14. Ahab asked, “How will he do it?”And the prophet replied, “This is what the lord says: The troops of the provincial commanders will do it.”“Should we attack first?” Ahab asked.“Yes,” the prophet answered.
15. So Ahab mustered the troops of the 232 provincial commanders. Then he called out the rest of the army of Israel, some 7,000 men.
16. About noontime, as Ben-hadad and the thirty-two allied kings were still in their tents drinking themselves into a stupor,
17. the troops of the provincial commanders marched out of the city as the first contingent.As they approached, Ben-hadad’s scouts reported to him, “Some troops are coming from Samaria.”
18. “Take them alive,” Ben-hadad commanded, “whether they have come for peace or for war.”
19. But Ahab’s provincial commanders and the entire army had now come out to fight.
20. Each Israelite soldier killed his Aramean opponent, and suddenly the entire Aramean army panicked and fled. The Israelites chased them, but King Ben-hadad and a few of his charioteers escaped on horses.
21. However, the king of Israel destroyed the other horses and chariots and slaughtered the Arameans.
22. Afterward the prophet said to King Ahab, “Get ready for another attack. Begin making plans now, for the king of Aram will come back next spring.”
23. After their defeat, Ben-hadad’s officers said to him, “The Israelite gods are gods of the hills; that is why they won. But we can beat them easily on the plains.
24. Only this time replace the kings with field commanders!
25. Recruit another army like the one you lost. Give us the same number of horses, chariots, and men, and we will fight against them on the plains. There’s no doubt that we will beat them.” So King Ben-hadad did as they suggested.
26. The following spring he called up the Aramean army and marched out against Israel, this time at Aphek.
27. Israel then mustered its army, set up supply lines, and marched out for battle. But the Israelite army looked like two little flocks of goats in comparison to the vast Aramean forces that filled the countryside!
28. Then the man of God went to the king of Israel and said, “This is what the lord says: The Arameans have said, ‘The lord is a god of the hills and not of the plains.’ So I will defeat this vast army for you. Then you will know that I am the lord.”
29. The two armies camped opposite each other for seven days, and on the seventh day the battle began. The Israelites killed 100,000 Aramean foot soldiers in one day.
30. The rest fled into the town of Aphek, but the wall fell on them and killed another 27,000. Ben-hadad fled into the town and hid in a secret room.
31. Ben-hadad’s officers said to him, “Sir, we have heard that the kings of Israel are merciful. So let’s humble ourselves by wearing burlap around our waists and putting ropes on our heads, and surrender to the king of Israel. Then perhaps he will let you live.”
32. So they put on burlap and ropes, and they went to the king of Israel and begged, “Your servant Ben-hadad says, ‘Please let me live!’”The king of Israel responded, “Is he still alive? He is my brother!”
33. The men took this as a good sign and quickly picked up on his words. “Yes,” they said, “your brother Ben-hadad!”“Go and get him,” the king of Israel told them. And when Ben-hadad arrived, Ahab invited him up into his chariot.