20 At that time, King Ben-Hadam of Aram (Syria) joined with thirty-two smaller kingdoms and they brought their combined armies and horses and chariots and besieged Israel’s capital Shomrom (Samaria) ready to attack it. 2 He sent messengers to Israel’s King Ahav who was inside the city 3 to tell him, “Ben-Hadad says that your gold and silver are mine, as well as the best of your wives and sons.”

4 “Whatever you say, my master the king,” replied Israel’s king. “I’m yours along with everything I have.”

5 Then the messengers returned, saying, “Ben Hadad said that you’ll give him your gold and silver and your wives and sons, 6 but around this time tomorrow, he’ll send his servants to you to search through your palace and the homes of your people, and they’ll take everything that they consider to be of value.”

7 So Israel’s king summoned all Israel’s leaders and told them, “Listen and note how this man is looking for trouble. He’s claiming my wives and my sons, and my gold and silver, and I didn’t contradict him.”

8 But the elders and all the others responded, “No, don’t listen to him and don’t consent to his demands.”

9 So Ahab told Ben-Hadad’s messengers, “Tell my master the king that everything he demanded the first time, I’ll do, but I can’t agree to this new demand.”

So they returned to Ben-Hadad with that response 10 and Ben-Hadad sent another message, “The gods can do whatever they like to me and more if I leave enough dust in Shomron for all my prisoners to have a handful each.”[fn]

11 Israel’s king replied, “Tell Ben-Hadad that someone who’s heading to battle shouldn’t boast like someone relaxing after his victory.”

12 Ben-Hadad received that message while he was in the huts drinking with the other kings, and he immediately ordered his men to get into position so they got ready to attack the city.

13 Just then,, a prophet approached Israel’s King Ahav and told him, “Yahweh asks if you’ve seen that great army, because he’s going to give you victory over them today so you’ll know that Yahweh is God.”

14 “Who will enable the victory?” Ahav asked.

“Yahweh says it’ll be the young men under the provincial commanders,” he answered.

“Who should lead the attack?” he asked.

“You should,” the prophet replied.

15 So Ahav gathered the provincial commanders’ young men and there were 232 of them. He also assembled the fighting men and there were merely seven thousand of them.

16 They exited the city at midday, while Ben-Hadad and the other kings were still getting drunk in their huts. 17 The young men under the provincial commanders led the way out, and the scouts that Ben-Hadad had sent out informed him that men were coming out of Shomrom. 18 He ordered, “Whether they’ve come out for peace or for battle, capture them alive.”

19 The provincial commanders’ young men exited the city followed by the warriors 20 and each of them killed their opponent. Then the Arameans took off with the Israeli’s chasing them, but King Ben-Hadad escaped on a horse along with other riders. 21 Then Israel’s king led more men out and they attacked the horses and chariots—thoroughly defeating Aram.

22 Afterwards that same prophet went back to King Ahav and told him, “Go back and fortify your defenses and plan your strategy, because Aram’s king will attack you again at the same time next year.”