11. King Ahab answered, “Tell Ben-Hadad that the man who puts on his armor should not boast as much as the man who lives long enough to take it off.”
12. King Ben-Hadad was drinking in his tent with the other rulers when the messengers came back and gave him the message from King Ahab. King Ben-Hadad commanded his men to prepare to attack the city, so the men moved into their places for the battle.
13. Then a prophet went to King Ahab and said, “King Ahab, the Lord says to you, ‘Do you see that great army? I will defeat that army for you today. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’”
14. Ahab said, “Who will you use to defeat them?” The prophet answered, “The Lord says, ‘The young men who carry the weapons for the government officials.’” Then the king asked, “Who should command the main army?” The prophet answered, “You will.”
15. So Ahab gathered the young helpers of the government officials. There were 232 of these young men. Then the king called together the army of Israel. The total number was 7000.
16. King Ahab began his attack at noon, while King Ben-Hadad and the 32 kings were drinking and getting drunk in their tents.
17. The young helpers went out first. King Ben-Hadad’s men told him that some soldiers had come out of Samaria.
18. So Ben-Hadad said, “They might be coming to fight or they might be coming to ask for peace. Capture them alive.”
19. The young men of King Ahab were the first to come out, but the rest of the army of Israel was following them.
20. Each of the men of Israel killed the man who had come against him. So the men from Aram began to run away and the army of Israel chased them. King Ben-Hadad escaped on a horse with the chariots.
21. King Ahab led the army and attacked all the horses and chariots. So King Ahab made the Arameans suffer a great defeat.
22. Then the prophet went to King Ahab and said, “The king of Aram will come back to fight again next spring. So go back and strengthen your army and make careful plans to defend yourself against him.”
23. King Ben-Hadad’s officers said to him, “The gods of Israel are mountain gods. We fought in a mountain area, so the Israelites won. If we fight them on level ground, we will win.
24. Also, don’t let the 32 kings command the armies. Put your commanders in charge of the armies.