Now Ben-hadadkingof Aramgatheredallhis army,and there [were] thirty-twokingswith him, and horsesand chariots.And he wentup and besiegedSamariaand foughtagainst it.
Then Asatookallthe silverand the goldwhich were leftin the treasuriesof the houseof the LORDand the treasuriesof the king'shouse,and deliveredthem into the handof his servants.And KingAsasentthem to Ben-hadadthe sonof Tabrimmon,the sonof Hezion,kingof Aram,who livedin Damascus,saying,
So Ben-hadadlistenedto KingAsaand sentthe commandersof his armiesagainstthe citiesof Israel,and conqueredIjon,Dan,Abel-beth-maacahand allChinneroth,besidesallthe landof Naphtali.
He boughtthe hillSamariafrom Shemerfor two talentsof silver;and he builton the hill,and namedthe citywhichhe builtSamaria,afterthe nameof Shemer,the ownerof the hill.
They wentout at noon,while Ben-hadadwas drinkinghimself drunkin the temporaryshelterswith the thirty-twokingswho helpedhim.
Then he sentmessengersto the cityto Ahabkingof Israeland saidto him, "ThussaysBen-hadad,
"Dothisthing:removethe kings,eachfrom his place,and putcaptainsin their place,
Now the kingof Aramhad commandedthe thirty-twocaptainsof his chariots,saying,"Do not fightwith smallor great,but with the kingof Israelalone."
Now the kingof Aramwas warringagainst Israel;and he counseledwith his servantssaying,"In suchand sucha placeshall be my camp."
As he was relatingto the kinghowhe had restoredto lifethe one who was dead,behold,the womanwhosesonhe had restoredto lifeappealedto the kingfor her houseand for her field.And Gehazisaid,"My lord,O king,thisis the womanand thisis her son,whomElisharestoredto life."
"Artaxerxes,kingof kings,to Ezrathe priest,the scribeof the lawof the Godof heaven,perfect[peace]. And now
and he tooksixhundredselectchariots,and allthe [other] chariotsof Egyptwith officersoverallof them.
For it says,"Are not my princesallkings?
"Throughyour servantsyou have reproachedthe Lord,And you have said,'With my manychariotsI cameup to the heightsof the mountains,To the remotestpartsof Lebanon;And I cutdownits tallcedars[and] its choicecypresses.And I will goto its highestpeak,its thickestforest.
"I will setfireto the wallof Damascus,And it will devourthe fortifiedtowersof Ben-hadad."
For thussaysthe LordGOD,"Behold,I will bringupon Tyrefrom the northNebuchadnezzarkingof Babylon,kingof kings,with horses,chariots,cavalryand a greatarmy.
"You, O king,are the kingof kings,to whomthe Godof heavenhas giventhe kingdom,the power,the strengthand the glory;
I will also bringupon you a swordwhich will executevengeancefor the covenant;and when you gathertogether into your cities,I will sendpestilenceamongyou, so that you shall be deliveredinto enemyhands.
"So I will sendfireupon the houseof HazaelAnd it will consumethe citadelsof Ben-hadad.
"Whenyou goout to battleagainstyour enemiesand seehorsesand chariots[and] peoplemorenumerousthanyou, do not be afraidof them; for the LORDyour God,whobroughtyou up from the landof Egypt,is with you.
"It shall besiegeyou in allyour townsuntilyour highand fortifiedwallsin whichyou trustedcomedownthroughoutyour land,and it shall besiegeyou in allyour townsthroughoutyour landwhichthe LORDyour Godhas givenyou.
Adoni-bezeksaid,"Seventykingswith their thumbsand their bigtoescutoffused to gatherup [scraps] undermy table;as I have done,soGodhas repaidme." So they broughthim to Jerusalemand he diedthere.
The sonsof Israelcriedto the LORD;for he had ninehundredironchariots,and he oppressedthe sonsof Israelseverelyfor twentyyears.
Now the Philistinesassembledto fightwith Israel,30000chariotsand 6,000horsemen,and peoplelike the sandwhichis on the seashorein abundance;and they cameup and campedin Michmash,eastof Beth-aven.
