Page 440 - bible

434 Third Book of Kings

4 And the king of Israel answered: According Lord.
to thy word, my lord, O king, I am thine, and 14 And Achab said: By whom? And he said
all that I have. to him: Thus saith the Lord: By the servants of
5 And the messengers came again, and said: the princes of the provinces. And he said: Who
Thus saith Benadad, who sent us unto thee: Thy shall begin to fight? And he said: Thou.
silver and thy gold, and thy wives and thy chil- 15 So he mustered the servants of the princes
dren, thou shalt deliver up to me. of the provinces, and he found the number of two
6 To morrow, therefore, at this same hour, hundred and thirty-two: and he mustered after
I will send my servants to thee, and they shall them the people, all the children of Israel, seven
search thy house, and the houses of thy servants: thousand:
and all that pleaseth them, they shall put in their 16 And they went out at noon. But Benadad
hands, and take away. was drinking himself drunk in his pavilion, and
7 And the king of Israel called all the ancients the two and thirty kings with him, who were
of the land, and said: Mark, and see that he come to help him.
layeth snares for us. For he sent to me for my 17 And the servants of the princes of the
wives, and for my children, and for my silver and provinces went out first. And Benadad sent.
gold: and I said not nay. And they told him, saying: There are men come
8 And all the ancients, and all the people said out of Samaria.
to him: Hearken not to him, nor consent to him. 18 And he said: Whether they come for peace,
9 Wherefore he answered the messengers of take them alive: or whether they come to fight,
Benadad: Tell my lord, the king: All that thou take them alive.
didst send for to me, thy servant at first, I will 19 So the servants of the princes of the
do: but this thing I cannot do. provinces went out, and the rest of the army fol-
10 And the messengers returning brought him lowed:
word. And he sent again, and said: Such and 20 And every one slew the man that came
such things may the gods do to me, and more against him: and the Syrians fled, and Israel pur-
may they add, if the dust of Samaria shall suffice sued after them. And Benadad, king of Syria,
for handfuls for all the people that follow me. fled away on horseback with his horsemen.
11 And the king of Israel answering, said: Tell 21 But the king of Israel going out overthrew
him: Let not the girded boast himself as the the horses and chariots, and slew the Syrians
ungirded. with a great slaughter.
12 And it came to pass, when Benadad heard 22 (And a prophet coming to the king of Is-
this word, that he and the kings were drinking rael, said to him: Go, and strengthen thyself,
in pavilions, and he said to his servants: Beset and know, and see what thou dost: for the next
the city. And they beset it. year the king of Syria will come up against thee.)
13 And behold a prophet coming to Achab, 23 But the servants of the king of Syria said to
king of Israel, said to him: Thus saith the Lord: him: Their gods are gods of the hills, therefore
Hast thou seen all this exceeding great multi- they have overcome us: but it is better that we
tude? behold I will deliver them into thy hand should fight against them in the plains, and we
this day: that thou mayst know that I am the shall overcome them.