1 Kings 20:1-11
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War with Aram
1Now Ben-hadad, king of Aram, gathered all his army, and there were thirty-two kings with him, and horses and chariots. And he went up and besieged Samaria, and fought against it. 2Then he sent messengers to the city to Ahab, king of Israel, and said to him, “This is what Ben-hadad says: 3‘Your silver and your gold are mine; your most beautiful wives and children are also mine.’ ” 4And the king of Israel replied, “As you say, my lord, O king; I am yours, as well as all that I have.” 5Then the messengers returned and said, “Ben-hadad says this: ‘I did indeed send word to you, saying, “You shall give me your silver, your gold, your wives, and your children”; 6but about this time tomorrow I will send my servants to you, and they will search your house and the houses of your servants; and they will take in their hands everything that is pleasing to your eyes, and take it all away.’ ”
7Then the king of Israel summoned all the elders of the land and said, “Please be aware and see that this man is looking for trouble; for he sent me his demand for my wives, my children, my silver, and my gold, and I did not refuse him.” 8Then all the elders and all the people said to him, “Do not listen nor consent.” 9So he said to the messengers of Ben-hadad, “Tell my lord the king, ‘Everything that you sent as a demand to your servant at the first, I will do; but this thing I cannot do.’ ” Then the messengers departed, and brought him word again. 10Ben-hadad sent word to him and said, “May the gods do so to me and more so, if the dust of Samaria will be enough for handfuls for all the people who follow me.” 11Then the king of Israel replied, “Tell him, ‘He who straps on his weapons had better not boast like one who takes them off.’ ”
Ahab Victorious
Another Aramean War