1 And Benhadad the king of Syria gathered all his host together: and there were thirty and two kings with him, and horses, and chariots; and he went up and besieged Samaria, and warred against it.2 And he sent messengers to Ahab king of Israel into the city, and said to him, Thus said Benhadad,3 Your silver and your gold is mine; your wives also and your children, even the best, are mine.4 And the king of Israel answered and said, My lord, O king, according to your saying, I am yours, and all that I have.5 And the messengers came again, and said, Thus speaks Benhadad, saying, Although I have sent to you, saying, You shall deliver me your silver, and your gold, and your wives, and your children;6 Yet I will send my servants to you to morrow about this time, and they shall search your house, and the houses of your servants; and it shall be, that whatever is pleasant in your eyes, they shall put it in their hand, and take it away.7 Then the king of Israel called all the elders of the land, and said, Mark, I pray you, and see how this man seeks mischief: for he sent to me for my wives, and for my children, and for my silver, and for my gold; and I denied him not.8 And all the elders and all the people said to him, Listen not to him, nor consent.9 Why he said to the messengers of Benhadad, Tell my lord the king, All that you did send for to your servant at the first I will do: but this thing I may not do. And the messengers departed, and brought him word again.10 And Benhadad sent to him, and said, The gods do so to me, and more also, if the dust of Samaria shall suffice for handfuls for all the people that follow me.11 And the king of Israel answered and said, Tell him, Let not him that girds on his harness boast himself as he that puts it off.12 And it came to pass, when Ben-hadad heard this message, as he was drinking, he and the kings in the pavilions, that he said to his servants, Set yourselves in array. And they set themselves in array against the city.13 And, behold, there came a prophet to Ahab king of Israel, saying, Thus said the LORD, Have you seen all this great multitude? behold, I will deliver it into your hand this day; and you shall know that I am the LORD.14 And Ahab said, By whom? And he said, Thus said the LORD, Even by the young men of the princes of the provinces. Then he said, Who shall order the battle? And he answered, You.15 Then he numbered the young men of the princes of the provinces, and they were two hundred and thirty two: and after them he numbered all the people, even all the children of Israel, being seven thousand.16 And they went out at noon. But Benhadad was drinking himself drunk in the pavilions, he and the kings, the thirty and two kings that helped him.17 And the young men of the princes of the provinces went out first; and Benhadad sent out, and they told him, saying, There are men come out of Samaria.18 And he said, Whether they be come out for peace, take them alive; or whether they be come out for war, take them alive.19 So these young men of the princes of the provinces came out of the city, and the army which followed them.20 And they slew every one his man: and the Syrians fled; and Israel pursued them: and Benhadad the king of Syria escaped on an horse with the horsemen.21 And the king of Israel went out, and smote the horses and chariots, and slew the Syrians with a great slaughter.22 And the prophet came to the king of Israel, and said to him, Go, strengthen yourself, and mark, and see what you do: for at the return of the year the king of Syria will come up against you.23 And the servants of the king of Syria said to him, Their gods are gods of the hills; therefore they were stronger than we; but let us fight against them in the plain, and surely we shall be stronger than they.24 And do this thing, Take the kings away, every man out of his place, and put captains in their rooms:25 And number you an army, like the army that you have lost, horse for horse, and chariot for chariot: and we will fight against them in the plain, and surely we shall be stronger than they. And he listened to their voice, and did so.26 And it came to pass at the return of the year, that Benhadad numbered the Syrians, and went up to Aphek, to fight against Israel.27 And the children of Israel were numbered, and were all present, and went against them: and the children of Israel pitched before them like two little flocks of kids; but the Syrians filled the country.28 And there came a man of God, and spoke to the king of Israel, and said, Thus said the LORD, Because the Syrians have said, The LORD is God of the hills, but he is not God of the valleys, therefore will I deliver all this great multitude into your hand, and you shall know that I am the LORD.29 And they pitched one over against the other seven days. And so it was, that in the seventh day the battle was joined: and the children of Israel slew of the Syrians an hundred thousand footmen in one day.30 But the rest fled to Aphek, into the city; and there a wall fell on twenty and seven thousand of the men that were left. And Benhadad fled, and came into the city, into an inner chamber.31 And his servants said to him, Behold now, we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful kings: let us, I pray you, put sackcloth on our loins, and ropes on our heads, and go out to the king of Israel: peradventure he will save your life.32 So they girded sackcloth on their loins, and put ropes on their heads, and came to the king of Israel, and said, Your servant Benhadad said, I pray you, let me live. And he said, Is he yet alive? he is my brother.33 Now the men did diligently observe whether any thing would come from him, and did hastily catch it: and they said, Your brother Benhadad. Then he said, Go you, bring him. Then Benhadad came forth to him; and he caused him to come up into the chariot.34 And Ben-hadad said to him, The cities, which my father took from your father, I will restore; and you shall make streets for you in Damascus, as my father made in Samaria. Then said Ahab, I will send you away with this covenant. So he made a covenant with him, and sent him away.35 And a certain man of the sons of the prophets said to his neighbor in the word of the LORD, Smite me, I pray you. And the man refused to smite him.36 Then said he to him, Because you have not obeyed the voice of the LORD, behold, as soon as you are departed from me, a lion shall slay you. And as soon as he was departed from him, a lion found him, and slew him.37 Then he found another man, and said, Smite me, I pray you. And the man smote him, so that in smiting he wounded him.38 So the prophet departed, and waited for the king by the way, and disguised himself with ashes on his face.39 And as the king passed by, he cried to the king: and he 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 by any means he be missing, then shall your life be for his life, or else you shall pay a talent of silver.40 And as your servant was busy here and there, he was gone. And the king of Israel said to him, So shall your judgment be; yourself have decided it.41 And he hurried, and took the ashes away from his face; and the king of Israel discerned him that he was of the prophets.42 And he said to him, Thus said the LORD, Because you have let go out of your hand a man whom I appointed to utter destruction, therefore your life shall go for his life, and your people for his people.43 And the king of Israel went to his house heavy and displeased, and came to Samaria.

1 Ora, Ben-Hadade, rei da Síria, ajuntou todo o seu exército; e havia com ele trinta e dois reis, e cavalos e carros. Então subiu, cercou a Samária, e pelejou contra ela.2 E enviou à cidade mensageiros a Acabe, rei de Israel, a dizer-lhe: Assim diz: Ben-Hadade:3 A tua prata e o teu ouro são meus; e também, das tuas mulheres e dos teus filhos, os melhores são meus.4 Ao que respondeu o rei de Israel, dizendo: Conforme a tua palavra, ó rei meu senhor, sou teu, com tudo quanto tenho.5 Tornaram a vir os mensageiros, e disseram: Assim fala Ben-Hadade, dizendo: Enviei-te, na verdade, mensageiros que dissessem: Tu me hás de entregar a tua prata e o teu ouro, as tuas mulheres e os teus filhos;6 todavia amanhã a estas horas te enviarei os meus servos, os quais esquadrinharão a tua casa, e as casas dos teus servos; e há de ser que tudo o que de precioso tiveres, eles tomarão consigo e o levarão.7 Então o rei de Israel chamou todos os anciãos da terra, e disse: Notai agora, e vede como esse homem procura o mal; pois mandou pedir-me as minhas mulheres, os meus filhos, a minha prata e o meu ouro, e não os neguei.8 Responderam-lhe todos os anciãos e todo o povo: Não lhe dês ouvidos, nem consintas.9 Pelo que disse aos mensageiros de Ben-Hadade: Dizei ao rei, meu senhor: Tudo o que a princípio mandaste pedir a teu servo, farei; porém isto não posso fazer. Voltaram os mensageiros, e lhe levaram a resposta.10 Tornou Ben-Hadade a enviar-lhe mensageiros, e disse: Assim me façam os deuses, e outro tanto, se o pó de Samária bastar para encher as mãos de todo o povo que me segue.11 O rei de Israel, porém, respondeu: Dizei-lhe: Não se gabe quem se cinge das armas como aquele que as depõe.12 E sucedeu que, ouvindo ele esta palavra, estando a beber com os reis nas tendas, disse aos seus servos: Ponde-vos em ordem. E eles se puseram em ordem contra a cidade.13 E eis que um profeta, chegando-se a Acabe, rei de Israel, lhe disse: Assim diz o Senhor: Viste toda esta grande multidão eis que hoje te entregarei nas mãos, e saberás que eu sou o Senhor.14 Perguntou Acabe: Por quem? Respondeu ele: Assim diz o Senhor: Pelos moços dos chefes das províncias. Ainda perguntou Acabe: Quem começará a peleja? Respondeu ele: Tu.15 Então contou os moços dos chefes das províncias, e eram duzentos e trinta e dois; e depois deles contou todo o povo, a saber, todos os filhos de Israel, e eram sete mil.16 Saíram, pois, ao meio-dia. Ben-Hadade, porém, estava bebendo e se embriagando nas tendas, com os reis, os trinta e dois reis que o ajudavam.17 E os moços dos chefes das províncias saíram primeiro; e Ben-Hadade enviou espias, que lhe deram aviso, dizendo: Saíram de Samária uns homens.18 Ao que ele disse: Quer venham eles tratar de paz, quer venham à peleja, tomai-os vivos.19 Saíram, pois, da cidade os moços dos chefes das províncias, e o exército que os seguia.20 E eles mataram cada um o seu adversário. Então os sírios fugiram, e Israel os perseguiu; mas Ben-Hadade, rei da Síria, escapou a cavalo, com alguns cavaleiros.21 E saindo o rei de Israel, destruiu os cavalos e os carros, e infligiu aos sírios grande derrota.22 Então o profeta chegou-se ao rei de Israel e lhe disse: Vai, fortalece-te; atenta bem para o que hás de fazer; porque decorrido um ano, o rei da Síria subirá contra ti.23 Os servos do rei da Síria lhe disseram: Seus deuses são deuses dos montes, por isso eles foram mais fortes do que nós; mas pelejemos com eles na planície, e por certo prevaleceremos contra eles.24 Faze, pois, isto: tira os reis, cada um do seu lugar, e substitui-os por capitães;25 arregimenta outro exército, igual ao exército que perdeste, cavalo por cavalo, e carro por carro; pelejemos com eles na planície, e por certo prevaleceremos contra eles. Ele deu ouvidos ao que disseram, e assim fez.26 Passado um ano, Ben-Hadade arregimentou os sírios, e subiu a Afeque, para pelejar contra Israel.27 Também os filhos de Israel foram arregimentados e, providos de víveres, marcharam contra eles. E os filhos de Israel acamparam-se defronte deles, como dois pequenos rebanhos de cabras; mas os sírios enchiam a terra.28 Nisso chegou o homem de Deus, e disse ao rei de Israel: Assim diz o Senhor: Porquanto os sírios disseram: O Senhor é Deus dos montes, e não Deus dos vales, entregarei nas tuas mãos toda esta grande multidão, e saberás que eu sou o Senhor.29 Assim, pois, estiveram acampados sete dias, uns defronte dos outros. Ao sétimo dia a peleja começou, e num só dia os filhos de Israel mataram dos sírios cem mil homens da infantaria.30 E os restantes fugiram para Afeque, e entraram na cidade; e caiu o muro sobre vinte e sete mil homens que restavam. Ben-Hadade, porém, fugiu, e veio à cidade, onde se meteu numa câmara interior.31 Disseram-lhe os seus servos: Eis que temos ouvido dizer que os reis da casa de Israel são reis clementes; ponhamos, pois, sacos aos lombos, e cordas aos pescoços, e saiamos ao rei de Israel; pode ser que ele te poupe a vida.32 Então cingiram sacos aos lombos e cordas aos pescoços e, indo ter com o rei de Israel, disseram-lhe: Diz o teu servo Ben-Hadade: Deixa-me viver, rogo-te. Ao que disse Acabe: Pois ainda vive? É meu irmão.33 Aqueles homens, tomando isto por bom presságio, apressaram-se em apanhar a sua palavra, e disseram: Ben-Hadade é teu irmão! Respondeu-lhes ele: Ide, trazei-me. Veio, pois, Ben-Hadade à presença de Acabe; e este o fez subir ao carro.34 Então lhe disse Ben-Hadade: Eu te restituirei as cidades que meu pai tomou a teu pai; e farás para ti praças em Damasco, como meu pai as fez em Samária. E eu, respondeu Acabe, com esta aliança te deixarei ir. E fez com ele aliança e o deixou ir.35 Ora, certo homem dentre os filhos dos profetas disse ao seu companheiro, pela palavra do Senhor: Fere-me, peço-te. Mas o homem recusou feri-lo.36 Pelo que ele lhe disse: Porquanto não obedeceste à voz do Senhor, eis que, em te apartando de mim, um leão te matará. E logo que se apartou dele um leão o encontrou e o matou.37 Depois o profeta encontrou outro homem, e disse-lhe: Fere-me, peço-te. E aquele homem deu nele e o feriu.38 Então foi o profeta, pôs-se a esperar e rei no caminho, e disfarçou-se, cobrindo os olhos com o seu turbante.39 E passando o rei, clamou ele ao rei, dizendo: Teu servo estava no meio da peleja; e eis que um homem, voltando-se, me trouxe um outro, e disse: Guarda-me este homem; se ele de qualquer maneira vier a faltar, a tua vida responderá pela vida dele, ou então pagarás um talento de prata.40 E estando o teu servo ocupado de uma e de outra parte, eis que o homem desapareceu. Ao que lhe respondeu o rei de Israel: Esta é a tua sentença; tu mesmo a pronunciaste.41 Então ele se apressou, e tirou o turbante de sobre os seus olhos; e o rei de Israel o reconheceu, que era um dos profetas.42 E disse ele ao rei: Assim diz o Senhor: Porquanto deixaste escapar da mão o homem que eu havia posto para destruição, a tua vida responderá pela sua vida, e o teu povo pelo seu povo.43 E o rei de Israel seguiu para sua casa, desgostoso e indignado, e veio a Samária.