20. each of them struck down his man. The Arameans fled with Israel pursuing them, while Ben-hadad, king of Aram, escaped on a chariot horse.
21. Then the king of Israel went out and destroyed the horses and chariots. Thus he inflicted a severe defeat on Aram.
22. Then the prophet approached the king of Israel and said to him: “Go, regroup your forces. Understand clearly what you must do, for at the turning of the year the king of Aram will attack you.”
23. Meanwhile the servants of the king of Aram said to him: “Their gods are mountain gods. That is why they defeated us. But if we fight them on level ground, we shall be sure to defeat them.
24. This is what you must do: Take the kings from their posts and put prefects in their places.
25. Raise an army as large as the army you have lost, horse for horse, chariot for chariot. Let us fight them on level ground, and we shall surely defeat them.” He took their advice and did this.
26. At the turning of the year, Ben-hadad mustered Aram and went up to Aphek to fight against Israel.