1 وجمع بنهدد ملك ارام كل جيشه واثنين وثلاثين ملكا معه وخيلا ومركبات وصعد وحاصر السامرة وحاربها.2 وارسل رسلا الى اخآب ملك اسرائيل الى المدينة وقال له هكذا يقول بنهدد.3 لي فضتك وذهبك ولي نساؤك وبنوك الحسان.4 فاجاب ملك اسرائيل وقال حسب قولك يا سيدي الملك انا وجميع مالي لك.5 فرجع الرسل وقالوا هكذا تكلم بن هدد قائلا اني قد ارسلت اليك قائلا ان فضتك وذهبك ونساءك وبنيك تعطيني اياهم6 فاني في نحو هذا الوقت غدا ارسل عبيدي اليك فيفتشون بيتك وبيوت عبيدك وكل ما هو شهي في عينيك يضعونه في ايديهم وياخذونه.7 فدعا ملك اسرائيل جميع شيوخ الارض وقال اعلموا وانظروا ان هذا يطلب الشر لانه ارسل اليّ بطلب نسائي وبنيّ وفضتي وذهبي ولم امنعها عنه.8 فقال له كل الشيوخ وكل الشعب لا تسمع له ولا تقبل.9 فقال لرسل بنهدد قولوا لسيدي الملك ان كل ما ارسلت فيه الى عبدك اولا افعله. واما هذا الامر فلا استطيع ان افعله. فرجع الرسل وردّوا عليه الجواب.10 فارسل اليه بنهدد وقال هكذا تفعل بي الآلهة وهكذا تزيدني ان كان تراب السامرة يكفي قبضات لكل الشعب الذي يتبعني.11 فاجاب ملك اسرائيل وقال قولوا لا يفتخرنّ من يشد كمن يحل.12 فلما سمع هذا الكلام وهو يشرب مع الملوك في الخيام قال لعبيده اصطفوا فاصطفوا على المدينة13 واذا بنبي تقدم الى اخآب ملك اسرائيل وقال هكذا قال الرب هل رايت كل هذا الجمهور العظيم. هانذا ادفعه ليدك اليوم فتعلم اني انا الرب.14 فقال اخآب بمن فقال هكذا قال الرب بغلمان رؤساء المقاطعات. فقال من يبتدئ بالحرب. فقال انت.15 فعدّ غلمان رؤساء المقاطعات فبلغوا مئتين واثنين وثلاثين. وعدّ بعدهم كل الشعب كل بني اسرائيل سبعة آلاف.16 وخرجوا عند الظهر وبنهدد يشرب ويسكر في الخيام هو والملوك الاثنان والثلاثون الذين ساعدوه.17 فخرج غلمان رؤساء المقاطعات اولا. وارسل بنهدد فاخبروه قائلين قد خرج رجال من السامرة.18 فقال ان كانوا قد خرجوا للسلام فامسكوهم احياء وان كانوا قد خرجوا للقتال فامسكوهم احياء.19 فخرج غلمان رؤساء المقاطعات هؤلاء من المدينة هم والجيش الذي وراءهم.20 وضرب كل رجل رجله فهرب الاراميون وطاردهم اسرائيل ونجا بنهدد ملك ارام على فرس مع الفرسان.21 وخرج ملك اسرائيل فضرب الخيل والمركبات وضرب ارام ضربة عظيمة22 فتقدم النبي الى ملك اسرائيل وقال له اذهب تشدد واعلم وانظر ما تفعل لانه عند تمام السنة يصعد عليك ملك ارام.23 واما عبيد ملك ارام فقالوا له ان آلهتهم آلهة جبال لذلك قووا علينا. ولكن اذا حاربناهم في السهل فاننا نقوى عليهم.24 وافعل هذا الامر. اعزل الملوك كل واحد من مكانه وضع قوادا مكانهم.25 واحص لنفسك جيشا كالجيش الذي سقط منك فرسا بفرس ومركبة بمركبة فنحاربهم في السهل ونقوى عليهم. فسمع لقولهم وفعل كذلك.26 وعند تمام السنة عدّ بنهدد الاراميين وصعد الى افيق ليحارب اسرائيل.27 واحصي بنو اسرائيل وتزوّدوا وساروا للقائهم فنزل بنو اسرائيل مقابلهم نظير قطيعين صغيرين من المعزى. واما الاراميون فملأوا الارض28 فتقدم رجل الله وكلم ملك اسرائيل وقال هكذا قال الرب من اجل ان الاراميين قالوا ان الرب انما هو اله جبال وليس هو اله اودية ادفع كل هذا الجمهور العظيم ليدك فتعلمون اني انا الرب.29 فنزل هؤلاء مقابل اولئك سبعة ايام. وفي اليوم السابع اشتبكت الحرب فضرب بنو اسرائيل من الاراميين مئة الف راجل في يوم واحد.30 وهرب الباقون الى افيق الى المدينة وسقط السور على السبعة والعشرين الف رجل الباقين. وهرب بنهدد ودخل المدينة من مخدع الى مخدع.31 فقال له عبيده اننا قد سمعنا ان ملوك بيت اسرائيل هم ملوك حليمون فلنضع مسوحا على احقائنا وحبالا على رؤوسنا ونخرج الى ملك اسرائيل لعله يحيي نفسك.32 فشدّوا مسوحا على احقائهم وحبالا على رؤوسهم واتوا الى ملك اسرائيل وقالوا يقول عبدك بنهدد لتحي نفسي. فقال أهو حيّ بعد. هو اخي.33 فتفاءل الرجال واسرعوا ولجّوا هل هو منه. وقالوا اخوك بنهدد. فقال ادخلوا خذوه فخرج اليه بنهدد فاصعده الى المركبة.34 وقال له اني ارد المدن التي اخذها ابي من ابيك وتجعل لنفسك اسواقا في دمشق كما جعل ابي في السامرة. فقال وانا اطلقك بهذا العهد. فقطع له عهدا واطلقه35 وان رجلا من بني الانبياء قال لصاحبه. عن امر الرب اضربني. فابى الرجل ان يضربه.36 فقال له من اجل انك لم تسمع لقول الرب فحينما تذهب من عندي يقتلك اسد. ولما ذهب من عنده لقيه اسد. وقتله.37 ثم صادف رجلا آخر فقال اضربني. فضربه الرجل ضربة فجرحه.38 فذهب النبي وانتظر الملك على الطريق وتنكر بعصابة على عينيه.39 ولما عبر الملك نادى الملك وقال خرج عبدك الى وسط القتال واذا برجل مال واتى اليّ برجل وقال احفظ هذا الرجل. وان فقد تكون نفسك بدل نفسه او تدفع وزنة من الفضة.40 وفيما عبدك مشتغل هنا وهناك اذ هو مفقود. فقال له ملك اسرائيل هكذا حكمك. انت قضيت.41 فبادر ورفع العصابة عن عينيه فعرفه ملك اسرائيل انه من الانبياء.42 فقال له هكذا قال الرب لانك افلت من يدك رجلا قد حرمته تكون نفسك بدل نفسه وشعبك بدل شعبه.43 فمضى ملك اسرائيل الى بيته مكتئبا مغموما وجاء الى السامرة

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.