2
And he sent messengers to Ahab king of Israel into the city, and said to him, Thus says Ben-Hadad:
3
Thy silver and thy gold is mine; thy wives also and thy children, the goodliest, are mine.
4
And the king of Israel answered and said, My lord, O king, according to thy saying, I am thine, and all that I have.
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And the messengers came again, and said, Thus speaks Ben-Hadad saying: I sent to thee indeed, saying, Thou shalt deliver me thy silver, and thy gold, and thy wives, and thy children;
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but to-morrow about this time I will send my servants to thee, and they shall search thy house, and the houses of thy servants; and it shall be, that whatsoever is pleasant in thy sight, they shall put in their hand and take away.
7
And the king of Israel called all the elders of the land and said, Mark, I pray you, and see 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 denied him not.
8
And all the elders and all the people said to him, Hearken not, nor consent.
9
And he said to the messengers of Ben-Hadad, Tell my lord the king, All that thou didst send for to thy servant at the first I will do; but this thing I cannot do. And the messengers departed, and brought him word again.
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And Ben-Hadad sent to him and said, The gods do so to me, and more also, if the dust of Samaria shall suffice for handfuls for all the people that follow me!
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And the king of Israel answered and said, Tell [him], Let not him that girdeth on boast himself as he that putteth off!
12
And it came to pass when he heard this word, as he was drinking, he and the kings in the tents, that he said to his servants, Set yourselves. And they set themselves against the city.