War with Syria
1 King Benhadad of Syria gathered all his troops, and supported by thirty-two other rulers with their horses and chariots, he marched up, laid siege to Samaria, and launched attacks against it. 2 He sent messengers into the city to King Ahab of Israel to say, “King Benhadad demands that 3 you surrender to him your silver and gold, your women and the strongest of your children.”
4 “Tell my lord, King Benhadad, that I agree; he can have me and everything I own,” Ahab answered.
5 Later the messengers came back to Ahab with another demand from Benhadad: “I sent you word that you were to hand over to me your silver and gold, your women and your children. 6 Now, however, I will send my officers to search your palace and the homes of your officials, and to take everything they consider valuable. They will be there about this time tomorrow.”
7 King Ahab called in all the leaders of the country and said, “You see that this man wants to ruin us. He sent me a message demanding my wives and children, my silver and gold, and I agreed.”
8 The leaders and the people answered, “Don't pay any attention to him; don't give in.”
9 So Ahab replied to Benhadad's messengers, “Tell my lord the king that I agreed to his first demand, but I cannot agree to the second.”
The messengers left and then returned with another message 10 from Benhadad: “I will bring enough men to destroy this city of yours and carry off the rubble in their hands. May the gods strike me dead if I don't!”
11 King Ahab answered, “Tell King Benhadad that a real soldier does his bragging after a battle, not before it.”
12 Benhadad received Ahab's answer as he and his allies, the other rulers, were drinking in their tents. He ordered his men to get ready to attack the city, and so they moved into position.
13 Meanwhile, a prophet went to King Ahab and said, “The Lord says, ‘Don't be afraid of that huge army! I will give you victory over it today, and you will know that I am the Lord.’”
14 “Who will lead the attack?” Ahab asked.
The prophet answered, “The Lord says that the young soldiers under the command of the district governors are to do it.”
“Who will command the main force?” the king asked.
“You,” the prophet answered.
15 So the king called out the young soldiers who were under the district commanders, 232 in all. Then he called out the Israelite army, a total of seven thousand men.
16 The attack began at noon, as Benhadad and his thirty-two allies were getting drunk in their tents. 17 The young soldiers advanced first. Scouts sent out by Benhadad reported to him that a group of soldiers was coming out of Samaria. 18 He ordered, “Take them alive, no matter whether they are coming to fight or to ask for peace.”
19 The young soldiers led the attack, followed by the Israelite army, 20 and each one killed the man he fought. The Syrians fled, with the Israelites in hot pursuit, but Benhadad escaped on horseback, accompanied by some of the cavalry. 21 King Ahab took to the field, captured the horses and chariots, and inflicted a severe defeat on the Syrians.
22 Then the prophet went to King Ahab and said, “Go back and build up your forces and make careful plans, because the king of Syria will attack again next spring.”
The Second Syrian Attack
23 King Benhadad's officials said to him, “The gods of Israel are mountain gods, and that is why the Israelites defeated us. But we will certainly defeat them if we fight them in the plains. 24 Now, remove the thirty-two rulers from their commands and replace them with field commanders. 25 Then call up an army as large as the one that deserted you, with the same number of horses and chariots. We will fight the Israelites in the plains, and this time we will defeat them.”
King Benhadad agreed and followed their advice. 26 The following spring he called up his men and marched with them to the city of Aphek to attack the Israelites. 27 The Israelites were called up and equipped; they marched out and camped in two groups facing the Syrians. The Israelites looked like two small flocks of goats compared to the Syrians, who spread out over the countryside.
28 A prophet went to King Ahab and said, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Because the Syrians say that I am a god of the hills and not of the plains, I will give you victory over their huge army, and you and your people will know that I am the Lord.’”
29 For seven days the Syrians and the Israelites stayed in their camps, facing each other. On the seventh day they started fighting, and the Israelites killed a hundred thousand Syrians. 30 The survivors fled into the city of Aphek, where the city walls fell on twenty-seven thousand of them.
Benhadad also escaped into the city and took refuge in the back room of a house. 31 His officials went to him and said, “We have heard that the Israelite kings are merciful. Give us permission to go to the king of Israel with sackcloth around our waists and ropes around our necks, and maybe he will spare your life.” 32 So they wrapped sackcloth around their waists and ropes around their necks, went to Ahab and said, “Your servant Benhadad pleads with you for his life.”
Ahab answered, “Is he still alive? Good! He's like a brother to me!”
33 Benhadad's officials were watching for a good sign, and when Ahab said “brother,” they took it up at once, and said, “As you say, Benhadad is your brother!”
“Bring him to me,” Ahab ordered. When Benhadad arrived, Ahab invited him to get in the chariot with him. 34 Benhadad said to him, “I will restore to you the towns my father took from your father, and you may set up a commercial center for yourself in Damascus, just as my father did in Samaria.”
Ahab replied, “On these terms, then, I will set you free.” He made a treaty with him and let him go.
A Prophet Condemns Ahab
35 At the Lord's command a member of a group of prophets ordered a fellow prophet to hit him. But he refused, 36 so he said to him, “Because you have disobeyed the Lord's command, a lion will kill you as soon as you leave me.” And as soon as he left, a lion came along and killed him.
37 Then this same prophet went to another man and said, “Hit me!” This man did so; he hit him a hard blow and hurt him. 38 The prophet bandaged his face with a cloth, to disguise himself, and went and stood by the road, waiting for the king of Israel to pass. 39 As the king was passing by, the prophet called out to him and said, “Your Majesty, I was fighting in the battle when a soldier brought a captured enemy to me and said, ‘Guard this man; if he escapes, you will pay for it with your life or else pay a fine of three thousand pieces of silver.’ 40 But I got busy with other things, and the man escaped.”
The king answered, “You have pronounced your own sentence, and you will have to pay the penalty.”
41 The prophet tore the cloth from his face, and at once the king recognized him as one of the prophets. 42 The prophet then said to the king, “This is the word of the Lord: ‘Because you allowed the man to escape whom I had ordered to be killed, you will pay for it with your life, and your army will be destroyed for letting his army escape.’”
43 The king went back home to Samaria, worried and depressed.
Ovita pokati kooAhab na Benhadad
1 Benhadad, ombara ya Sirie, wa woronganisa ovimbumba vye avihe vyovita. Eye we rikuta kumwe nozombara zarwe omirongo vitatu na mbari, noukambe nomatemba wawo wovita. Eye wa ya na kakovera otjihuro tja Samaria ne ketjirwisa. 2 Eye wa hinda ovahindwa kotjihuro ku Ahab, ombara ya Israel, 3 okukemutjivisa nai: “Ombara Benhadad wa tja nai: ‘Osilveri nongoldo yoye ovyandje. Ovakazendu voye, imba ovawa tjinene, novanatje voye, imba ovanamasa, owo wina ovandje.’ ”
4 Ahab wa zira a tja: “Raera omuhona wandje, ombara Benhadad, kutja ami mba itavere kembo re. Eye nge ndji ise po owe na avihe mbi mbi na vyo.”
5 Kombunda yanao ovatumwa va Benhadad va kotoka rukwao ku Ahab nave tja nai: “Ami mbe ku hindire ombuze yokutja u ndji pe osilveri nongoldo yoye, novakazendu novanatje voye! 6 Nungwari nambano ami me hindi ovakarere vandje kutja ve hite mondjuwo yoye youhona na mozondjuwo zovakarere voye okupaha nawanawa nokutja ve toore ovihuze ovinanḓengu ngamwa avihe. Owo mave ya mbo mangara moruveze tjingero ndwi muhuka.”
7 Ombara Ahab wa isana ovanane avehe mehi na tja ku wo: “Eṋe mamu munu kutja omurumendu ngwi ma vanga okutunyona. Eye wa hinda ombuze ame ndji ṋiṋikiza kutja mbi mu pe ovakazendu novanatje vandje, nosilveri nongoldo yandje; nami mba itavera.”
8 Nungwari imba ovanane avehe notjiwaṋa atjihe va zira ave tja: “O puratene ku ye; panḓa!”
9 Nu Ahab opa zirira nai kovatumwa va Benhadad: “Karaereye komuhona wandje ombara kutja ami mba itavera komaningiriro we inga omatenga, nungwari hi nokuitavera ko ku inga oyetjavari.”
Imba ovatumwa va yaruka nave twara eziriro ndi ku Benhadad.
10 Benhadad ope mu tjivisira nai na tja: “Ami me eta ovarumendu, mba yenene okuyandeka otjihuro tjoye hi, nokutoora ovitekero vyatjo momake wawo. Oomukuru vovisenginina ngave ndji zepe, ami tji mbi ha tjitire nao.”
11 Ombara Ahab wa zira na tja: “Raera kombara Benhadad kutja omurwe wovita omusemba u rihiva ovita tji vya kapita, nungwari ke rihivi komurungu wavyo.”
12 Benhadad wa zuva eziriro ra Ahab, eye noverikutevakumwe na ye, inḓa ozombara zarwe ngunda ava haama mozondanda zawo pomanwino. Eye wa rakiza kovandu ve kutja ve rirongere okukarwisa otjihuro. Owo arire tji ve rituṋu okukakurama potuveze twawo.
13 Nu mokamanga omuprofete worive otje ya kombara Ahab na tja ku ye: “Muhona ma tja nai: ‘O tira otjimbumba otjinene tjovita ho! Ndinondi ami me ku pe outoṋi kombanda yatjo. Nove otji mo tjiwa kutja ami owami ngu mbi ri Muhona.’ ”
14 Ahab wa pura na tja: “Owaṋi ngu ma hongorere otjirwa?”
Omuprofete wa zira a tja: “Muhona ma tja nai: ‘Ovarwe omitanda mbe ri kehi yozongooneya zotukondwa ombu mave hongora.’ ”
Nombara ya pura rukwao nai tja: “Owaṋi ngu ma hongorere otjimbumba tjovita otjinamasa?”
Nomuprofete wa zira nai: “Oove omuini.”
15 Ahab opa tukira ovarwe omitanda mbe ri kehi yovanane ovanene wOtukondwa; avehe kumwe va ri omasere yevari nomirongo vitatu na vevari. Tjazumba otja tuka otjimbumba tjovarwe vOvaisrael, avehe kumwe ovarumendu omayovi hambombari.
16 Otjirwa tja uta mutenya, Benhadad noverikutevakumwe na ye, inḓa ozombara omirongo vitatu na mbari, ngunda ava ṱomavinu mozondanda zawo. 17 Ovarwe omitanda wovita va tenga po okuryama komurungu. Ozohoze, nda hindwa i Benhadad, za kotoka naze serekarere ku ye kutja otjimbumba tjovita tja sekama okuza kOsamaria. 18 Benhadad wa rakiza nai: “Ve kambureye nomuinyo, nangarire kutja mave yendere okurwa poo okuningira ohange.”
19 Ovarwe omitanda va hongorera otjirwa amave kongorerwa i otjimbumba tjOvaisrael tjovita, 20 nu auhe wa zepa omundu nguyave ru kumwe. Ovasirie va tupuka, nOvaisrael ve ve ramba nomasa. Nungwari Benhadad wa tupuka, a kavire kokasinokambe ke ama kongorerwa i ovakavire tjiva. 21 Ombara Ahab wa kumuka, a i mokuti, a kakambura oukambe nomatemba wovita na katjita omanyoneno omanene kOvasirie.
Ovita ovitjavari vyOvasirie
22 Nomuprofete wa ya kombara Ahab na katja nai ku ye: “Twende nu kaworonganise rukwao otjimbumba tjoye tjovita, nu kakengeze nawa, orondu ombara ya Sirie mai ku rwisa rukwao mokuṋi kwombura, ndji mai yende.” 23 Ovahongore ovanene vombara Benhadad va tja nai ku ye: “Oomukuru vOvaisrael oomukuru wozondundu, nOvaisrael opu va za okutuhavera. Nungwari eṱe, tjiri, matu ve havere, tji twe ve rwisire motutjandja. 24 Nambano isa mo inḓa ozombara omirongo vitatu na mbari mounane wazo, nu motuveze twazo twa mo ovahongore ovanene varwe. 25 Woronganisa otjimbumba otjinene tjovita tji tji ṱeki pu imbi ovitenga. Matu rwisire Ovaisrael motutjandja, nu otjikando hi matu ve havere.”
Ombara Benhadad wa itavera na zuu komaronga wawo. 26 Nu mokuṋi kwombura ndja kongorera ndjo, Benhadad wa woronganisa ovarumendu ve na kumuka puna wo kotjihuro Afek okukarwisa Ovaisrael. 27 Ovaisrael wina va tukwa nave rongerisiwa nonguta; owo va kumuka nave katona ozondanda movimbumba vivari ouhunga nOvasirie. Ovaisrael aave munika tjimuna otupanda tuvari otuṱiṱi twozongombo, tji mave sasanekwa nOvasirie mba tandavara mehi arihe.
28 Omuprofete wa ya na katja nai kombara Ahab: “Muhona ma tja nai: ‘Ovasirie tjinga amave tja, ami owami omukuru wozondundu, nu kawami omukuru wotutjandja, ami otji me ku pe outoṋi kombanda yotjimbumba tjawo otjinene tjovita; nove notjiwaṋa tjoye otji mamu tjiwa kutja owami ngu mbi ri Muhona.’ ”
29 Oure womayuva hambombari Ovasirie nOvaisrael va kara mozondanda zawo ava hungamasana. Meyuva oritjahambombari otji va uta okurwa, nOvaisrael va zepa Ovasirie omayovi esere rimwe meyuva rimwe. 30 Nu imba mba hupa va tupuka nave kahita motjihuro Afek; norumbo rwotjihuro rwa wira kovandu omayovi omirongo vivari na hambombari vawo.
Benhadad wina wa tupuka na kahita motjihuro na kaṱara metuwo rondjuwo rokongotwe. 31 Ovahongore ve va ya ku ye nave katja nai: “Twa zuva kutja ozombara zOvaisrael ze notjari. Tu esa tu yende kombara yOvaisrael novipiriko pehuri, nozongoze mozosengo zetu. Ngahino ombara mai yama omuinyo woye.” 32 Owo otji ve rivaranga novipiriko vyawo pehuri, nozongoze mozosengo zawo, nave katja nai kombara Ahab: “Omukarere woye Benhadad we riyarikaṋene omuinyo we kove.”
Ahab wa zira nai: “Eye inga u nomuinyo are? Osemba! Eye u ri otja erumbi randje ku ami.”
33 Ovahongore va Benhadad ave undju otjiraisiro otjiwa; nu Ahab tja tja “erumbi”, owo otji va itavera nave tja: “otja pu mo hee, Benhadad eye erumbi roye!”
Ahab wa rakiza a tja: “Kemueteye ku ami!” Benhadad tje ya, Ahab we mu ṋanga kutja a ronde metemba rovita puna ye. 34 Benhadad wa tja nai ku ye: “Ami me ku kotorere ovihuro tate mbya huura ku iho, nove ritungira orupanda rwomarandero mOdamaskus tjimuna tate tja tjita mOsamaria.”
Nu Ahab wa zira na tja: “Momuano mbwi ami otji me ku kutura.” Eye otja tjita omakutasaneno na ye, ne mu esa kutja a yende.
Omuprofete worive ma pangura Ahab
35 Umwe wotjimbumba tjovaprofete wa tja nai komuprofete omukwao otja Muhona pe mu rakiza: “Ndji tona!” Nungwari omuprofete omukwao ngwi wa panḓa. 36 Neye opa tjera nai: “ove tjinga au ha karere nonḓuviro komarakiza wa Muhona, mo ṱongeyama kamanga tji wa zu pu ami mba.” Nu mokamanga eye tja ya, ongeyama otji ye ya nai mu zepa.
37 Tjazumba omuprofete tjingeye ngwi wa ya nai komurumendu warwe na katja nai: “Ndji tona!” Nomurumendu ngwi wa tjita nao; eye we mu tona tjinene nga tja hara ovirwaro. 38 Omuprofete we rimanga omurungu we nerapi okurihoreka, na kakurama posi yondjira ama undju ombara yOvaisrael tji mai kapita. 39 Ombara tji ya kapita, ingwi omuprofete wa ravaera ku yo na tja: “Muhona ombara, ami mba ri movita; nomurwe wovita worive wa eta omuhuurwa ku ami na tja: ‘Tjevera omurumendu ngwi; eye tja hene, ove mo sutu nomuinyo woye poo mo sutu osilveri yondjinda mangara omayovi yetatu.’ 40 Nungwari ami tji mba ri noviungura vyarwe, ingwi omurumendu otja hena.”
Nombara yOvaisrael ye mu zira nai tja: “Ove omuini wa tjivisa omberero yoye; nove mo i sutu.”
41 Omuprofete wa isa ko erapi nda ri komurungu we, nu kamanga ombara ye mu zemburuka kutja iumwe wovaprofete. 42 Nomuprofete arire tja tja nai kombara: “Muhona ma tja nai: ‘Ove tjinga awa isa omurumendu okuhena ngu mba rakiza kutja nga ṱe, nu otji mo sutu nomuinyo woye, notjiwaṋa tjoye matji nyonwa moruveze rwotjiwaṋa tje.’ ”
43 Ombara ya yaruka koyayo kOsamaria, ai nongendo nomazenge.
