5. The messengers came again and said, “Thus says Ben-Hadad: Although I have said that you must give me your silver and gold, your wives and your children,
6. instead I will send my servants tomorrow about this time, and they will search your house and the houses of your servants, and whatever is precious to you, they will put it in their hands and take it away.”
7. Then the king of Israel called all the elders of the land and said, “Please notice how this man is looking for trouble, for he has demanded I give him my wives and children and my silver and gold, and I have not denied his request.”
8. All the elders and all the people said to him, “Do not listen to him or consent to his demands.”
9. Therefore he said to the messengers of Ben-Hadad, “Tell my lord the king: I will comply with the first request of your servant, but this thing I will not do.” And the messengers departed and brought him word again.
10. Then Ben-Hadad sent messengers to him and said, “The gods do to me and then some if the dust of Samaria shall suffice for handfuls for all the people who follow me.”
11. The king of Israel answered, “Tell him: Let not he who puts on his armor boast himself as he who takes it off.”
12. When Ben-Hadad heard this message as he was drinking with the kings in the pavilions, he said to his servants, “Station yourselves!” And they stationed themselves against the city.
13. Then a prophet came to Ahab king of Israel, saying, “Thus says the Lord: Have you seen this great multitude? See, I will deliver it into your hand this day, and you shall know that I am the Lord.”
14. Ahab asked, “By whom?”And he said, “Thus says the Lord: By the young leaders of the provinces.”Then he said, “Who shall order the battle?”And he answered, “You.”
15. Then he counted the young leaders of the provinces, and they were two hundred and thirty-two, and after them he counted all the people, all the children of Israel, and had seven thousand.
16. They went out at noon. But Ben-Hadad and the thirty-two kings who helped him were getting drunk in the pavilions.
17. The young leaders of the provinces went out first.Ben-Hadad sent out scouts, and they told him, “Men from Samaria have come out.”
18. He said, “If they have come out peacefully, take them alive, and if they have come out for battle, take them alive.”
19. So these young leaders of the provinces came out of the city, followed by the army.
20. Each one killed his man, and the Arameans fled with Israel pursuing them, but Ben-Hadad, the king of Aram, escaped on a horse with the horsemen.
21. The king of Israel went out and attacked the horses and chariots and killed a great number of Arameans.