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.
Iita yAasiria
1 Omukwaniilwa gwaSiria Benhadad okwa hiya aakwiita ye ayehe e ta kwathelwa kaaleli yalwe omilongo ndatu nayaali ye na uukambe wawo nomatembakwiita. Okwa yi e ta kondeke Samaria noku shi kondjitha. 2 Okwa tumu aatumwa moshilando komukwaniilwa gwaIsrael Ahab ye na elaka tali ti: “Omukwaniilwa Benhadad ota pula, 3 u mu yoololele oshisiliveli shoye, aanyekadhi yoye aawanawa naamwoye aanankondo.”
4 Ahab okwa yamukula a ti: “Ka lombweleni mwene gwandje omukwaniilwa Benhadad kutya ngame nda zimine; ota vulu okukwata ndje po niinima yandje ayihe.”
5 Konima aatumwa oya galukile kuAhab ye na epulo lilwe lya za kuBenhadad tali ti: “Onde ku tumine elaka, u pe ndje oshisiliveli shoye, oshingoli shoye, aanyekadhi yoye naamwoye. 6 Ihe ngashingeyi ote ningi ngeyi. Ongula pethimbo ngaandika ote tumu aambala yandje, ye ye ya shilile ombala yoye nomagumbo gomalenga goye. Otaa kutha po shaa shoka taa tala shi na oshilonga.”
7 Omukwaniilwa Ahab okwa hiya aawiliki yoshilongo ayehe e ta ti kuyo: “Omu wete kutya omuntu nguka okwa hala oku tu teya po. Okwa tumine ndje elaka ta pula ndje aakiintu yandje naamwandje, oshisiliveli noshingoli shandje, nonda zimine.”
8 Aawiliki naantu ayehe oya yamukula ya ti: “Ino mu pulakena nando; ino shi pitika.”
9 Omolwashoka Ahab a yamukula aatumwa yaBenhadad ta ti: “Ka lombweleni mwene gwandje omukwaniilwa kutya onda zimina eindilo lyotango, ihe ite vulu okuzimina eindilo etiyali.”
Aatumwa oya yi e taa galuka nelaka lilwe 10 lya za kuBenhadad tali ti: “Otandi ka eta aantu ya gwana okuyonagula po oshilando shoye shika nokukutha po iikumunwa nokuyuka po ayihe niikaha yawo. Ookalunga naa geele ndje, ndi se, ngele itandi shi ningi.”
11 Omukwaniilwa Ahab okwa yamukula a ti: “Ka lombweleni omukwaniilwa Benhadad kutya omukwiita gwolela oti itanga, ngele a kondjo, hamanga inaa kondja.”
12 Benhadad okwa taamba eyamukulo lyaAhab, manga yo nayakwawo, aaleli yalwe, ya li taa nu mootenda. Okwa lombwele aantu ye, yi ilongekidhile okumatukila oshilando, oyo noya yi miilonga.
13 Nena omuhunganeki gumwe e ya komukwaniilwa Ahab nokwa ti: “Omuwa ota ti: ‘Ino tila omatangakwiita ngoka omanene. Otandi ku pe esindano nena, noto ka tseya kutya ongame Omuwa.’ ”
14 Ahab okwa pula a ti: “Olye ta ka homona?”
Omuhunganeki okwa yamukula a ti: “Omuwa ota ti, aakwiita aagundjuka mewiliko lyaaniikandjo oyo taa shi ningi.”
Omukwaniilwa okwa pula: “Olye ta tameke okuhomona?”
Omuhunganeki okwa yamukula a ti: “Ongoye.”
15 Nena omukwaniilwa okwi ithana aakwiita aagundjuka mboka ya li mewiliko lyaaniikandjo, ayehe kumwe 232. Opo ihe okwa hiya omatangakwiita gAaisraeli, aantu omayuvi gaheyali.
16 Ehomono olya tameke omutenya, manga Benhadad nayakwawo omilongo ndatu nayaali ya li ya kolwa mootenda dhawo. 17 Aakwiita aagundjuka oya humu ko tango. Oondaadhi dha li dha tumwa kuBenhadad, odhe mu tseyithile kutya ongundu yaakwiita otayi ya tayi zi kuSamaria. 18 Okwa gandja elaka ta ti: “Ya kwateni ye na omwenyo, ashihe shimwe, ngele otaa ya okukondja nenge okupula ombili.”
19 Aakwiita aagundjuka oya wilike ehomono ya landulwa komatangakwiita gaIsrael, 20 noshaa ngoka okwa dhipaga omuntu ngoka e mu ukilila. Aasiria oya fadhuka po, nAaisraeli oye ya landula, ihe Benhadad okwa hunuka po a kayila okakambe e li pamwe naakawilinkambe yamwe. 21 Omukwaniilwa Ahab okwa yi kelundu e ta yugu po uukambe nomatembakwiita e ta sindi esindano enene mokati kAasiria.
22 Nena omuhunganeki okwa yi komukwaniilwa Ahab e ta ti: “Inda, u ka koleke omatangakwiita goye e to ningi oompangela oombwanawa, oshoka omukwaniilwa gwaSiria ote ke ku homona ishewe poshitemamvula.”
Ehomono etiyali lyAasiria
23 Omalenga gomukwaniilwa Benhadad oga ti kuye: “Ookalunga yaIsrael oyokoondundu, nomolwashoka Aaisraeli oye tu sindi, ihe otatu ke ya sinda shili, ngele otatu kondjo nayo melundu. 24 Ngashingeyi kutha aaleli mboka omilongo ndatu nayaali peha lyawo, u tule po oondjayi dhokomalundu. 25 Nena hiya etangakwiita li thike pamwe naandyoka wa kanitha, li na uukambe nomatembakwiita pandjele ndjoka yonale. Otatu ka kondja nAaisraeli komalundu, nomoshikando shika otatu ke ya sinda.”
Omukwaniilwa Benhadad okwa zimine e ta landula omayele gawo. 26 Oshitemamvula sha landula okwa hiya aantu ye e ta yi nayo koshilando Afek, a homone Aaisraeli. 27 Aaisraeli oya li ya hiywa noya li ya homata. Oya piti mo e taa yi noya yungu oontanda mbali dha taalelathana nAasiria. Aaisraeli oya li ya fa uungundu uyali wiikombo, manga Aasiria ya li yu udha elundu alihe.
28 Omuhunganeki okwa yi komukwaniilwa Ahab e te mu lombwele: “Omuwa ota ti ngeyi: ‘Molwashoka Aasiria otaa ti, ngame okalunga kokiikulundundu nohakokomalundu, otandi ku pe esindano okusinda etangakwiita lyawo enenenene, nangoye naantu yoye otamu ka tseya kutya ongame Kalunga.’ ”
29 Aasiria nAaisraeli oya kala moontanda dhawo omasiku gaheyali ya taalelathana. Mesiku etiheyali oya homonathana, nAaisraeli oya dhipaga Aasiria omayuvi ethele. 30 Mboka ya hupu ko, oya yi ontuku moshilando Afek, moka edhingililokuma lyoshilando lya kumukile omayuvi omilongo mbali nagaheyali yomuyo.
Benhadad, ngoka wo a li a ka holama moshilando, okwa kala ta zi mongulu ndjika noku ka holama mundjiyaka. 31 Omalenga ge oga yi kuye e taga ti: “Otwa kundana kutya aakwaniilwa yaIsrael aanamutimahenda. Tu pitikila, tu ye komukwaniilwa gwaIsrael twa zala omahahi noongodhi moothingo, pamwe otashi tu kwatha, a hupithe omwenyo gwoye.” 32 Osho ngaaka ya zala omahahi noongodhi moothingo noya yi kuAhab taa ti: “Omupiya gwoye Benhadad ota ti: ‘Kwatha ndje, ndi kale ndi na omwenyo.’ ”
Ahab okwa yamukula a ti: “Oku na ngaa omwenyo natango? Onawa! Kungame okwa fa omumwameme nokuli!”
33 Omalenga gaBenhadad oga tsuwa omukumo koshitya shoka “omumwameme” sha tumbulwa kuAhab noya ti mbala: “Benhadad omumwanyoko!”
Ahab okwe ga lombwele: “Mu eteni kungame.” Benhadad sho a thiki, Ahab okwe mu ithana a londe metembakwiita lye pamwe naye. 34 Benhadad okwa ti kuye: “Otandi ke ku galulila iilando mbyoka tate e yi yugile ho e to vulu okweegulula oositola muDamaskus, naanaa ngaashi tate a ningile muSamaria.” Ahab okwa yamukula a ti: “Pauvathano ndika otandi ku etha.” Okwa hangana naye nokwe mu etha, a ye.
Omuhunganeki ta pangula Ahab
35 Pautho lyOmuwa, gumwe gwomongundu yaahunganeki okwa lombwele omuhunganeki mukwawo, e mu dhenge. Ihe okwa tindi, 36 onkee omuhunganeki a ti kuye: “Molwashoka wa tindi okuvulika kelaka lyOmuwa, onime otayi ke ku lya po, nanziya shampa wa zi pungame.” Sho a zi puye, onime oya holoka e tayi mu li po.
37 Nena omuhunganeki tuu ngoka okwa yi komuntu gulwe e ta ti: “Dhenga ndje!” Omulumentu nguka okwa dhenge noonkondo e te mu toshola. 38 Omuhunganeki okwi isiikile oshipala nonguwo e ti idhimbike e ta yi, a ka thikame pondjila a tegelela, omukwaniilwa gwaIsrael a pite po. 39 Omukwaniilwa sho a li ta pitilile po, omuhunganeki okwe mu igidha ta ti: “Nkeyama, onda li te kondjo molugodhi, omukwiita sho e eta kungame omutondi a kwatwa e ta ti: ‘Dhiginina omuntu nguka, opo ki iyake po. Ongoye to shi pulwa, u fute nomwenyo gwoye nenge iimaliwa iiyelele yoshisiliveli omayuvi gatatu.’ 40 Ihe ngame onda li ndi ipyakidhila niinima yilwe, ndele omuntu ta yi ondapo.”
Omukwaniilwa okwa yamukula a ti: “Owi ipangula ngoye mwene, ou na okufuta ondjo yoye.”
41 Omuhunganeki okwa siikulula oshipala she, nohaluka omukwaniilwa okwe mu dhimbulula kutya nani ogumwe gwomaahunganeki. 42 Nena omuhunganeki okwa ti komukwaniilwa: “Oohapu dhOmuwa otadhi ti: ‘Molwashoka owe etha omuntu ngoka nda ti, na dhipagwe, ongoye to ke shi futa nomwenyo gwoye mwene, netangakwiita lyoye otali ka hanagulwa po, molwashoka we etha etangakwiita lye li fadhuke po.’ ”
43 Omukwaniilwa okwa shuna kaandjawo kuSamaria a ninga omwenyo omwiinayi nokwa tyololoka.
