13. At the same time a prophet came to Ahab king of Israel. The prophet said, “Ahab, the Lord says to you, ‘Do you see that big army? I will hand it over to you today so you will know I am the Lord.’ ”
14. Ahab asked, “Who will you use to defeat them?”The prophet answered, “The Lord says, ‘The young officers of the district governors will defeat them.’ ”Then the king asked, “Who will command the main army?”The prophet answered, “You will.”
15. So Ahab gathered the young officers of the district governors, two hundred thirty-two of them. Then he called together the army of Israel, about seven thousand people in all.
16. They marched out at noon, while Ben-Hadad and the thirty-two rulers helping him were getting drunk in their tents.
17. The young officers of the district governors attacked first. Ben-Hadad sent out scouts who told him that soldiers were coming from Samaria.
18. Ben-Hadad said, “They may be coming to fight, or they may be coming to ask for peace. In either case capture them alive.”
19. The young officers of the district governors led the attack, followed by the army of Israel.
20. Each officer of Israel killed the man who came against him. The men from Aram ran away as Israel chased them, but Ben-Hadad king of Aram escaped on a horse with some of his horsemen.
21. Ahab king of Israel led the army and destroyed the Arameans’ horses and chariots. King Ahab thoroughly defeated the Aramean army.
22. Then the prophet went to Ahab king of Israel and said, “The king of Aram will attack you again next spring. So go home now and strengthen your army and see what you need to do.”
23. Meanwhile the officers of Ben-Hadad king of Aram said to him, “The gods of Israel are mountain gods. Since we fought in a mountain area, Israel won. Let’s fight them on the flat land, and then we will win.
24. This is what you should do. Don’t allow the thirty-two rulers to command the armies, but put other commanders in their places.