11. The king of Israel answered, “Tell him, ‘Don’t let him who puts on his armor brag like he who takes it off.’”
12. When Ben Hadad heard this message, as he was drinking, he and the kings, in the pavilions, he said to his servants, “Prepare to attack!” They prepared to attack the city.
13. Behold, a prophet came near to Ahab king of Israel, and said, “the Lord says, ‘Have you seen all this great multitude? Behold, I will deliver it into your hand today. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’”
14. Ahab said, “By whom?”He said, “the Lord says, ‘By the young men of the princes of the provinces.’”Then he said, “Who shall begin the battle?”He answered, “You.”
15. Then he mustered the young men of the princes of the provinces, and they were two hundred and thirty-two. After them, he mustered all the people, even all the children of Israel, being seven thousand.
16. They went out at noon. But Ben Hadad was drinking himself drunk in the pavilions, he and the kings, the thirty-two kings who helped him.
17. The young men of the princes of the provinces went out first; and Ben Hadad sent out, and they told him, saying, “Men are coming out from Samaria.”
18. He said, “If they have come out for peace, take them alive; or if they have come out for war, take them alive.”
19. So these went out of the city, the young men of the princes of the provinces, and the army which followed them.
20. They each killed his man. The Syrians fled, and Israel pursued them. Ben Hadad the king of Syria escaped on a horse with horsemen.
21. The king of Israel went out, and struck the horses and chariots, and killed the Syrians with a great slaughter.
22. The prophet came near to the king of Israel, and said to him, “Go, strengthen yourself, and mark, and see what you do; for at the return of the year the king of Syria will come up against you.”