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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1" /><title>1 Kings 20 NET Bible</title><link rel="stylesheet" href="/chapnew2.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="../spec.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/print.css" type="text/css" media="Print" /><script type="application/javascript" src="https://scripts.webcontentassessor.com/scripts/8a2459b64f9cac8122fc7f2eac4409c8555fac9383016db59c4c26e3d5b8b157"></script><script src='https://qd.admetricspro.com/js/biblehub/biblehub-layout-loader-revcatch.js'></script><script id='HyDgbd_1s' src='https://prebidads.revcatch.com/ads.js' type='text/javascript' async></script><script>(function(w,d,b,s,i){var cts=d.createElement(s);cts.async=true;cts.id='catchscript'; cts.dataset.appid=i;cts.src='https://app.protectsubrev.com/catch_rp.js?cb='+Math.random(); document.head.appendChild(cts); }) (window,document,'head','script','rc-anksrH');</script></head><body><div id="fx"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx2"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="30" scrolling="no" src="../cmenus/1_kings/20.htm" align="left" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div><div id="blnk"></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable"><tr><td><div id="fx5"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx6"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="245" scrolling="no" src="../topmenuchap/1_kings/20-1.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable3"><tr><td><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" id="announce"><tr><td><div id="l1"><div id="breadcrumbs"><a href="http://biblehub.com">Bible</a> > <a href="../">NET Bible</a> > 1 Kings 20</div><div id="anc"><iframe src="/anc.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><div id="anc2"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/anc2.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="../1_kings/19.htm" title="1 Kings 19">◄</a> 1 Kings 20 <a href="../1_kings/21.htm" title="1 Kings 21">►</a></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div class="vheading"><table width="100%"><tr><td width="99%" valign="top">NET Bible</td><td width="1%" valign="top"><a href="/p/net/esv/1_kings/20.shtml" style="color:#001320" title="Parallel Chapters"> Par ▾ </a></tr></table></div><div class="chap"><p class="title">Ben Hadad Invades Israel</p><p class="bodytext"><span class="reftext"><a href="/1_kings/20-1.htm"><b>1</b></a></span>Now King Ben Hadad of Syria assembled all his army, along with thirty-two other kings with their horses and chariots. He marched against Samaria and besieged and attacked it. <span class="reftext"><a href="/1_kings/20-2.htm"><b>2</b></a></span>He sent messengers to King Ahab of Israel, who was in the city. <span class="reftext"><a href="/1_kings/20-3.htm"><b>3</b></a></span>He said to him, “This is what Ben Hadad says, ‘Your silver and your gold are mine, as well as the best of your wives and sons.’” <span class="reftext"><a href="/1_kings/20-4.htm"><b>4</b></a></span>The king of Israel replied, “It is just as you say, my master, O king. I and all I own belong to you.”</p> <p class="bodytext"><span class="reftext"><a href="/1_kings/20-5.htm"><b>5</b></a></span>The messengers came again and said, “This is what Ben Hadad says, ‘I sent this message to you, “You must give me your silver, gold, wives, and sons.” <span class="reftext"><a href="/1_kings/20-6.htm"><b>6</b></a></span>But now at this time tomorrow I will send my servants to you and they will search through your palace and your servants’ houses. They will carry away all your valuables.” <span class="reftext"><a href="/1_kings/20-7.htm"><b>7</b></a></span>The king of Israel summoned all the leaders of the land and said, “Notice how this man is looking for trouble. Indeed, he demanded my wives, sons, silver, and gold, and I did not resist him.” <span class="reftext"><a href="/1_kings/20-8.htm"><b>8</b></a></span>All the leaders and people said to him, “Do not give in or agree to his demands.” <span class="reftext"><a href="/1_kings/20-9.htm"><b>9</b></a></span>So he said to the messengers of Ben Hadad, “Say this to my master, the king, ‘I will give you everything you demanded at first from your servant, but I am unable to agree to this latest demand.’” So the messengers went back and gave their report.</p> <p class="bodytext"><span class="reftext"><a href="/1_kings/20-10.htm"><b>10</b></a></span>Ben Hadad sent another message to him, “May the gods judge me severely if there is enough dirt left in Samaria for my soldiers to scoop up in their hands.” <span class="reftext"><a href="/1_kings/20-11.htm"><b>11</b></a></span>The king of Israel replied, “Tell him the one who puts on his battle gear should not boast like one who is taking it off.” <span class="reftext"><a href="/1_kings/20-12.htm"><b>12</b></a></span>When Ben Hadad received this reply, he and the other kings were drinking in their quarters. He ordered his servants, “Get ready to attack!” So they got ready to attack the city.</p> <p class="title">The Lord Delivers Israel</p><p class="bodytext"><span class="reftext"><a href="/1_kings/20-13.htm"><b>13</b></a></span>Now a prophet visited King Ahab of Israel and said, “This is what the <span class="smallcaps">Lord</span> says, ‘Do you see this huge army? Look, I am going to hand it over to you this very day. Then you will know that I am the <span class="smallcaps">Lord</span>.’” <span class="reftext"><a href="/1_kings/20-14.htm"><b>14</b></a></span>Ahab asked, “By whom will this be accomplished?” He answered, “This is what the <span class="smallcaps">Lord</span> says, ‘By the servants of the district governors.’” Ahab asked, “Who will launch the attack?” He answered, “You will.”</p> <p class="bodytext"><span class="reftext"><a href="/1_kings/20-15.htm"><b>15</b></a></span>So Ahab assembled the 232 servants of the district governors. After that he assembled all the Israelite army, numbering 7,000. <span class="reftext"><a href="/1_kings/20-16.htm"><b>16</b></a></span>They marched out at noon, while Ben Hadad and the thirty-two kings allied with him were drinking heavily in their quarters. <span class="reftext"><a href="/1_kings/20-17.htm"><b>17</b></a></span>The servants of the district governors led the march. When Ben Hadad sent messengers, they reported back to him, “Men are marching out of Samaria.” <span class="reftext"><a href="/1_kings/20-18.htm"><b>18</b></a></span>He ordered, “Whether they come in peace or to do battle, take them alive.” <span class="reftext"><a href="/1_kings/20-19.htm"><b>19</b></a></span>They marched out of the city with the servants of the district governors in the lead and the army behind them. <span class="reftext"><a href="/1_kings/20-20.htm"><b>20</b></a></span>Each one struck down an enemy soldier; the Syrians fled and Israel chased them. King Ben Hadad of Syria escaped on horseback with some horsemen. <span class="reftext"><a href="/1_kings/20-21.htm"><b>21</b></a></span>Then the king of Israel marched out and struck down the horses and chariots; he thoroughly defeated Syria.</p> <p class="title">The Lord Gives Israel Another Victory</p><p class="bodytext"><span class="reftext"><a href="/1_kings/20-22.htm"><b>22</b></a></span>The prophet visited the king of Israel and instructed him, “Go, fortify your defenses. Determine what you must do, for in the spring the king of Syria will attack you.” <span class="reftext"><a href="/1_kings/20-23.htm"><b>23</b></a></span>Now the advisers of the king of Syria said to him: “Their God is a god of the mountains. That’s why they overpowered us. But if we fight them in the plains, we will certainly overpower them. <span class="reftext"><a href="/1_kings/20-24.htm"><b>24</b></a></span>So do this: Dismiss the kings from their command, and replace them with military commanders. <span class="reftext"><a href="/1_kings/20-25.htm"><b>25</b></a></span>Muster an army like the one you lost, with the same number of horses and chariots. Then we will fight them in the plains; we will certainly overpower them.” He approved their plan and did as they advised.</p> <p class="bodytext"><span class="reftext"><a href="/1_kings/20-26.htm"><b>26</b></a></span>In the spring Ben Hadad mustered the Syrian army and marched to Aphek to fight Israel. <span class="reftext"><a href="/1_kings/20-27.htm"><b>27</b></a></span>When the Israelites had mustered and had received their supplies, they marched out to face them in battle. When the Israelites deployed opposite them, they were like two small flocks of goats, but the Syrians filled the land. <span class="reftext"><a href="/1_kings/20-28.htm"><b>28</b></a></span>The prophet visited the king of Israel and said, “This is what the <span class="smallcaps">Lord</span> says: ‘Because the Syrians said, “The <span class="smallcaps">Lord</span> is a god of the mountains and not a god of the valleys,” I will hand over to you this entire huge army. Then you will know that I am the <span class="smallcaps">Lord</span>.’”</p> <p class="bodytext"><span class="reftext"><a href="/1_kings/20-29.htm"><b>29</b></a></span>The armies were deployed opposite each other for seven days. On the seventh day the battle began, and the Israelites killed 100,000 Syrian foot soldiers in one day. <span class="reftext"><a href="/1_kings/20-30.htm"><b>30</b></a></span>The remaining 27,000 ran to Aphek and went into the city, but the wall fell on them. Now Ben Hadad ran into the city and hid in an inner room. <span class="reftext"><a href="/1_kings/20-31.htm"><b>31</b></a></span>His advisers said to him, “Look, we have heard that the kings of the Israelite dynasty are kind. Allow us to put sackcloth around our waists and ropes on our heads and surrender to the king of Israel. Maybe he will spare our lives.” <span class="reftext"><a href="/1_kings/20-32.htm"><b>32</b></a></span>So they put sackcloth around their waists and ropes on their heads and went to the king of Israel. They said, “Your servant Ben Hadad says, ‘Please let me live!’” Ahab replied, “Is he still alive? He is my brother.” <span class="reftext"><a href="/1_kings/20-33.htm"><b>33</b></a></span>The men took this as a good omen and quickly accepted his offer, saying, “Ben Hadad is your brother.” Ahab then said, “Go, get him.” So Ben Hadad came out to him, and Ahab pulled him up into his chariot. <span class="reftext"><a href="/1_kings/20-34.htm"><b>34</b></a></span>Ben Hadad said, “I will return the cities my father took from your father. You may set up markets in Damascus, just as my father did in Samaria.” Ahab then said, “I want to make a treaty with you before I dismiss you.” So he made a treaty with him and then dismissed him.</p> <p class="title">A Prophet Denounces Ahab’s Actions</p><p class="bodytext"><span class="reftext"><a href="/1_kings/20-35.htm"><b>35</b></a></span>One of the members of the prophetic guild, speaking with divine authority, ordered his companion, “Wound me!” But the man refused to wound him. <span class="reftext"><a href="/1_kings/20-36.htm"><b>36</b></a></span>So the prophet said to him, “Because you have disobeyed the <span class="smallcaps">Lord</span>, as soon as you leave me a lion will kill you.” When he left him, a lion attacked and killed him. <span class="reftext"><a href="/1_kings/20-37.htm"><b>37</b></a></span>He found another man and said, “Wound me!” So the man wounded him severely. <span class="reftext"><a href="/1_kings/20-38.htm"><b>38</b></a></span>The prophet then went and stood by the road, waiting for the king. He also disguised himself by putting a bandage down over his eyes. <span class="reftext"><a href="/1_kings/20-39.htm"><b>39</b></a></span>When the king passed by, he called out to the king, “Your servant went out into the heat of the battle, and then a man turned aside and brought me a prisoner. He told me, ‘Guard this prisoner. If he ends up missing for any reason, you will pay with your life or with a talent of silver.’ <span class="reftext"><a href="/1_kings/20-40.htm"><b>40</b></a></span>Well, it just so happened that while your servant was doing this and that, he disappeared.” The king of Israel said to him, “Your punishment is already determined by your own testimony.” <span class="reftext"><a href="/1_kings/20-41.htm"><b>41</b></a></span>The prophet quickly removed the bandage from his eyes and the king of Israel recognized he was one of the prophets. <span class="reftext"><a href="/1_kings/20-42.htm"><b>42</b></a></span>The prophet then said to him, “This is what the <span class="smallcaps">Lord</span> says, ‘Because you released a man I had determined should die, you will pay with your life and your people will suffer instead of his people.’” <span class="reftext"><a href="/1_kings/20-43.htm"><b>43</b></a></span>The king of Israel went home to Samaria bitter and angry.</p></div></div><div id="botbox"><div class="padbot"><div align="center"><a href="http://netbible.com/">NET Bible copyright © 1996-2006 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com.<br />Used by permission. 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