Syria Attacks Israel
1 King Benhadad of Syria called his army together. He was joined by 32 other kings with their horses and chariots, and together they marched to Samaria and attacked. 2 Benhadad sent a messenger to tell King Ahab of Israel, 3 “Ahab, give me your silver and gold, your wives, and your strongest sons!”
4 “Your Majesty,” Ahab replied, “everything I have is yours, including me.”
5 Later, Benhadad sent another messenger to say to Ahab, “I already told you to give me your silver and gold, your wives, and your children. 6 But tomorrow at this time, I will send my officials into your city to search your palace and the houses of your officials. They will take everything else that you own.”
7 Ahab called a meeting with the leaders of Israel and said, “Benhadad is causing real trouble. He told me to give him my wives and children, as well as my silver and gold. And I agreed.”
8 “Don't listen to him!” they answered. “You don't have to do what he says.”
9 So Ahab sent someone to tell Benhadad, “Your Majesty, I'll give you my silver and gold, and even my wives and children. But I won't let you have anything else.”
When Benhadad got his answer, 10 he replied, “I'll completely destroy Samaria! There won't even be enough of it left for my soldiers to carry back in their hands. If I don't do it, I pray that the gods will punish me terribly.”
11 Ahab then answered, “Benhadad, don't brag before the fighting even begins. Wait and see if you live through it.”
12 Meanwhile, Benhadad and the other kings had been drinking in their tents. But when Ahab's reply came, he ordered his soldiers to prepare to attack Samaria, and they all got ready.
13 At that very moment, a prophet ran up to Ahab and said, “You can see that Benhadad's army is very strong. But the Lord has promised to help you defeat them today. Then you will know that the Lord is in control.”
14 “Who will fight the battle?” Ahab asked.
The prophet answered, “The young bodyguards who serve the district officials.”
“But who will lead them into battle?” Ahab asked.
“You will!” the prophet replied.
15 So Ahab called together the 232 young soldiers and the 7,000 troops in Israel's army, and he got them ready to fight the Syrians.
Israel Defeats the Syrians
16-17 At noon, King Ahab and his Israelite army marched out of Samaria, with the young soldiers in front.
King Benhadad of Syria and the 32 kings with him were drunk when the scouts he had sent out ran up to his tent, shouting, “We just now saw soldiers marching out of Samaria!”
18 “Take them alive!” Benhadad ordered. “I don't care if they have come out to fight or to surrender.”
19 The young soldiers led Israel's troops into battle, 20 and each of them attacked and killed an enemy soldier. The rest of the Syrian army turned and ran, and the Israelites went after them. Benhadad and some others escaped on horses, 21 but Ahab and his soldiers followed them and captured their horses and chariots.
Ahab and Israel's army crushed the Syrians.
22 Later, the prophet went back and warned Ahab, “Benhadad will attack you again next spring. Build up your troops and make sure you have some good plans.”
Syria Attacks Israel Again
23 Meanwhile, Benhadad's officials went to him and explained:
Israel's gods are mountain gods. We fought Israel's army in the hills, and that's why they defeated us. But if we fight them on flat land, there's no way we can lose.
24 Here's what you should do. First, get rid of those 32 kings and put army commanders in their places. 25 Then get more soldiers, horses, and chariots, so your army will be as strong as it was before. We'll fight Israel's army on flat land and wipe them out.
Benhadad agreed and did what they suggested.
26 In the spring, Benhadad got his army together, and they marched to the town of Aphek to attack Israel. 27 The Israelites also prepared to fight. They marched out to meet the Syrians, and the two armies camped across from each other. The Syrians covered the whole area, but the Israelites looked like two little flocks of goats.
28 The prophet went to Ahab and said, “The Syrians think the Lord is a god of the hills and not of the valleys. So he has promised to help you defeat their powerful army. Then you will know that the Lord is in control.”
29 For seven days the two armies stayed in their camps, facing each other. Then on the seventh day the fighting broke out, and before sunset the Israelites had killed 100,000 Syrian troops. 30 The rest of the Syrian army ran back to Aphek, but the town wall fell and crushed 27,000 of them.
Benhadad also escaped to Aphek and hid in the back room of a house. 31 His officials said, “Your Majesty, we've heard that Israel's kings keep their agreements. We will wrap sackcloth around our waists, put ropes around our heads, and ask Ahab to let you live.”
32 They dressed in sackcloth and put ropes on their heads, then they went to Ahab and said, “Your servant Benhadad asks you to let him live.”
“Is he still alive?” Ahab asked. “Benhadad is like a brother to me.”
33 Benhadad's officials were trying to figure out what Ahab was thinking, and when he said “brother,” they quickly replied, “You're right! You and Benhadad are like brothers.”
“Go get him,” Ahab said.
When Benhadad came out, Ahab had him climb up into his chariot.
34 Benhadad said, “I'll give back the towns my father took from your father. And you can have shops in Damascus, just as my father had in Samaria.”
Ahab replied, “If you do these things, I'll let you go free.” Then they signed a peace treaty, and Ahab let Benhadad go.
A Prophet Condemns Ahab
35 About this time the Lord commanded a prophet to say to a friend, “Hit me!” But the friend refused, 36 and the prophet told him, “You disobeyed the Lord, and as soon as you walk away, a lion will kill you.” The friend left, and suddenly a lion killed him.
37 The prophet found someone else and said, “Hit me!” So this man beat him up.
38 The prophet left and put a bandage over his face to disguise himself. Then he went and stood beside the road, waiting for Ahab to pass by.
39 When Ahab went by, the prophet shouted, “Your Majesty, right in the heat of battle, someone brought a prisoner to me and told me to guard him. He said if the prisoner got away, I would either be killed or forced to pay 3,000 pieces of silver. 40 But I got busy doing other things, and the prisoner escaped.”
Ahab answered, “You will be punished just as you have said.”
41 The man quickly tore the bandage off his face, and Ahab saw that he was one of the prophets. 42 The prophet said, “The Lord told you to kill Benhadad, but you let him go. Now you will die in his place, and your people will die in place of his people.”
43 Ahab went back to Samaria, angry and depressed.
Ngwa ye Iziraela ne Aramu
1 Mambo we Aramu Bhenihadadi kakubunganya babhayani babe bose, kabhatshiwa ne bamwe bomambo bali makumi matatu ana bali babili nge mbizi nenge koloyi dze ngwa. Ngono kabhuda kunonginilila Samariya kugwa nayo. 2 Katuma batumwa mu nzi nkulu kuna Ahabu mambo we Iziraela kunon'dwa beti, “Bhenihadadi kati, 3 ‘Siliva iyo ne golide iyo nge zwangu ne bakadzi bose bakanaka nenge bana nge bangu.’ ”
4 Ngono mambo we Iziraela kashandula eti, “Koga sekwa maleba tetshi wangu, mambo wangu, ndabe nthu wenyu na zose zwandinazo nge zwenyu.”
5 Batumwa bakazha kakale bakadwa Ahabu bakati, “Bhenihadadi kati ndakazhisa dama kuti undizhisile siliva iyo ne golide iyo ne bakadzi babo ne bana babo. 6 Ngono ngwenu, mangwana nge tjibaka itjetji, ndowotuma hadzasha dzangu, kuwofunyungudza mu ng'umba iyo ye bumambo nemu ng'umba dze balanda babo, ngono banowotola tjimwe ne tjimwe tjinowobe tjibagutsha.”
7 Ndizo mambo we Iziraela kadana sholotjena dzose dze shango kabadwa kati, “Bonani nlume iwoyu sekwaanoshaka phipiti ndiko, ngoti wakanditumila batumwa eshaka bakadzi bangu ne bana bangu ne siliva yangu ne golide yangu, ngono asitongo lambana naye.”
8 Ngono sholotjena dzose ne bathu bose bakashandula mambo beti, “Musitongo gala manteedza kene kuli kudumana naye.”
9 Ndizo Ahabu kadwa hadzasha dza Bhenihadadi kati, “Mudwe tetshi wangu mambo wangu muti, ‘Zose zwamakashaka mu nlanda wenyu kutanga ndowozwithama, koga ezwi andingazwithame.’ ”
Batumwa bakamilika bakabgwiliza shandulo kuna Bhenihadadi. 10 Bhenihadadi kabgwiliza batumwa kunodwa Ahabu beti, “Midzimu indilobe ipaphulula, ha kungabe ne limbelimbe lingawanika mu Samariya lili mu maboko e bathu bose bakandisala shule!”
11 Mambo we Iziraela kashandula eti, “Mudwe Mambo Bhenihadadi muti, ‘Nthu unotola zwibhayano eyenda ku ngwa aatozwikudza se unozwitula edwa kungwa.’ ”
12 Kukati Bhenihadadi ehwa thawu idzedzi bali mu mishasha beng'wa ana bamwe bomambo, kadwa babhayani babe kati, “Tolani zwibhayano munogwa.” Ngono ibo bakatola zwibhayano kunonginilila nzi nkulu.
13 Ngono bonani, nlebesambeli kazha pana Ahabu mambo we Iziraela kandwa kati, “Yahwe banolebeleka beti, ‘Apa wabona bunjinji igogu gusibushoma kene? Bona, nasi ndogulonga mu luboko gugo, ngono unowoziba kuti ndimi Yahwe.’ ”
14 Ahabu kabhuzwa eti, “Ndiani unowotungamilila ngwa?” Nlebesambeli kashandula eti, “Yahwe bakati bazhuzha be babhayani ba pasi kwe balauli be mituthu banowoyenda ku ngwa.”
Mambo kabhuzwa eti, “Ndiani unowonotanga ngwa?”
Nlebesambeli kadabila eti, “Ndimwi mambo?”
15 Ndizo mambo kadana bazhuzha be babhayani bapasi kwe balauli be mituthu bali mazana ali mabili ana makumi matatu ana bali babili (232). Pezhugwi kwabo kadana babhayani be Iziraela bali zwiwulu zwili kutendeka (7 000).
16 Babhayani bakabhuda zhuba lili mpani, koga Bhenihadadi na bomambo bakabe bashingidzana naye bakabe bali mu mishasha beng'wa belaladza. 17 Babhayani bakabe bali pasi kwe balauli be mituthu bakatanga bhuda. Ngono tjeti dze babhayani dzakabe dzadusiwa ndi Bhenihadadi dzikazha kuwonzibisa dziti, “Kuna bathu banobhuda mu Samariya bezha ngeno.” 18 Mambo kadwa tjeti kati, “Ha bezha kowoshaka mbakiso, mubaamutjile bali bapenyu, nenguba bangabe bezha nge ngwa mubaamutjile bali bapenyu.”
19 Koga bazhuzha be babhayani bakabe bali pasi kwe balauli be mituthu bakasagwa shule nge babhayani be Iziraela bakabe babhuda kale mu nzi nkulu. 20 Mmwe ne mmwe kabulaya waakalingisana naye. Basiriya bakatizha, Baiziraela bakatatana nabo, koga Bhenihadadi mambo we Aramu akatatha mbizi kasiya ana bamwe batathi be mbizi. 21 Mambo we Iziraela kalobesa Basiriya banjinji kwazo, ebuya etapa mbizi ne koloyi dzabo dze ngwa.
22 Shule kwa ipapo nlebesambeli kayenda kuna Mambo Ahabu kandwa kati, “Bgwilila, unozwilulwamisa, ubone kuti babhayani babo bamile zubuyanana, ngoti mu tjilimo tjinozha mambo we Aramu unowobe ezha kuwokunginilila.”
Ngwa ye bubili ye Aramu
23 Hadzasha dza Bhenihadadi dzikandwa dzikati, “Midzimu ye Baiziraela midzimu ye matombo, ndizo bakatikunda, koga ngati gweni nabo mu mabala, nge malebeswa towobakulila. 24 Thamani sahwoku, dusani mambo mmwe ne mmwe mu mamo awe, mube mulonga balauli be ngwa mu mamo abo. 25 Mube ne babhayani bangapa ibabaje bakamulashikila, nenge mbizi ne koloyi dze ngwa na idzobo.”
Mambo kateyedza gumbuludzo le hadzasha dzidze kathama sekwa baleba. 26 Kukati mu nsi we nyawuko Bhenihadadi kululwamisa Baaramu kunogwa ndizo kayenda ku Apheke kunogwa ne Baiziraela. 27 Baiziraela bakati basinolulwamisigwa kugwa bapiwa ne mbuba, bakayenda kunogwa ne Baaramu. Ngono bakabe bali bashomanana benga ngubi mbili dze mbudzi mbeli kwe Baaramu, koga Baaramu ibo bali zhele shango yose.
28 Ngono nlebesambeli we Ndzimu kasedzela kuna mambo we Iziraela kandwa kati, “Etji nditjo tjinolebgwa ndi Yahwe beti, ‘Ngoti Baaramu banoleba beti, “Yahwe Ndzimu we matombo usi we mabala,” ndowobalonga mu maboko awo ngono iwe ne bathu babo mowokunda babhayani ibaba be bunji gusibushoma, ndizo iwe ne bathu babo mowoziba kuti ndimi Yahwe.’ ”
29 Baaramu ne Baiziraela bakagala bakalingisana bamwe ne bamwe bali mu mishasha yabo kwe mazhuba ali kutendeka. Ndizo mu zhuba le butendeka ngwa ikatangisa, ngono Baiziraela bakabulaya Baaramu bali zwiwulu zwili zana (100 000). 30 Bakasala bakatizhila mu nzi nkulu we Apheke. Ngono luswingo gukabawila bali zwiwulu zwili makumi mabili ana kutendeka (27 000).
Bhenihadadi naiyebo katizha kanobgwata mu ng'umba ishule mu nzi nkulu. 31 Hadzasha dzidze dzikandwa dzikati, “Bonani, takahwa kuyi bomambo be Iziraela bana ngoni kwazo. Imani tizwisunge thunji nge saka, tipombe zwiambalo mu misholo tibe tiyenda kuna mambo we Iziraela. Pamwe unowoletja kumubulaya.” 32 Ndizo bakabe bezwisunga thunji nge jila le saka, bepomba misholo yabo nge zwiambalo, bebe beyenda kuna mambo we Iziraela beswika bendwa beti, “Nlanda wenyu Bhenihadadi unokumbila kuti musimbulaye.”
Ahabu kadabila eti, “Apa utjatjilazwe kene? Ikamu tjangu!”
33 Hadzasha dza Bhenihadadi dzikayela njele kubona tjilakidzo tje buthu gwa Ahabu, ngono bakabe beti, “Tjoselele ikamu tjenyu Bhenihadadi!”
Ndizo Ahabu kabe ebadwa eti, “Yendani munontola muzhe naye ngeno.” Kukati Bhenihadadi eswika, Ahabu kandwa kati atathe naye mu koloyi ye ngwa. 34 Bhenihadadi kadwa Ahabu kati, “Ndowomubgwilizila mizi yakabe yatolegwa tate benyu ndi tate. Mukazwithamila magalo anoshabila mu Damasiko tate sekwa bakathama mu Samariya.”
Ahabu kashandula eti, “Sekwa wazwisunga, ndowokusunungula.” Ndizo kathama tjidumano naye kabe enletja eyenda.
35 Mmwe we badiyiwana be balebesambeli kadwiwa ndi Yahwe kuti adwe mmwe amphobole. Koga iwoyo nlume kalamba kumphobola. 36 Ndizo nlebesambeli kadwa nlume iwoyo kati, “Bona, sekwa walamba dama la Yahwe, kowoti tjinyolotjo udwa pandili, unowobulawa nge shumba.” Ngono kwakati tjinyolotjo ethubukana ne nlebesambeli kashangana ne shumba ikambulaya.
37 Ipapo kawana mmwe nlume kandwa kati, “Undiphobole.” Ngono nlume iwoyo kamphobola kandusa mbonje. 38 Ndizo nlebesambeli kamilika kayenda, kanomila mambo pa zila akazwipomba nge jila mu buso kuti asizibgwe. 39 Kukati mambo epinda nlebesambeli kan'dana eti, “Bonani, nlada wenyu, ndakati ndili mu ngwa, mbhayani kazha kundili ne nthu waakabe atapa kandidwa kati, ‘Lisa nthu iwoyu, ha kungashingikala kuti atizhe, unowofa mu bumo gugwe, kusajalo unolipa nge themba ye maloso e siliva ali zwiwulu zwili zwitatu (3 000).’ 40 Ngono kukati nlanda wenyu atjakabhata mimwe mishingo, iwoyo nthu katizha.”
Mambo kandwa kati, “Wazwilebegwa, ndiko sekwa wakafanila lipa.”
41 Ipapo nlebesambeli kapalula jila laakabe akazwisunga ndilo mu buso, tjinyolotjo mambo we Iziraela kaziba kuti mmwe we balebesambeli. 42 Nlebesambeli kadwa mambo kati, “Yahwe banolebeleka beti, ‘Ngoti wakaletja nthu wandakabe ndadusila golomodzo, ndizo unowofa mu bumo gugwe ne bathu babo mu bumo gwe bathu babe.’ ” 43 Mambo we Iziraela kayenda ku ng'umba iye ye bushe ku Samariya, ali zhele bushongola kakale akadzipiwa nge shungu.