23 Meanwhile the servants of Aram’s king told him, “Their gods are the gods of the hills, so that’s why they were stronger than us. But let’s fight them on the plain instead then we’ll be sure to defeat them. 24 So this is what you should do: relieve those kings of their command and replace them with military commanders. 25 Then gather an army like the one that was defeated, with as many horses and chariots as you had. Then we’ll fight them on the plain and we’ll be sure to defeat them.”

Ben-Hadad took their advice and put the plan into action. 26 The following year, he assembled his army and went to Afek to battle the Israelis, 27 and the Israeli warriors assembled and received their supplies. Then they went to confront them, but they seemed like ants in comparison to the massive Aramean army.

28 A man of God approached Israel’s king and told him, “Yahweh says that the Arameans have been saying that he’s a god of the hills, but not of the valleys. Because of that, he’s going to help you defeat this huge army, and then you’ll know that Yahweh is God.”

29 The two armies remained camped opposite each other for seven days, then the battle began and the Israelis killed a hundred thousand Aramean soldiers that day. 30 The remainder fled into Afek, but the city wall fell onto the remaining twenty-seven thousand men.

Ben-Hadad ran into the city and hid in an inner room, 31 but his servants told him, “Listen, we’ve heard that the Israeli kings show mercy. Please let us wrap sackcloth around our waists and go out to Israel’s king with ropes on our heads—perhaps he’ll spare your life.” 32 So they wrapped their waists in sacking and put ropes on their heads, and went to Israel’s king, saying, “Your servant Ben Hadad asks you to spare his life.”

“Is he still alive?” he asked. “He’s like a brother to me.”

33 The men were looking for an indication of mercy and when they heard that they were encouraged. “Yes,, Ben-Hadad is like your brother,” they said.

“Yes,, bring him here,” he responded.

So Ben-Hadad revealed himself and was brought into Ahav’s chariot, 34 and he told Ahav, “I’ll return the cities that my father took from with yours, and your traders can set up stalls in Damascus, just as my father did in Shomron.”

“Ok, I’ll accept that agreement and release you,” Ahav said, and after formalising the agreement, he sent him away.