Ben-hadad king of Aram (Syria) gathered all his army together; thirty-two kings were [allied] with him, with horses and chariots. And he went up and besieged Samaria [Israel’s capital], and fought against it.
Then the king of Israel summoned all the elders of the land and said, “Please observe and see how this man is seeking our destruction. For he sent messengers to me for my wives, my children, my silver, and my gold, and I did not refuse him.”
Then a prophet approached Ahab king of Israel and said, “Thus says the LORD: ‘Have you seen all this great army? Behold, I will hand them over to you, and you shall know [without any doubt] that I am the LORD.’”
They went out at noon, while Ben-hadad was getting drunk in the temporary shelters, he and the thirty-two kings who were helping him.
So these young men of the governors of the districts went out of the city, and the army followed them.
Then the prophet approached the king of Israel and said to him, “Go, strengthen yourself and observe and see what you have to do; for at the first of next year the king of Aram (Syria) will come up against you.”
At the first of the year [in spring], Ben-hadad assembled and counted the Arameans (Syrians) and went up to Aphek [east of the Sea of Galilee] to fight against Israel.
Amplified Bible Copyright © 2015 by
The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA 90631 All rights reserved.
For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org.