War with Syria
1 King Benhadad of Syria gathered all his troops, and supported by thirty-two other rulers with their horses and chariots, he marched up, laid siege to Samaria, and launched attacks against it. 2 He sent messengers into the city to King Ahab of Israel to say, “King Benhadad demands that 3 you surrender to him your silver and gold, your women and the strongest of your children.”
4 “Tell my lord, King Benhadad, that I agree; he can have me and everything I own,” Ahab answered.
5 Later the messengers came back to Ahab with another demand from Benhadad: “I sent you word that you were to hand over to me your silver and gold, your women and your children. 6 Now, however, I will send my officers to search your palace and the homes of your officials, and to take everything they consider valuable. They will be there about this time tomorrow.”
7 King Ahab called in all the leaders of the country and said, “You see that this man wants to ruin us. He sent me a message demanding my wives and children, my silver and gold, and I agreed.”
8 The leaders and the people answered, “Don't pay any attention to him; don't give in.”
9 So Ahab replied to Benhadad's messengers, “Tell my lord the king that I agreed to his first demand, but I cannot agree to the second.”
The messengers left and then returned with another message 10 from Benhadad: “I will bring enough men to destroy this city of yours and carry off the rubble in their hands. May the gods strike me dead if I don't!”
11 King Ahab answered, “Tell King Benhadad that a real soldier does his bragging after a battle, not before it.”
12 Benhadad received Ahab's answer as he and his allies, the other rulers, were drinking in their tents. He ordered his men to get ready to attack the city, and so they moved into position.
13 Meanwhile, a prophet went to King Ahab and said, “The Lord says, ‘Don't be afraid of that huge army! I will give you victory over it today, and you will know that I am the Lord.’”
14 “Who will lead the attack?” Ahab asked.
The prophet answered, “The Lord says that the young soldiers under the command of the district governors are to do it.”
“Who will command the main force?” the king asked.
“You,” the prophet answered.
15 So the king called out the young soldiers who were under the district commanders, 232 in all. Then he called out the Israelite army, a total of seven thousand men.
16 The attack began at noon, as Benhadad and his thirty-two allies were getting drunk in their tents. 17 The young soldiers advanced first. Scouts sent out by Benhadad reported to him that a group of soldiers was coming out of Samaria. 18 He ordered, “Take them alive, no matter whether they are coming to fight or to ask for peace.”
19 The young soldiers led the attack, followed by the Israelite army, 20 and each one killed the man he fought. The Syrians fled, with the Israelites in hot pursuit, but Benhadad escaped on horseback, accompanied by some of the cavalry. 21 King Ahab took to the field, captured the horses and chariots, and inflicted a severe defeat on the Syrians.
22 Then the prophet went to King Ahab and said, “Go back and build up your forces and make careful plans, because the king of Syria will attack again next spring.”
The Second Syrian Attack
23 King Benhadad's officials said to him, “The gods of Israel are mountain gods, and that is why the Israelites defeated us. But we will certainly defeat them if we fight them in the plains. 24 Now, remove the thirty-two rulers from their commands and replace them with field commanders. 25 Then call up an army as large as the one that deserted you, with the same number of horses and chariots. We will fight the Israelites in the plains, and this time we will defeat them.”
King Benhadad agreed and followed their advice. 26 The following spring he called up his men and marched with them to the city of Aphek to attack the Israelites. 27 The Israelites were called up and equipped; they marched out and camped in two groups facing the Syrians. The Israelites looked like two small flocks of goats compared to the Syrians, who spread out over the countryside.
28 A prophet went to King Ahab and said, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Because the Syrians say that I am a god of the hills and not of the plains, I will give you victory over their huge army, and you and your people will know that I am the Lord.’”
29 For seven days the Syrians and the Israelites stayed in their camps, facing each other. On the seventh day they started fighting, and the Israelites killed a hundred thousand Syrians. 30 The survivors fled into the city of Aphek, where the city walls fell on twenty-seven thousand of them.
Benhadad also escaped into the city and took refuge in the back room of a house. 31 His officials went to him and said, “We have heard that the Israelite kings are merciful. Give us permission to go to the king of Israel with sackcloth around our waists and ropes around our necks, and maybe he will spare your life.” 32 So they wrapped sackcloth around their waists and ropes around their necks, went to Ahab and said, “Your servant Benhadad pleads with you for his life.”
Ahab answered, “Is he still alive? Good! He's like a brother to me!”
33 Benhadad's officials were watching for a good sign, and when Ahab said “brother,” they took it up at once, and said, “As you say, Benhadad is your brother!”
“Bring him to me,” Ahab ordered. When Benhadad arrived, Ahab invited him to get in the chariot with him. 34 Benhadad said to him, “I will restore to you the towns my father took from your father, and you may set up a commercial center for yourself in Damascus, just as my father did in Samaria.”
Ahab replied, “On these terms, then, I will set you free.” He made a treaty with him and let him go.
A Prophet Condemns Ahab
35 At the Lord's command a member of a group of prophets ordered a fellow prophet to hit him. But he refused, 36 so he said to him, “Because you have disobeyed the Lord's command, a lion will kill you as soon as you leave me.” And as soon as he left, a lion came along and killed him.
37 Then this same prophet went to another man and said, “Hit me!” This man did so; he hit him a hard blow and hurt him. 38 The prophet bandaged his face with a cloth, to disguise himself, and went and stood by the road, waiting for the king of Israel to pass. 39 As the king was passing by, the prophet called out to him and said, “Your Majesty, I was fighting in the battle when a soldier brought a captured enemy to me and said, ‘Guard this man; if he escapes, you will pay for it with your life or else pay a fine of three thousand pieces of silver.’ 40 But I got busy with other things, and the man escaped.”
The king answered, “You have pronounced your own sentence, and you will have to pay the penalty.”
41 The prophet tore the cloth from his face, and at once the king recognized him as one of the prophets. 42 The prophet then said to the king, “This is the word of the Lord: ‘Because you allowed the man to escape whom I had ordered to be killed, you will pay for it with your life, and your army will be destroyed for letting his army escape.’”
43 The king went back home to Samaria, worried and depressed.
Beni-Hadadi ye Mansa Ahabu boyinkaŋ
1 Saayiŋ Aramu mansa Beni-Hadadi ye a la kelediŋ kafoolu bee kafu ñoo ma aniŋ mansa taŋ saba niŋ fula niŋ ì la suwoolu niŋ keleraŋ sareetoolu*. A wulita ka taa Samariya kamma, aduŋ ì ye jee suki ka a boyinkaŋ. 2 A ye kiilaalu kii saatewo kono ka taa Ahabu kaŋ, Banisirayila mansa, ka a fo ko, “Beni-Hadadi ye ñiŋ ne fo ko, 3 i la kodiforoo niŋ sanoo, aniŋ i la musu ñiimaalu niŋ i diŋ kendoolu bee mu ate le taa ti.”
4 Bituŋ Mansa Ahabu ye kiilaalu jaabi ka a fo ì ye ko, “Komeŋ ali ye a fo ñaameŋ, ali a fo m maarii Mansa Beni-Hadadi ye ko, nte niŋ n na feŋolu bee mu ate le taa ti.”
5 Wo koolaa Beni-Hadadi ye kiilaalu murundi Ahabu kaŋ ka a fo a ye ko, “Beni-Hadadi ye ñiŋ ne fo ko, a ye kiilaalu kii le nuŋ ka i la kodiforoo niŋ sanoo kaniŋ, aniŋ i la musoolu niŋ i diŋolu. 6 Bari saama ñiŋ ñoŋ waatoo a be a la dookuulaalu kii la naŋ ne, aduŋ ì be i la mansasuwo kono kisikisi la, aniŋ i la dookuulaalu la buŋolu kono. Feŋ-wo-feŋ kummaayaata ì ñaa koto, ì be wo bee ñapinkaŋ na le ì ye a taa.”
7 Bituŋ Mansa Ahabu ye bankoo alifaalu bee kumandi, a ko ì ye ko, “Ali a juubee, ñiŋ kewo ka nambara kuwo ñini n ye ñaameŋ! A ye n na musoolu niŋ n diŋolu kaniŋ ne, n na kodiforoo niŋ sanoo, aduŋ m maŋ balaŋ a ma.”
8 Bituŋ alifaalu niŋ moolu bee ye a jaabi ko, “Kana a danku, aduŋ i kana soŋ a la kanindiroo la.”
9 Bituŋ Mansa Ahabu ye kiilaalu murundi Beni-Hadadi kaŋ ka a fo a ye ko, “I ye kiilaa foloolu niŋ kumoo meŋ kii n sonta wo la le, bari ñiŋ fulanjaŋo i ye meŋ lafaa a kaŋ, m maŋ soŋ wo la.” Ì taata, aduŋ ì ye ñiŋ jaabiroo sindi Beni-Hadadi ma.
10 Bituŋ Beni-Hadadi ye kumakaŋ doo kii Ahabu kaŋ ka a fo a ye ko, “Allamaa alloolu ye kuu jawu baa laa n kaŋ niŋ a ye a tara too tuta Samariya saatewo tumbuŋ noo to meŋ si n na kewolu bee buloo faa.”
11 Bituŋ Banisirayila mansa ye Beni-Hadadi jaabi ko, “Moo meŋ be a la keleraŋ feŋolu duŋ kaŋ ka taa keloo la, wo maŋ ñaŋ na kibiri la komeŋ moo meŋ taata keloo la, fo a naata a be i wura kaŋ.”
12 Ñiŋ kumoo futata Beni-Hadadi ma waatoo meŋ na, a ye a tara le a niŋ wo mansa taŋ saba niŋ fuloo be ì la dolo mindulaa jembereŋolu koto, ì be dolomiŋo la. Bituŋ a ko a la kewolu ye ko, “Ali paree ka keloo dati.” Wo to le ì pareeta ka keloo boyi saatewo ñiŋ kaŋ.
Ahabu ye Beni-Hadadi noo
13 Saayiŋ annabiyomoo doo naata taa Banisirayila mansa Ahabu kaŋ. A ko a ye ko, “Yaawe* ye ñiŋ ne fo ko, ‘Kana sila! I ye ñiŋ kelediŋ kafu baa meŋ je, m be ì duŋ na i buloo kono le bii, aduŋ i si a loŋ ko nte le mu Yaawe ti.’ ”
14 Ahabu ye annabiyomoo ñininkaa ka a fo a ye ko, “Ñiŋ kuwo be taamandi la ka bo niŋ jumaa le la?” Annabiyomoo ye a jaabi ko, “Yaawe ye ñiŋ ne fo ko kelediŋ fondinkewolu mennu be kumandaŋ banku kuntiyolu koto, wolu le be a ke la.”
Bituŋ Ahabu ye a ñininkaa ko, “Jumaa le be tambi la ñaato ka keloo dati?”
Annabiyomoo ko a ye ko, “Ite faŋo.” 15 Wo le to Ahabu ye kelediŋ fondinkewolu kumandi, mennu yaatewo mu kee keme fula aniŋ taŋ saba niŋ fula ti. Bituŋ a ye Banisirayila kelediŋ toomaalu bee bendi mennu yaatewo taata kaañaŋ wuli woorowula fee.
16 Ì wulita tilibuloo waatoo ka taa, wo tumoo Beni-Hadadi niŋ mansa taŋ saba niŋ fuloo mennu be laariŋ ñoo kaŋ be ì la dolo mindulaa jembereŋolu koto dolomiŋ baa la. 17 Kelediŋ fondinkewolu le foloo fintita ka tambi ñaato. Wo to le Beni-Hadadi la kelediŋ kantarilaalu ye ì je. Bituŋ ì taata kumoo ñiŋ sindi Beni-Hadadi ma, ì ko a ye ko, “Ŋà kelediŋolu je le, ì ka naa ka bo naŋ Samariya saatewo kono.” 18 A ko ì ye ko, “Niŋ a ye a tara ì ka naa kayira kuwo le la, ali ì kende muta, aduŋ niŋ ì ka naa keloo le la fanaa, ali ì kende muta.”
19 Bituŋ Banisirayila kelediŋ fondinkewolu bulata ñoo nooma ka finti naŋ saatewo ñiŋ kono, aduŋ kelediŋ kafoo tarata ì nooma. 20 Bituŋ meŋ-wo-meŋ ye a jawu kiliŋ muta ka a faa. Wo to le Aramunkoolu borita, aduŋ Banisirayilankoolu ye ì bayindi. Beni-Hadadi borita a seleta suwoo kaŋ, aduŋ a kanata, a niŋ a la suuborindilaa kelediŋo doolu. 21 Banisirayila mansa la nooroo kafuta, aduŋ ì ye Aramunkoolu faa baake, aniŋ ì ye ì la suwoolu niŋ keleraŋ sareetoolu muta.
22 Ñiŋ kuwo koolaa, annabiyomoo ñiŋ naata Ahabu kaŋ, a ko a ye ko, “I si feeroolu dadaa kuuke, i ye i la kelediŋolu kafu ñoo ma ka ì bambandi. Kaatu sanji foloo waatoo Aramu mansa be wuli la le ka naa boyi i kaŋ kotenke.”
23 Bituŋ ñiŋ kuwo koolaa, Aramu mansa Beni-Hadadi la mansakundaa alifaalu naata ka a yaamari. Ì ko a ye ko, “Banisirayilankoolu la jalaŋolu mu konko kaŋ jalaŋolu le ti. Wo le ye a tinna ì ye ǹ noo keloo la. Bari niŋ ŋà ì kele kene fanuŋo kono, a koyita le ko m̀ be ì noo la le. 24 Saayiŋ mansoolu bee bondi ì la kelediŋ kuntiiyaa palaasoo to, i ye kuntii doolu seyi ì noo to. 25 I foota kelediŋolu mennu la keledulaa, i si wo ñoŋ kelediŋ kafoo loo kotenke, ka taa suwoolu niŋ keleraŋ sareetoolu. Bituŋ ǹ si naa Banisirayilankoolu kele kene fanuŋo kono. Niŋ wo keta, m̀ be ì noo la keloo la le.” Bituŋ a ye ì la yaamaroo muta, aduŋ a ye wo le ke.
26 Sanji foloo waatoo la, Mansa Beni-Hadadi ye Aramunkoolu bendi, bituŋ ì taata Afeki ka Banisirayilankoolu kele. 27 Bituŋ Banisirayilankoolu fanaa benta, aduŋ ì ye feŋolu dii ì la ì suulata mennu la. Wo le to ì fintita ì niŋ ì benta. Banisirayilankoolu niŋ ì ye ì ñaa tiliŋ ñoo la. Banisirayila kelediŋolu ka munta le ko baa kooreeriŋ fula, bari Aramu kelediŋolu jurumoo tarata siyaariŋ kenoo karoo bee le la.
28 Wo to le annabiyomoo naata, a ko Banisirayila mansa ye ko, “Yaawe ye ñiŋ ne fo ko, baawo Aramunkoolu ye a miira le ko ate mu konko kaŋ jalaŋo le ti, aduŋ a maŋ ke kene fanuŋ jalaŋo ti, wo to a be ì la kelediŋ kafu baa duŋ na ali bulu le, aduŋ ali be a loŋ na le ko ate le mu Yaawe ti.” 29 Bituŋ ì tarata daakaariŋ ka ì ñaa tiliŋ ñoo la fo tili woorowula, aduŋ tili woorowulanjaŋo, ì ye keloo wulindi ñoo kamma. Banisirayilankoolu ye Aramunkoolu la sinna kelediŋ wuli keme le faa tili kiliŋo kono. 30 Bituŋ toomaalu borita ka taa Afeki saatewo to, aduŋ jee to tata sansaŋo boyita ì moo wuli muwaŋ niŋ woorowula le fee. Bituŋ Beni-Hadadi fanaa borita a dunta tatoo kono ka maabo konoto buŋo kono.
31 Wo le to Beni-Hadadi la mansakundaa alifaalu ko a ye ko, “Ŋà a moyi le ko Banisirayilankoolu la mansoolu balafaa warata le. M̀ bula ŋà booto funtoolu duŋ ǹ tewolu la aniŋ ŋà juloolu bula ǹ kaŋo la, ŋà taa m̀ faŋ seyi Banisirayila mansa ma. Tumandoo a be i tu la jee le, aduŋ a te i faa la.”
32 Ì ye booto funtoolu duŋ ì tewolu la, aniŋ ì ye juloolu bula ì faŋolu kaŋo la. Ì taata Mansa Ahabu kaŋ, ì ko a ye ko, “I la dookuulaa Beni-Hadadi ko i ye yamfa a ye, i kana a faa.” Mansa Ahabu ko ì ye ko, “Fo a be baluuriŋ ne baŋ? Nte baadiŋo le mu a ti.” 33 Bari Mansa Beni-Hadadi la dookuulaalu tarata ì tuloolu loo kaŋ ne fo ì be kumakaŋ moyi la Ahabu daa, meŋ si a yitandi ì la ko a te Beni-Hadadi faa la. Ì tariyaata ka wo kumoo muta a daa, ì ko a ye ko, “Haa, Beni-Hadadi mu i baadiŋo le ti.” Wo to le a ko ì ye ko, “Ali taa a kamma naŋ.” Kabiriŋ Beni-Hadadi naata, Ahabu ye a selendi a faŋo fee a la keleraŋ sareetoo kaŋ.
34 Bituŋ Beni-Hadadi ko Mansa Ahabu ye ko, “M be saatewolu bee murundi la i kaŋ ne m faamaa ye mennu muta i faamaa bulu. Aduŋ i si safaari dulaalu loo i faŋo ye Damasiku saatewo kono, komeŋ m faamaa ye a ke Samariya saatewo kono ñaameŋ.” Bituŋ Ahabu ko a ye ko, “Niŋ i sonta wo la, wo koolaa le m be i bula la i ye taa.” Bituŋ a niŋ a ye kambeŋo siti, aduŋ a naata a bula a taata.
Annabiyomoo ye Ahabu jalayi
35 Bituŋ Yaawe la kumoo kaŋ, annabiyomoo meŋ bota annabiyomu kafoo kono, ko a mooñoo ye ko, “M busa i la dokoo la, dukaree.” Bari a balanta, a maŋ soŋ ka a busa. 36 Wo to le a ko a ye ko, “Baawo i balanta Yaawe la yaamaroo la, i be bo la jaŋ doroŋ, jatoo be i faa la.” Bituŋ kabiriŋ a bota jee a be taa siloo kaŋ doroŋ jatoo ñapita a kaŋ a ye a faa.
37 Bituŋ ate wo annabiyomu kiliŋo taata, a ye kee doo je. A ko a ye ko, “Dukaree, m busa.” Bituŋ wo ye a busa teŋ ne, aduŋ a ye a barama a ñaadaa to. 38 Wo le to annabiyomoo ñiŋ ye funtoo taa a ye a miniŋ a faŋo ñaadaa la ka a faŋo muluŋo filindi. A taata loo sila daala ka mansa batu. 39 Bituŋ kabiriŋ mansa be tambi kaŋ a ko a ye ko, “M maarii mansa, nte mu i la dookuulaa le ti, aduŋ n tarata nuŋ keledulaa le, wo tumoo keloo be kandiriŋ. Moo doo le ye moo kiliŋ muta ǹ jawoolu kono, aduŋ a ye a samba naŋ a ko n ye ko, ‘Ñiŋ kewo kanta, a kana kana. Niŋ a kanata, i niyo niŋ a niyo le be laariŋ, waraŋ niŋ wo nte i be kodiforo kuntoo kilo taŋ saba niŋ naani le joo la.’ 40 Bituŋ n tarata a kunna ka a kanta, bari n naata tara kuu doolu kunna fo n hakiloo bota a la, a kanata.” Wo to le mansa ko a ye ko, “Ite ye i faŋo la boyidaa le yitandi, aniŋ kiitiyo meŋ ñanta laa la i kaŋ.”
41 Wo loodulaa to, annabiyomoo ye funtoo bondi a ñaadaa kaŋ, mansa naata a suutee ko, annabiyomoo le mu meŋ bota annabiyomu kafoo kono. 42 Bituŋ annabiyomoo ñiŋ ko mansa ye ko, “Yaawe ye ñiŋ ne fo ko, baawo ite ye kewo ñiŋ bula le a ko i si meŋ faa, wo kamma la i be faa la a noo to le, aduŋ i la moolu be faa la a la moolu noo to le.” 43 Bituŋ mansa seyita a la suwo kono Samariya saatewo kono, a niikuyaatoo niŋ a kamfaariŋo.
