17. Then the servants of the leaders of the provinces went out to the first place, at the front. And so, Benhadad sent, and they reported to him, saying: "Men have gone out from Samaria."
18. And he said: "If they have arrived for peace, apprehend them alive; if to do battle, capture them alive."
19. Therefore, the servants of the leaders of the provinces went out, and the remainder of the army was following.
20. And each one struck down the man who came against him. And the Syrians fled, and Israel pursued them. Also, Benhadad, the king of Syria, fled on a horse, with his horsemen.
21. But the king of Israel, going out, struck the horses and the chariots, and he struck the Syrians with a great slaughter.
22. Then a prophet, drawing near to the king of Israel, said to him: "Go and be strengthened. And know and see what you are doing. For in the following year, the king of Syria will rise up against you."
23. Then truly, the servants of the king of Syria said to him: "Their gods are the gods of the mountains; because of this, they have overwhelmed us. But it is better that we fight against them in the plains, and then we will prevail over them.
24. Therefore, you should do this word: Remove each of the kings from your army, and set commanders in their place.
25. And replace the number of soldiers who have been cut down of yours, and the horses, in accord with the earlier number of horses, and the chariots, in accord with the number of chariots that you had before. And we will fight against them in the plains, and you will see that we will prevail over them." And he trusted in their counsel, and he did so.
26. Therefore, after the passing of the year, Benhadad took a count of the Syrians, and he ascended to Aphek, so that he might fight against Israel.
27. Then the sons of Israel were numbered, and taking provisions, they set out to the opposite side. And they stretched out the camp facing them, like two little flocks of goats. But the Syrians filled the land.
28. And one man of God, drawing near, said to the king of Israel: "Thus says the Lord: Because the Syrians have said, 'The Lord is the God of the mountains, but he is not the God of the valleys,' I will deliver this entire great multitude into your hand, and you shall know that I am the Lord."
29. And for seven days, both sides arranged each of their battle lines. Then, on the seventh day, the war was undertaken. And the sons of Israel struck down, from the Syrians, one hundred thousand foot soldiers in one day.
30. Then those who had remained fled to Aphek, into the city. And the wall fell upon twenty-seven thousand men of those who had remained. Then Benhadad, fleeing, entered the city, into a room that was inside another room.
31. And his servants said to him: "Behold, we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel show clemency. And so, let us put sackcloth around our waists, and ropes on our heads, and let us go out to the king of Israel. Perhaps he will save our lives."
32. So they wrapped sackcloth around their waists, and they placed ropes on their heads. And they went to the king of Israel, and they said to him: "Your servant, Benhadad, says: 'I beg you to let my soul live.' " And he replied, "If he is still alive, he is my brother."