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1 Kings 20
New English Translation

Ben Hadad Invades Israel

20 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.[a] 2 He sent messengers to King Ahab of Israel, who was in the city.[b] He said to him, “This is what Ben Hadad says: 3 ‘Your silver and your gold are mine, as well as the best of your wives and sons.’” 4 The king of Israel replied, “It is just as you say, my master, O king. I and all I own belong to you.”

5 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.” 6 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.’”[c] 7 The king of Israel summoned all the leaders[d] of the land and said, “Notice how this man is looking for trouble.[e] Indeed, he demanded my wives, sons, silver, and gold, and I did not resist him.” 8 All the leaders and people said to him, “Do not give in or agree to his demands.”[f] 9 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.’”[g] So the messengers went back and gave their report.

10 Ben Hadad sent another message to him, “May the gods judge me severely[h] if there is enough dirt left in Samaria for all my soldiers to scoop up in their hands.”[i] 11 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.”[j] 12 When Ben Hadad received this reply,[k] he and the other kings were drinking in their quarters.[l] He ordered his servants, “Get ready to attack!” So they got ready to attack the city.

The Lord Delivers Israel

13 Now a prophet visited King Ahab of Israel and said, “This is what the Lord has said: ‘Do you see this huge army?[m] Look, I am going to hand it over to you this very day. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’” 14 Ahab asked, “By whom will this be accomplished?”[n] He answered, “This is what the Lord has said, ‘By the servants of the district governors.’” Ahab[o] asked, “Who will launch the attack?” He answered, “You will.”

15 So Ahab[p] assembled the 232 servants of the district governors. After that he assembled all the Israelite army, numbering 7,000. 16 They marched out at noon, while Ben Hadad and the 32 kings allied with him were drinking heavily[q] in their quarters.[r] 17 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.” 18 He ordered, “Whether they come in peace or to do battle, take them alive.”[s] 19 They marched out of the city with the servants of the district governors in the lead and the army behind them. 20 Each one struck down an enemy soldier;[t] the Syrians fled and Israel chased them. King Ben Hadad of Syria escaped on horseback with some horsemen. 21 Then the king of Israel marched out and struck down the horses and chariots; he thoroughly defeated[u] Syria.

The Lord Gives Israel Another Victory

22 The prophet[v] visited the king of Israel and instructed him, “Go, fortify your defenses.[w] Determine[x] what you must do, for in the spring[y] the king of Syria will attack[z] you.” 23 Now the advisers[aa] 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. 24 So do this: Dismiss the kings from their command, and replace them with military commanders. 25 Muster an army like the one you lost, with the same number of horses and chariots.[ab] Then we will fight them in the plains; we will certainly overpower them.” He approved their plan and did as they advised.[ac]

26 In the spring[ad] Ben Hadad mustered the Syrian army[ae] and marched to Aphek to fight Israel.[af] 27 When the Israelites had mustered and received their supplies, they marched out to face them in battle. When the Israelites deployed opposite them, they were like two small flocks[ag] of goats, but the Syrians filled the land. 28 The prophet[ah] visited the king of Israel and said, “This is what the Lord has said: ‘Because the Syrians said, “The Lord is a god of the mountains and not a god of the valleys,” I will deliver this entire huge army into to your control. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’

29 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. 30 The remaining 27,000 ran to Aphek and went into the city, but the wall fell on them.[ai] Now Ben Hadad ran into the city and hid in an inner room.[aj] 31 His advisers[ak] said to him, “Look, we have heard that the kings of the Israelite dynasty are kind.[al] Allow us to put sackcloth around our waists and ropes on our heads[am] and surrender[an] to the king of Israel. Maybe he will spare our lives.” 32 So they put sackcloth around their waists and ropes on their heads and went to the king of Israel. They said, “Your servant[ao] Ben Hadad says, ‘Please let me live!’” Ahab[ap] replied, “Is he still alive? He is my brother.”[aq] 33 The men took this as a good omen and quickly accepted his offer, saying, “Ben Hadad is your brother.” Ahab[ar] then said, “Go, get him.” So Ben Hadad came out to him, and Ahab pulled him up into his chariot. 34 Ben Hadad[as] said, “I will return the cities my father took from your father. You may set up markets[at] in Damascus, just as my father did in Samaria.” Ahab then said, “I want to make a treaty with you before I dismiss you.”[au] So he made a treaty with him and then dismissed him.

A Prophet Denounces Ahab’s Actions

35 One of the members of the prophetic guild[av] told his companion a message from the Lord, “Please wound me!” But the man refused to wound him. 36 So the prophet[aw] said to him, “Because you have disobeyed the Lord, as soon as you leave me a lion will kill you.” When he left him, a lion attacked and killed him. 37 He found another man and said, “Wound me!” So the man wounded him severely.[ax] 38 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. 39 When the king passed by, he called out to the king, “Your servant went out into the heat[ay] of the battle, and then a man turned aside and brought me a prisoner.[az] He told me, ‘Guard this prisoner. If he ends up missing for any reason,[ba] you will pay with your life or with a talent[bb] of silver.’[bc] 40 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.”[bd] 41 The prophet[be] quickly removed the bandage from his eyes, and the king of Israel recognized he was one of the prophets. 42 The prophet[bf] then said to him, “This is what the Lord has said: ‘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.’”[bg] 43 The king of Israel went home to Samaria bitter and angry.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 20:1 tn Heb “and he went up and besieged Samaria and fought against it.”
  2. 1 Kings 20:2 tn Heb “to the city.”
  3. 1 Kings 20:6 tn Heb “all that is desirable to your eyes they will put in their hand and take.”
  4. 1 Kings 20:7 tn Heb “elders.”
  5. 1 Kings 20:7 tn Heb “Know and see that this [man] is seeking trouble.”
  6. 1 Kings 20:8 tn Heb “Do not listen and do not be willing.”
  7. 1 Kings 20:9 tn Heb “all which you sent to your servant in the beginning I will do, but this thing I am unable to do.”
  8. 1 Kings 20:10 tn Heb “So may the gods do to me, and so may they add.”
  9. 1 Kings 20:10 tn Heb “if the dirt of Samaria suffices for the handfuls of all the people who are at my feet.”
  10. 1 Kings 20:11 sn The point of the saying is that someone who is still preparing for a battle should not boast as if he has already won the battle. A modern parallel would be, “Don’t count your chickens before they’re hatched.”
  11. 1 Kings 20:12 tn Heb “When he heard this word.”
  12. 1 Kings 20:12 tn Heb “in the temporary shelters.” This is probably referring to tents.
  13. 1 Kings 20:13 tn Heb “see all this great horde.”
  14. 1 Kings 20:14 tn The words “will this be accomplished” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
  15. 1 Kings 20:14 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Ahab) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  16. 1 Kings 20:15 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Ahab) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  17. 1 Kings 20:16 tn Heb “drinking and drunken.”
  18. 1 Kings 20:16 tn Heb “in the temporary shelters.” This is probably referring to tents.
  19. 1 Kings 20:18 tn Heb “if they come in peace, take them alive; if they come for battle, take them alive.”
  20. 1 Kings 20:20 tn Heb “each struck down his man.”
  21. 1 Kings 20:21 tn Heb “struck down Aram with a great striking down.”
  22. 1 Kings 20:22 tn The definite article indicates previous reference, that is, “the prophet mentioned earlier” (see v. 13).
  23. 1 Kings 20:22 tn Heb “strengthen yourself.”
  24. 1 Kings 20:22 tn Heb “know and see.”
  25. 1 Kings 20:22 tn Heb “at the turning of the year.”
  26. 1 Kings 20:22 tn Heb “go up against.”
  27. 1 Kings 20:23 tn Or “servants.”
  28. 1 Kings 20:25 tn Heb “And you, you muster an army like the one that fell from you, horse like horse and chariot like chariot.”
  29. 1 Kings 20:25 tn Heb “he listened to their voice and did so.”
  30. 1 Kings 20:26 tn Heb “at the turning of the year.”
  31. 1 Kings 20:26 tn Heb “mustered Aram.”
  32. 1 Kings 20:26 tn Heb “and went up to Aphek for battle with Israel.”
  33. 1 Kings 20:27 tn The noun translated “small flocks” occurs only here. The common interpretation derives the word from the verbal root חשׂף, “to strip off; to make bare.” In this case the noun refers to something “stripped off” or “made bare.” HALOT 359 s.v. II חשׂף derives the noun from a proposed homonymic verbal root (which occurs only in Ps 29:9) meaning “cause a premature birth.” In this case the derived noun could refer to goats that are undersized because they are born prematurely.
  34. 1 Kings 20:28 tn Heb “the man of God.”
  35. 1 Kings 20:30 tn Heb “and the remaining ones fled to Aphek to the city and the wall fell on 27,000 men, the ones who remained.”
  36. 1 Kings 20:30 tn Heb “and Ben Hadad fled and went into the city, [into] an inner room in an inner room.”
  37. 1 Kings 20:31 tn Or “servants.”
  38. 1 Kings 20:31 tn Heb “that the kings of the house of Israel, that kings of kindness [are] they.” Or “merciful” rather than “kind.” The word used here often means “devoted” or “loyal.” Perhaps the idea is that the Israelite kings are willing to make treaties with other kings.
  39. 1 Kings 20:31 sn Sackcloth was worn as a sign of sorrow and repentance. The precise significance of the ropes on the head is uncertain, but it probably was a sign of submission. These actions were comparable to raising a white flag on the battlefield or throwing in the towel in a boxing match.
  40. 1 Kings 20:31 tn Heb “go out.”
  41. 1 Kings 20:32 sn Your servant. By referring to Ben Hadad as Ahab’s servant, they are suggesting that Ahab make him a subject in a vassal treaty arrangement.
  42. 1 Kings 20:32 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Ahab) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  43. 1 Kings 20:32 sn He is my brother. Ahab’s response indicates that he wants to make a parity treaty and treat Ben Hadad as an equal partner.
  44. 1 Kings 20:33 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Ahab) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  45. 1 Kings 20:34 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Ben Hadad) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  46. 1 Kings 20:34 tn Heb “streets,” but this must refer to streets set up with stalls for merchants to sell their goods. See HALOT 299 s.v. חוּץ.
  47. 1 Kings 20:34 tn Heb “I will send you away with a treaty.” The words “Ahab then said” are supplied in the translation. There is nothing in the Hebrew text to indicate that the speaker has changed from Ben Hadad to Ahab. Some suggest adding “and he said” before “I will send you away.” Others prefer to maintain Ben Hadad as the speaker and change the statement to, “Please send me away with a treaty.”
  48. 1 Kings 20:35 tn Heb “of the sons of the prophets.”
  49. 1 Kings 20:36 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the prophet) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  50. 1 Kings 20:37 tn Heb “and the man wounded him, wounding and bruising.”
  51. 1 Kings 20:39 tn Heb “middle.”
  52. 1 Kings 20:39 tn Heb “man” (also a second time later in this verse).
  53. 1 Kings 20:39 tn Heb “if being missed, he is missed.” The emphatic infinitive absolute before the finite verbal form lends solemnity to the warning.
  54. 1 Kings 20:39 tn The Hebrew term כִּכָּר (kikkar, “circle”) refers generally to something that is round. When used of metals it can refer to a disk-shaped weight made of the metal or to a standard unit of weight, generally regarded as a talent. Since the accepted weight for a talent of metal is about 75 pounds, this would have amounted to about 75 pounds of silver.
  55. 1 Kings 20:39 tn Heb “your life will be in place of his life, or a unit of silver you will pay.”
  56. 1 Kings 20:40 tn Heb “so [i.e., in accordance with his testimony] is your judgment, you have determined [it].”
  57. 1 Kings 20:41 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the prophet) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  58. 1 Kings 20:42 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the prophet) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  59. 1 Kings 20:42 tn Heb “Because you sent away the man of my destruction [i.e., that I determined should be destroyed] from [my/your?] hand, your life will be in place of his life, and your people in place of his people.”
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列王纪上 20
Chinese Contemporary Bible (Simplified)

亚兰王攻打撒玛利亚城

20 亚兰王便·哈达率领全军，联合三十二个王，带着车马围攻撒玛利亚。 2 他派遣使者进城对以色列王亚哈说： 3 “便·哈达说，‘你的金银和你家中最美的妻妾儿女都是我的。’” 4 以色列王说：“我主我王啊，我答应你的要求，我和我的一切都是你的。”

5 不久，使者又来对他说：“便·哈达说，‘我已派人吩咐你把金银、妻妾和儿女都给我。 6 明天这个时候，我会派属下搜查你的王宫和你臣仆的家，他们要拿走你珍爱的一切。’” 7 以色列王亚哈召集国中的长老，说：“你们看，这人是在找麻烦。他派人来要我的妻妾、孩子和金银，我没有拒绝他。” 8 长老和百姓都说：“别听从他，别答应他。”

9 于是，他对使者说：“你们告诉我主我王，他第一次所要的，仆人可以照办，但这一次所要的，仆人不能从命。”使者就去回复便·哈达。 10 便·哈达又派人去对亚哈说：“若撒玛利亚的尘土够我的士兵每人抓一把，愿神明重重地惩罚我。” 11 以色列王说：“你去告诉便·哈达，叫他别刚穿上盔甲就夸口，打完仗卸下盔甲再夸口吧。” 12 便·哈达和诸王正在营中饮酒，听见这话，就吩咐属下准备攻城。

亚哈打败便·哈达

13 一位先知来见以色列王亚哈，说：“耶和华说，‘你看见这大队人马了吗？今天我必将他们交在你手里，这样你就知道我是耶和华。’” 14 亚哈问：“谁来完成这任务呢？”先知答道：“耶和华说，省长属下的青年军。”亚哈问：“谁来做统领呢？”先知答道：“你。”

15 于是，亚哈召集了省长属下的青年军二百三十二人，又召集以色列全军，共七千人。

16 中午，便·哈达正跟盟军的三十二个王在营中狂饮的时候，亚哈率军出发了。 17 省长属下的青年军率先出城。便·哈达派出的巡逻队禀告他说：“有人从撒玛利亚城出来了。” 18 便·哈达说：“不管他们是来求和还是求战，都要生擒他们！” 19 省长属下的青年军率先出城，大军紧随其后， 20 他们见敌人就杀。亚兰人败逃，以色列人乘势追击。亚兰王便·哈达骑着马与一些骑兵落荒而逃。 21 以色列王出城攻击敌军车马，重创亚兰人。

22 先知又来见以色列王，说：“你要加强防卫，做好准备，因为明年春天亚兰王必卷土重来。”

23 臣仆给亚兰王献计说：“以色列人的神是山神，所以他们占了上风，我们若在平原上跟他们交战，一定会取胜。 24 王应该撤去诸王，委任将领代替他们， 25 再招募军兵，补充失去的战车和人马，好在平原上跟他们交战，这样我们一定会取胜。”王采纳了他们的建议。

26 第二年春天，便·哈达召集亚兰人进军亚弗，攻打以色列人。 27 以色列人也召集军队，准备粮草，迎战敌军。他们在亚兰人对面安营，像两小群山羊，而敌军却满山遍野。 28 有位上帝的仆人来见以色列王，说：“耶和华说，‘亚兰人以为我耶和华是山神，不是平原的神，所以我必将这大队人马交在你手里，这样你们就知道我是耶和华。’”

29 以色列人和亚兰人两军对峙，一连七天。第七天，两军交战，以色列军一天杀了十万亚兰步兵， 30 残余的亚兰人都逃进亚弗城，但城墙倒塌压死了两万七千人。便·哈达也逃进城，躲在一间房子的内室里。 31 臣仆对他说：“我们听说以色列王很仁慈。现在，我们不如腰束麻布，头套绳索，向以色列王请降，或许他会饶王一命。” 32 他们便腰束麻布，头套绳索，来见以色列王，说：“仆人便·哈达求王开恩饶命啊！”亚哈回答说：“他还活着吗？他是我的兄弟。” 33 他们听见亚哈的口气温和，连忙附和说：“是啊，便·哈达是王的兄弟。”亚哈便吩咐他们去把便·哈达带来见他，然后让便·哈达登上他的战车。 34 便·哈达对亚哈说：“我必归还我父亲从你父亲那里夺来的城邑，你可以在大马士革设立贸易区，就像我父亲在撒玛利亚所设立的一样。”亚哈回答说：“你依此立个约，我就放你走。”立约之后，亚哈就放便·哈达走了。

先知责备亚哈

35 众先知中有一位奉耶和华的命令对他的同伴说：“你打我吧！”同伴却不肯动手。 36 那位先知就对他说：“既然你不听从耶和华的吩咐，你一离开我，就会被狮子咬死。”那同伴走后，果然遇见狮子，被咬死了。 37 那先知又找了一个人，叫那人打他，那人就打他，把他打伤了。 38 先知用头巾蒙着眼睛，乔装改扮，在路旁等候亚哈王。 39 亚哈王经过的时候，他向王喊道：“仆人在打仗的时候，有人押来一个俘虏，要我看管，他说如果俘虏跑掉，我就要以性命抵偿或赔偿三十四公斤银子。 40 可是那俘虏趁仆人忙乱之际跑掉了。”亚哈王说：“这是你自己的过失，你要自负其咎。” 41 先知立刻拿去蒙眼的头巾，以色列王认出他是个先知。 42 他对王说：“耶和华说，‘你放走了我决定要毁灭的人，所以你的命要抵他的命，你百姓的命要抵他百姓的命。’” 43 以色列王闷闷不乐地回撒玛利亚的王宫去了。

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