But Jezebel his wife came to him and said, 'Why are you in such bad humor that you will not eat?' He replied, 'Because I made this offer to Naboth the Jezreelite, "Give me your vineyard for its value in money, or else, if it is more satisfactory to you, I will give you another vineyard for it"; but he answered, “I will not give you my vineyard." Then Jezebel his wife said to him, 'Are you not the one who now rules in Israel? Rise, eat, and set your mind at rest. I will give you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.'

So she wrote letters in Ahab's name and sealed them with his seal and sent the letters to the elders and the officials who lived in Naboth's city. In the letters she wrote, 'Proclaim a fast and put Naboth in front of the people. Then set up two unprincipled men before him and let them bring this charge against him: "You cursed God and the ruler of Israel." Then carry him out and stone him to death.'

The elders and the officials of Naboth's city did as Jezebel commanded in her letters to them: They proclaimed a fast and put Naboth in front of the people. Then the two unprincipled men came in and sat before him, and the scoundrels testified against him in the presence of the people, saying, 'Naboth cursed God and the ruler of Israel.' Then they carried him out of the city and stoned him to death. And they reported to Jezebel, 'Naboth has been stoned to death.'

As soon as Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned to death she said to Ahab, 'Rise, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, which he refused to sell you, for Naboth is not alive but dead.' And as soon as Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, he went down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite to take possession of it. But this command

came from Jehovah to Elijah the Tishbite, 'Rise, go down to meet Ahab the ruler of Israel, who lives in Samaria; he is just now in the vineyard of Naboth, where he has gone to take possession of it. Say to him, "This is the message of Jehovah, 'Have you killed and also taken possession? In the place where the dogs licked the blood of Naboth they shall also lick your blood." Ahab said to Elijah, 'Have you found me, O my enemy?' He answered, 'I have. Also Jehovah has declared regarding you: "The dogs shall devour Jezebel in the district of Jezreel." When Ahab heard those words, he tore his clothes and put sackcloth on his flesh and fasted; he also slept in sackcloth and behaved penitently.

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110. THE OVERTHROW OF AN UNSCRUPULOUS
AGGRESSOR

Then Benhadad the king of Aram mustered his army, and there were thirty-two kings with him and horses and chariots; and he besieged Samaria and fought against it. He sent messengers into the city to Ahab and said to him, 'Benhadad declares, “Your silver and your gold are mine; your wives and your children are also mine." The ruler of Israel answered, 'As you say, my lord, O king: I am yours with all that I have.'

But the messengers came again and said, 'Benhadad declares, "I sent to you this message, 'You shall deliver to me your silver and your gold and your wives and your children'; but to-morrow I will send my servants about this time and they shall search your house and the houses of your servants; and whatever is attractive to them, they shall take in their hands and bring away.

Then Ahab called all the elders of the land and said,

'You can plainly see this man is seeking to make trouble, for he sent to me for my wives, my children, my silver, and gold, and I did not refuse him.' All the elders and all the people said to him, 'Do not listen nor consent!' So he said to the messengers of Benhadad, 'Tell my lord the king, “All that you demanded of your servant at the first I will do, but this I can not do."

So the messengers departed and brought him word. Then Benhadad sent to Ahab and said, 'Let the gods do to me what they will, if the dust of Samaria shall be enough to fill the hands of all the people who follow me!' Ahab answered, "Tell him, "Let not the one who fastens on his sword boast as the one who puts it off." When Benhadad heard this message, as he was drinking together with the kings, in the pavilions, he said to his servants, 'Get ready for battle!' So they prepared to attack the city.

But just then a prophet came to Ahab and said, "This is the message of Jehovah, “Have you seen all this great multitude? Behold, I will deliver it into your hand to-day, that you may know that I am Jehovah.' Ahab said, 'By whom?' He said, ‘Jehovah declares, “By the young men under the provincial commanders." Ahab said, 'Who shall begin the battle?' He answered, 'You.'

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So Ahab mustered the young men under the provincial commanders; and they were two hundred and thirty-two. And after them he mustered the Israelites, seven thousand in all. At noon they made the attack, while Benhadad was drinking himself drunk in the pavilions, together with the thirty-two kings who had come to help him. And the young men under the provincial commanders went out first. When Benhadad sent out messengers, they reported, 'Men

have come out from Samaria.' He said, 'If they have come out with peaceful intent, take them alive, or if they have come out to fight, take them alive.'

So the young men under the provincial commanders went out of the city followed by the army. After they had killed each his man, the Arameans fled, and the Israelites pursued them; but Benhadad, the king of Aram, escaped on a horse accompanied by cavalrymen. And Ahab went out and captured horses and chariots and killed a great number of the Arameans.

Then the servants of the king of Aram said to him, "Their gods are gods of the hills, therefore they were too strong for us; but let us fight against them in the plain, and we shall surely prove stronger than they. And do this: remove the kings from their posts and put military officers in their places and assemble an army like the one you have lost, horse for horse and chariot for chariot; then we will fight against them in the plain and we shall surely prove stronger then they.' And he listened to their advice and did so.

A year later Benhadad mustered the Arameans and went to Aphek to fight against Israel. The Israelites were also mustered and provided with provisions, and went out against them. But the Israelites encamped opposite them were like two small flocks of goats, while the Arameans filled the country.

Then a man of God came near and said to Ahab, 'Jehovah declares, "Because the Arameans think Jehovah is a god of the hills but not of the valleys, that you may know that I am Jehovah, I will deliver all this great multitude into your power.

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So they encamped opposite each other seven days; but on the seventh day the battle was fought and the Israelites killed a hundred thousand of the Aramean infantry in one day. But the rest fled to the town of

Aphek; and the wall fell upon twenty-seven thousand of the men who were left.

Benhadad also fled, and his servants said to him, 'Now we have heard that the rulers of Israel are merciful; so let us put sackcloth about our waists and ropes about our heads and go to the ruler of Israel; perhaps he will save your life.'

So they wound sackcloth about their waists and put ropes about their heads and went to the ruler of Israel and said, 'Your servant Benhadad says, "Let me live.' Ahab replied, 'Is he still alive? He is my brother.' Interpreting this as a favorable sign, the men quickly caught up his words and said, 'Benhadad is your brother.' Then Ahab said, 'Go, bring him.' When Benhadad came out to him, Ahab took him up into his own chariot. And Benhadad said to Ahab, ‘I will restore the cities which my father took from your father; and you may establish bazaars for yourself in Damascus, as my father established them in Samaria.' Ahab said, 'I will let you go with this understanding.' So he made a treaty with him and let him go.

111. MICAIAH'S LOYALTY TO HIS CONVICTIONS

For three years there was no war between Aram and Israel. But in the third year, when Jehoshaphat the ruler of Judah came to visit the ruler of Israel, Ahab said to his servants, 'Do you not know that Ramoth in Gilead belongs to us; yet we sit still instead of taking it from the king of Aram?' Then he asked Jehoshaphat, 'Will you go with me to attack Ramoth in Gilead?' Jehoshaphat replied, 'I am with you, my people are as your people, my horses as your horses.' But Jehoshaphat said to the ruler of Israel, 'Inquire now what Jehovah has to say.' So Ahab gathered the