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.
Oita pokati kaAhab naBenhadad
1 Benhadad, ohamba yaAram, ya ongela omatanga ayo aeshe ovakwaita, oya li i neehamba omilongo nhatu nambali pamwe nayo nomatemba oita neenghambe. Yo oya ya okukondeka Samaria ndele ye shi lwifa. 2 Nokwa tuma ko ovatumwa moshilando kuAhab ohamba yaIsrael, va tye kuye: “Ohamba Benhadad ota ti ngaha: 3 ‘oshisiliveli shoye noshingoldo shoye oshange; novalikadi voye vawa novamwoye vo ovange.’ ” 4 Ohamba yaIsrael ya nyamukula tai ti: “Heeno, ngaashi wa tile, omwene wange, ohamba, aame owoye naashishe ndi shi na, oshoye.” 5 Opo nee ovatumwa ve uya vali ndele tava ti: “Benhadad ta ti ngaha: ‘Onde ku tumina ondaka ei: “Oshisiliveli shoye noshingoldo shoye novalikadi voye novana voye u noku va pa nge. 6 Ndelenee mongula pefimbo tuu olo, ame ohandi ka tuma kwoove ovapiya vange, opo va hadahade eumbo loye nomaumbo ovapiya voye.” Ndele vo otava ka kufa mo ashishe osho sha wapalela omesho oye, ndele tave shi twala.’ ” 7 Opo nee ohamba yaIsrael ya ifana ovakulunhu aveshe voshilongo ndele tai ti: “Dimbulukweni, mu tale, nhumbi ye te tu etele omupya osheshi a tuma kwaame a kufe nge ovalikadi vange, novana vange noshisiliveli shange noshingoldo shange. Ndelenee ame inandi i mu anyena.” 8 Ndelenee ovakulunhu aveshe novanhu aveshe ve mu nyamukula: “Ino mu uda, ino mu itavelela.” 9 Onghee hano ye a lombwela ovatumwa vaBenhadad: “Lombweleni omwene weni ohamba: ‘Aishe oyo we i lombwela omupiya woye tete e i ninge, ame ohandi ke i ninga. Ndelenee oshinima eshi ihandi dulu oku ke shi ninga.’ ” Novatumwa va dja po, ndele ve mu twalela enyamukulo. 10 Opo nee Benhadad e mu tumina ondaka: “Oikalunga nai handukile nge paife nokomesho, ondwi yomuSamaria ngeenge tai wana okuyadifa omake ovakwaita aveshe ava hava shikula nge.” 11 Ndelenee ohamba yaIsrael ya nyamukula tai ti: “Mu lombwela: ‘Onakuhomata omaxwaxwa ke nokulitanga ngaashi ou e lidula omauta!’ ” 12 Benhadad eshi a uda enyamukulo olo fimbo ta nu momatwali pamwe neehamba, okwa lombwela ovapiya vaye: “Feni engholohote.” Ndele va fa engholohote va totele oshilando.
13 Ndele tala, omuxunganeki umwe okwa holoka koshipala shaAhab, ohamba yaIsrael, ndele ta ti: “Omwene osho ta ti: ‘Ongudu oyo inene, u i wete ko tuu? Tala, onena eli handi i yandje momake oye, opo u shiive nokutya Aame Omwene.’ ” 14 Ahab okwa pula: “Okeenghono dalyelye?” Okwa nyamukula: “Omwene ta ti ngaha: ‘Odovapiya vomalenga omomikunda.’ ” Ahab okwa pula vali: “Olyelye ta homona tete?” Ye ta nyamukula: “Ove.” 15 Opo nee ye a ongela ovapiya vomalenga omomikunda. Vo va li omafele avali nomilongo nhatu navavali. Konima a ongela ovakwaita aveshe, ovana vaIsrael: omayovi aheyali. 16 Vo ova homona pokati komutenya, fimbo Benhadad neehamba omilongo nhatu nambali de uya oku mu popila, da li momatwali, da nwa noda kolwa. 17 Novapiya vomalenga omomikunda va homona tete. Ndelenee Benhadad okwa tuma ko eendadi, ndele vo ove mu shiivifila ndele tava ti: “Ovalumenhu va dja muSamaria.” 18 Ndele ye ta ti: “Ngeenge va dja ko ve nombili, va kwateni ve nomwenyo. Ndele ngeenge va dja mo va lwe, va kwateni yo ve nomwenyo.”
19 Opo nee ovapiya vomalenga omomikunda va pita mo moshilando nomatanga ovakwaita e va shikula. 20 Ndele keshe umwe okwa dipaa omulumenhu umwe, onghee Ovaarami va ya onhapo, nOvaisraeli ve va shikula. Ndelenee Benhadad, ohamba yaAram ye lixupifa ya ya onhapo pamwe novalondi veenghambe ya londa konghambe. 21 Ndelenee ohamba yaIsrael ya dja mo ndele ya hakana eenghambe nomatemba oita. Osho ngaha Ovaarami va hangika kedipao lidjuu.
22 Nomuxunganeki okwa holoka koshipala shohamba yaIsrael nokwe i lombwela: “Hano, lipameka, dimbulukwa u tale, osho u noku shi ninga, osheshi omudo umwe eshi wa pita, ohamba yaAram tai ke ku homona vali. 23 Osheshi ovapiya vohamba yOvaarami ve mu lombwela: Oikalunga yavo oikalunga yeemhunda. Onghee hano ve tu dula. Ndelenee ngeenge hatu lu navo poluhaela, fye ohatu ke va dula shili. 24 Onghee hano ninga ngaha: Lekela eehamba, keshe imwe monhele yayo, u tule omalenga omikunda ponhele yado. 25 Ndele likongela omatanga ovakwaita e fike opuwo we a kanifa, neenghambe di fike pamwe nomatemba oita e fike pamwe. Ndelenee tu va lwifeni poluhaela, oshili fye ohatu ke va taataa.” Ye okwe va uda nokwe shi ninga yo.
26 Nomudo umwe eshi wa pita, Benhadad okwa ongela Ovaarami nokwa ya kuAfek a lwife Israel. 27 Novana vaIsrael ova ongelwa yo, ndele va tukulilwa onghuta, ndele va ya okushakena navo. Novana vaIsrael va onga onhanda yavo ya shaama navo, ngaashi oungudu vavali vanini voikombo, ndelenee Ovaarami va yadifa edu. 28 Opo nee omulumenhu waKalunga a ehena po, ndele ta ti kohamba yaIsrael: “Omwene osho ta ti: ‘Ovaarami eshi hava ti: “Omwene Oye oshikalunga sheemhunda, ndelenee ke fi oshikalunga shomaluhaela,” onghee hano Ame ohandi ka yandja meke loye eemhunga adishe odo dinene, opo u shiive nokutya, Aame Omwene.’ ”
29 Ndele ova li meenhanda va talafana omafiku aheyali Ndelenee mefiku etiheyali olwoodi la hovela, novana vaIsrael va dipaa Ovaarami ovakwaita vokolupadi omayovi efele. 30 Ndele ava va xupa po, ova ya onhapo koshilando Afek, nohotekuma ya wila kombada yovalumenhu omayovi omilongo mbali naheyali, ava va li va xupa po. Benhadad, ou okwa ya yo moshilando, ota i onhapo nokuhondama meenduda neenduda. 31 Opo nee ovapiya vaye tave mu lombwele: “Tala, fye twa uda nokutya, eehamba deumbo laIsrael, odo eehamba di nefilonghenda. Natu djaleni hano oikutu yeefya moiya yetu, neengodi nhatu di mangeni komitwe detu, fye tu liyandje kohamba yaIsrael. Kashiimba tai ka xupifa omwenyo woye.” 32 Opo nee ve lidika oikutu yeefya moiya yavo, neengodi ve di manga komitwe davo, ndele ve uya kohamba yaIsrael, ndele tava ti: “Omupiya woye Benhadad ta ti: ‘Xupifa omwenyo wange!’ ” Oye okwa nyamukula: “Oku nomwenyo natango? Ye omukwetu!” 33 Opo nee ovalumenhu ve shi tala, sho edidiliko liwa, ndele va endelela okulongifa eendjovo daye ndele tava ti: “Benhadad oye omukweni.” Ye okwa tya: “Ke mu taleni ko!” Ndele Benhadad okwa ya kuye. Ndele ye okwe mu itavelela okulonda metemba laye loita. 34 Ndele Benhadad ta ti kuye: “Oilando inya tate e i kufa kuxo, ame ohandi ke i alula, ndele ove to dulu oku liningila muDamaskus eestora domomapandavanda, ngaashi tate a ningile muSamaria.” Ndele Ahab ta ti: “Ame ohandi ku efa omolweudaneko eli.” Nokwa ninga ehangano naye ndele te mu efa, a ye.
35 Opo nee omulumenhu umwe womovalongwa vovaxunganeki e mu lombwela pandjovo yOmwene: “Denge nge!” Ndelenee omulumenhu a anya oku mu denga. 36 Opo nee ye ta ti kuye: “Ove eshi ino pwilikina ondaka yOmwene, tala, ove eshi to di po pwaame, onghoshi tai ke ku dipaa.” Ndele eshi a dja po puye, onghoshi ye mu kwata ndele ye mu dipaa. 37 Konima okwa mona vali omulumenhu umwe nokwe mu lombwela: “Denge nge!” Nomulumenhu okwe mu denga fiyo e mu twa oiveta. 38 Opo nee omuxunganeki a dja po nokwa kala ofika mondjila oyo ohamba ya li i nokweenda nayo. Nokwe lidimbikifa oshiuviko komesho aye. 39 Ndele fimbo ohamba tai ende po, winya ta ingida ndele ta ti: “Omupiya woye okwa ya molwoodi; ndele tala, omulumenhu e uya nokwa eta kwaame omulumenhu umwe, ndele ta lombwele nge: ‘Nangela omulumenhu ou. Ye ngeenge ta henuka po, hano omwenyo woye tau u omolwaye, ile u nokufutila nge otalenti imwe yoshisiliveli.’ 40 Ndelenee fimbo omupiya woye kwa li e noupyakadi apa nakwinya, winya okwa henuka po.” Opo nee ohamba yaIsrael tai ti kuye: “Etokolo loye oleli: ove mwene we litokola.” 41 Opo nee ye a kufa diva oshiuviko momesho aye, nohamba yaIsrael ye mu dimbulukwa, oye umwe womovaxunganeki. 42 Ndele ye ta ti kuye: “Omwene osho ta ti: ‘Ove eshi wa efa omulumenhu winya, a tulwa omutima, omwenyo woye tau kufwa ponhele yomwenyo waye noshiwana shoye ponhele yoshiwana shaye.’ ” 43 Nohamba yaIsrael ya ya keumbo layo, i nomwenyo mwii nehandu, ndele ye uya kuSamaria.
