14. Ahab asked, “By whom?” He said, “Thus says Adonai: By the young men of the rulers of the provinces.” Then he asked, “Who should begin the battle?” “You!” he answered.
15. So he mustered the young men of the rulers of the provinces. There were 232. After them he mustered all the people of all the children of Israel, 7,000.
16. They marched out at noon, while Ben-Hadad was drinking himself drunk in the booths—he and the 32 kings allied with him.
17. The young men of the rulers of the provinces marched out first. Ben-Hadad sent out scouts, who reported to him saying, “There are men coming out from Samaria.”
18. He said, “Whether they are coming out for peace, take them alive, or whether they are coming out for battle, take them alive.”
19. Now when the young men of the rulers of the provinces marched out of the city, with the army following them,
20. each man struck down his foe. Then the Arameans fled and Israel pursued them, but King Ben-Hadad of Aram escaped on a horse with horsemen.
21. Then the king of Israel went out, struck the horses and chariots, and inflicted on the Arameans a great defeat.
22. The prophet then approached the king of Israel and said to him, “Go, strengthen yourself. Consider carefully what you should do, for at the turn of the year the king of Aram will march up against you.”
23. Meanwhile, the servants of the king of Aram said to him, “Their God is a God of the mountains—that’s why they were stronger than us. But let’s fight against them in the plain. Then surely we’ll be stronger than them.
24. So this is what you should do: remove the kings, each from his post, and appoint governors in their place.
25. Then muster an army like the army that you lost—horse for horse and chariot for chariot—and let’s fight against them in the plain, and surely we’ll be stronger than them!” He listened to their advice and acted accordingly.