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.
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.