chapter 20

22. Afterward, the prophet came to the king of Israel and said, "Strengthen your position and see what must be done, because next spring the king of Aram will attack you again."

23. Meanwhile, the officials of the king of Aram advised him, "Their gods are gods of the hills. That is why they were too strong for us. But if we fight them on the plains, surely we will be stronger than they.

24. Do this: Remove all the kings from their commands and replace them with other officers.

25. You must also raise an army like the one you lost - horse for horse and chariot for chariot - so we can fight Israel on the plains. Then surely we will be stronger than they." He agreed with them and acted accordingly.

26. The next spring Ben-Hadad mustered the Arameans and went up to Aphek to fight against Israel.

27. When the Israelites were also mustered and given provisions, they marched out to meet them. The Israelites camped opposite them like two small flocks of goats, while the Arameans covered the countryside.

28. The man of God came up and told the king of Israel, "This is what the LORD says: ’Because the Arameans think the LORD is a god of the hills and not a god of the valleys, I will deliver this vast army into your hands, and you will know that I am the LORD.’"

29. For seven days they camped opposite each other, and on the seventh day the battle was joined. The Israelites inflicted a hundred thousand casualties on the Aramean foot soldiers in one day.

30. The rest of them escaped to the city of Aphek, where the wall collapsed on twenty-seven thousand of them. And Ben-Hadad fled to the city and hid in an inner room.

31. His officials said to him, "Look, we have heard that the kings of Israel are merciful. Let us go to the king of Israel with sackcloth around our waists and ropes around our heads. Perhaps he will spare your life."

32. Wearing sackcloth around their waists and ropes around their heads, they went to the king of Israel and said, "Your servant Ben-Hadad says: ’Please let me live.’" The king answered, "Is he still alive? He is my brother."

33. The men took this as a good sign and were quick to pick up his word. "Yes, your brother Ben-Hadad!" they said. "Go and get him," the king said. When Ben-Hadad came out, Ahab had him come up into his chariot.

34. "I will return the cities my father took from your father," Ben-Hadad offered. "You may set up your own market areas in Damascus, as my father did in Samaria." Ahab said, "On the basis of a treaty I will set you free." So he made a treaty with him, and let him go.

35. By the word of the LORD one of the company of the prophets said to his companion, "Strike me with your weapon," but he refused.

36. So the prophet said, "Because you have not obeyed the LORD, as soon as you leave me a lion will kill you." And after the man went away, a lion found him and killed him.

37. The prophet found another man and said, "Strike me, please." So the man struck him and wounded him.

38. Then the prophet went and stood by the road waiting for the king. He disguised himself with his headband down over his eyes.

39. As the king passed by, the prophet called out to him, "Your servant went into the thick of the battle, and someone came to me with a captive and said, ’Guard this man. If he is missing, it will be your life for his life, or you must pay a talent of silver.’

40. While your servant was busy here and there, the man disappeared." "That is your sentence," the king of Israel said. "You have pronounced it yourself."

41. Then the prophet quickly removed the headband from his eyes, and the king of Israel recognized him as one of the prophets.

42. He said to the king, "This is what the LORD says: ’You have set free a man I had determined should die. Therefore it is your life for his life, your people for his people.’"

43. Sullen and angry, the king of Israel went to his palace in Samaria.