1. Then Benhadad, the king of Syria, gathered together his entire army. And there were thirty-two kings with him, with horses and chariots. And ascending, he fought against Samaria, and he besieged it.
2. And sending messengers into the city, to Ahab, the king of Israel,
3. he said: "Thus says Benhadad: Your silver and your gold is mine. And your wives and your best sons are mine."
4. And the king of Israel responded, "In agreement with your word, my lord the king, I am yours, with all that is mine."
5. And the messengers, returning, said: "Thus says Benhadad, who sent us to you: Your silver and your gold, and your wives and your sons, you shall give to me.
6. Therefore, tomorrow, at this same hour, I will send my servants to you, and they will search your house and the houses of your servants. And all that pleases them, they will put in their hands and take away."
7. Then the king of Israel called all the elders of the land, and he said: "Let your souls take heed, and see that he commits treachery against us. For he sent to me for my wives and sons, and for silver and gold. And I did not refuse."
8. And all those greater by birth, with all the people, said to him, "You should neither listen, nor acquiesce to him."
9. And so, he responded to the messengers of Benhadad: "Tell my lord the king: Everything about which you sent to me in the beginning, I your servant will do. But this thing, I am not able to do."
10. And returning, the messengers took this to him, and he sent again and said, "May the gods do these things to me, and may they add these other things, if the dust of Samaria is enough to fill the hands of all the people who follow me."
11. And responding, the king of Israel said, "Tell him that one who is girded should not boast the same as one who is ungirded."
12. Then it happened that, when Benhadad had heard this word, he and the kings were drinking in a pavilion. And he said to his servants, "Encircle the city." And they encircled it.
13. And behold, one prophet, drawing near to Ahab, the king of Israel, said to him: "Thus says the Lord: Certainly, you have seen this entire exceedingly great multitude? Behold, I will deliver them into your hand today, so that you may know that I am the Lord."
14. And Ahab said, "By whom?" And he said to him: "Thus says the Lord: By the footmen of the leaders of the provinces." And he said, "Who should begin to do battle?" And he said, "You should."
15. Therefore, he took a count of the servants of the leaders of the provinces. And he found the number to be two hundred thirty-two. And he set them in order after the people, all the sons of Israel, who were seven thousand.
16. And they went out at midday. But Benhadad was drinking; he was inebriated in his pavilion, and the thirty-two kings with him, who had arrived in order to assist him.