1
Now
Ben-hadad king of
Aram gathered all his
army, and there were
thirty-two * kings with him, and
horses and
chariots. And he
went up and
besieged * Samaria and
fought against it.
w{lyex -l'K -t,a #;b'q ~'r]a -.k,l,m d;d]h -n,b.W ? b,k'r'w s.Ws.w w{Tia .$,l,m ~Iy;n.v.W ~yiv{l.v.W ? H'B ~,x'LiY;w !w{r.m{v -l;[ r;c'Y;w l;[;Y;w
2
Then he
sent messengers to the
city to
Ahab king of
Israel and
said to him,
"Thus says Ben-hadad,
lea'r.fIy -.k,l,m b'a.x;a -l,a ~yik'a.l;m x;l.viY;w ? h'ryi['h
3
'Your
silver and your
gold are mine; your most
beautiful wives and
children are also mine.' "
'$.P.s;K d;d]h -n,B r;m'a h{K w{l r,ma{Y;w ? ~eh -yil ~yibw{J;h '$y,n'b.W '$y,v'n.w a.Wh -yil '$.b'h.z.W
4
The
king of
Israel replied, "It is according to your
word, my
lord, O
king; I am yours, and
all that I have."
yin{d]a '$.r'b.diK r,ma{Y;w lea'r.fIy -.k,l,m !;[;Y;w ? yil -r,v]a -l'k.w yin]a '$.l .$,l,M;h
5
Then the
messengers returned and
said,
"Thus says Ben-hadad,
'Surely, I
sent to you
saying, "You shall
give me your
silver and your
gold and your
wives and your
children,"
d;d]h -n,B r;m'a -h{K .Wr.ma{Y;w ~yik'a.l;M;h .WbUv'Y;w ? '$.b'h.z.W '$.P.s;K r{mael '$y,lea yiT.x;l'v -yiK r{mael ? !eTit yil '$y,n'b.W '$y,v'n.w
6
but about this
time tomorrow I will
send my
servants to you, and they will
search your
house and the
houses of your
servants; and
whatever is
desirable in your
eyes, they will
take in their
hand and
carry away.' "
'$y,lea y;d'b][ -t,a x;l.v,a r'x'm te['K -mia yiK ? h'y'h.w '$y,d'b][ yeT'B tea.w '$.tyeB -t,a .Wf.Pix.w ? .Wx'q'l.w ~'d'y.b .Wmyif'y '$y,nye[ d;m.x;m -l'K
7
Then the
king of
Israel called all the
elders of the
land and
said,
"Please observe and
see how this man is
looking for
trouble; for he
sent to me for my
wives and my
children and my
silver and my
gold, and I did not
refuse him."
#,r'a'h yen.qiz -l'k.l lea'r.fIy -.k,l,m a'r.qiY;w ? veQ;b.m h,z h'['r yiK .Wa.r.W a'n -.W[.D r,ma{Y;w ? yib'h.zil.w yiP.s;k.l.W y;n'b.l.W y;v'n.l y;lea x;l'v -yiK ? .WN,Mim yiT.[;n'm a{l.w
8
All the
elders and
all the
people said to him, "Do not
listen or
consent."
~'['h -l'k.w ~yineq.Z;h -l'K wy'lea .Wr.ma{Y;w ? h,ba{t aw{l.w [;m.viT -l;a
9
So he
said to the
messengers of
Ben-hadad,
"Tell my
lord the
king,
'All that you
sent for to your
servant at the
first I will
do, but
this thing I
cannot * do.' " And the
messengers departed and
brought him
word again.
yin{da;l .Wr.mia d;d]h -n,b yek]a.l;m.l r,ma{Y;w ? h'n{vair'b '$.D.b;[ -l,a 'T.x;l'v -r,v]a l{K .$,l,M;h ? .Wk.leY;w tw{f][;l l;k.Wa a{l h,Z;h r'b'D;h.w h,f/[,a ? r'b'D .WhUbiv.y;w ~yik'a.l;M;h
10
Ben-hadad sent to him and
said, "May the
gods do so to me and
more al
so,
if the
dust of
Samaria will
suffice for
handfuls for
all the
people who follow me."
!.Wf][;y -h{K r,ma{Y;w d;d]h -n,B wy'lea x;l.viY;w ? r;p][ q{P.fIy -mia .Wpisw{y h{k.w ~yih{l/a yil ? y'l.g;r.B r,v]a ~'['h -l'k.l ~yil'[.vil !w{r.m{v
11
Then the
king of
Israel replied,
"Tell him, 'Let not him who
girds on his armor
boast like him who
takes it
off.' "
leL;h.tIy -l;a .Wr.B;D r,ma{Y;w lea'r.fIy -.k,l,m !;[;Y;w ? ;xeT;p.miK reg{x
12
When Ben-hadad
heard this message, as he was
drinking with the
kings in the
temporary shelters, he
said to his
servants,
"Station yourselves." So they
stationed themselves
against the
city.
h,t{v a.Wh.w h,Z;h r'b'D;h -t,a ;[{m.viK yih.y;w ? wy'd'b][ -l,a r,ma{Y;w tw{KUS;B ~yik'l.M;h.w a.Wh ? ryi['h -l;[ .Wmyif'Y;w .Wmyif
13
Now
behold, a
prophet approached Ahab king of
Israel and
said,
"Thus says the
LORD, 'Have you
seen all this great multitude?
Behold, I will
deliver them into your
hand today, and you shall
know that I am the
LORD.' "
lea'r.fIy -.k,l,m b'a.x;a -l,a v;Gin d'x,a ayib'n heNih.w ? !w{m'h,h -l'K tea 'tyia'r.h h'wh.y r;m'a h{K r,ma{Y;w ? 'T.[;d'y.w ~w{Y;h '$.d'y.b w{n.t{n yin.nih h,Z;h lw{d'G;h ? h'wh.y yin]a -yiK
14
Ahab said, "By
whom?" So he
said,
"Thus says the
LORD, 'By the
young men of the
rulers of the
provinces.' " Then he
said,
"Who shall
begin the
battle?" And he
answered, "You."
h'wh.y r;m'a -h{K r,ma{Y;w yim.B b'a.x;a r,ma{Y;w ? r{s.a,y -yim r,ma{Y;w tw{nyid.M;h yer'f yer][;n.B ? h'T'a r,ma{Y;w h'm'x.liM;h
15
Then he
mustered the
young men of the
rulers of the
provinces, and there were
232 * *; and
after them he
mustered all the
people, even
all the
sons of
Israel,
7,000 *.
.Wy.hiY;w tw{nyid.M;h yer'f yer][;n -t,a d{q.piY;w ? -l'K -t,a d;q'P ~,hyer]x;a.w ~yiv{l.v.W ~Iy;n.v ~Iy;ta'm ? ~yip'l]a t;[.biv lea'r.fIy yen.B -l'K ~'['h
16
They
went out at
noon, while
Ben-hadad was
drinking himself
drunk in the
temporary shelters with the
thirty-two * kings who
helped him.
rw{Kiv h,t{v d;d]h -n,b.W ~Iy'r\h'C;B .Wa.ceY;w ? ~Iy;n.v.W -myiv{l.v ~yik'l.M;h.w a.Wh tw{KUS;B ? w{t{a rez{[ .$,l,m
17
The
young men of the
rulers of the
provinces went out
first; and
Ben-hadad sent out and they
told him,
saying,
"Men have
come out from
Samaria."
x;l.viY;w h'n{vair'B tw{nyid.M;h yer'f yer][;n .Wa.ceY;w ? .Wa.c'y ~yiv'n]a r{mael w{l .WdyiG;Y;w d;d]h -n,B ? !w{r.m{Vim
18
Then he
said,
"If they have
come out for
peace,
take them
alive; or
if they have
come out for
war,
take them
alive."
~yiY;x ~.Wf.piT .Wa'c'y ~w{l'v.l -mia r,ma{Y;w ? ~.Wf.piT ~yiY;x .Wa'c'y h'm'x.lim.l ~ia.w
19
So
these went out from the
city, the
young men of the
rulers of the
provinces, and the
army which followed them.
tw{nyid.M;h yer'f yer][;n ryi['h -nim .Wa.c'y h,Lea.w ? ~,hyer]x;a r,v]a lIy;x;h.w
20
They
killed each his
man; and the
Arameans fled and
Israel pursued them, and
Ben-hadad king of
Aram escaped on a
horse with
horsemen.
~ep.D.riY;w ~'r]a .WsUn'Y;w w{vyia vyia .WK;Y;w ? s.Ws -l;[ ~'r]a .$,l,m d;d]h -n,B jel'MiY;w lea'r.fIy ? ~yiv'r'p.W
21
The
king of
Israel went out and
struck the
horses and
chariots, and
killed the
Arameans with a
great slaughter.
b,k'r'h -t,a.w s.WS;h -t,a .$;Y;w lea'r.fIy .$,l,m aeceY;w ? h'lw{d.g h'K;m ~'r]a;b h'Kih.w
22
Then the
prophet came near to the
king of
Israel and
said to him,
"Go,
strengthen yourself and
observe and
see what you have to
do; for at the
turn of the
year the
king of
Aram will
come up
against you."
r,ma{Y;w lea'r.fIy .$,l,m -l,a ayib'N;h v;GiY;w ? h,f][;T -r,v]a tea hea.r.W [;d.w q;Z;x.tih .$el w{l ? '$y,l'[ h,l{[ ~'r]a .$,l,m h'n'V;h t;b.Wv.til yiK
23
Now the
servants of the
king of
Aram said to him, "Their
gods are
gods of the
mountains,
therefore * they were
stronger than we; but
rather let us
fight against them in the
plain, and
surely * we will be
stronger than they.
~yir'h yeh{l/a wy'lea .Wr.m'a ~'r]a -.k,l,m yed.b;[.w ? ~ex'Lin ~'l.Wa.w .WN,Mim .Wq.z'x !eK -l;[ ~,hyeh{l/a ? ~,hem q;z/x,n a{l -mia rw{vyiM;B ~'Tia
24
"Do this thing:
remove the
kings,
each from his
place, and
put captains in their
place,
vyia ~yik'l.M;h res'h hef][ h,Z;h r'b'D;h -t,a.w ? ~,hyeT.x;T tw{x;P ~yif.w w{m{q.Mim
25
and
muster an
army like the
army that you have
lost,
horse for
horse, and
chariot for
chariot. Then we will
fight against them in the
plain, and
surely * we will be
stronger than they." And he
listened to their
voice and
did so.
.$'tw{aem lep{N;h lIy;x;K lIy;x '$.l -h,n.mit h'T;a.w ? ~'tw{a h'm]x'Lin.w b,k,r'K b,k,r.w s.WS;K s.Ws.w ? ~'l{q.l [;m.viY;w ~,hem q;z/x,n a{l -mia rw{vyiM;B ? !eK f;[;Y;w
26
At the
turn of the
year,
Ben-hadad mustered the
Arameans and
went up to
Aphek to
fight against Israel.
d;d]h -n,B d{q.piY;w h'n'V;h t;b.Wv.til yih.y;w ? lea'r.fIy -mi[ h'm'x.liM;l h'qep]a l;[;Y;w ~'r]a -t,a
27
The
sons of
Israel were
mustered and were
provisioned and
went to
meet them; and the
sons of
Israel camped before them like
two little flocks of
goats, but the
Arameans filled the
country.
.Wk.leY;w .Wl.K.l'k.w .Wd.q'P.t'h lea'r.fIy yen.b.W ? yen.viK ~'D.g,n lea'r.fIy -yen.b .Wn]x;Y;w ~'ta'r.qil ? #,r'a'h -t,a .Wa.lim ~'r]a;w ~yiZi[ yepif]x
28
Then a
man of
God came near and
spoke to the
king of
Israel and
said,
"Thus says the
LORD,
'Because * the
Arameans have
said, "The
LORD is a
god of the
mountains, but He is not a
god of the
valleys," therefore I will
give all this great multitude into your
hand, and you shall
know that I am the
LORD.' "
lea'r.fIy .$,l,m -l,a r,ma{Y;w ~yih{l/a'h vyia v;GiY;w ? .Wr.m'a r,v]a !;[;y h'wh.y r;m'a -h{K r,ma{Y;w ? ~yiq'm][ yeh{l/a -a{l.w h'wh.y ~yir'h yeh{l/a ~'r]a ? h,Z;h lw{d'G;h !w{m'h,h -l'K -t,a yiT;t'n.w a.Wh ? h'wh.y yin]a -yiK ~,T.[;dyiw '$,d'y.B
29
So they
camped one over against the
other seven days. And on the
seventh day the
battle was
joined, and the
sons of
Israel killed of the
Arameans 100,000 * foot soldiers in
one day.
yih.y;w ~yim'y t;[.biv h,Lea x;k{n h,Lea .Wn]x;Y;w ? lea'r.fIy -yen.b .WK;Y;w h'm'x.liM;h b;r.qiT;w yi[yib.V;h ~w{Y;B ? d'x,a ~w{y.B yil.g;r @,l,a -h'aem ~'r]a -t,a
30
But the
rest fled to
Aphek into the
city, and the
wall fell on
27,000 * * men who were
left. And
Ben-hadad fled and
came into the
city into an
inner chamber.
l{PiT;w ryi['h -l,a h'qep]a ~yir'tw{N;h .WsUn'Y;w ? ~yir'tw{N;h vyia @,l,a h'[.biv.w ~yir.f,[ -l;[ h'mw{x;h ? r,d'x.B r,d,x ryi['h -l,a a{b'Y;w s'n d;d]h -n,b.W
31
His
servants said to him,
"Behold now, we have
heard that the
kings of the
house of
Israel are
merciful kings,
please let us
put sackcloth on our
loins and
ropes on our
heads, and
go out to the
king of
Israel;
perhaps he will
save your
life."
.Wn.[;m'v a'n -heNih wy'd'b][ wy'lea .Wr.ma{Y;w ? d,s,x yek.l;m -yiK lea'r.fIy tyeB yek.l;m yiK ? ~yil'b]x;w .Wnyen.t'm.B ~yiQ;f a'N h'myif'n ~eh ? y;l.Wa lea'r.fIy .$,l,m -l,a aecen.w .Wneva{r.B ? '$,v.p;n -t,a h,Y;x.y
32
So they
girded sackcloth on their
loins and put
ropes on their
heads, and
came to the
king of
Israel and
said, "Your
servant Ben-hadad says,
'Please let me
live.' " And he
said, "Is he
still alive? He is my
brother."
~,hyeva'r.B ~yil'b]x;w ~,hyen.t'm.B ~yiQ;f .Wr.G.x;Y;w ? '$.D.b;[ .Wr.ma{Y;w lea'r.fIy .$,l,m -l,a .Wa{b'Y;w ? r,ma{Y;w yiv.p;n a'n -yix.T r;m'a d;d]h -n,b ? a.Wh yix'a y;x .WN,dw{[;h
33
Now the
men took this as an
omen, and
quickly catching his word
said, "Your
brother Ben-hadad." Then he
said,
"Go,
bring him." Then
Ben-hadad came out to him, and he
took him up into the
chariot.
.WN,Mim]h .Wj.l.x;Y;w .Wr]h;m.y;w .Wv]x;n.y ~yiv'n]a'h.w ? .WhUx'q .Wa{B r,ma{Y;w d;d]h -n,b '$yix'a .Wr.ma{Y;w ? h'b'K.r,M;h -l;[ .Whel][;Y;w d;d]h -n,B wy'lea aeceY;w
34
Ben-hadad
said to him, "The
cities which my
father took from your
father I will
restore, and you shall
make streets for yourself in
Damascus, as my
father made in
Samaria." Ahab said, "And I will
let you
go with this
covenant." So he
made a
covenant with him and
let him
go.
yib'a -x;q'l -r,v]a ~yir'[,h wy'lea r,ma{Y;w ? q,f,M;d.b '$.l ~yif'T tw{c.Wx.w byiv'a '$yib'a teaem ? tyir.B;B yin]a;w !w{r.m{v.B yib'a ~'f -r,v]a;K ? .Whex.L;v.y;w tyir.b w{l -t'r.kiY;w 'K,x.L;v]a
35
Now a
certain man of the
sons of the
prophets said to
another by the
word of the
LORD,
"Please strike me." But the
man refused to
strike him.
.Whe[er -l,a r;m'a ~yiayib.N;h yen.Bim d'x,a vyia.w ? w{t{K;h.l vyia'h !ea'm.y;w a'n yinyeK;h h'wh.y r;b.diB
36
Then he
said to him,
"Because * you have not
listened to the
voice of the
LORD,
behold, as soon as you have
departed from me, a
lion will
kill you." And as soon as he had
departed from him a
lion found him and
killed him.
lw{q.B 'T.[;m'v -a{l r,v]a !;[;y w{l r,ma{Y;w ? .$,leY;w hey.r;a'h '$.Kih.w yiTiaem .$elw{h '$.Nih h'wh.y ? .WheK;Y;w hey.r;a'h .Whea'c.miY;w w{l.c,aem
37
Then he
found another man and
said,
"Please strike me." And the
man struck him,
wounding * him.
.WheK;Y;w a'n yinyeK;h r,ma{Y;w rex;a vyia a'c.miY;w ? ;[{c'p.W heK;h vyia'h
38
So the
prophet departed and
waited for the
king by the
way, and
disguised himself with a
bandage over his
eyes.
.$,r'D;h -l;[ .$,l,M;l d{m][;Y;w ayib'N;h .$,leY;w ? wy'nye[ -l;[ rep]a'B feP;x.tiY;w
39
As the
king passed by, he
cried to the
king and
said, "Your
servant went out into the
midst of the
battle; and
behold, a
man turned aside and
brought a
man to me and
said,
'Guard this man;
if for
any reason he is
missing, then your
life shall be for his
life,
or else you shall
pay a
talent of
silver.'
.$,l,M;h -l,a q;['c a.Wh.w reb{[ .$,l,M;h yih.y;w ? vyia -heNih.w h'm'x.liM;h -b,r,q.b a'c'y '$.D.b;[ r,ma{Y;w ? vyia'h -t,a r{m.v r,ma{Y;w vyia y;lea aeb'Y;w r's ? t;x;T '$.v.p;n h't.y'h.w deq'PIy deq'Pih -mia h,Z;h ? lw{q.viT @,s,K -r;Kik w{a w{v.p;n
40
"While your
servant was
busy here and t
here, he was
gone." And the
king of
Israel said to him,
"So shall your
judgment be; you
yourself have
decided it."
.WN,nyea a.Wh.w h'Neh'w h'Neh hef{[ '$.D.b;[ yih.y;w ? '$,j'P.vim !eK lea'r.fIy -.k,l,m wy'lea r,ma{Y;w ? 'T.c'r'x h'T;a
41
Then he
hastily took the
bandage away from his
eyes, and the
king of
Israel recognized him that he was of the
prophets.
reK;Y;w wy'nye[ l;[em rep]a'h -t,a r;s'Y;w reh;m.y;w ? a.Wh ~yiaib.N;hem yiK lea'r.fIy .$,l,m w{t{a
42
He
said to him,
"Thus says the
LORD,
'Because you have
let go out of your
hand the
man whom I had
devoted to
destruction, therefore your
life shall
go for his
life, and your
people for his
people.' "
'T.x;Liv !;[;y h'wh.y r;m'a h{K wy'lea r,ma{Y;w ? t;x;T '$.v.p;n h't.y'h.w d'Yim yim.r,x -vyia -t,a ? w{M;[ t;x;T '$.M;[.w w{v.p;n
43
So the
king of
Israel went to his
house sullen and
vexed, and
came to
Samaria.
@e['z.w r;s w{tyeB -l;[ lea'r.fIy -.k,l,m .$,leY;w ? h'nw{r.m{v a{b'Y;w