But the servants of the king of Aram said, “Their gods are gods of the hills, therefore they were stronger than we. If we fight against them in the plain, we will surely overcome them. Replace your kings with governors. Get yourself an army, as the horses and chariots you lost before and let us fight against them in the plain.”
After one year, the Arameans went up to Aphek. The Israelites also went out encamped before them like two little flocks of young goats. But the country was full of Arameans. The man of God came and said to Ahab, “Because the Arameans have said, ‘The Lord is God of the hills, but he is not a God of the valleys,’ I will deliver all this great multitude into your hand, and you will know that I am the Lord.” They encamped opposite each other for seven days. On the seventh day, they went into battle and they killed one hundred thousand footmen on the first day. The rest fled to Aphek, into the city where the walls fell on twenty-seven thousand remaining men.
Ben Hadad fled from one room to another. His servants said to him, “See, we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are
merciful
kings. Let us put sackcloth on our bodies and ropes upon our heads.” So they came to the king of Israel, saying, “Your servant Ben Hadad is asking you for his life.” Ahab said, “He is my brother. Is he still alive?” The men said, “Yes,” and took this as a good sign. Ben Hadad came. Ahab took him into his chariot. “Look here,” Ben Hadad said, “I will return the cities which my father took from your father. Make yourselves markets in Damascus, as my father did in Samaria.” Ahab said, “I will let you go with this covenant.” A son of the prophets said to his neighbor, “Strike me!” But he refused. And he said to him, “Because you have not obeyed the Lord’s voice, a lion will kill you.”. He departed from him and a lion killed him. Then he found another man, “Strike me!” The man struck him and wounded him. Then he waited the king by the way and covered his face with a headband. When the king passed by, he cried to the king, “Your servant went out to battle. A man came up to me, brought me a prisoner, and said, “Guard this man. If he is missing, you will pay for his life with your life or with a talent of silver. Because your servant was busy here and there, the man was no longer there.” The king of Israel said, This is your judgment, it is your own fault.” Then he quickly removed the band from his face. The king recognized the prophet. He said unto him, “Thus says the Lord, ‘Because you have let go out of your hand the man whom I had devoted to destruction, your life will take the place of his life, and your people take the place of his people.’ ” But the king of Israel went to his house full of resentment and anger, and came to Samaria.