armywhichfollowedthem. And they slewevery onehis man: and the Syriansfled; and Israelpursuedthem: and Ben-hadad the kingof Syriaescapedona horsewith the horsemen. And the kingof Israelwent out, and smotethe horsesand chariots, and slewthe Syrianswith a greatslaughter. And the prophetcametothe kingof Israel, and saidunto him, Go, strengthen thyself, and mark, and seewhatthou doest: forat the returnof the yearthe kingof Syriawill come upagainstthee. And the servantsof the kingof Syriasaiduntohim, Their gods are godsof the hills; thereforethey were strongerthanwe; butlet us fightagainstthem in the plain, and surely, we shall be strongerthanthey. And dothisthing, Take the kings away, every manout of his place, and putcaptainsin their rooms: And numberthee an army, like the armythat thou hast lost, horsefor horse, and chariotfor chariot: and we will fight againstthem in the plain, and surelywe shall be strongerthanthey. And he hearkenedunto their voice, and didso. And it came to passat the returnof the year, that Ben-hadad numberedthe Syrians, and went upto Aphek, to fightagainstIsrael. And the childrenof Israelwere numbered, and were all present, and wentagainstthem: and the childrenof Israelpitchedbeforethem like twolittle flocksof kids; but the Syriansfilledthe country. And there camea manof God, and spokeuntothe kingof Israel, and said, Thussaiththe LORD, Becausethe Syrianshave said, The LORD is Godof the hills, but he is notGodof the valleys, therefore will I deliverallthisgreatmultitudeinto thine hand, and ye shall knowthatI am the LORD. And they pitchedoneover againstthe othersevendays. And so it was, that in the seventhdaythe battlewas joined: and the childrenof Israelslewof the Syriansa hundredthousandfootmenin oneday. But the restfledto Aphek, intothe city; and there a wallfellupontwentyand seventhousandof the men that were left. And Ben-hadad fled, and cameintothe city, into an inner chamber. And his servantssaiduntohim, Beholdnow, we have heardthatthe kingsof the houseof Israel are mercifulkings: let us, I pray thee, putsackclothon our loins, and ropesupon our heads, and go outtothe kingof Israel: peradventurehe will savethy life. So they girdedsackclothon their loins, and put ropeson their heads, and cametothe kingof Israel, and said, Thy servantBen-hadad saith, I pray thee, let melive. And he said, Is he yetalive? he is my brother. Now the mendid diligently observewhether any thing would come fromhim, and did hastilycatch it : and they said, Thy brotherBen-hadad. Then he said, Goye, bringhim. Then Ben-hadad came forthtohim; and he caused him to come upintothe chariot. And Ben-hadad saiduntohim, The cities, whichmy fathertookfromthy father, I will restore; and thou shalt makestreetsfor thee in Damascus, asmy fathermadein Samaria. Then said Ahab , Iwill send thee awaywith this covenant. So he madea covenantwith him, and sent him away. And a certainmanof the sonsof the prophetssaiduntohis neighborin the wordof the LORD, Smiteme, I pray thee. And the manrefusedto smitehim. Then saidhe unto him, Becausethou hast notobeyedthe voiceof the LORD, behold, as soon as thou art departedfromme, a lionshall slaythee. And as soon as he was departedfromhim, a lionfoundhim, and slewhim. Then he foundanotherman, and said, Smiteme, I pray thee. And the mansmotehim, so that in smitinghe wounded him . So the prophetdeparted, and waitedfor the kingbythe way, and disguised himselfwith ashesuponhis face. And asthe kingpassed by, hecrieduntothe king: and he said, Thy servantwent outinto the midstof the battle; and, behold, a manturned aside, and broughta manuntome, and said, Keepthisman: ifby any means he be missing, then shall thy lifebeforhis life, orelse thou shalt paya talentof silver. And as thy servantwasbusyhereand there, hewas gone. And the kingof Israelsaiduntohim, So shall thy judgment be ; thyselfhast decided it . And he hasted, and tookthe ashesaway fromhis face; and the kingof Israeldiscernedhim thathe was of the prophets. And he saiduntohim, Thussaiththe LORD, Becausethou hast let goout of thy handa manwhom I appointed to utter destruction, therefore thy lifeshall goforhis life, and thy peopleforhis people. And the kingof Israelwenttohis househeavyand displeased, and cameto Samaria.