to be
reported, that he still continued in the mind to comply with what terms
he at first desired, for the safety of the citizens; but as for his
second desires, he cannot submit to them,--he dismissed them.

2. Now when Benhadad heard this, he had indignation, and sent
ambassadors to Ahab the third time, and threatened that his army would
raise a bank higher than those walls, in confidence of whose strength he
despised him, and that by only each man of his army taking a handful of
earth; hereby making a show of the great number of his army, and aiming
to affright him. Ahab answered, that he ought not to vaunt himself when
he had only put on his armor, but when he should have conquered his
enemies in the battle. So the ambassadors came back, and found the king
at supper with his thirty-two kings, and informed him of Ahab's answer;
who then immediately gave order for proceeding thus: To make lines round
the city, and raise a bulwark, and to prosecute the siege all manner
of ways. Now, as this was doing, Ahab was in a great agony, and all his
people with him; but he took courage, and was freed from his fears,
upon a certain prophet coming to him, and saying to him, that God had
promised to subdue so many ten thousands of his enemies under him.
And when he inquired by whose means the victory was to be obtained,
he said, "By the sons of the princes; but under thy conduct as their
leader, by reason of their unskilfulness [in war]." Upon which he
called for the sons of the princes, and found them to be two hundred and
thirty-two persons. So when he was informed that the king of Syria had
betaken himself to feasting and repose, he opened the gates, and sent
out the princes' sons. Now when the sentinels told Benhadad of it, he
sent some to meet them, and commanded them, that if these men were come
out for fighting, they should bind them, and bring them to him; and
that if they came out peaceably, they should do the same. Now Ahab had
another army ready within the walls, but the sons of the princes fell
upon the out-guard, and slew many of them, and pursued the rest of them
to the camp; and when the king of Israel saw that these had the upper
hand, he sent out all the rest of his army, which, falling suddenly upon
the Syrians, beat them, for they did not think they would have come out;
on which account it was that they assaulted them when they were naked
[37] and drunk, insomuch that they left all their armor behind them when
t