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。
Ben-Hadad attacks Samaria
1Now Ben-Hadad king of Aram mustered his entire army. Accompanied by thirty-two kings with their horses and chariots, he went up and besieged Samaria and attacked it. 2He sent messengers into the city to Ahab king of Israel, saying, ‘This is what Ben-Hadad says: 3“Your silver and gold are mine, and the best of your wives and children are mine.” ’
4The king of Israel answered, ‘Just as you say, my lord the king. I and all I have are yours.’
5The messengers came again and said, ‘This is what Ben-Hadad says: “I sent to demand your silver and gold, your wives and your children. 6But about this time tomorrow I am going to send my officials to search your palace and the houses of your officials. They will seize everything you value and carry it away.” ’
7The king of Israel summoned all the elders of the land and said to them, ‘See how this man is looking for trouble! When he sent for my wives and my children, my silver and my gold, I did not refuse him.’
8The elders and the people all answered, ‘Don’t listen to him or agree to his demands.’
9So he replied to Ben-Hadad’s messengers, ‘Tell my lord the king, “Your servant will do all you demanded the first time, but this demand I cannot meet.” ’ They left and took the answer back to Ben-Hadad.
10Then Ben-Hadad sent another message to Ahab: ‘May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if enough dust remains in Samaria to give each of my men a handful.’
11The king of Israel answered, ‘Tell him: “One who puts on his armour should not boast like one who takes it off.” ’
12Ben-Hadad heard this message while he and the kings were drinking in their tents,20:12 Or in Sukkoth; also in verse 16 and he ordered his men: ‘Prepare to attack.’ So they prepared to attack the city.
Ahab defeats Ben-Hadad
13Meanwhile a prophet came to Ahab king of Israel and announced, ‘This is what the Lord says: “Do you see this vast army? I will give it into your hand today, and then you will know that I am the Lord.” ’
14‘But who will do this?’ asked Ahab.
The prophet replied, ‘This is what the Lord says: “The junior officers under the provincial commanders will do it.” ’
‘And who will start the battle?’ he asked.
The prophet answered, ‘You will.’
15So Ahab summoned the 232 junior officers under the provincial commanders. Then he assembled the rest of the Israelites, 7,000 in all. 16They set out at noon while Ben-Hadad and the 32 kings allied with him were in their tents getting drunk. 17The junior officers under the provincial commanders went out first.
Now Ben-Hadad had dispatched scouts, who reported, ‘Men are advancing from Samaria.’
18He said, ‘If they have come out for peace, take them alive; if they have come out for war, take them alive.’
19The junior officers under the provincial commanders marched out of the city with the army behind them 20and each one struck down his opponent. At that, the Arameans fled, with the Israelites in pursuit. But Ben-Hadad king of Aram escaped on horseback with some of his horsemen. 21The king of Israel advanced and overpowered the horses and chariots and inflicted heavy losses on the Arameans.
22Afterwards, 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.’
23Meanwhile, 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. 24Do this: remove all the kings from their commands and replace them with other officers. 25You 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.
26The next spring Ben-Hadad mustered the Arameans and went up to Aphek to fight against Israel. 27When 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.
28The 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.” ’
29For 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. 30The 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.
31His 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 round our waists and ropes round our heads. Perhaps he will spare your life.’
32Wearing sackcloth round their waists and ropes round 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.’
33The 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 brought him 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.
A prophet condemns Ahab
35By the word of the Lord one of the company of the prophets said to his companion, ‘Strike me with your weapon,’ but he refused.
36So 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.
37The prophet found another man and said, ‘Strike me, please.’ So the man struck him and wounded him. 38Then the prophet went and stood by the road waiting for the king. He disguised himself with his headband down over his eyes. 39As 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 talent20:39 That is, about 34 kilograms of silver.” 40While your servant was busy here and there, the man disappeared.’
‘That is your sentence,’ the king of Israel said. ‘You have pronounced it yourself.’
41Then the prophet quickly removed the headband from his eyes, and the king of Israel recognised him as one of the prophets. 42He said to the king, ‘This is what the Lord says: “You have set free a man I had determined should die.20:42 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them. Therefore it is your life for his life, your people for his people.” ’ 43Sullen and angry, the king of Israel went to his palace in Samaria.
