Chapter 20
1; And Ben-Hadad the king of Syria gathered all his army together; and there were thirty-two kings with him, and horses and chariots; and he went up and besieged Samaria, and fought against it.
2; And he sent messengers to Ahab the king of Israel, to the city, and said to him, So says Ben-Hadad,
3; Your silver and your gold are mine, and your wives and your sons, the best, are mine.
4; And the king of Israel answered and said, According to your word, my master, O king, I am yours, and all that I have.
5; And the messengers came again and said, So says Ben-Hadad, saying, Surely I sent to you, saying, Your silver and your gold and your wives and your sons you shall give to me;
6; I will send my servants to you tomorrow about this time, and they shall search your house, and your servants' houses; and it shall be that whatever is pleasing in your eyes, they will put it in their hand and take it away.
7; And the king of Israel called all the elders of the land, and said, Please note, and see the evil this one is seeking, 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 the elders and all the people said to him, Do not listen nor consent.
9; And he said to the messengers of Ben-Hadad, Say to my master the king, All that you sent for to your servant at the first, I will do; but this thing I am not able to do; and the messengers went and took word back to him.
10; And Ben-Hadad sent to him, and said, So shall the Elohim do to me and more also if the dust of Samaria shall be enough for handfuls for all the people that follow me.
11; And the king of Israel answered and said, Tell him, Do not let him that girds on his armor boast himself,, like one who loosens his armor.
12; And it happened when this word was heard, and he was drinking, he and the kings, in the booths, that he said to his servants, Set in order; and they set in order against the city.
13; And behold, a certain prophet came near to Ahab the king of Israel, and said, So says YAHWEH, Have you seen all this great multitude? Behold I am going to give it into your hand today, and you shall know that I am YAHWEH.
14; And Ahab said, By whom? And he said, So says YAHWEH, by the young men of the rulers of the provinces. Then he said, Who shall begin the battle? And he answered, You.
15; Then he called up the young men of the rulers of the provinces, and they were two hundred and thirty two; and after them he called up all the people, even all the sons of Israel, being seven thousand.
16; And they went out at noon, and Ben-Hadad was drinking himself drunk in the booths, he and the kings, the thirty two kings helping him.
17; And the young men of the rulers of the provinces went out at first; and Ben-Hadad sent, and they told him, saying, Men have come out of Samaria.
18; And he said, If they have come out for peace, seize them alive; and if they have come to battle, seize them alive.
19; And these went out of the city, the young men of the rulers of the provinces, and the army which followed them.
20; And each struck his man, and Syria fled, and Israel pursued them; and Ben-Hadad the king of Syria escaped on a horse, also the horsemen.
21; And the king of Israel went out and struck the horses, and the chariots, and struck the Syrians with a great blow.
22; And the prophet came to the king of Israel and said to him, Go, make yourself strong, and look and see what you do; for at the return of the year the king of Syria will come up against you.
23; And the king of Syria's servants said to him, Their Elohim is a Elohim of the hills; on account of this they were stronger than us; but let us fight against them in the plain, and surely, we shall be stronger than them,
24; And do this thing: Take away the kings, each out of his place, and set commanders in their place.
25; And number to yourself an army like the army that was lost from you, even, horse for horse and chariot for chariot; and we shall fight with them in the plain. Are we not stronger than them? And he listened to their voice and did so.
26; And it happened at the turn of the year, Ben-Hadad called up the Syrians, and went up to Aphek to fight against Israel.
27; And the sons of Israel were called up, and were supplied. And they went to meet them. And the sons of Israel camped before them, like two flocks of goats. And the Syrians filled the land.
28; And a man of Elohim came near to the king of Israel and said, So says YAHWEH, Because the Syrians have said, YAHWEH is Elohim of the hills and not Elohim of the valleys, therefore I will deliver all this great multitude into your hand, and you shall know that I am YAHWEH.
29; And they pitched, these against those, seven days. And it happened in the seventh day, the battle came up. And the sons of Israel struck Syria, a hundred thousand footmen in one day.
30; And those remaining fled to Aphek, to the city. And the wall fell on twenty seven thousand of those left. And Ben-Hadad fled, and came into the city, into an inner room.
31; And his servants said to him, Behold now, we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful kings. Please let us put sackcloth on our loins, and ropes on our heads, and we shall go to the king of Israel. It may be he will keep alive your life.
32; And they girded sackcloth on their loins, and ropes on their heads. And they came in to the king of Israel
and said, Your servant Ben-Hadad has said, Please let me live. And he said, Is he yet alive? He is my brother.
33; And the men keenly observed, and quickly caught it from him, and said, Your brother, Ben-Hadad. And he said, Go, bring him. And Ben-Hadad came out to him. And he took him up on the chariot.
34; And he said to him, The cities that my father took from your father, I give back. And you shall make streets for yourself in Damascus, as my father did in Samaria. Then, I will let you go with a covenant. And he cut a covenant with him and sent him away.
35; And a certain man of the sons of the prophets said to his neighbor, By the Word of YAHWEH, please strike me. And the man refused to strike him.
36; And he said to him, Because you have not listened to the voice of YAHWEH, behold, you shall go from me, and a lion shall kill you. And he left him, and a lion found him and killed him.
37; And he found another man and said, Please strike me. And the man struck him, striking and wounding.
38; And the prophet went and stood for the king on the highway, and disguised himself with ashes on his eyes.
39; And as the king passed by, it happened that he cried to the king, and said, Your servant went out into the middle of the battle, and behold, a man turned aside and brought a man to me, and said, Keep this man. If he is at all missing, then your life shall be for his life; or you shall weigh out a talent of silver.
40; And it happened, your servant was working here and there, and he was not there. And the king of Israel said to him, Your judgment is right. You have decided it.
41; And he hurried and took the ashes from his eyes. And the king of Israel saw him, that he was of the prophets.
42; And he said to him, So says YAHWEH, Because you have sent away the man I had devoted from your hand, therefore your life shall go for his life, and your people for his people.
43; And the king of Israel went to his house sullen and angry, and came to Samaria.
Chapter 21
1; And it happened after these things, Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard in Jezreel, close by the palace of Ahab the king of Samaria.
2; And Ahab spoke to Naboth, saying, Give me your vineyard, and it shall be a garden of green herbs for me, for it is near my house. And I will give to you in its place a better vineyard than it. If it is good in your eyes, I will give silver to you, the price of this one.
3; And Naboth said to Ahab, Far be it from me, by YAHWEH, that I should give the inheritance of my fathers to you.
4; And Ahab came into his house sullen and angry over the word which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken. For he had said, I will not give the inheritance of my fathers to you. And he lay on his bed and turned away his face, and would not eat food.
5; And his wife Jezebel came in to him, and said to him, Why is your spirit sullen that you are not eating food?
6; And he said to her, Because I spoke to Naboth the Jezreelite and said to him, Give me your vineyard for silver, or if you desire, I will give you a vineyard in its place. And he said, I will not give you my vineyard.
7; And his wife Jezebel said to him, Do you now rule over Israel? Rise up, eat food and let your heart be good. I will give you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.
8; And she wrote letters in the name of Ahab, and sealed them with his seal, and sent the letters to the elders and to the nobles of his city, dwelling with Naboth.
9; And she wrote in the letters, saying, Proclaim a fast, and set Naboth at the head of the people.
10; And set two men, sons of worthlessness, across from him; and they shall testify of him, saying, You have cursed Elohim and the king. And they shall bring him out and stone him; and he shall die.
11; And the men of his city, the elders and the nobles who lived in his city, did as Jezebel had sent to them, as was written in the letters that she sent to them.
12; They proclaimed a fast, and made Naboth to sit at the head of the people.
13; And two men, sons of worthlessness, came in and sat across from him. And the men of worthlessness testified of Naboth before the people, even saying, Naboth has cursed Elohim and the king. And they took him out to the outside of the city, and stoned him with stones. And he died.
14; And they sent to Jezebel, saying, Naboth has been stoned and is dead.
15; And it happened when Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned, and was dead, Jezebel said to Ahab, Rise up, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, that he refused to give to you for silver. For Naboth is not alive, but dead.
16; And it happened, when Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, Ahab rose to go down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, to take possession of it.
17; And the Word of YAHWEH came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,
18; Rise up, Go down to meet Ahab the king of Israel, who is in Samaria. Behold, he is in the vineyard of Naboth, where he has gone down to possess it.
19; And you shall speak to him, saying, So says YAHWEH, Have you murdered, and also taken possession? And you shall speak to him, saying, So says YAHWEH, In the place where the dogs lick the blood of Naboth, so the dogs shall lick your blood, even yours.
20; And Ahab said to Elijah, Have you found me, O my enemy? And he said, I have found you, because you have sold yourself to do that which is evil in the eyes of YAHWEH.
21; Behold, I shall bring evil on you, and shall consume those after you, and cut off to Ahab him who urinates against a wall, both bond and free in Israel.
22; And I shall give up your house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah, because of the provocation with which you have provoked to anger, and have caused Israel to sin.
23; And also YAHWEH has spoken of Jezebel, saying, The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel.
24; He who dies of Ahab in the city, the dogs shall eat. And the birds of the heaven shall eat him who dies in a field.
25; Surely, none has been like Ahab, who sold himself to do that which was evil in the eyes of YAHWEH, whom his wife Jezebel incited.
26; And he did abominably, to go after idols, according to all that the Amorites did, whom YAHWEH expelled from before the sons of Israel.
27; And it happened, when Ahab heard these words, he tore his garments, and put sackcloth on his flesh, and fasted, and lay in sackcloth, and went softly.
28; And the Word of YAHWEH came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,
29; Have you seen that Ahab has been humbled before Me? Because he was humbled before Me, I will not bring the evil in his days. I will bring the evil on his house in the days of his son.
Chapter 22
1; And they continued three years; there was no war between Syria and Israel.
2; And it happened in the third year, Jehoshaphat the king of Judah came down to the king of Israel.
3; And the king of Israel said to his servants, Have you known that Ramoth-Gilead is ours? And we remain still from taking it from the king of Syria's hand.
4; And he said to Jehoshaphat, Will you go to battle with me, to Ramoth- Gilead? And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, I am as you, my people as your people; my horses as your horses.
5; And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, Please inquire at the Word of YAHWEH today.
6; And the king of Israel gathered the prophets, about four hundred men, and said to them, Shall I go to battle against Ramoth-Gilead, or shall I forbear? And they said, Go up, that YAHWEH may give it into the hand of the king.
7; And Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of YAHWEH besides, that we might inquire of him?
8; And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, Yet one man, to seek YAHWEH by him. But I hate him, for he does not prophesy good concerning me, but evil, Micaiah the son of Imlah. And Jehoshaphat said, let not the king say so.
9; And the king of Israel called to a certain eunuch and said, Cause Micaiah the son of Imlah to hurry here.
10; And the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah each was sitting on his throne having put on their robes, in a grain-floor in the entrance of the gate of Samaria. And all the prophets prophesied before them.
11; And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made horns of iron for himself. And he said, So says YAHWEH, With these you shall push the Syrians until you have consumed them.
12; And all the prophets were prophesying so, saying, Go up to Ramoth-Gilead, and prosper. For YAHWEH shall give it into the king's hand.
13; And the messenger that had gone to call Micaiah spoke to him, saying, Behold now, the words of the prophets with one mouth are good to the king. Please let your word be as the word of one of them, and speak good.
14; And Micaiah said, As YAHWEH lives, Surely that which YAHWEH says to me, that I will speak.
15; And he came in to the king. And the king said to him, Micaiah, shall we go to battle to Ramoth-Gilead, or shall we forbear? And he said to him, Go up, and prosper, and YAHWEH shall give it into the king's hand.
16; And the king said to him, How many times have I adjured you that you shall speak nothing to me but truth in the name of YAHWEH?
17; And he said, I have seen all Israel scattered on the hills like sheep that have no shepherd. And YAHWEH said, These have no masters; they shall each return to his house in peace.
18; And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, Did I not say to you, He will not prophesy good of me, but evil?
19; And he said, Therefore, hear the Word of YAHWEH: I saw YAHWEH sitting on His throne, and all the host of Heaven were standing by Him, on His right and on His left.
20; And YAHWEH said, Who shall entice Ahab, and he shall go up and fall in Ramoth-Gilead? And this one said this, and this one said that.
21; And a spirit came forth and stood before YAHWEH, and said, I surely will entice him.
22; And YAHWEH said to him, By what means? And he said, I will go out and shall be a spirit of falsehood in the mouth of all his prophets. And He said, You shall entice him, and also you are able. Go out and do so.
23; And now, behold, YAHWEH has put a spirit of falsehood in the mouth of all these prophets of yours; and YAHWEH has spoken evil as to you!
24; And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah came near and struck Micaiah on the cheek, and said, Where did the Spirit of YAHWEH pass over from me to speak with you?
25; And Micaiah said, Behold, You shall see on that day when you go into the innermost room to be hidden.
26; And the king of Israel said, Take Micaiah and return him to Amon the ruler of the city, and to Joash the king's son,
27; and say, So says the king, Put this one in the prison house, and cause him to eat the bread of oppression, and the water of oppression, until I come in peace.
28; And Micaiah said, If you at all return in peace, YAHWEH has not spoken by me. And he said, Hear, O people, all of them.
29; And the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went up to Ramoth-Gilead.
30; And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, I will disguise myself and enter into the battle. But you put on your robes. And the king of Israel disguised himself and went into the battle.
31; And the king of Syria instructed the thirty two captains of the chariots, saying, You shall not fight with small or great, but with the king of Israel.
32; And it happened when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, they said, Surely he is the king of Israel. And they turned aside to fight with him. And Jehoshaphat cried out.
33; And it happened when the captains of the chariots saw that he was not the king of Israel, they turned back from following him.
34; And a man drew a bow in his simplicity, and he struck the king of Israel between the joints and the breastplate. And he said to his charioteer, Turn your hand and take me out from the host, for I have been wounded.
35; And on that day the battle went on, and the king was caused to stand up in the chariot against Syria. And he died in the evening, and the blood of the wound poured out into the middle of the chariot.
36; And the cry passed through the camp when the sun went, saying, Each to his city, and each to his land.
37; And the king died, and came to Samaria. And they buried the king in Samaria.
38; And they rinsed the chariot by the pool of Samaria; and the dogs licked up his blood when they had washed the armor, according to the Word of YAHWEH that He spoke.
39; And the rest of the acts of Ahab, and all that he did, and the house of ivory that he built, and all the cities that he built, are they not written in the Book of the Matters of the Days of the Kings of Israel?
40; And Ahab lay with his fathers. And his son Ahaziah reigned in his place.
41; And Jehoshaphat the son of Asa reigned over Judah in the fourth year of Ahab the king of Israel.
42; He was a son of thirty five years when he began to reign. And he reigned twenty five years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi.
43; And he walked in all the ways of his father Asa. He did not turn aside from it, doing right in the eyes of YAHWEH. But the high places were not taken away; the people offered and burned incense yet in the high places.
44; And Jehoshaphat made peace with the king of Israel.
45; And the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, and his might that he showed, and how he warred, are they not written in the Book of the Matters of the Days of the Kings of Judah?
46; And the rest of the sodomites which remained in the days of his father Asa he consumed out of the land.
47; No king was in Edom; a deputy was king.
48; Jehoshaphat had ten ships of Tarshish to go to Ophir for gold. But they did not go, for the ships were broken at Ezion-Geber.
49; Then Ahaziah the son of Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, Let my servants go with your servants in the ships. But Jehoshaphat was not willing.
50; And Jehoshaphat lay with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of his father David. And his son Jehoram reigned in his place.
51; Ahaziah the son of Ahab began to reign over Israel in Samaria the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, and reigned two years over Israel.
52; And he did evil in the eyes of YAHWEH, and walked in the way of his father, and in the way of his mother, and in the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin.
53; For he served Baal, and bowed to it, and provoked to anger YAHWEH the Elohim of Israel, according to all his father had done.