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 armor 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.
22Afterward, 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 around our waists and ropes around our heads. Perhaps he will spare your life.”
32Wearing 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.”
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 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.
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 75 pounds or 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 recognized 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.
Beni-Hadadi Athira Nkhondo Samariya
1Tsono Beni-Hadadi mfumu ya ku Aramu inasonkhanitsa magulu ake onse a ankhondo. Iye pamodzi ndi mafumu 32, akavalo awo ndi magaleta awo, anapita kukawuzungulira mzinda wa Samariya ndi kuwuthira nkhondo. 2Iye anatuma amithenga ake mu mzindamo kwa Ahabu mfumu ya Israeli, kukanena kuti, 3“Beni-Hadadi akuti, ‘Siliva wako ndi golide wako ndi wanga, ndipo akazi ako okongola ndi ana ako ndi anganso.’ ”
4Mfumu ya Israeli inayankha kuti, “Monga mmene mwanenera, mbuye wanga mfumu, ine pamodzi ndi zonse zomwe ndili nazo ndi zanu.”
5Amithenga aja anabwereranso kwa Ahabu ndipo anamuwuza kuti, “Beni-Hadadi akuti, ‘Ine ndinakulamula kuti undipatse siliva wako ndi golide wako, akazi ako ndi ana ako. 6Koma mawa nthawi ngati yomwe ino ndidzatuma atumiki anga kudzafufuza mʼnyumba yako yaufumu ndi nyumba za akuluakulu ako. Iwo adzatenga chilichonse chimene umachidalira ndi kupita nacho.’ ”
7Pamenepo mfumu ya Israeli inayitanitsa akuluakulu a mʼdzikomo niwawuza kuti, “Taonani momwe munthuyu akufunira kutibweretsera mavuto! Atatumiza mawu oti ndimupatse akazi anga ndi ana anga, siliva wanga ndi golide wanga, ine sindinamukanize.”
8Akuluakulu onse ndi anthu onse anayankha kuti, “Musamumvere kapena kuvomereza zofuna zake.”
9Tsono Ahabu anayankha amithenga a Beni-Hadadi kuti, “Kamuwuzeni mbuye wanga mfumu kuti, ‘Mtumiki wanu adzachita zonse zimene munazifuna nthawi yoyamba ija, koma izi mwazifunazi sindingazikwanitse.’ ” Iwo anachoka nakapereka yankho kwa Beni-Hadadi.
10Pamenepo Beni-Hadadi anatumizanso uthenga wina kwa Ahabu kuti, “Milungu indilange koopsa, ngati mu Samariya mudzakhale fumbi loti nʼkudzaza dzanja la aliyense wa anthu anga.”
11Mfumu ya Israeli inayankha kuti, “Kamuwuzeni kuti, ‘Mwamuna mnzako nʼpachulu, nʼkulinga utakwerapo.’ ”
12Beni-Hadadi anamva uthenga umenewu pamene iye ankamwa ndi mafumu anzake mʼmatenti awo, ndipo analamula anthu ake kuti, “Konzekerani kukathira nkhondo.” Choncho anakonzekera kukathira nkhondo mzindawo.
Ahabu Agonjetsa Beni-Hadadi
13Ndipo taonani, mneneri wina anabwera kwa Ahabu mfumu ya Israeli nadzalengeza kuti, “Yehova akuti, ‘Kodi ukuchiona chigulu chachikulu cha ankhondochi? Taona, ndikuchipereka chimenechi lero mʼdzanja lako, ndipo pamenepo udzadziwa kuti Ine ndine Yehova.’ ”
14Ahabu anafunsa kuti, “Koma ndani adzachita zimenezi?”
Mneneri anayankha kuti, “Yehova akuti, ‘Adzachita zimenezi ndi asilikali a nduna za mʼzigawo.’ ”
Ndipo iye anafunsa kuti, “Kodi ndani adzayambe nkhondoyi?”
Mneneriyo anayankha kuti, “Ndinu.”
15Choncho Ahabu anawerenga asilikali achinyamata a nduna za mʼzigawo ndipo onse analipo 232. Ndipo anawerenganso ankhondo a ku Israeli ndipo onse analipo 7,000. 16Iwo ananyamuka nthawi yamasana pamene Beni-Hadadi ndi mafumu 32 othandizana naye ankamwa mpaka kuledzera mʼmatenti awo. 17Asilikali achinyamata a nduna za mʼzigawo ndiwo amene anayamba kupita ku nkhondo.
Nthawi imeneyi Beni-Hadadi nʼkuti atatumiza anthu oti akazonde, amene anadzafotokoza kuti, “Anthu ankhondo akubwera kuchokera ku Samariya.”
18Iye anati, “Kaya akubwera mwamtendere kapena mwankhondo, muwagwire amoyo.”
19Choncho asilikali achinyamata a nduna za mʼzigawo anatuluka mu mzinda, gulu lankhondo lili pambuyo pawo. 20Ndipo aliyense wa iwo anapha munthu wake. Ataona izi, Aaramu anathawa Aisraeli ali pambuyo pawo kuwapirikitsa. Koma Beni-Hadadi mfumu ya ku Aaramu anathawa atakwera pa kavalo pamodzi ndi ankhondo ena okweranso pa akavalo. 21Mfumu ya Israeli inapita chitsogolo ndi kugwira akavalo ndi magaleta ndipo Aaramu ambiri anaphedwa.
22Zitachitika izi, mneneri wina anabwera kwa mfumu ya Israeli ndipo anati, “Mulimbike ndipo muganize bwino zoti mudzachite, chifukwa chaka chikudzachi mfumu ya Aramu idzakuthiraninso nkhondo.”
23Nthawi imeneyi, akuluakulu a mfumu ya Aramu anamulangiza kuti, “Milungu ya anthu a ku Israeli ndi milungu ya mʼmapiri. Nʼchifukwa chake anali ndi mphamvu zotipambana ife. Koma ngati tidzamenyana nawo ku chigwa, ndithudi ife tidzakhala ndi mphamvu kuposa iwo. 24Inu chitani izi: chotsani mafumu onse pa maudindo awo ndipo mʼmalo mwawo muyikemo atsogoleri a ankhondo. 25Musonkhanitsenso gulu lankhondo lofanana ndi lomwe linaphedwa lija, akavalo monga omwe anaphedwa aja, ndi magaleta monga omwe anawonongedwa aja, kuti tikamenyane ndi Israeli ku chigwa. Pamenepo, ife tidzapambana iwowo.” Beni-Hadadi anagwirizana nawo ndipo anachita momwemo.
26Chaka chinacho Beni-Hadadi anasonkhanitsa Aaramu, napita ku Afeki kukamenyana ndi Israeli. 27Aisraeli atasonkhananso, napatsidwa zakudya zawo anapita kukakumana nawo. Aisraeli anamanga misasa yawo moyangʼanana ndi Aaramu ndipo ankaoneka ngati timagulu tiwiri ta mbuzi, pomwe Aaramu anali atakuta dera lonselo.
28Munthu wa Mulungu anabwera, nawuza mfumu ya Israeli kuti, “Yehova akuti, ‘Popeza Aaramu akuganiza kuti Yehova ndi mulungu wa ku mapiri, osati wa ku zigwa, Ine ndidzapereka chigulu chonsechi kwa iwe, ndipo iwe udzadziwa kuti Ine ndine Yehova.’ ”
29Kwa masiku asanu ndi awiri anakhala moyangʼanana mʼmisasa yawo, ndipo pa tsiku lachisanu ndi chiwiri nkhondo inayambika. Aisraeli anapha Aaramu okwana 100,000 tsiku limodzi lokha. 30Ena onse otsala anathawira ku Afeki, kumene khoma linagwera anthu 27,000. Ndipo Beni-Hadadi anathawira mu mzinda, nakabisala mʼchipinda chamʼkati.
31Atumiki ake anamuwuza kuti, “Taonani, ife tamva kuti mafumu a fuko la Israeli ndi achifundo. Tiyeni tipite kwa mfumu ya ku Israeli titavala ziguduli mʼchiwuno mwathu ndi kumanga zingwe mʼmakosi mwathu. Mwina iye sakakuphani.”
32Atavala ziguduli mʼchiwuno mwawo ndi kumanga zingwe mʼmakosi mwawo, anapita kwa mfumu ya ku Israeli ndipo anayiwuza kuti, “Mtumiki wanu Beni-Hadadi akunena kuti, ‘Chonde loleni kuti ndikhale moyo.’ ”
Mfumu inayankha kuti, “Kodi iye akanali ndi moyo? Iye ujatu ndi mʼbale wanga.”
33Anthuwo ankaganiza kuti mawuwo anali abwino ndipo anavomereza mawuwa mofulumira. Iwo anati, “Inde, Beni-Hadadi ndi mʼbale wanu!”
Mfumu inati, “Pitani kamutengeni.” Beni-Hadadi atatuluka, Ahabu anamukweza mʼgaleta lake.
34Beni-Hadadi anawuza Ahabu kuti, “Ndidzabweza mizinda imene abambo anga analanda abambo anu. Ndipo mutha kumanga nyumba zanu zamalonda mu Damasiko, monga anachitira abambo anga ku Samariya.”
Ahabu anati, “Chifukwa cha mgwirizano umenewu, ine ndidzakumasula.” Choncho anachita naye mgwirizano, ndipo anamulola kuti apite.
Mneneri Adzudzula Ahabu
35Molamulidwa ndi Yehova, mmodzi mwa ana a aneneri anawuza mnzake kuti, “Chonde, menye ndi chida chako,” koma mnzakeyo anakana.
36Choncho mneneriyo anati, “Chifukwa sunamvere Yehova, ukangochoka pano, mkango ukupha.” Ndipo munthuyo atangochoka pamenepo, mkango unamupeza ndi kumupha.
37Mneneriyo anapeza munthu wina ndipo anamuwuza kuti, “Chonde, menye.” Choncho munthuyo anamumenya ndi kumuvulaza. 38Pamenepo mneneriyo anapita nakayima pa msewu kudikirira mfumu. Iye anadzibisa nakulunga nsalu nkhope yake. 39Mmene mfumu inkadutsa pamenepo, mneneriyo anafuwula kwa mfumuyo kuti, “Ine mtumiki wanu ndinalowa pakati pa nkhondo, ndipo munthu wina anabwera kwa ine atatenga mmodzi mwa anthu ogwidwa pa nkhondo, nandiwuza kuti, ‘Sunga munthu uyu. Ngati asowa, ndiye kuti ndidzakupha, kapena udzalipira ndalama 3,000 za siliva.’ 40Pamene ine mtumiki wanu ndinali wotanganidwa apa ndi apa, munthuyo anasowa.”
Mfumu ya Israeli inati, “Chimenechi ndiye chilango chako. Iwe wadziweruza wekha.”
41Pamenepo mneneriyo anachotsa msangamsanga nsalu yomwe anakulunga pa nkhope yake, ndipo mfumu ya Israeli inamuzindikira kuti ndi mmodzi mwa aneneri. 42Iye anawuza mfumu kuti, “Yehova akuti, ‘Chifukwa chakuti mwamasula munthu amene Ine ndinati ndi woyenera kuphedwa, inuyo ndi amene mudzaphedwe mʼmalo mwa iyeyo, anthu anu mʼmalo mwa anthu ake.’ ” 43Mwachisoni ndi mokwiya, mfumu ya Israeli inapita ku nyumba yake yaufumu ku Samariya.
