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1 Kings 20:7

Verse 7 of 43. The 20th of 22 chapters in 1 Kings, in History.

3‘Your silver and your gold are mine. Your wives also and your children, even the best, are mine.’”

4The king of Israel answered, “It is according to your saying, my lord, O king. I am yours, and all that I have.”

5The messengers came again and said, “Ben Hadad says, ‘I sent indeed to you, saying, “You shall deliver me your silver, your gold, your wives, and your children;

6but I will send my servants to you tomorrow about this time, and they will search your house and the houses of your servants. Whatever is pleasant in your eyes, they will put it in their hand, and take it away.”’”

7Then the king of Israel called all the elders of the land, and said, “Please notice how this man seeks mischief; for he sent to me for my wives, and for my children, and for my silver, and for my gold; and I didn’t deny him.”

8All the elders and all the people said to him, “Don’t listen, and don’t consent.”

9Therefore he said to the messengers of Ben Hadad, “Tell my lord the king, ‘All that you sent for to your servant at the first I will do, but this thing I cannot do.’” The messengers departed and brought him back the message.

10Ben Hadad sent to him, and said, “The gods do so to me, and more also, if the dust of Samaria will be enough for handfuls for all the people who follow me.”

11The king of Israel answered, “Tell him, ‘Don’t let him who puts on his armor brag like he who takes it off.’”

Read 1 Kings 20

World English Bible. Public domain. Set as prose throughout, including the poetry, because the text is published to us without its lines.