17
The young men of the princes of the provinces went out first; and Ben-Hadad sent out, and they told him, saying, There are men come out from Shomron.
18
He said, Whether they are come out for shalom, take them alive, or whether they are come out for war, taken them alive.
19
So these went out of the city, the young men of the princes of the provinces, and the army which followed them.
20
They killed everyone his man; and the Aram fled, and Yisra'el pursued them: and Ben-Hadad the king of Aram escaped on a horse with horsemen.
21
The king of Yisra'el went out, and struck the horses and chariots, and killed the Aram with a great slaughter.
22
The prophet came near to the king of Yisra'el, and said to him, Go, strengthen yourself, and mark, and see what you do; for at the return of the year the king of Aram will come up against you.
23
The servants of the king of Aram said to him, Their god is a god of the hills; therefore they were stronger than we: but let us fight against them in the plain, and surely we shall be stronger than they.
24
Do this thing: take the kings away, every man out of his place, and put captains in their room;
25
and number you an army, like the army that you have lost, horse for horse, and chariot for chariot; and we will fight against them in the plain, and surely we shall be stronger than they. He listened to their voice, and did so.
26
It happened at the return of the year, that Ben-Hadad mustered the Aram, and went up to Afek, to fight against Yisra'el.
27
The children of Yisra'el were mustered, and were provisioned, and went against them: and the children of Yisra'el encamped before them like two little flocks of kids; but the Aram filled the country.