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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=1.0; maximum-scale=1.0; user-scalable=0;"/><title>1 Kings 20 New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition</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" /></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="/bmcc/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/catholic">Bible</a> > <a href="../">NRSVCE</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">New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition</td><td width="1%" valign="top"></td></tr></table></div><div class="chap"><div class="text-html"> <h3><span id="en" class="text">Ahab’s Wars with the Arameans</span></h3><p class="chapter-2"><span class="text"><span class="versenum">1</span>King Ben-hadad of Aram gathered all his army together; thirty-two kings were with him, along with horses and chariots. He marched against Samaria, laid siege to it, and attacked it. </span> <span id="en" class="text"><span class="versenum">2</span>Then he sent messengers into the city to King Ahab of Israel, and said to him: “Thus says Ben-hadad: </span> <span id="en" class="text"><span class="versenum">3</span>Your silver and gold are mine; your fairest wives and children also are mine.” </span> <span id="en" class="text"><span class="versenum">4</span>The king of Israel answered, “As you say, my lord, O king, I am yours, and all that I have.” </span> <span id="en" class="text"><span class="versenum">5</span>The messengers came again and said: “Thus says Ben-hadad: I sent to you, saying, ‘Deliver to me your silver and gold, your wives and children’; </span> <span id="en" class="text"><span class="versenum">6</span>nevertheless I will send my servants to you tomorrow about this time, and they shall search your house and the houses of your servants, and lay hands on whatever pleases them,<span data-fn='#fen' class='footnote' data-link='[<a href="#fen-NRSVCE-9415a" title="See footnote a">a</a>]'>[<a href="#fen" xtitle="See footnote a">a</a>]</span> and take it away.”</span></p> <p><span id="en" class="text"><span class="versenum">7</span>Then the king of Israel called all the elders of the land, and said, “Look now! See how this man is seeking trouble; for he sent to me for my wives, my children, my silver, and my gold; and I did not refuse him.” </span> <span id="en" class="text"><span class="versenum">8</span>Then all the elders and all the people said to him, “Do not listen or consent.” </span> <span id="en" class="text"><span class="versenum">9</span>So he said to the messengers of Ben-hadad, “Tell my lord the king: All that you first demanded of your servant I will do; but this thing I cannot do.” The messengers left and brought him word again. </span> <span id="en" class="text"><span class="versenum">10</span>Ben-hadad sent to him and said, “The gods do so to me, and more also, if the dust of Samaria will provide a handful for each of the people who follow me.” </span> <span id="en" class="text"><span class="versenum">11</span>The king of Israel answered, “Tell him: One who puts on armor should not brag like one who takes it off.” </span> <span id="en" class="text"><span class="versenum">12</span>When Ben-hadad heard this message—now he had been drinking with the kings in the booths—he said to his men, “Take your positions!” And they took their positions against the city.</span></p> <h3><span id="en" class="text">Prophetic Opposition to Ahab</span></h3><p><span class="text"><span class="versenum">13</span>Then a certain prophet came up to King Ahab of Israel and said, “Thus says the <span style="font-variant: small-caps" class="small-caps">Lord</span>, Have you seen all this great multitude? Look, I will give it into your hand today; and you shall know that I am the <span style="font-variant: small-caps" class="small-caps">Lord</span>.” </span> <span id="en" class="text"><span class="versenum">14</span>Ahab said, “By whom?” He said, “Thus says the <span style="font-variant: small-caps" class="small-caps">Lord</span>, By the young men who serve the district governors.” Then he said, “Who shall begin the battle?” He answered, “You.” </span> <span id="en" class="text"><span class="versenum">15</span>Then he mustered the young men who served the district governors, two hundred thirty-two; after them he mustered all the people of Israel, seven thousand.</span></p> <p><span id="en" class="text"><span class="versenum">16</span>They went out at noon, while Ben-hadad was drinking himself drunk in the booths, he and the thirty-two kings allied with him. </span> <span id="en" class="text"><span class="versenum">17</span>The young men who served the district governors went out first. Ben-hadad had sent out scouts,<span data-fn='#fen' class='footnote' data-link='[<a href="#fen-NRSVCE-9426b" title="See footnote b">b</a>]'>[<a href="#fen" xtitle="See footnote b">b</a>]</span> and they reported to him, “Men have come out from Samaria.” </span> <span id="en" class="text"><span class="versenum">18</span>He said, “If they have come out for peace, take them alive; if they have come out for war, take them alive.”</span></p> <p><span id="en" class="text"><span class="versenum">19</span>But these had already come out of the city: the young men who served the district governors, and the army that followed them. </span> <span id="en" class="text"><span class="versenum">20</span>Each killed his man; the Arameans fled and Israel pursued them, but King Ben-hadad of Aram escaped on a horse with the cavalry. </span> <span id="en" class="text"><span class="versenum">21</span>The king of Israel went out, attacked the horses and chariots, and defeated the Arameans with a great slaughter.</span></p> <p><span id="en" class="text"><span class="versenum">22</span>Then the prophet approached the king of Israel and said to him, “Come, strengthen yourself, and consider well what you have to do; for in the spring the king of Aram will come up against you.”</span></p> <h3><span id="en" class="text">The Arameans Are Defeated</span></h3><p><span class="text"><span class="versenum">23</span>The servants of the king of Aram said to him, “Their gods are gods of the hills, and so they were stronger than we; but let us fight against them in the plain, and surely we shall be stronger than they. </span> <span id="en" class="text"><span class="versenum">24</span>Also do this: remove the kings, each from his post, and put commanders in place of them; </span> <span id="en" class="text"><span class="versenum">25</span>and muster an army like the army that you have lost, horse for horse, and chariot for chariot; then we will fight against them in the plain, and surely we shall be stronger than they.” He heeded their voice, and did so.</span></p> <p><span id="en" class="text"><span class="versenum">26</span>In the spring Ben-hadad mustered the Arameans and went up to Aphek to fight against Israel. </span> <span id="en" class="text"><span class="versenum">27</span>After the Israelites had been mustered and provisioned, they went out to engage them; the people of Israel encamped opposite them like two little flocks of goats, while the Arameans filled the country. </span> <span id="en" class="text"><span class="versenum">28</span>A man of God approached and said to the king of Israel, “Thus says the <span style="font-variant: small-caps" class="small-caps">Lord</span>: Because the Arameans have said, ‘The <span style="font-variant: small-caps" class="small-caps">Lord</span> is a god of the hills but he is not a god of the valleys,’ therefore I will give all this great multitude into your hand, and you shall know that I am the <span style="font-variant: small-caps" class="small-caps">Lord</span>.” </span> <span id="en" class="text"><span class="versenum">29</span>They encamped opposite one another seven days. Then on the seventh day the battle began; the Israelites killed one hundred thousand Aramean foot soldiers in one day. </span> <span id="en" class="text"><span class="versenum">30</span>The rest fled into the city of Aphek; and the wall fell on twenty-seven thousand men that were left.</span></p><p><span class="text">Ben-hadad also fled, and entered the city to hide. </span> <span id="en" class="text"><span class="versenum">31</span>His servants said to him, “Look, we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful kings; let us put sackcloth around our waists and ropes on our heads, and go out to the king of Israel; perhaps he will spare your life.” </span> <span id="en" class="text"><span class="versenum">32</span>So they tied sackcloth around their waists, put ropes on their heads, went to the king of Israel, and said, “Your servant Ben-hadad says, ‘Please let me live.’” And he said, “Is he still alive? He is my brother.” </span> <span id="en" class="text"><span class="versenum">33</span>Now the men were watching for an omen; they quickly took it up from him and said, “Yes, Ben-hadad is your brother.” Then he said, “Go and bring him.” So Ben-hadad came out to him; and he had him come up into the chariot. </span> <span id="en" class="text"><span class="versenum">34</span>Ben-hadad<span data-fn='#fen' class='footnote' data-link='[<a href="#fen-NRSVCE-9443c" title="See footnote c">c</a>]'>[<a href="#fen" xtitle="See footnote c">c</a>]</span> said to him, “I will restore the towns that my father took from your father; and you may establish bazaars for yourself in Damascus, as my father did in Samaria.” The king of Israel responded,<span data-fn='#fen' class='footnote' data-link='[<a href="#fen-NRSVCE-9443d" title="See footnote d">d</a>]'>[<a href="#fen" xtitle="See footnote d">d</a>]</span> “I will let you go on those terms.” So he made a treaty with him and let him go.</span></p> <h3><span id="en" class="text">A Prophet Condemns Ahab</span></h3><p><span class="text"><span class="versenum">35</span>At the command of the <span style="font-variant: small-caps" class="small-caps">Lord</span> a certain member of a company of prophets<span data-fn='#fen' class='footnote' data-link='[<a href="#fen-NRSVCE-9444e" title="See footnote e">e</a>]'>[<a href="#fen" xtitle="See footnote e">e</a>]</span> said to another, “Strike me!” But the man refused to strike him. </span> <span id="en" class="text"><span class="versenum">36</span>Then he said to him, “Because you have not obeyed the voice of the <span style="font-variant: small-caps" class="small-caps">Lord</span>, as soon as you have left me, a lion will kill you.” And when he had left him, a lion met him and killed him. </span> <span id="en" class="text"><span class="versenum">37</span>Then he found another man and said, “Strike me!” So the man hit him, striking and wounding him. </span> <span id="en" class="text"><span class="versenum">38</span>Then the prophet departed, and waited for the king along the road, disguising himself with a bandage over his eyes. </span> <span id="en" class="text"><span class="versenum">39</span>As the king passed by, he cried to the king and said, “Your servant went out into the thick of the battle; then a soldier turned and brought a man to me, and said, ‘Guard this man; if he is missing, your life shall be given for his life, or else you shall pay a talent of silver.’ </span> <span id="en" class="text"><span class="versenum">40</span>While your servant was busy here and there, he was gone.” The king of Israel said to him, “So shall your judgment be; you yourself have decided it.” </span> <span id="en" class="text"><span class="versenum">41</span>Then he quickly took the bandage away from his eyes. The king of Israel recognized him as one of the prophets. </span> <span id="en" class="text"><span class="versenum">42</span>Then he said to him, “Thus says the <span style="font-variant: small-caps" class="small-caps">Lord</span>, ‘Because you have let the man go whom I had devoted to destruction, therefore your life shall be for his life, and your people for his people.’” </span> <span id="en" class="text"><span class="versenum">43</span>The king of Israel set out toward home, resentful and sullen, and came to Samaria.</span></p> <A name="fen"></a><div class="footnotes"><h4>Footnotes</h4><ol><li id="fen"><a hlef="#en" xtitle="Go to 1 Kings 20:6">1 Kings 20:6</a> <span class='footnote-text'>Gk Syr Vg: Heb <i>you</i></span></li><li id="fen"><a hlef="#en" xtitle="Go to 1 Kings 20:17">1 Kings 20:17</a> <span class='footnote-text'>Heb lacks <i>scouts</i></span></li><li id="fen"><a hlef="#en" xtitle="Go to 1 Kings 20:34">1 Kings 20:34</a> <span class='footnote-text'>Heb <i>He</i></span></li><li id="fen"><a hlef="#en" xtitle="Go to 1 Kings 20:34">1 Kings 20:34</a> <span class='footnote-text'>Heb lacks <i>The king of Israel responded</i></span></li><li id="fen"><a hlef="#en" xtitle="Go to 1 Kings 20:35">1 Kings 20:35</a> <span class='footnote-text'>Heb <i>of the sons of the prophets</i></span></li></ol></div> </div></div></div></div></div> </div> </div><div id="botbox"><div class="padbot"><div align="center">Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. 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