ULT by section 1 KI 20:1

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The First Book of Kings 20

20 Now Ben Hadad, the king of Aram, gathered all of his army, and 32 kings with him, and horse and chariot. And he went up and besieged against Samaria, and he fought with it. 2 And he sent messengers to Ahab, the king of Israel, at the city, 3 and he said to him, “Thus says Ben Hadad, ‘Your silver and your gold, it is to me, and your wives and your sons, the best ones, they are to me.’ ” 4 And the king of Israel answered and said, “According to your word, my lord the king, I and all that is to me are to you.” 5 And the messengers returned and said, “Thus says Ben Hadad, saying, ‘Indeed I sent to you, saying, “Your silver and your gold and your wives and your sons, you shall give to me,” 6 but rather, around this time tomorrow I will send my servants to you, and they will search your house and the houses of your servants. And it will happen, every desire of your eyes, they will put in their hand and take away.’ ”

7 And the king of Israel called to all of the elders of the land. And he said, “Please know and see that this one is seeking harm, for he sent to me for my wives and for my sons and for my silver and for my gold, and I did not withhold from him.” 8 And all of the elders and all of the people said to him, “Do not hear and do not consent.” 9 And he said to the messengers of Ben Hadad, “Say to my lord the king, ‘All that you sent to your servant at first, I will do, but this thing I am not able to do.’ ” And the messengers went and returned him word. 10 And Ben Hadad sent to him and said, “Thus may the gods do to me, and thus may they add, if the dust of Samaria is enough for handfuls for all of the people who are at my feet!” 11 And the king of Israel answered and said, “Tell him, ‘Let one girding not boast like one ungirding.’ ” 12 And it happened when he heard this word (and he was drinking, he and the kings, in huts), that he said to his servants, “Set!” And they set against the city.

13 And behold, a prophet came near to Ahab, the king of Israel, and he said, “Thus says Yahweh, ‘Have you seen all of this great multitude? Behold me, giving it into your hand today, and you will know that I am Yahweh.’ ” 14 And Ahab said, “By whom?” And he said, “Thus says Yahweh, ‘By the servants of the leaders of the districts.’ ” And he said, “Who will bind the battle?” And he said, “You.” 15 And he mustered the servants of the leaders of the districts, and they were 232. And after them he mustered all of the people. All of the sons of Israel were 7,000.

16 And they went out at midday. (Now Ben Hadad was drinking drunk in the huts, he and the kings, 32 kings who helped him.) 17 And the servants of the leaders of the districts went out at first. And Ben Hadad sent, and they declared to him, saying, “Men have gone out from Samaria.” 18 And he said, “If they have gone out for peace, seize them alive, and if they have gone out for battle, seize them alive.” 19 And these went out from the city, the servants of the leaders of the districts, and the army that was behind them. 20 And they struck, a man his man. And Aram fled, and Israel pursued them. And Ben Hadad, the king of Aram, escaped on a horse with the horsemen. 21 And the king of Israel went out, and he struck the horse and the chariot. And he struck Aram a great striking.

22 And the prophet came near to the king of Israel and said to him, “Go, strengthen yourself, and know and see what you shall do, because at the return of the year the king of Aram will be coming up against you.” 23 And the servants of the king of Aram said to him, “Their gods are gods of the hills. Therefore they were stronger than us. But indeed, we shall fight them in the plain, surely we will be stronger than them. 24 And do this thing: remove the kings, a man from his place, and appoint captains instead of them. 25 And you, you shall muster for yourself an army like the army having fallen from with you, and a horse like the horse and a chariot like the chariot, and we will fight them in the plain. Surely will we be stronger than them.” And he listened to their voice and did so.

26 And it happened at the return of the year that Ben Hadad mustered Aram. And he went up to Aphek for battle with Israel. 27 And the sons of Israel were mustered and were sustained, and they went to meet them. And the sons of Israel camped in front of them like two little flocks of goats, but Aram filled the land. 28 And a man of God came near and spoke to the king of Israel and said, “Thus says Yahweh, ‘Because Aram has said, “Yahweh is a god of the hills, but he is not a god of the valleys,” I will give all of this great multitude into your hand, and you will know that I am Yahweh.’ ” 29 And they camped, these opposite these, seven days. And it happened on the seventh day that the battle approached, and the sons of Israel struck Aram, 100,000 foot soldiers in one day. 30 And the remaining ones fled to Aphek, into the city, and the wall fell on 27,000 remaining men. And Ben Hadad fled and entered into the city, a chamber in a chamber.

31 And his servants said to him, “Behold, please, we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel, that they are kings of mercy. Please let us put sackcloth on our loins and ropes on our heads, and we will go out to the king of Israel. Perhaps he will let your soul live.” 32 And they girded sackcloth on their waists and ropes on their heads, and they came to the king of Israel. And they said, “Your servant Ben Hadad says, ‘Please let my soul live.’ ” And he said, “Is he still alive? He is my brother.” 33 And the men were observing signs, and they hastened and caught the thing from him. And they said, “Your brother Ben Hadad.” And he said, “Come, bring him!” And Ben Hadad came out to him, and he brought him up onto the chariot. 34 And he said to him, “I will return the cities that my father took from your father, and you may establish marketplaces for yourself in Damascus, just as my father established in Samaria.” “And I, I will send you away with a covenant.” And he cut a covenant with him, and he sent him away.

35 And a man from the sons of the prophets said to his fellow, “By the word of Yahweh, strike me, please.” But the man refused to strike him. 36 And he said to him, “Because you did not listen to the voice of Yahweh, behold you, going from with me, and a lion will strike you.” And he went from beside him, and a lion found him and struck him. 37 And he found a man and said, “Strike me, please.” And the man struck him, striking and wounding. 38 And the prophet went, and he stood on the road for the king. And he disguised himself with a covering over his eyes. 39 And it happened that the king was passing by, and he, he cried out to the king and said, “Your servant went out into the middle of the battle, and behold, a man turned and brought a man to me. And he said, ‘Guard this man. If missing, he is missing, then your life will be in place of his life, or you shall pay a kikkar of silver.’ ” 40 And it happened that your servant was doing here and there, and he was not there.” And the king of Israel said to him, “Thus is your judgment, you, you have decided.” 41 And he hurried and removed the covering from upon his eyes, and the king of Israel recognized him, that he was from the prophets. 42 And he said to him, “Thus says Yahweh, ‘Because you have sent away a man of my devotion from your hand, so it will be your life in place of his life and your people in place of his people.’ ” 43 And the king of Israel went to his house sullen and angry, and he came to Samaria.

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ULT by section 1 KI 20:1

The First Book of Kings 20

ULT by section 1 KI 20:1