1 And Ben-hadad the king of Syria gathered all his host together: and there were thirty and two kings with him, and horses, and chariots: and he went up and besieged Samaria, and warred against it. 2 And he sent messengers to Ahab king of Israel into the city, and said unto him, Thus saith Ben-hadad, 3 Thy silver and thy gold is mine; thy wives also and thy children, even the goodliest, are mine. 4 And the king of Israel answered and said, My lord, O king, according to thy saying, I am thine, and all that I have. 5 And the messengers came again, and said, Thus speaketh Ben-hadad, saying, Although I have sent unto thee, saying, Thou shalt deliver me thy silver, and thy gold, and thy wives, and thy children; 6 Yet I will send my servants unto thee to morrow about this time, and they shall search thine house, and the houses of thy servants; and it shall be, that whatsoever is pleasant in thine eyes, they shall put it in their hand, and take it away. 7 Then the king of Israel called all the elders of the land, and said, Mark, I pray you, and see how this man seeketh mischief: for he sent unto me for my wives, and for my children, and for my silver, and for my gold; and I denied him not. 8 And all the elders and all the people said unto him, Hearken not unto him , nor consent. 9 Wherefore he said unto the messengers of Ben-hadad, Tell my lord the king, All that thou didst send for to thy servant at the first I will do: but this thing I may not do. And the messengers departed, and brought him word again. 10 And Ben-hadad sent unto him, and said, The gods do so unto me, and more also, if the dust of Samaria shall suffice for handfuls for all the people that follow me. 11 And the king of Israel answered and said, Tell him , Let not him that girdeth on his harness boast himself as he that putteth it off.
12 And it came to pass, when Ben-hadad heard this message, as he was drinking, he and the kings in the pavilions, that he said unto his servants, Set yourselves in array . And they set themselves in array against the city.
13 ¶ And, behold, there came a prophet unto Ahab king of Israel, saying, Thus saith the LORD, Hast thou seen all this great multitude? behold, I will deliver it into thine hand this day; and thou shalt know that I am the LORD. 14 And Ahab said, By whom? And he said, Thus saith the LORD, Even by the young men of the princes of the provinces. Then he said, Who shall order the battle? And he answered, Thou. 15 Then he numbered the young men of the princes of the provinces, and they were two hundred and thirty two: and after them he numbered all the people, even all the children of Israel, being seven thousand. 16 And they went out at noon. But Ben-hadad was drinking himself drunk in the pavilions, he and the kings, the thirty and two kings that helped him. 17 And the young men of the princes of the provinces went out first; and Ben-hadad sent out, and they told him, saying, There are men come out of Samaria. 18 And he said, Whether they be come out for peace, take them alive; or whether they be come out for war, take them alive. 19 So these young men of the princes of the provinces came out of the city, and the army which followed them. 20 And they slew every one his man: and the Syrians fled; and Israel pursued them: and Ben-hadad the king of Syria escaped on an horse with the horsemen. 21 And the king of Israel went out, and smote the horses and chariots, and slew the Syrians with a great slaughter.
22 ¶ And the prophet came to the king of Israel, and said unto him, Go, strengthen thyself, and mark, and see what thou doest: for at the return of the year the king of Syria will come up against thee. 23 And the servants of the king of Syria said unto him, Their gods are gods of the hills; therefore they were stronger than we; but let us fight against them in the plain, and surely we shall be stronger than they. 24 And do this thing, Take the kings away, every man out of his place, and put captains in their rooms: 25 And number thee an army, like the army that thou hast lost, horse for horse, and chariot for chariot: and we will fight against them in the plain, and surely we shall be stronger than they. And he hearkened unto their voice, and did so. 26 And it came to pass at the return of the year, that Ben-hadad numbered the Syrians, and went up to Aphek, to fight against Israel. 27 And the children of Israel were numbered, and were all present, and went against them: and the children of Israel pitched before them like two little flocks of kids; but the Syrians filled the country.
28 ¶ And there came a man of God, and spake unto the king of Israel, and said, Thus saith the LORD, Because the Syrians have said, The LORD is God of the hills, but he is not God of the valleys, therefore will I deliver all this great multitude into thine hand, and ye shall know that I am the LORD. 29 And they pitched one over against the other seven days. And so it was, that in the seventh day the battle was joined: and the children of Israel slew of the Syrians an hundred thousand footmen in one day. 30 But the rest fled to Aphek, into the city; and there a wall fell upon twenty and seven thousand of the men that were left. And Ben-hadad fled, and came into the city, into an inner chamber.
31 ¶ And his servants said unto him, Behold now, we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful kings: let us, I pray thee, put sackcloth on our loins, and ropes upon our heads, and go out to the king of Israel: peradventure he will save thy life. 32 So they girded sackcloth on their loins, and put ropes on their heads, and came to the king of Israel, and said, Thy servant Ben-hadad saith, I pray thee, let me live. And he said, Is he yet alive? he is my brother. 33 Now the men did diligently observe whether any thing would come from him, and did hastily catch it: and they said, Thy brother Ben-hadad. Then he said, Go ye, bring him. Then Ben-hadad came forth to him; and he caused him to come up into the chariot. 34 And Ben-hadad said unto him, The cities, which my father took from thy father, I will restore; and thou shalt make streets for thee in Damascus, as my father made in Samaria. Then said Ahab , I will send thee away with this covenant. So he made a covenant with him, and sent him away.
35 ¶ And a certain man of the sons of the prophets said unto his neighbour in the word of the LORD, Smite me, I pray thee. And the man refused to smite him. 36 Then said he unto him, Because thou hast not obeyed the voice of the LORD, behold, as soon as thou art departed from me, a lion shall slay thee. And as soon as he was departed from him, a lion found him, and slew him. 37 Then he found another man, and said, Smite me, I pray thee. And the man smote him, so that in smiting he wounded him . 38 So the prophet departed, and waited for the king by the way, and disguised himself with ashes upon his face. 39 And as the king passed by, he cried unto the king: and he said, Thy servant went out into the midst of the battle; and, behold, a man turned aside, and brought a man unto me, and said, Keep this man: if by any means he be missing, then shall thy life be for his life, or else thou shalt pay a talent of silver. 40 And as thy servant was busy here and there, he was gone. And the king of Israel said unto him, So shall thy judgment be; thyself hast decided it . 41 And he hasted, and took the ashes away from his face; and the king of Israel discerned him that he was of the prophets. 42 And he said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Because thou hast let go out of thy hand a man whom I appointed to utter destruction, therefore thy life shall go for his life, and thy people for his people. 43 And the king of Israel went to his house heavy and displeased, and came to Samaria.
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.
