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1 Kings 20:32-34
Easy-to-Read Version
1 Kings 20:32-34
Easy-to-Read Version
32 They dressed in rough cloth with ropes on their heads. They came to the king of Israel. They said, “Your servant, Ben-Hadad, says, ‘Please let me live.’”
Ahab said, “Is he still alive? He is my brother.[a]”
33 Ben-Hadad’s men wanted King Ahab to say something to show that he would not kill King Ben-Hadad. When Ahab called Ben-Hadad his brother, the advisors quickly said, “Yes! Ben-Hadad is your brother.”
Ahab said, “Bring him to me.” So Ben-Hadad came to King Ahab. King Ahab asked him to get in the chariot with him.
34 Ben-Hadad said to him, “Ahab, I will give you the towns that my father took from your father. And you can put shops in Damascus, as my father did in Samaria.”
Ahab answered, “If you agree to this, I will let you go free.” So the two kings made a peace agreement. Then King Ahab let King Ben-Hadad go free.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 1 Kings 20:32 brother People who signed peace agreements often called each other “brother.” It was as if they were one family.
1 Kings 20:32-34
New International Version
1 Kings 20:32-34
New International Version
32 Wearing sackcloth around their waists and ropes around their heads, they went to the king of Israel and said, “Your servant Ben-Hadad says: ‘Please let me live.’”
The king answered, “Is he still alive? He is my brother.”
33 The men took this as a good sign and were quick to pick up his word. “Yes, your brother Ben-Hadad!” they said.
“Go and get him,” the king said. When Ben-Hadad came out, Ahab had him come up into his chariot.
34 “I will return the cities(A) my father took from your father,” Ben-Hadad(B) offered. “You may set up your own market areas(C) in Damascus,(D) as my father did in Samaria.”
Ahab said, “On the basis of a treaty(E) I will set you free.” So he made a treaty with him, and let him go.
Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)
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