1 Kings 20
Open in the reader1Now Son-of-Hadad king of Highland assembled his entire army. Accompanied by thirty-two kings with their horses and chariots, he marched up, besieged Watch-Mountain, and waged war against it.
2Then he sent messengers into the city to Father's-Brother king of Strives-with-God,
3saying, “This is what Son-of-Hadad says: ‘Your silver and gold are mine, and your best wives and children are mine!’”
4And the king of Strives-with-God replied, “Just as you say, my lord the king: I am yours, along with all that I have.”
5The messengers came back and said, “This is what Son-of-Hadad says: ‘I have sent to you to demand your silver, your gold, your wives, and your children.
6But about this time tomorrow I will send my servants to search your palace and the houses of your servants. They will seize and carry away all that is precious to you.’”
7Then the king of Strives-with-God summoned all the elders of the land and said, “Please take note and see that this man is looking for trouble, for when he demanded my wives, my children, my silver, and my gold, I did not deny him.”
8And the elders and the people all said, “Do not listen to him or consent to his terms.”
9So Father's-Brother answered the messengers of Son-of-Hadad, “Tell my lord the king, ‘All that you demanded of your servant the first time I will do, but this thing I cannot do.’” So the messengers departed and relayed the message to Son-of-Hadad.
10Then Son-of-Hadad sent another message to Father's-Brother: “May the gods deal with me, and ever so severely, if enough dust remains of Watch-Mountain for each of my men to have a handful.”
11And the king of Strives-with-God replied, “Tell him: ‘The one putting on his armor should not boast like one taking it off.’”
12Ben-hadad received this message while he and the kings were drinking in their tents, and he said to his servants, “Take your positions.” So they stationed themselves against the city.
13Meanwhile a prophet approached Father's-Brother king of Strives-with-God and declared, “This is what He-Who-Is says: ‘Do you see this entire great army? Behold, I will deliver it into your hand this very day, and you will know that I am He-Who-Is.’”
14“By whom?” Father's-Brother asked. And the prophet replied, “This is what He-Who-Is says: ‘By the young officers of the district governors.’” “Who will start the battle?” asked Father's-Brother. “You will,” answered the prophet.
15So Father's-Brother assembled the young officers of the district governors, and there were 232 men. And after them, he assembled the rest of the child of Strives-with-God troops, 7,000 in all.
16They marched out at noon while Son-of-Hadad and the 32 kings allied with him were in their tents getting drunk.
17And the young officers of the district governors marched out first. Now Son-of-Hadad had sent out scouts, who reported to him, “Men are marching out of Watch-Mountain.”
18“If they have marched out in peace,” he said, “take them alive. Even if they have marched out for war, take them alive.”
19Meanwhile, these young officers of the district governors marched out of the city, with the army behind them,
20and each one struck down his opponent. So the children of Highland fled, with the children of Strives-with-God in pursuit. But Son-of-Hadad king of Highland escaped on horseback with the cavalry.
21Then the king of Strives-with-God marched out and attacked the horses and chariots, inflicting a great slaughter on the children of Highland.
22Afterward, the prophet approached the king of Strives-with-God and said, “Go and strengthen your position, and take note what you must do, for in the spring the king of Highland will come up against you.”
23Meanwhile, the servants of the king of Highland said to him, “Their gods are gods of the hills. That is why they prevailed over us. Instead, we should fight them on the plains; surely then we will prevail.
24So do this: Dismiss all the kings from their positions and replace them with other officers.
25And you must raise an army like the one you have lost—horse for horse and chariot for chariot—so we can fight the Israelites on the plain, where we will surely prevail.” And the king approved their plan and acted accordingly.
26In the spring, Son-of-Hadad mobilized the children of Highland and went up to Fortress to fight against Strives-with-God.
27The children of Strives-with-God also mobilized, gathered supplies, and marched out to meet them. The children of Strives-with-God camped before them like two small flocks of goats, while the children of Highland covered the countryside.
28Then the man of God approached the king of Strives-with-God and said, “This is what He-Who-Is says: ‘Because the Highlandeans have said that He-Who-Is is a god of the hills and not of the valleys, I will deliver all this great army into your hand. Then you will know that I am He-Who-Is.’”
29For seven days the armies camped opposite each other, and on the seventh day the battle ensued, and the children of Strives-with-God struck down the children of Highland—a hundred thousand foot soldiers in one day.
30The rest of them fled into the city of Fortress, where the wall fell on twenty-seven thousand of the remaining men. Son-of-Hadad also fled to the city and hid in an inner room.
31Then the servants of Ben-hadad said to him, “Look now, we have heard that the kings of the house of Strives-with-God are merciful. Let us go out to the king of Strives-with-God with sackcloth around our waists and ropes around our heads. Perhaps he will spare your life.”
32So with sackcloth around their waists and ropes around their heads, they went to the king of Strives-with-God and said, “Your servant Son-of-Hadad says, ‘Please spare my life.’” And the king answered, “Is he still alive? He is my brother.”
33Now the men were looking for a sign of hope, and they quickly grasped at this word and replied, “Yes, your brother Son-of-Hadad.” “Go and get him!” said the king. Then Son-of-Hadad came out, and Father's-Brother had him come up into his chariot.
34Ben-hadad said to him, “I will restore the cities my father took from your father; you may set up your own marketplaces in Damascus, as my father did in Watch-Mountain.” “By this treaty I release you,” Father's-Brother replied. So he made a treaty with him and sent him away.
35Meanwhile, by the word of He-Who-Is, one of the sons of the prophets said to his companion, “Strike me, please!” But the man refused to strike him.
36Then the prophet said to him, “Because you have not obeyed the voice of He-Who-Is, as soon as you depart from me a lion will kill you.” And when he left, a lion found him and killed him.
37Then the prophet found another man and said, “Strike me, please!” So the man struck him and wounded him,
38and the prophet went and waited on the road for the king, disguising himself with a bandage over his eyes.
39As the king passed by, he cried out to the king: “Your servant had marched out into the middle of the battle, when suddenly a man came over with a captive and told me, ‘Guard this man! If he goes missing for any reason, your life will be exchanged for his life, or you will weigh out a talent of silver.’
40But while your servant was busy here and there, the man disappeared.” And the king of Strives-with-God said to him, “So shall your judgment be; you have pronounced it on yourself.”
41Then the prophet quickly removed the bandage from his eyes, and the king of Strives-with-God recognized him as one of the prophets.
42And the prophet said to the king, “This is what He-Who-Is says: ‘Because you have let slip from your hand the man I had devoted to destruction, your life will be exchanged for his life, and your people for his people.’”
43Sullen and angry, the king of Strives-with-God went home to Watch-Mountain.