9. So the king said to Ben-hadad’s messengers, "Say to my master the king: ‘Everything that you first ordered your servant, I will do. But I can’t comply with this new command.’"The messengers took this response to Ben-hadad,
10. who sent back this reply: "May the gods do whatever they want to me if there is even a handful of dust left in Samaria for the armies under me!"
11. Then Israel’s king replied, "The one who prepares for battle shouldn’t brag like one returning from battle."
12. When Ben-hadad heard this message, he and the other kings were drinking in their tents. Ben-hadad said to his officers, "Take your positions!" So they took up their positions against the city.
13. Suddenly a prophet approached Israel’s King Ahab. He said, "This is what the Lord says: Do you see that great army? Today I am handing it over to you. Then you will know that I am the Lord."
14. Ahab said, "Who will do it?"The prophet answered, "This is what the Lord says: The servants of the district officials will do it.""Who should start the battle?" Ahab asked."You should," the prophet replied.
15. So Ahab assembled the servants of the district officials. There were two hundred thirty-two of them. Next he assembled the entire Israelite army, seven thousand total.
16. At noon they marched for battle. Meanwhile, Ben-hadad and the thirty-two kings allied with him were getting drunk in their tents.
17. The servants of the district officials were at the head of the march. Ben-hadad sent for information and was told, "Some men have marched out of Samaria."
18. He said, "If they have come out in peace, take them alive; if they have come out for war, take them alive as well."
19. So the servants of the district governors with the army behind them marched out from the city.
20. Each one struck down his opponent, so that the Arameans fled. Israel chased after them. Ben-hadad, Aram’s king, escaped with some horses and chariots.
21. Israel’s king went out and attacked the horses and chariots. He attacked the Arameans with a fierce assault.
22. The prophet came to Israel’s king and said to him, "Maintain your strength! Know and understand that at the turn of the coming year, Aram’s king will attack you again."
23. The officers of Aram’s king said to him, "Israel’s god is a god of the mountains. That’s why they were stronger than us. But if we fight them on the plains, we will certainly be stronger than they are.
24. This is what you need to do: Remove the kings from their military posts and appoint officials in their place.
25. Then raise another army like the one that was destroyed, with horses like those horses and chariots like those chariots. Then we will fight them on the plains, and we will certainly be stronger than they are." The king took their advice and followed it.
26. So in the spring of the year, Ben-hadad assembled the Arameans and marched up to Aphek to fight with Israel.