亞蘭王攻打撒瑪利亞城
1亞蘭王便·哈達率領全軍，聯合三十二個王，帶著車馬圍攻撒瑪利亞。 2他派遣使者進城對以色列王亞哈說： 3「便·哈達說，『你的金銀和你家中最美的妻妾兒女都是我的。』」 4以色列王說：「我主我王啊，我答應你的要求，我和我的一切都是你的。」
5不久，使者又來對他說：「便·哈達說，『我已派人吩咐你把金銀、妻妾和兒女都給我。 6明天這個時候，我會派屬下搜查你的王宮和你臣僕的家，他們要拿走你珍愛的一切。』」 7以色列王亞哈召集國中的長老，說：「你們看，這人是在找麻煩。他派人來要我的妻妾、孩子和金銀，我沒有拒絕他。」 8長老和百姓都說：「別聽從他，別答應他。」
9於是，他對使者說：「你們告訴我主我王，他第一次所要的，僕人可以照辦，但這一次所要的，僕人不能從命。」使者就去回覆便·哈達。 10便·哈達又派人去對亞哈說：「若撒瑪利亞的塵土夠我的士兵每人抓一把，願神明重重地懲罰我。」 11以色列王說：「你去告訴便·哈達，叫他別剛穿上盔甲就誇口，打完仗卸下盔甲再誇口吧。」 12便·哈達和諸王正在營中飲酒，聽見這話，就吩咐屬下準備攻城。
亞哈打敗便·哈達
13一位先知來見以色列王亞哈，說：「耶和華說，『你看見這大隊人馬了嗎？今天我必將他們交在你手裡，這樣你就知道我是耶和華。』」 14亞哈問：「誰來完成這任務呢？」先知答道：「耶和華說，省長屬下的青年軍。」亞哈問：「誰來做統領呢？」先知答道：「你。」
15於是，亞哈召集了省長屬下的青年軍二百三十二人，又召集以色列全軍，共七千人。
16中午，便·哈達正跟盟軍的三十二個王在營中狂飲的時候，亞哈率軍出發了。 17省長屬下的青年軍率先出城。便·哈達派出的巡邏隊稟告他說：「有人從撒瑪利亞城出來了。」 18便·哈達說：「不管他們是來求和還是求戰，都要生擒他們！」 19省長屬下的青年軍率先出城，大軍緊隨其後， 20他們見敵人就殺。亞蘭人敗逃，以色列人乘勢追擊。亞蘭王便·哈達騎著馬與一些騎兵落荒而逃。 21以色列王出城攻擊敵軍車馬，重創亞蘭人。
22先知又來見以色列王，說：「你要加強防衛，做好準備，因為明年春天亞蘭王必捲土重來。」
23臣僕給亞蘭王獻計說：「以色列人的神是山神，所以他們佔了上風，我們若在平原上跟他們交戰，一定會取勝。 24王應該撤去諸王，委任將領代替他們， 25再招募軍兵，補充失去的戰車和人馬，好在平原上跟他們交戰，這樣我們一定會取勝。」王採納了他們的建議。
26第二年春天，便·哈達召集亞蘭人進軍亞弗，攻打以色列人。 27以色列人也召集軍隊，準備糧草，迎戰敵軍。他們在亞蘭人對面安營，像兩小群山羊，而敵軍卻滿山遍野。 28有位上帝的僕人來見以色列王，說：「耶和華說，『亞蘭人以為我耶和華是山神，不是平原的神，所以我必將這大隊人馬交在你手裡，這樣你們就知道我是耶和華。』」
29以色列人和亞蘭人兩軍對峙，一連七天。第七天，兩軍交戰，以色列軍一天殺了十萬亞蘭步兵， 30殘餘的亞蘭人都逃進亞弗城，但城牆倒塌壓死了兩萬七千人。便·哈達也逃進城，躲在一間房子的內室裡。 31臣僕對他說：「我們聽說以色列王很仁慈。現在，我們不如腰束麻布，頭套繩索，向以色列王請降，或許他會饒王一命。」 32他們便腰束麻布，頭套繩索，來見以色列王，說：「僕人便·哈達求王開恩饒命啊！」亞哈回答說：「他還活著嗎？他是我的兄弟。」 33他們聽見亞哈的口氣溫和，連忙附和說：「是啊，便·哈達是王的兄弟。」亞哈便吩咐他們去把便·哈達帶來見他，然後讓便·哈達登上他的戰車。 34便·哈達對亞哈說：「我必歸還我父親從你父親那裡奪來的城邑，你可以在大馬士革設立貿易區，就像我父親在撒瑪利亞所設立的一樣。」亞哈回答說：「你依此立個約，我就放你走。」立約之後，亞哈就放便·哈達走了。
先知責備亞哈
35眾先知中有一位奉耶和華的命令對他的同伴說：「你打我吧！」同伴卻不肯動手。 36那位先知就對他說：「既然你不聽從耶和華的吩咐，你一離開我，就會被獅子咬死。」那同伴走後，果然遇見獅子，被咬死了。 37那先知又找了一個人，叫那人打他，那人就打他，把他打傷了。 38先知用頭巾蒙著眼睛，喬裝改扮，在路旁等候亞哈王。 39亞哈王經過的時候，他向王喊道：「僕人在打仗的時候，有人押來一個俘虜，要我看管，他說如果俘虜跑掉，我就要以性命抵償或賠償三十四公斤銀子。 40可是那俘虜趁僕人忙亂之際跑掉了。」亞哈王說：「這是你自己的過失，你要自負其咎。」 41先知立刻拿去蒙眼的頭巾，以色列王認出他是個先知。 42他對王說：「耶和華說，『你放走了我決定要毀滅的人，所以你的命要抵他的命，你百姓的命要抵他百姓的命。』」 43以色列王悶悶不樂地回撒瑪利亞的王宮去了。
1And Ben-hadad the king of Syria gathered all his host together: and there were thirty and two kings with him, and horses, and chariots: and he went up and besieged Samaria, and warred against it. 2And he sent messengers to Ahab king of Israel into the city, and said unto him, Thus saith Ben-hadad, 3Thy silver and thy gold is mine; thy wives also and thy children, even the goodliest, are mine. 4And the king of Israel answered and said, My lord, O king, according to thy saying, I am thine, and all that I have. 5And the messengers came again, and said, Thus speaketh Ben-hadad, saying, Although I have sent unto thee, saying, Thou shalt deliver me thy silver, and thy gold, and thy wives, and thy children; 6Yet I will send my servants unto thee to morrow about this time, and they shall search thine house, and the houses of thy servants; and it shall be, that whatsoever is pleasant in thine eyes, they shall put it in their hand, and take it away.20.6 pleasant: Heb. desirable 7Then the king of Israel called all the elders of the land, and said, Mark, I pray you, and see how this man seeketh mischief: for he sent unto me for my wives, and for my children, and for my silver, and for my gold; and I denied him not.20.7 I denied…: Heb. I kept not back from him 8And all the elders and all the people said unto him, Hearken not unto him, nor consent. 9Wherefore he said unto 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 may not do. And the messengers departed, and brought him word again. 10And Ben-hadad sent unto him, and said, The gods do so unto me, and more also, if the dust of Samaria shall suffice for handfuls for all the people that follow me.20.10 follow…: Heb. are at my feet 11And the king of Israel answered and said, Tell him, Let not him that girdeth on his harness boast himself as he that putteth it off.
12And it came to pass, when Ben-hadad heard this message, as he was drinking, he and the kings in the pavilions, that he said unto his servants, Set yourselves in array. And they set themselves in array against the city.20.12 message: Heb. word20.12 pavilions: or, tents20.12 Set yourselves…: or, Place the engines. And they placed the engines
13¶ And, behold, there came a prophet unto Ahab king of Israel, saying, Thus saith the LORD, Hast thou seen all this great multitude? behold, I will deliver it into thine hand this day; and thou shalt know that I am the LORD.20.13 came: Heb. approached 14And Ahab said, By whom? And he said, Thus saith the LORD, Even by the young men of the princes of the provinces. Then he said, Who shall order the battle? And he answered, Thou.20.14 young…: or, servants20.14 order: Heb. bind, or, tie 15Then he numbered the young men of the princes of the provinces, and they were two hundred and thirty two: and after them he numbered all the people, even all the children of Israel, being seven thousand. 16And they went out at noon. But Ben-hadad was drinking himself drunk in the pavilions, he and the kings, the thirty and two kings that helped him. 17And 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 of Samaria. 18And he said, Whether they be come out for peace, take them alive; or whether they be come out for war, take them alive. 19So these young men of the princes of the provinces came out of the city, and the army which followed them. 20And they slew every one his man: and the Syrians fled; and Israel pursued them: and Ben-hadad the king of Syria escaped on an horse with the horsemen. 21And the king of Israel went out, and smote the horses and chariots, and slew the Syrians with a great slaughter.
22¶ And the prophet came to the king of Israel, and said unto him, Go, strengthen thyself, and mark, and see what thou doest: for at the return of the year the king of Syria will come up against thee. 23And the servants of the king of Syria said unto him, Their gods are gods 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. 24And do this thing, Take the kings away, every man out of his place, and put captains in their rooms: 25And number thee an army, like the army that thou hast 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. And he hearkened unto their voice, and did so.20.25 that thou…: Heb. that was fallen 26And it came to pass at the return of the year, that Ben-hadad numbered the Syrians, and went up to Aphek, to fight against Israel.20.26 to fight…: Heb. to the war with Israel 27And the children of Israel were numbered, and were all present, and went against them: and the children of Israel pitched before them like two little flocks of kids; but the Syrians filled the country.20.27 were all…: or, were nourished
28¶ And there came a man of God, and spake unto the king of Israel, and said, Thus saith the LORD, Because the Syrians have said, The LORD is God of the hills, but he is not God of the valleys, therefore will I deliver all this great multitude into thine hand, and ye shall know that I am the LORD. 29And they pitched one over against the other seven days. And so it was, that in the seventh day the battle was joined: and the children of Israel slew of the Syrians an hundred thousand footmen in one day. 30But the rest fled to Aphek, into the city; and there a wall fell upon twenty and seven thousand of the men that were left. And Ben-hadad fled, and came into the city, into an inner chamber.20.30 into an…: or, from chamber to chamber: Heb. into a chamber within a chamber
31¶ And his servants said unto him, Behold now, we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful kings: let us, I pray thee, put sackcloth on our loins, and ropes upon our heads, and go out to the king of Israel: peradventure he will save thy life. 32So they girded sackcloth on their loins, and put ropes on their heads, and came to the king of Israel, and said, Thy servant Ben-hadad saith, I pray thee, let me live. And he said, Is he yet alive? he is my brother. 33Now the men did diligently observe whether any thing would come from him, and did hastily catch it: and they said, Thy brother Ben-hadad. Then he said, Go ye, bring him. Then Ben-hadad came forth to him; and he caused him to come up into the chariot. 34And Ben-hadad said unto him, The cities, which my father took from thy father, I will restore; and thou shalt make streets for thee in Damascus, as my father made in Samaria. Then said Ahab, I will send thee away with this covenant. So he made a covenant with him, and sent him away.20.34 streets: or, market places
35¶ And a certain man of the sons of the prophets said unto his neighbour in the word of the LORD, Smite me, I pray thee. And the man refused to smite him. 36Then said he unto him, Because thou hast not obeyed the voice of the LORD, behold, as soon as thou art departed from me, a lion shall slay thee. And as soon as he was departed from him, a lion found him, and slew him. 37Then he found another man, and said, Smite me, I pray thee. And the man smote him, so that in smiting he wounded him.20.37 so that…: Heb. smiting and wounding 38So the prophet departed, and waited for the king by the way, and disguised himself with ashes upon his face. 39And as the king passed by, he cried unto the king: and he said, Thy servant went out into the midst of the battle; and, behold, a man turned aside, and brought a man unto me, and said, Keep this man: if by any means he be missing, then shall thy life be for his life, or else thou shalt pay a talent of silver.20.39 pay: Heb. weigh 40And as thy servant was busy here and there, he was gone. And the king of Israel said unto him, So shall thy judgment be; thyself hast decided it.20.40 he was…: Heb. he was not 41And he hasted, and took the ashes away from his face; and the king of Israel discerned him that he was of the prophets. 42And he said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Because thou hast let go out of thy hand a man whom I appointed to utter destruction, therefore thy life shall go for his life, and thy people for his people. 43And the king of Israel went to his house heavy and displeased, and came to Samaria.
