23. The avadim of Melech Aram said unto him, Their elohim are elohei harim (g-ds of the hills); therefore they were stronger than we; but let us fight against them on the plain; then surely we shall be stronger than they.
24. And do this thing: Remove the melachim, every ish from his makom (place, post), and put officers in their places;
25. And muster thee an army, like the army that thou hast lost, sus for sus, and merkavah for merkavah; and we will fight against them on the plain, and surely we shall be stronger than they. And he paid heed unto their voice, and did so.
26. And it came to pass at the teshuvat hashanah, that Ben-Hadad mustered Aram, and went up to Aphek, to war against Yisroel.
27. And the Bnei Yisroel were mustered, and were all outfitted as battle-ready, and marched out to meet them; and the Bnei Yisroel encamped opposite them like two little flocks of izzim (goats); but Aram (the Syrians) filled ha'aretz.
28. And there came an Ish HaElohim, and spoke unto Melech Yisroel, and said, Thus saith Hashem, Because Aram have said, Hashem is Elohei Harim, but not Elohei Amakim (G-d of Valleys) therefore will I deliver all this hamon hagadol (vast multitude) into thine yad, and ye shall know that I am Hashem.
29. And they encamped these opposite those shivat yamim. And so it was, that in the yom hashevi'i the milchamah was joined; and the Bnei Yisroel slaughtered of Aram a hundred thousand foot soldiers in yom echad.
30. But the rest fled to Aphek, into the Ir; and there a chomah (wall) fell upon twenty and seven elef ish that were left. And Ben-Hadad fled, and went into the Ir, into cheder b'cheder (a room within a room, an inner room).
31. And his avadim said unto him, Hinei now, we have heard that the melachim of Bais Yisroel are malkhei chesed; let us, now, put sackcloth on our loins, and ropes upon our heads, and go out to the Melech Yisroel; perhaps he will save thy nefesh.
32. So they girded sackcloth on their loins, and put ropes on their heads, and came to the Melech Yisroel, and said, Thy eved Ben-Hadad saith, Let now my nefesh live. And he said, Is he yet alive? He is achi (my brother).
33. Now the anashim did interpret this as a sign of mercy from him, and did hastily seize on it; and they said, Thy brother Ben-Hadad! Then he said, Go ye, bring him. Then Ben-Hadad came forth to him; and he brought him up onto the merkavah.
34. And Ben-hadad said unto him, The cities, which Avi took from Avicha, I will return; and thou shalt set up chutzot (market areas) for thee in Damascus, just as Avi set up in Shomron. Then said Ach'av, I will send thee [to let thee go] away with this brit (covenant). So he made a brit (covenant) with him, and sent him [to let him go] away.