1 Kings 20

Chapter 20.

20 ¹Ben-Hadad king of Aram gather im whole army—thirty-two kings dey with am, plus horses and chariots. E march go up, siege Samaria, and attack am. ²E send messengers enter di city go meet Ahab king of Israel, talk say, "Ben-Hadad talk dis one: ³'Your silver and your gold na my own, and di best among your wives and pikin dem na my own.'"

⁴Israel im king answer, "As you talk, my oga di king: I be your own, and everything wey I get."

⁵Di messengers come back talk say, "Dis na wetin Ben-Hadad talk: 'I bin send word give you say make you give me your silver and gold, your wives and your pikin dem. ⁶But by dis same time tomorrow I go send my servants dem make dem search your palace and di houses of your servants, and dem go grab and carry comot everything wey dey precious for your eye.'"

⁷Di king of Israel call all di elders of di land come, talk say, "See am well well say dis man dey find trouble. E send for my wives, my pikin dem, my silver and my gold, and I no refuse am."

⁸All di elders and all di people talk give am say, "No listen to am, and no gree for am."

⁹So e tell Ben-Hadad im messengers say, "Tell my oga di king, 'Everything wey you first demand from your servant I go do, but dis demand I no fit meet am.'" Di messengers comot go carry im reply go back.

¹⁰Den Ben-Hadad send word: "Make di gods punish me well well if di dust wey remain for Samaria go reach make each of my people hold one handful."

¹¹Di king of Israel reply, "Tell am: 'Make di man wey dey tie im armor for body no boast like di man wey don comot am.'"

¹²As Ben-Hadad and di kings dem dey drink for dem tents, e hear dis one come order im men, "Take una position," and dem position demself against di city.

Our Papa Give Ahab di Victory

¹³One prophet come meet Ahab king of Israel talk say, "Dis na wetin our Papa talk: You see dis plenty army so? Today I go give am enter your hand, and you go know say na Me be your Papa."

¹⁴"Through who?" Ahab ask. "Dis na wetin our Papa talk: Through di young officers of di provincial commanders," di prophet reply. "Who go start di battle?" "Na you," e talk.

¹⁵So Ahab call up di young officers of di provincial commanders—232 of dem. Den e call up di rest, all di Israelites—7,000 altogether. ¹⁶Dem march comot for afternoon time as Ben-Hadad and di thirty-two allied kings dey drink demself drunk for dem tents. ¹⁷Di provincial commanders im young officers comot first. Ben-Hadad bin send scouts, and dem report give am say, "Men dey comot from Samaria."

¹⁸E talk say, "If dem comot for peace, catch dem alive; if dem comot for war, catch dem alive."

¹⁹Di young officers of di provincial commanders march comot from di city with di army dey follow dem for back. ²⁰Each man kill im opponent. Di Arameans run, Israel dey chase dem, but Ben-Hadad king of Aram escape for horseback with some cavalry. ²¹Di king of Israel move forward come overpower di horses and chariots, and e wound di Arameans well well. ²²Later di prophet come meet Israel im king: "Strong your position and think am well wetin you must do, because next spring Aram im king go attack you again."

²³Meanwhile di officials of Aram im king talk give am say: "Dem gods na gods of mountain; na why dem beat us. Fight dem for level ground, and we go surely overpower dem. ²⁴Do dis one: comot all di kings from dem command, and put oda officers for dem place. ²⁵Gather army like di one wey you lose—horse for horse, chariot for chariot—and fight Israel for di plain. Den we go surely strong pass dem." E listen to dem come do so.

²⁶Di next spring Ben-Hadad gather di Arameans come go up to Aphek go fight against Israel. ²⁷As Israel im sons gather and dem get supply, dem march comot go meet dem. Israel camp dey face dem like two small flock of goat, while di Arameans full di whole land.

²⁸Di man of God come meet di king of Israel talk say, "Dis na wetin our Papa talk: Because di Arameans think say Oga na god of hills, no be god of valleys, I go give dis whole plenty army enter your hand, and you go know say na Me be your Papa."

²⁹For seven days dem camp dey face each oda; for di seventh day di battle start. For one day Israel im sons kill 100,000 Aramean foot soldiers. ³⁰Di rest run enter Aphek, where di wall fall on 27,000 of dem. Ben-Hadad run enter di city come hide for one inside room.

³¹Im servants talk say, "We don hear say di kings of Israel im royal house dey merciful. Make we go meet Israel im king with mourning cloth tie for our waist and rope for our head; maybe e go spare your life."

³²So with sackcloth tie for dem waist and rope for dem head, dem come meet Israel im king come beg, "Your servant Ben-Hadad talk say, 'Abeg make I live.'" E answer, "E still dey alive? Na my broda be dat."

³³Di men take am as good sign come quick grab im word. "Yes, your broda Ben-Hadad!" dem talk. "Go bring am," di king talk. So Ben-Hadad comot, and Ahab make am climb enter di chariot.

³⁴"I go return di cities wey my papa take from your papa," Ben-Hadad talk, "and you fit set up your own market areas for Damascus, as my papa do for Samaria." Ahab talk, "For dis terms I go set you free." So e make Covenant with am come let am go.

One Prophet Confront di King

³⁵By our Papa im word one of di sons of di prophets tell im companion, "Abeg beat me." But di man refuse to beat am.

³⁶Di prophet talk say, "Because you no obey our Papa im voice, di moment wey you comot for my side one lion go kill you." As di man comot, one lion find am come kill am.

³⁷Di prophet find anoda man talk say, "Abeg beat me." So di man beat am come wound am.

³⁸Den di prophet stand for di road side dey wait for di king, and e disguise imself with bandage cover im eyes. ³⁹As di king dey pass, di prophet shout, "Your servant go enter di middle of di battle, and one man turn come, bring one captive give me, talk say, 'Guard dis man. If e loss, na your life go pay for im life, abi you go pay seventy-five pounds of silver.' ⁴⁰As your servant dey busy here and there, di man just slip comot." Di king of Israel talk, "Na your own sentence be dat; na you decide am yourself."

⁴¹Di prophet quick comot di bandage from im eyes, and di king of Israel recognize am say na one of di prophets.

⁴²E talk give di king, "Dis na wetin our Papa talk: Because you free di man wey I don set apart for destruction, na your life go pay for im life, your people for im people."

⁴³With vex face and anger, di king of Israel go im house come back go Samaria.