Parallel Bible results for "1 kings 20"

1 Kings 20

Common English Bible CEB

1 King Ben-hadad of Aram brought together all his army along with thirty-two kings plus horses and chariots. He went up, surrounded Samaria, and made war against it.

2 He sent messengers to Ahab, Israel's king, inside Samaria.

3 The message said, "This is what Ben-hadad says: ‘Your silver and your gold are mine. Your good-looking wives and children are mine.'"

4 Israel's king answered, "Whatever you say, my master, great king. I am yours and so is everything I have."

5 The messengers came back again: "This is what Ben-hadad says: ‘I sent you the message: Give me your silver and gold, your wives and your sons.

6 However, at this time tomorrow I will send my officers to you, and they will search your palace and the houses of your officers. Everything that you find valuable they will seize and take away.'"

7 Then Israel's king called all the elders of the land and he said, "Please know and understand the evil this man wants to do! He demanded from me my wives and sons, and my silver and gold; and I didn't refuse him."

8 All of the elders and the people said to him, "Don't obey and don't give in!"

9 So the king said to Ben-hadad's messengers, "Say to my master the king: ‘Everything that you first ordered your servant, I will do. But I can't comply with this new command.'" The messengers took this response to Ben-hadad,

10 who sent back this reply: "May the gods do whatever they want to me if there is even a handful of dust left in Samaria for the armies under me!"

11 Then Israel's king replied, "The one who prepares for battle shouldn't brag like one returning from battle."

12 When Ben-hadad heard this message, he and the other kings were drinking in their tents. Ben-hadad said to his officers, "Take your positions!" So they took up their positions against the city.

13 Suddenly a prophet approached Israel's King Ahab. He said, "This is what the LORD says: Do you see that great army? Today I am handing it over to you. Then you will know that I am the LORD."

14 Ahab said, "Who will do it?" The prophet answered, "This is what the LORD says: The servants of the district officials will do it." "Who should start the battle?" Ahab asked. "You should," the prophet replied.

15 So Ahab assembled the servants of the district officials. There were two hundred thirty-two of them. Next he assembled the entire Israelite army, seven thousand total.

16 At noon they marched for battle. Meanwhile, Ben-hadad and the thirty-two kings allied with him were getting drunk in their tents.

17 The servants of the district officials were at the head of the march. Ben-hadad sent for information and was told, "Some men have marched out of Samaria."

18 He said, "If they have come out in peace, take them alive; if they have come out for war, take them alive as well."

19 So the servants of the district governors with the army behind them marched out from the city.

20 Each one struck down his opponent, so that the Arameans fled. Israel chased after them. Ben-hadad, Aram's king, escaped with some horses and chariots.

21 Israel's king went out and attacked the horses and chariots. He attacked the Arameans with a fierce assault.

22 The prophet came to Israel's king and said to him, "Maintain your strength! Know and understand that at the turn of the coming year, Aram's king will attack you again."

23 The officers of Aram's king said to him, "Israel's god is a god of the mountains. That's why they were stronger than us. But if we fight them on the plains, we will certainly be stronger than they are.

24 This is what you need to do: Remove the kings from their military posts and appoint officials in their place.

25 Then raise another army like the one that was destroyed, with horses like those horses and chariots like those chariots. Then we will fight them on the plains, and we will certainly be stronger than they are." The king took their advice and followed it.

26 So in the spring of the year, Ben-hadad assembled the Arameans and marched up to Aphek to fight with Israel.

27 Now the Israelites had already been assembled and provisioned, so they went to engage the Arameans. The Israelites camped before them like two small flocks of goats, but the Arameans filled the land.

28 Then the man of God came forward and said to Israel's king, "This is what the LORD says: Because the Arameans said that the LORD is a god of the mountains but not a god of the valleys, I am handing this whole great army over to you. Then you will know that I am the LORD."

29 The two armies camped opposite each other for seven days. On the seventh day, the battle began. The Israelites attacked and destroyed one hundred thousand Aramean foot soldiers in a single day.

30 Those who were left fled to Aphek, into the city where a wall fell on twenty-seven thousand more of them. But Ben-hadad escaped and hid in an inner room within the city.

31 Ben-hadad's officers said to him, "Listen, we have heard that the kings of Israel are merciful kings. Allow us to put mourning clothes on our bodies and cords around our heads. We will then go to Israel's king. Perhaps he will let you live."

32 So they put mourning clothes on their bodies and cords around their heads. They went to Israel's king and said, "Ben-hadad is your slave. He begs, ‘Please let me live!'" Israel's king said, "Is he still alive? He is my brother."

33 Taking this as a good sign, Ben-hadad's men quickly accepted this statement."Yes, Ben-hadad is your brother!" they said. "Go and get him," the king ordered. So Ben-hadad came to him, and the king received him into his chariot.

34 Ben-hadad said to the king, "I will return the towns that my father took from your father. Furthermore, you can set up markets for yourself in Damascus just as my father did in Samaria." The king replied,"On the basis of this covenant, I will let you go." So he made a covenant with Ben-hadad and set him free.

35 At the LORD's command a certain man who belonged to a prophetic group said to his friend: "Please strike me." But his friend refused to hit him.

36 So he said to his friend, "Because you didn't obey the LORD's voice, a lion will attack you as soon as you leave me." And as the friend left the prophet, a lion found him and attacked him.

37 Then the prophet found another man and said, "Please strike me." He hit the prophet, and the attack left a wound.

38 The prophet went and stood before the king by the road. He disguised himself by putting a bandage over his eyes.

39 When the king passed by, the prophet called out to the king, "Your servant was in the middle of the battle when someone brought a prisoner. ‘Guard this man,' he said. ‘If he escapes it will be your life for his—that, or you will owe me a kikkar of silver.'

40 Your servant got busy doing this and that, and the prisoner disappeared." Israel's king replied, "It appears you have decided your own fate."

41 The prophet quickly tore the bandage from over his eyes, and Israel's king recognized him as one of the prophets.

42 Then the prophet said to the king, "This is what the LORD says: Because you freed a man I condemned to die, it will be your life for his life, and your people for his people."

43 So Israel's king went to his palace at Samaria, irritated and upset.

The Message Bible MSG

1 At about this same time Ben-Hadad king of Aram mustered his troops. He recruited in addition thirty-two local sheiks, all outfitted with horses and chariots. He set out in force and surrounded Samaria, ready to make war.

2 He sent an envoy into the city to set his terms before Ahab king of Israel:

3 "Ben-Hadad lays claim to your silver and gold, and to the pick of your wives and sons."

4 The king of Israel accepted the terms: "As you say, distinguished lord; I and everything I have is yours."

5 But then the envoy returned a second time, saying, "On second thought, I want it all - your silver and gold and all your wives and sons. Hand them over - the whole works.

6 I'll give you twenty-four hours; then my servants will arrive to search your palace and the houses of your officials and loot them; anything that strikes their fancy, they'll take."

7 The king of Israel called a meeting of all his tribal elders. He said, "Look at this - outrageous! He's just looking for trouble. He means to clean me out, demanding all my women and children. And after I already agreed to pay him off handsomely!"

8 The elders, backed by the people, said, "Don't cave in to him. Don't give an inch."

9 So he sent an envoy to Ben-Hadad, "Tell my distinguished lord, 'I agreed to the terms you delivered the first time, but this I can't do - this I won't do!'" The envoy went back and delivered the answer.

10 Ben-Hadad shot back his response: "May the gods do their worst to me, and then worse again, if there'll be anything left of Samaria but rubble."

11 The king of Israel countered, "Think about it - it's easier to start a fight than end one."

12 It happened that when Ben-Hadad heard this retort he was into some heavy drinking, boozing it up with the sheiks in their field shelters. Drunkenly, he ordered his henchmen, "Go after them!" And they attacked the city.

13 Just then a lone prophet approached Ahab king of Israel and said, "God's word: Have you taken a good look at this mob? Well, look again - I'm turning it over to you this very day. And you'll know, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that I am God."

14 Ahab said, "Really? And who is going to make this happen?" God said, "The young commandos of the regional chiefs." "And who," said Ahab, "will strike the first blow?" God said, "You."

15 Ahab looked over the commandos of the regional chiefs; he counted 232. Then he assessed the available troops - 7,000.

16 At noon they set out after Ben-Hadad who, with his allies, the thirty-two sheiks, was busy at serious drinking in the field shelters.

17 The commandos of the regional chiefs made up the vanguard. A report was brought to Ben-Hadad: "Men are on their way from Samaria."

18 He said, "If they've come in peace, take them alive as hostages; if they've come to fight, the same - take them alive as hostages."

19 The commandos poured out of the city with the full army behind them.

20 They hit hard in hand-to-hand combat. The Arameans scattered from the field, with Israel hard on their heels. But Ben-Hadad king of Aram got away on horseback, along with his cavalry.

21 The king of Israel cut down both horses and chariots - an enormous defeat for Aram.

22 Sometime later the prophet came to the king of Israel and said, "On the alert now - build up your army, assess your capabilities, and see what has to be done. Before the year is out, the king of Aram will be back in force."

23 Meanwhile the advisors to the king of Aram said, "Their god is a god of the mountains - we don't stand a chance against them there. So let's engage them on the plain where we'll have the advantage.

24 Here's the strategy: Remove each sheik from his place of leadership and replace him with a seasoned officer.

25 Then recruit a fighting force equivalent in size to the army that deserted earlier - horse for horse, chariot for chariot. And we'll fight them on the plain - we're sure to prove stronger than they are." It sounded good to the king; he did what they advised.

26 As the new year approached, Ben-Hadad rallied Aram and they went up to Aphek to make war on Israel.

27 The Israelite army prepared to fight and took the field to meet Aram. They moved into battle formation before Aram in two camps, like two flocks of goats. The plain was seething with Arameans.

28 Just then a holy man approached the king of Israel saying, "This is God's word: Because Aram said, 'God is a god of the mountains and not a god of the valleys,' I'll hand over this huge mob of an army to you. Then you'll know that I am God."

29 The two armies were poised in a standoff for seven days. On the seventh day fighting broke out. The Israelites killed 100,000 of the Aramean infantry in one day.

30 The rest of the army ran for their lives back to the city, Aphek, only to have the city wall fall on 27,000 of the survivors.

31 Then his advisors told him, "Look, we've heard that the kings of Israel play by the rules; let's dress in old gunnysacks, carry a white flag of truce, and present ourselves to the king of Israel on the chance that he'll let you live."

32 So that's what they did. They dressed in old gunnysacks and carried a white flag, and came to the king of Israel saying, "Your servant Ben-Hadad said, 'Please let me live.'" Ahab said, "You mean to tell me that he's still alive? If he's alive, he's my brother."

33 The men took this as a good sign and concluded that everything was going to be all right: "Ben-Hadad is most certainly your brother!" The king said, "Go and get him." They went and brought him back by chariot.

34 Ahab said, "I am prepared to return the cities that my father took from your father. And you can set up your headquarters in Damascus just as my father did in Samaria; I'll send you home under safe conduct." Then he made a covenant with him and sent him off.

35 A man who was one of the prophets said to a bystander, "Hit me; wound me. Do it for God's sake - it's his command. Hit me; wound me." But the man wouldn't do it.

36 So he told him, "Because you wouldn't obey God's orders, as soon as you leave me a lion will attack you." No sooner had the man left his side than a lion met him and attacked.

37 He then found another man and said, "Hit me; wound me." That man did it - hit him hard in the face, drawing blood.

38 Then the prophet went and took a position along the road, with a bandage over his eyes, waiting for the king.

39 It wasn't long before the king happened by. The man cried out to the king, "Your servant was in the thick of the battle when a man showed up and turned over a prisoner to me, saying, 'Guard this man with your life; if he turns up missing you'll pay dearly.'

40 But I got busy doing one thing after another and the next time I looked he was gone." The king of Israel said, "You've just pronounced your own verdict."

41 At that, the man ripped the bandage off his eyes and the king recognized who he was - one of the prophets!

42 The man said to the king, "God's word: Because you let a man go who was under sentence by God, it's now your life for his, your people for his."

43 The king of Israel went home in a sulk. He arrived in Samaria in a very bad mood.