21AND HE TURNED BACK FROM AFTER HIM AND HE TOOK <OBJ.> [THE] PAIR OF THE OX[EN] AND HE SACRIFICED IT AND WITH [THE] EQUIPMENT OF THE OX[EN] HE COOKED THEM THE FLESH AND HE GAVE [IT] TO THE PEOPLE AND THEY ATE AND HE AROSE AND HE WENT AFTER ELIJAH AND HE SERVED HIM 21So Elisha turned back from him, took his pair of oxen, and slaughtered them. Using the oxen’s equipment for fuel, he cooked the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out to follow and serve Elijah.
1AND BEN HADAD [THE] KING OF ARAM HE GATHERED <OBJ.> ALL ARMY HIS AND THIRTY AND TWO KING[S] [WERE] WITH HIM AND HORSE[S] AND CHARIOTRY AND HE WENT UP AND HE LAID SIEGE ON SAMARIA AND HE FOUGHT AGAINST IT Ben-hadad Attacks Samaria 1Now Ben-hadad king of Aram assembled his entire army. Accompanied by thirty-two kings with their horses and chariots, he marched up, besieged Samaria, and waged war against it.
2AND HE SENT MESSENGERS TO AHAB [THE] KING OF ISRAEL THE CITY TOWARDS AND HE SAID TO HIM THUS HE SAYS BEN HADAD 2Then he sent messengers into the city to Ahab king of Israel,
3SILVER YOUR AND GOLD YOUR [BELONGS] TO ME IT AND WIVES YOUR AND CHILDREN YOUR <THE> GOOD [BELONG] TO ME THEY 3saying “This is what Ben-hadad says:*NoteCloseSome texts break verse 2 and begin verse 3 at this point. ‘Your silver and gold are mine, and your best wives and children are mine!’”
4AND HE ANSWERED [THE] KING OF ISRAEL AND HE SAID ACCORDING TO WORD YOUR O LORD MY THE KING [BELONG] TO YOU I AND ALL THAT [BELONGS] TO ME 4And the king of Israel replied, “Just as you say, my lord the king: I am yours, along with all that I have.”
5AND THEY RETURNED THE MESSENGERS AND THEY SAID THUS HE SAYS BEN HADAD <TO> SAYING THAT I SENT TO YOU <TO> SAYING SILVER YOUR AND GOLD YOUR AND WIVES YOUR AND CHILDREN YOUR TO ME YOU WILL GIVE 5The messengers came back and said, “This is what Ben-hadad says ‘I have sent to you to demand your silver, your gold, your wives, and your children.
6THAT EXCEPT ABOUT <THE> THIS TIME TOMORROW I WILL SEND <OBJ.> SERVANTS MY TO YOU AND THEY WILL SEARCH <OBJ.> HOUSE YOUR AND <OBJ.> [THE] HOUSES OF SERVANTS YOUR AND IT WILL BE EVERY <THE> DESIRABLE THING OF EYES YOUR THEY WILL PUT IN HAND THEIR AND THEY WILL TAKE [IT] 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.’”
7AND HE SUMMONED [THE] KING OF ISRAEL <TO> ALL [THE] ELDERS OF THE LAND AND HE SAID KNOW PLEASE AND SEE THAT TROUBLE THIS [MAN] [IS] SEEKING FOR HE SENT TO ME FOR WIVES MY AND FOR CHILDREN MY AND FOR SILVER MY AND FOR GOLD MY AND NOT I WITHHELD [THEM] FROM HIM 7Then the king of Israel 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 THEY SAID TO HIM ALL THE ELDERS AND ALL THE PEOPLE MAY NOT YOU LISTEN AND NOT YOU MUST BE WILLING 8And the elders and the people all said “Do not listen to him or consent to his terms.”
9AND HE SAID TO [THE] MESSENGERS OF BEN HADAD SAY TO LORD MY THE KING ALL THAT YOU SENT TO SERVANT YOUR AT THE FIRST I WILL DO AND THE THING <THE> THIS NOT I AM ABLE TO DO AND THEY WENT THE MESSENGERS AND THEY BROUGHT BACK HIM WORD 9So Ahab answered the messengers of Ben-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 Ben-hadad.
10AND HE SENT TO HIM BEN HADAD AND HE SAID THUS MAY THEY DO! TO ME [THE] GODS AND THUS MAY THEY ADD IF IT WILL SUFFICE [THE] DUST OF SAMARIA FOR HANDFULS FOR ALL THE PEOPLE WHICH [IS] AT FEET MY 10Then Ben-hadad sent another message to Ahab: “May the gods deal with me, and ever so severely, if enough dust remains of Samaria for each of my men to have a handful.”
11AND HE ANSWERED [THE] KING OF ISRAEL AND HE SAID SPEAK MAY NOT HE BOAST [ONE WHO] GIRDS ON LIKE [ONE WHO] LOOSENS 11And the king of Israel replied, “Tell him: ‘The one putting on his armor should not boast like one taking it off.’”
12AND IT WAS WHEN HEARD <OBJ.> THE WORD <THE> THIS AND HE [WAS] DRINKING HE AND THE KINGS IN THE BOOTHS AND HE SAID TO SERVANTS HIS SET YOURSELVES AND THEY SET THEMSELVES ON THE CITY 12Ben-hadad received this message while he and the kings were drinking in their tents,*NoteCloseOr in Succoth; also in verse 16 and he said to his servants, “Take your positions.” So they stationed themselves against the city.
13AND THERE! A PROPHET ONE HE DREW NEAR TO AHAB [THE] KING OF ISRAEL AND HE SAID THUS HE SAYS YAHWEH ¿ DO YOU SEE <OBJ.> ALL THE MULTITUDE <THE> GREAT <THE> THIS HERE I [AM] ABOUT TO GIVE IT IN HAND YOUR THIS DAY AND YOU WILL KNOW THAT I [AM] YAHWEH Ahab Defeats Ben-hadad 13Meanwhile a prophet approached Ahab king of Israel and declared, “This is what the LORD 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 the LORD.’”
14AND HE SAID AHAB BY WHOM? AND HE SAID THUS HE SAYS YAHWEH BY [THE] YOUNG MEN OF [THE] OFFICIALS OF THE PROVINCES AND HE SAID WHO? WILL HE BEGIN THE BATTLE AND HE SAID YOU 14“By whom?” Ahab asked. And the prophet replied, “This is what the LORD says: ‘By the young officers of the district governors.’” “Who will start the battle?” asked Ahab. “You will,” answered the prophet.
15AND HE MUSTERED <OBJ.> [THE] YOUNG MEN OF [THE] OFFICIALS OF THE PROVINCES AND THEY WERE TWO HUNDRED TWO AND THIRTY AND AFTER THEM HE MUSTERED <OBJ.> ALL THE PEOPLE ALL [THE] PEOPLE OF ISRAEL [WERE] SEVEN THOUSAND<S> 15So Ahab assembled the young officers of the district governors, and there were 232 men. And after them, he assembled the rest of the Israelite troops, 7,000. in all.
16AND THEY WENT OUT AT THE NOONTIDE<S> AND BEN HADAD [WAS] DRINKING DRUNKEN IN THE BOOTHS HE AND THE KINGS THIRTY AND TWO KING[S] [WHO] WAS HELPING <OBJ.> HIM 16They marched out at noon while Ben-hadad and the 32 kings allied with him were in their tents getting drunk.
17AND THEY WENT OUT [THE] YOUNG MEN OF [THE] OFFICIALS OF THE PROVINCES AT THE FIRST AND HE SENT BEN HADAD AND PEOPLE TOLD TO HIM <TO> SAYING MEN THEY HAVE COME OUT FROM SAMARIA 17And the young officers of the district governors marched out first. Now Ben-hadad had sent out scouts who reported to him “Men are marching out of Samaria.”
18AND HE SAID IF FOR PEACE THEY HAVE COME OUT SEIZE THEM ALIVE AND IF FOR BATTLE THEY HAVE COME OUT ALIVE SEIZE THEM 18“If they have marched out in peace,” he said, “take them alive. Even if they have marched out for war, take them alive.”
19AND THESE [MEN] THEY WENT OUT FROM THE CITY [THE] YOUNG MEN OF [THE] OFFICIALS OF THE PROVINCES AND THE ARMY WHICH [WAS] BEHIND THEM 19Meanwhile, these young officers of the district governors marched out of the city, with the army behind them,
20AND THEY STRUCK DOWN EVERYONE MAN HIS AND THEY FLED ARAM AND IT PURSUED THEM ISRAEL AND HE ESCAPED BEN HADAD [THE] KING OF ARAM ON A HORSE AND HORSEMEN 20and each one struck down his opponent. So the Arameans fled, with the Israelites in pursuit. But Ben-hadad king of Aram escaped on horseback with the cavalry.
21AND HE WENT OUT [THE] KING OF ISRAEL AND HE STRUCK DOWN <OBJ.> THE HORSE[S] AND <OBJ.> THE CHARIOTRY AND HE STRUCK DOWN AMONG ARAM A SLAUGHTER GREAT 21Then the king of Israel marched out and attacked the horses and chariots, inflicting a great slaughter on the Arameans.
22AND HE DREW NEAR THE PROPHET TO [THE] KING OF ISRAEL AND HE SAID TO HIM GO STRENGTHEN YOURSELF AND KNOW AND SEE <OBJ.> [THAT] WHICH YOU WILL DO FOR TO [THE] RETURN OF THE YEAR [THE] KING OF ARAM [IS] COMING UP ON YOU 22Afterward, the prophet approached the king of Israel and said “Go and strengthen your position, and take note what you must do, for in the spring*NoteCloseLiterally at the turn of the year; similarly in verse 26 the king of Aram will come up against you.”
23AND [THE] SERVANTS OF [THE] KING OF ARAM THEY SAID TO HIM [IS] A GOD OF MOUNTAINS GOD THEIR THERE- -FORE THEY WERE STRONG MORE THAN US AND BUT LET US DO BATTLE WITH THEM ON THE LEVEL GROUND IF NOT WE WILL BE STRONG MORE THAN THEM 23Meanwhile, the servants of the king of Aram 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
24AND <OBJ.> THE THING <THE> THIS DO REMOVE THE KINGS EACH FROM PLACE HIS AND APPOINT GOVERNORS IN PLACE OF THEM 24So do this: Dismiss all the kings from their positions and replace them with other officers.
25AND YOU YOU WILL MUSTER FOR YOURSELF AN ARMY LIKE THE ARMY WHICH FELL FROM <OBJ.> YOU AND A HORSE LIKE THE HORSE AND CHARIOTRY LIKE THE CHARIOTRY AND LET US FIGHT <OBJ.> THEM ON THE LEVEL GROUND IF NOT WE WILL BE STRONG MORE THAN THEM AND HE LISTENED TO VOICE THEIR AND HE DID THUS 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.
26AND IT WAS TO [THE] RETURN OF THE YEAR AND HE MUSTERED BEN HADAD <OBJ.> ARAM AND HE WENT UP APHEK TOWARDS FOR <THE> BATTLE WITH ISRAEL Another War with Ben-hadad 26In the spring, Ben-hadad mobilized the Arameans and went up to Aphek to fight against Israel.
27AND [THE] PEOPLE OF ISRAEL THEY WERE MUSTERED AND THEY WERE SUPPLIED AND THEY WENT TO MEET THEM AND THEY ENCAMPED [THE] PEOPLE OF ISRAEL BEFORE THEM LIKE TWO LITTLE FLOCKS OF GOATS AND ARAM THEY FILLED <OBJ.> THE LAND 27The Israelites also mobilized, gathered supplies, and marched out to meet them. The Israelites camped before them like two small flocks of goats, while the Arameans covered the countryside.
28AND HE DREW NEAR [THE] MAN OF <THE> GOD AND HE SAID TO [THE] KING OF ISRAEL AND HE SAID THUS HE SAYS YAHWEH BECAUSE THAT THEY HAVE SAID ARAM [IS] A GOD OF MOUNTAINS YAHWEH AND NOT [IS] A GOD OF VALLEYS HE AND I WILL GIVE <OBJ.> ALL THE MULTITUDE <THE> GREAT <THE> THIS IN HAND YOUR AND YOU WILL KNOW THAT I [AM] YAHWEH 28Then the man of God approached the king of Israel and said “This is what the LORD says: ‘Because the Arameans have said that the LORD 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 the LORD.’”
29AND THEY ENCAMPED THESE OPPOSITE TO THESE SEVEN DAYS AND IT WAS ON THE DAY <THE> SEVENTH AND IT DREW NEAR THE BATTLE AND THEY STRUCK DOWN [THE] PEOPLE OF ISRAEL <OBJ.> ARAM ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND FOOT SOLDIER[S] IN A DAY ONE 29For seven days the armies camped opposite each other, and on the seventh day the battle ensued, and the Israelites struck down the Arameans— a hundred thousand foot soldiers in one day.
30AND THEY FLED THE [ONES WHO] REMAINED APHEK TOWARDS INTO THE CITY AND IT FELL THE WALL ON TWENTY AND SEVEN THOUSAND MAN WHO REMAINED AND BEN HADAD HE FLED AND HE WENT INTO THE CITY A ROOM IN A ROOM 30The rest of them fled into the city of Aphek, where the wall fell on twenty-seven thousand of the remaining men. Ben-hadad also fled to the city and hid in an inner room.
31AND THEY SAID TO HIM SERVANTS HIS HERE! PLEASE WE HAVE HEARD THAT [THE] KINGS OF [THE] HOUSE OF ISRAEL THAT [ARE] KINGS OF COVENANT LOYALTY THEY LET US PUT PLEASE SACKCLOTH<S> ON LOINS OUR AND ROPES ON HEAD OUR AND LET US GO OUT TO [THE] KING OF ISRAEL PERHAPS HE WILL LET LIVE <OBJ.> LIFE YOUR Ahab Spares Ben-hadad 31Then the servants of Ben-hadad said to him, “Look now, we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful. Let us go out to the king of Israel with sackcloth around our waists and ropes around our heads. Perhaps he will spare your life.”
32AND THEY GIRDED SACKCLOTH<S> ON LOINS THEIR AND ROPES ON HEADS THEIR AND THEY WENT TO [THE] KING OF ISRAEL AND THEY SAID SERVANT YOUR BEN HADAD HE SAYS LET IT LIVE PLEASE LIFE MY AND HE SAID ¿ [IS] STILL HE ALIVE [IS] BROTHER MY HE 32So with sackcloth around their waists and ropes around their heads, they went to the king of Israel and said, “Your servant Ben-hadad says, ‘Please spare my life.’” And the king answered, “Is he still alive? He is my brother.”
33AND THE MEN THEY OBSERVED [THE] SIGNS AND THEY HASTENED AND THEY CAUGHT ¿ FROM HIM AND THEY SAID [IS] BROTHER YOUR BEN HADAD AND HE SAID GO FETCH HIM AND HE CAME OUT TO HIM BEN HADAD AND HE BROUGHT UP HIM ON THE CHARIOT 33Now the men were looking for a sign of hope, and they quickly grasped at this word and replied, “Yes, your brother Ben-hadad.” “Go and get him!” said the king. Then Ben-hadad came out and Ahab had him come up into his chariot.
34AND HE SAID TO HIM THE CITIES WHICH HE TOOK FATHER MY FROM WITH FATHER YOUR I WILL RETURN AND STREETS YOU WILL MAKE FOR YOURSELF IN DAMASCUS JUST AS HE MADE FATHER MY IN SAMARIA AND I WITH THE COVENANT I WILL LET GO YOU AND HE MADE TO HIM A COVENANT AND HE LET GO HIM 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 Samaria.” “By this treaty*NoteCloseForms of the Hebrew berit are translated in most passages as covenant; twice in this verse. I release you Ahab replied. So he made a treaty with him and sent him away.
35AND A MAN ONE ONE OF [THE] SONS OF THE PROPHETS HE SAID TO COMPANION HIS AT [THE] WORD OF YAHWEH STRIKE ME PLEASE AND HE REFUSED THE MAN TO STRIKE HIM A Prophet Reproves Ahab 35Meanwhile, by the word of the LORD, one of the sons of the prophets said to his companion, “Strike me, please!” But the man refused to strike him.
36AND HE SAID TO HIM BECAUSE THAT NOT YOU LISTENED TO [THE] VOICE OF YAHWEH HERE YOU [ARE] ABOUT TO GO FROM WITH <THE> ME AND IT WILL STRIKE DOWN YOU THE LION AND HE WENT FROM BESIDE HIM AND IT MET HIM THE LION AND IT STRUCK DOWN HIM 36Then the prophet said to him, “Because you have not obeyed the voice of the LORD, as soon as you depart from me a lion will kill you.” And when he left, a lion found him and killed him.
37AND HE FOUND A MAN ANOTHER AND HE SAID STRIKE ME PLEASE AND HE STRUCK HIM THE MAN COMPLETELY <TO STRIKE> AND WOUNDED 37Then the prophet found another man and said, “Strike me, please!” So the man struck him and wounded him,
38AND HE WENT THE PROPHET AND HE STOOD FOR THE KING BESIDE THE WAY AND HE DISGUISED HIMSELF WITH <THE> ASHES OVER EYES HIS 38and the prophet went and waited on the road for the king, disguising himself with a bandage over his eyes.
39AND HE WAS THE KING PASSING BY AND HE HE CRIED OUT TO THE KING AND HE SAID SERVANT YOUR HE WENT OUT IN [THE] MIDST OF THE BATTLE AND THERE! A MAN HE TURNED ASIDE AND HE BROUGHT TO ME A MAN AND HE SAID GUARD <OBJ.> THE MAN <THE> THIS IF INDEED <BE MISSING> HE WILL BE MISSING AND IT WILL BE LIFE YOUR IN PLACE OF LIFE HIS OR A TALENT OF SILVER YOU WILL WEIGH OUT 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.*NoteCloseA talent is approximately 75.4 pounds or 34.2 kilograms of silver. ’
40AND HE WAS SERVANT YOUR DOING <OF> THEM AND THEM AND HE THERE NOT [WAS] HE AND HE SAID TO HIM [THE] KING OF ISRAEL [IS] THUS SENTENCE YOUR YOU YOU HAVE DECIDED 40But while your servant was busy here and there, the man disappeared.” And the king of Israel said to him, “So shall your judgment be; you have pronounced it on yourself.”
41AND HE HASTENED AND HE REMOVED <OBJ.> THE BANDAGE FROM OVER EYES HIS AND HE RECOGNIZED <OBJ.> HIM [THE] KING OF ISRAEL THAT [WAS] ONE OF THE PROPHETS HE 41Then the prophet quickly removed the bandage from his eyes, and the king of Israel recognized him as one of the prophets.
42AND HE SAID TO HIM THUS HE SAYS YAHWEH BECAUSE YOU HAVE LET GO <OBJ.> [THE] MAN OF TOTAL DESTRUCTION MY FROM A HAND AND IT WILL BE LIFE YOUR IN PLACE OF LIFE HIS AND PEOPLE YOUR IN PLACE OF PEOPLE HIS 42And the prophet said to the king, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Because you have let slip from your hand the man I had devoted to destruction,*NoteCloseForms of the Hebrew cherem refer to the giving over of things or persons to the LORD, either by destroying them or by giving them as an offering. your life will be exchanged for his life, and your people for his people.’”
43AND HE WENT [THE] KING OF ISRAEL TO HOUSE HIS SULLEN AND FURIOUS AND HE WENT SAMARIA TOWARDS 43Sullen and angry, the king of Israel went home to Samaria.