14
Ach'av asked, "Who will defeat them?" He answered, "This is what ADONAI says: 'The young men who serve the district governors.'" He asked, "Who will start the fighting?" and he answered, "You will."
15
He counted the district governors' young men; there were 232. After that, he counted all the people, all the people of Isra'el; there were 7,000.
16
They set out at noon. Ben-Hadad was drinking himself senseless in the field-barracks, he and the kings, the thirty-two kings who were his allies.
17
The district governors' men went out first. Ben-Hadad sent for information, and they reported, "Men have come out from Shomron."
18
He said, "Whether they have come out for peace or for war, take them alive."
19
So the district governors' men left the city, followed by the army;
20
and each one killed his man. Aram fled, and Isra'el pursued them. Ben-Hadad king of Aram escaped on horseback with some of the cavalry.
21
The king of Isra'el went out and attacked the horses and chariots, inflicting a massive defeat on Aram.
22
Afterwards, the prophet approached the king of Isra'el and said to him, "Go, regroup your forces, and think carefully what to do, for next year at this time the king of Aram will renew his attack."
23
Meanwhile, the servants of the king of Aram said to him, "Their God is a God of the hills; that's why they were stronger than we were. But if we fight them on level ground, we will certainly be stronger than they are.
24
Also do this: remove all the kings from their commands, and put professional officers in their place.