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.
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.
