Syria Attacks Israel
1 King Benhadad of Syria called his army together. He was joined by 32 other kings with their horses and chariots, and together they marched to Samaria and attacked. 2 Benhadad sent a messenger to tell King Ahab of Israel, 3 “Ahab, give me your silver and gold, your wives, and your strongest sons!”
4 “Your Majesty,” Ahab replied, “everything I have is yours, including me.”
5 Later, Benhadad sent another messenger to say to Ahab, “I already told you to give me your silver and gold, your wives, and your children. 6 But tomorrow at this time, I will send my officials into your city to search your palace and the houses of your officials. They will take everything else that you own.”
7 Ahab called a meeting with the leaders of Israel and said, “Benhadad is causing real trouble. He told me to give him my wives and children, as well as my silver and gold. And I agreed.”
8 “Don't listen to him!” they answered. “You don't have to do what he says.”
9 So Ahab sent someone to tell Benhadad, “Your Majesty, I'll give you my silver and gold, and even my wives and children. But I won't let you have anything else.”
When Benhadad got his answer, 10 he replied, “I'll completely destroy Samaria! There won't even be enough of it left for my soldiers to carry back in their hands. If I don't do it, I pray that the gods will punish me terribly.”
11 Ahab then answered, “Benhadad, don't brag before the fighting even begins. Wait and see if you live through it.”
12 Meanwhile, Benhadad and the other kings had been drinking in their tents. But when Ahab's reply came, he ordered his soldiers to prepare to attack Samaria, and they all got ready.
13 At that very moment, a prophet ran up to Ahab and said, “You can see that Benhadad's army is very strong. But the Lord has promised to help you defeat them today. Then you will know that the Lord is in control.”
14 “Who will fight the battle?” Ahab asked.
The prophet answered, “The young bodyguards who serve the district officials.”
“But who will lead them into battle?” Ahab asked.
“You will!” the prophet replied.
15 So Ahab called together the 232 young soldiers and the 7,000 troops in Israel's army, and he got them ready to fight the Syrians.
Israel Defeats the Syrians
16-17 At noon, King Ahab and his Israelite army marched out of Samaria, with the young soldiers in front.
King Benhadad of Syria and the 32 kings with him were drunk when the scouts he had sent out ran up to his tent, shouting, “We just now saw soldiers marching out of Samaria!”
18 “Take them alive!” Benhadad ordered. “I don't care if they have come out to fight or to surrender.”
19 The young soldiers led Israel's troops into battle, 20 and each of them attacked and killed an enemy soldier. The rest of the Syrian army turned and ran, and the Israelites went after them. Benhadad and some others escaped on horses, 21 but Ahab and his soldiers followed them and captured their horses and chariots.
Ahab and Israel's army crushed the Syrians.
22 Later, the prophet went back and warned Ahab, “Benhadad will attack you again next spring. Build up your troops and make sure you have some good plans.”
Syria Attacks Israel Again
23 Meanwhile, Benhadad's officials went to him and explained:
Israel's gods are mountain gods. We fought Israel's army in the hills, and that's why they defeated us. But if we fight them on flat land, there's no way we can lose.
24 Here's what you should do. First, get rid of those 32 kings and put army commanders in their places. 25 Then get more soldiers, horses, and chariots, so your army will be as strong as it was before. We'll fight Israel's army on flat land and wipe them out.
Benhadad agreed and did what they suggested.
26 In the spring, Benhadad got his army together, and they marched to the town of Aphek to attack Israel. 27 The Israelites also prepared to fight. They marched out to meet the Syrians, and the two armies camped across from each other. The Syrians covered the whole area, but the Israelites looked like two little flocks of goats.
28 The prophet went to Ahab and said, “The Syrians think the Lord is a god of the hills and not of the valleys. So he has promised to help you defeat their powerful army. Then you will know that the Lord is in control.”
29 For seven days the two armies stayed in their camps, facing each other. Then on the seventh day the fighting broke out, and before sunset the Israelites had killed 100,000 Syrian troops. 30 The rest of the Syrian army ran back to Aphek, but the town wall fell and crushed 27,000 of them.
Benhadad also escaped to Aphek and hid in the back room of a house. 31 His officials said, “Your Majesty, we've heard that Israel's kings keep their agreements. We will wrap sackcloth around our waists, put ropes around our heads, and ask Ahab to let you live.”
32 They dressed in sackcloth and put ropes on their heads, then they went to Ahab and said, “Your servant Benhadad asks you to let him live.”
“Is he still alive?” Ahab asked. “Benhadad is like a brother to me.”
33 Benhadad's officials were trying to figure out what Ahab was thinking, and when he said “brother,” they quickly replied, “You're right! You and Benhadad are like brothers.”
“Go get him,” Ahab said.
When Benhadad came out, Ahab had him climb up into his chariot.
34 Benhadad said, “I'll give back the towns my father took from your father. And you can have shops in Damascus, just as my father had in Samaria.”
Ahab replied, “If you do these things, I'll let you go free.” Then they signed a peace treaty, and Ahab let Benhadad go.
A Prophet Condemns Ahab
35 About this time the Lord commanded a prophet to say to a friend, “Hit me!” But the friend refused, 36 and the prophet told him, “You disobeyed the Lord, and as soon as you walk away, a lion will kill you.” The friend left, and suddenly a lion killed him.
37 The prophet found someone else and said, “Hit me!” So this man beat him up.
38 The prophet left and put a bandage over his face to disguise himself. Then he went and stood beside the road, waiting for Ahab to pass by.
39 When Ahab went by, the prophet shouted, “Your Majesty, right in the heat of battle, someone brought a prisoner to me and told me to guard him. He said if the prisoner got away, I would either be killed or forced to pay 3,000 pieces of silver. 40 But I got busy doing other things, and the prisoner escaped.”
Ahab answered, “You will be punished just as you have said.”
41 The man quickly tore the bandage off his face, and Ahab saw that he was one of the prophets. 42 The prophet said, “The Lord told you to kill Benhadad, but you let him go. Now you will die in his place, and your people will die in place of his people.”
43 Ahab went back to Samaria, angry and depressed.
Siriaǁîn ge Israelǁîn ǃoagu ra torodī
1 Gao-aob Benhadadi Siriab dib ge ǁîb di toroǂnubis hoaragasa ǀhaoǀhao, tsî ǀnî ǃnonadisiǀgamǀa gao-aogu xa hāgu tsî torokunidi ǀkha ǂkhâǃnâhe hâse Samarias ǁga ǃgû tsî ǁîsa sī ge ǁnāǂam. 2 Tsîb ge sîsabega ǃās ǁga Israeli gao-aob Axab ǃoa ge sî, nēti gu sī nî mîse: “Gao-aob Benhadadi ge ra mîmā, 3 îts sa ǀhaiǀurib tsî ǃhuniǀurib, sa îxa taradi tsî ǀgôan tsîn hoana ǁîba māǁnâ.”
4 Ob ge gao-aob Axaba “Gao-aob Benhadada mîba ǁîb go mî khami a i ī, tita tsî ti xūn hoan ge a ǁîb di” ti ge ǃeream.
5 O gu ge sîsabega ǁkhawa Axab ǃoa Benhadadi haisi-ams ǀkha oahā tsî ge mî: “Tita ge go haisiba tsi, îts sa ǀhaiǀurib tsî ǃhuniǀurib, sa taradi tsî ǀgôan tsîna tita mā. 6 Xawe nēsi ta ge ti ǂamkhoega ǁari satsa ǃoa nî sî, î gu sa gao-omgu tsî sa ǂamkhoegu di omdi tsîna ôaǃnâ tsî ǁîga ga ǃgâiba xū-i hoa-e ūbasen.”
7 Ob ge gao-aob Axab ǃhūb di ǂgaeǂgui-aogu hoaga ǂgaiǀhao tsî ge mî: “Kō re, nē khoeb ge ǂkhababa ra ôa. ǁÎb ge ti taradi, ǀgôan, ǀhaiǀurib tsî ǃhuniǀurib tsîna a ǂgaoǀkhā te, o ta ge ǂkhā tama ge i.”
8 On ge ǂgaeǂgui-aogu tsî hoaraga ǁaes tsîna “Tā Benhadada ǃgâ, î tā ǁîb ra mî khami dī” ti ge mî.
9 Ob ge Axaba Benhadadi sîsabega ǃoa ge mî: “Gao-aoba sī mîba ǂguro ǂgaoǀkhās ai ta nî dīǀoaǀoa xawe ǀgamǁî ǂgaoǀkhāsa ta ge dī ǁkhā tide.” Sîsabegu ge Benhadada ǃoa ǃgû tsî ǁkhawa ǀnî haisi-ams ǀkha 10 ǁîba xu ge oaǀkhī “Tita ge ǂgui khoegu ǀkha, ǁîgu di ǃomgu ǃaromas tsînab ǂâu hâ tsarab xaweba ǃgau tides kōse, sa ǃās Samariasa hā nî hîkākā. ǁNāsa ta ga dī tama io, a gu eloga ǁnâi ǃgam te.”
11 Ob ge gao-aob Axaba ge ǃeream: “Gao-aob Benhadada sī mîba toroǃkhamaob ge ǃkhams aiǃâs ose, xawe ǃkhams khaoǃgâ ra koasen.”
12 Benhadadi ge nē ǂhôasa, nau gao-aogu ǀkhab tentomdi ǃnâ ra ā hîa ge ǃkhōǃoa. Tsîb ge ǁîb khoega ge mîmā, î gu ǂhomisen tsî ǃāsa ǁnāǂam.
13 ǁNā ǁaeb ǃnâb ge kēbo-aoba gao-aob Axab tawa hā tsî “ǃKhūb ge tā ǁnā kai toroǂnubis xa ǃao. Tita ge ǁîs ǂama dansa nî mā tsi, ots ge tita a ǃKhū ǃkhaisa nî ǂan” ti ge mî.
14 “Tari-e nē ǃkhamsa nî ǃkhōdana” tib ge Axaba ge dî.
Ob ge kēbo-aoba “ǃKhūb ge ra mî ǂkham toroǃkhamaogu, ǀkharib ǂgaeǂgui-aogu xa ǃkhōdanahe hâgu ge ǁnāsa nî dī” ti ge ǃeream.
Gao-aob ge “Tari-e ǃkhamsa nî tsoatsoa” ti ge dî.
Ob ge kēbo-aoba “Sats” ti ge ǃeream.
15 Ob ge gao-aoba ǀgamkaidisi tsî ǃnonadisiǀgamǀa ǂkham toroǃkhamaogu, ǀkharib di ǃkhōdana-aogu ǂgaeǂguis ǃnaka hâga ge ǂgaiǀhao. ǁNās khaoǃgâb ge hûǀoadisi Israelǁî toroǃkhamaogu ona ge ǂgaiǀhao.
16 ǁÎgu ge tsēǃgâǁaeb ai ge ǃgûǂoa; Benhadadi tsî ǁîb ǀkha ge hâ i gao-aogu tsîgu ge ǁnā ǁaeb ai tentomdi âgu ǃnâ gere āǀhoro. 17 ǂKham toroǃkhamaogu ge ǂgurose ge ǃgûǂoa, ob ge Benhadada ǁîb di sîsabegu xa toroǃkhamaogu Samariasa xu ǃgoaxa ǃkhaisa sī ge ǂanǂanhe.
18 Ob ge ǁîba “ǂKhîba gu ga ǀkhības, torob ǃoa gu ga ǀkhīs hoasa ǁîga ûitsamase ǃkhō” ti ge mîmā.
19 ǂKham toroǃkhamaogu ge toroǃkhamsa ge ǂgaeǂgui tsî Israeli toroǂnubis ge ǁîga ǃgâb ai gere sao 20 tsîb ge mâb hoaba ǁîb ǃoagub gere ǃkham khoeba ge ǃgam. O gu ge Siriaǁîga ge ǁhâ tsî gu ge Israelǁîga ǁîga ge ǃgôaǃgon, xawe Benhadadi ge hāb ai ǃgapi hâse ǀnî hāǃgapi-aogu ǀkha ge ûiǂoa. 21 Gao-aob Axab ge ǃāsa xu ǂoaxa, hāgu tsî torokunidi tsîna ǃkhō tsî kaise ǂgui Siriaǁîna ge ǃgam.
22 Ob ge kēbo-aoba gao-aob Axab tawa sī tsî ge mî: “Toroǂnubis âtsa sī ǀgaiǀgai, î ǃgâise ǀapeǀape, Siriab gao-aob ǁkhawa kurib tsoatsoas ǃnâ nî ǁnāǂam tsi xuige.”
Israelǁîn ge ǁkhawa Siriaǁîna ra dan
23 Gao-aob Benhadadi ǂamkhoegu ge ǁîb ǃoa ge mî: “Israelǁîn elogu a ǃhomgu di elo amagan ge ǁîna sada ge ǀgaidā, xawe ǂgāgu ai da ga ǁîn ǃoagu a ǃkham, o da ge ǁîna nî dan. 24 Nēsi ǁnā ǃnonadisiǀgamǀa gao-aoga ǃkhōdana-aogu ǀkha ǃkhōǃkhuni, 25 î nēts ge ǂoaǃnâ toroǂnubis kōse a ǀgaisa toroǂnubis tsî hāgu tsî torokunidi tsîna ǀhaoǀhaobasen. ǁÎna da ga ǂgāgu ai a ǃkham-ū, o da ge ǁîna nî dan.”
Ob ge Benhadada ǁîgu ge ǀapemā bi khami ge dī. 26 Sao ra kurib tsoatsoas ǃnâb ge ǁîba toroǂnubis âba ǀhaoǀhao tsî ǁîs ǀkha Israelǁînab sī nî ǁnāǂamga Afeks ǁga ge ǃgû. 27 Israelǁîgu ge ǂgaiǀhaohe tsî ǃgâise aiǂhomihe hâse ǃgûǂoa tsî ǀgam ǃnanrora ǃnâ ǀgoraǂgāsen tsî hâǃkhaiba Siriaǁîn ǃoa-ai ge ǂnaumâi, xawe hoaraga ǃkhaib ge Siriaǁîn ǂnubis xa ge ǀoa hâ i.
28 Ob ge kēbo-aoba gao-aob Axab tawa sī tsî ge mî: “Nētib ge ǃKhūba ra mî: ‘Siriaǁîn ge tita a ǃhomgu di elo tsî ǂgāgu di elo tama, ti a mî ǃkhais ǃaroma ta ge ǁîn di kai toroǂnubis ǂama dansa nî mā tsi, o du ge sadu hoado tita a ǃKhū ǃkhaisa nî ǂan.’ ”
29 Hû tsēden ge Israelǁîn tsî Siriaǁîn tsîna ǁîn di hâǃkhaigu, ǁgoeǃoagu hâgu ǃnâ ge hâ tsî hûǁî tsēs aib ge toroba ge tsoatsoa, on ge Israelǁîna ǀguikaidisiǀoadisi toroǃkhamaogu Siriaǁîn diga ǀgui tsēs ǃnâ ge ǃgam. 30 Ûiǃgau ge gu ge ǃās Afeks ǃnâ ge ǃkhoeniǂgâ tsî gu ge ǀgamdisihûǀaǀoadisigu ǁîgu diga ǂnubiǂgoab xa ge ǁnā-aihe.
Benhadadi on ge ǃās ǃnâ ǃkhoeniǂgâ tsî ǂganaga hâ ǃnā-oms ǃnâ sī ge gau. 31 O gu ge ǁîb ǂamkhoega ǁîb tawa sī tsî ge mî: “Israelǁî gao-aogu a ǀkhomxaǃnâ ǃkhaisa ge ge go ǁnâu. Mā-am ge re, î ge ǃoab saraga ana tsî tsuriga ǃaogu ai ǃgae hâse Israeli di gao-aob tawa sī, ǀnîsib ǁîba sa ûiba nî sâu xuige.” 32 Tsî gu ge ǃoab saraga ana, tsuriga ǃaogu ai ǃgae tsî gao-aob Axab tawa sī tsî “Sa ǃgāb Benhadadi ge ra ǀkhoma tsi, îts ǁîb ûiba sâu” ti ge mî.
Ob ge Axaba “Noxopab a ûitsama? ǁÎb ge a ti ǃgâsa” ti ge ǃeream.
33 Benhadadi ǂamkhoegu ge nēsa ǃgâi ǃēs ase mû tsî ǃhaese “Benhadadi ge sa ǃgâsaba” ti ge mî.
“Tita ǃoa hā-ū bi” tib ge Axaba ge mî, tsîb ge Benhadadi ge hāo, Axaba ǁîb tawa torokunis ai ge ǂoa kai bi. 34 Ob ge Benhadada ge mî: “Ti îb ge sa îba xu ū ǃāde ta ge nî mā-oa tsi tsîts ge ǂharuguǃkhaiba Damaskus ǃnâ, ti îb ge Samarias ǃnâ dīs ǁkhās khami a dībasen ǁkhā.”
“Nēti ī ǁnâugus ai ta ge a ǁnāxū tsi ǁkhā” ti mî tsîb ge gao-aob Axaba Benhadadi ǀkha ǃgaeǀhao-e dī tsî ǁîba ge ǃgû kai.
Gao-aob Axab di ǁkharahes
35 ǃKhūb di mîmās aib ge kēbo-aogu di ǀguiba horesaba ge mîmā, îb ǂnauhe, xaweb ge ǁîba ge ǂkhā. 36 Ob ge kēbo-aoba ǁîb ǃoa ge mî: “ǃKhūb di mîmāsats go ǁnâuǀnamoǃnâ amagab ge xamma tita xuts ga ǃgû, o nî ǃgam tsi.” Tsî ǁîba xub ge ǃgû, ob ge xamma hō bi tsî ge ǃgam bi.
37 Nē kēbo-aob ǁkhāb ge ǀnî khoeb tawa sī tsî ǁîb ǃoa “ǂNau te” ti ge mî, ob ge nē khoeba ǁîba ǀgaisase ǂnau tsî ge tsui. 38 Kēbo-aob ge mûǃāheb tidega lapi-e ais âb ai ǂgam hâse gao-aoba daob amǃgâ sī ge ǃâumâ. 39 Tsî gao-aob ge hā a ǃkharu, ob ge ǁîba gao-aoba ǂgai tsî ge mî: “Toroǃkhams ǃnâ ta hâ hîab ge toro-aoba khākhoeba tita tawa hā-ū tsî ge mî: ‘Nē khoeba ǃûi, ǁîb ga duni ots ge satsa sa ûib ǀkha nî mādawa-am tamas ka io ǃnonaǀoadisi ǀhaiǀuri maride nî matare.’ 40 Xaweb ge ǁnā khoeba ǀnî xūn ǀkha ta a ǁāxa hîa ge duni.”
Ob ge gao-aoba “Aitsamats ge go ǀgoraǃgâsen” ti ge mî.
41 Kēbo-aob ge lapiba ais âba xu ūǁnâ, ob ge gao-aoba ǁîb kēbo-aogu di ǀguib a ǃkhaisa ge mûǃā. 42 Ob ge kēbo-aoba ǁîb ǃoa ge mî: “Nētib ge ǃKhūba ra mî: ‘Tita ge ǃgamheb nîse mîmā khoebats ge ûiǂoa kai, ǃkhais ǃaromats ge sa ûib ǀkha nî matare tsî sa toroǂnubis ge ǁîb di toroǂnubisa gu ge ûiǂoa kai xui-ao nî hîkākāhe.’ ”
43 Ob ge gao-aoba ǂâiǂhansen rase tsî ǃoa hâse oms âb ǃoa Samarias ǁga ge oa.
