hey fled out of the camp, and the king himself escaped with difficulty,
by fleeing away on horseback. But Ahab went a great way in pursuit of
the Syrians; and when he had spoiled their camp, which contained a great
deal of wealth, and moreover a large quantity of gold and silver, he
took Benhadad's chariots and horses, and returned to the city; but as
the prophet told him he ought to have his army ready, because the Syrian
king would make another expedition against him the next year, Ahab was
busy in making provision for it accordingly.

3. Now Benhadad, when he had saved himself, and as much of his army as
he could, out of the battle, he consulted with his friends how he
might make another expedition against the Israelites. Now those friends
advised him not to fight with them on the hills, because their God was
potent in such places, and thence it had come to pass that they had very
lately been beaten; but they said, that if they joined battle with them
in the plain, they should beat them. They also gave him this further
advice, to send home those kings whom he had brought as his auxiliaries,
but to retain their army, and to set captains over it instead of the
kings, and to raise an army out of their country, and let them be in the
place of the former who perished in the battle, together with horses and
chariots. So he judged their counsel to be good, and acted according to
it in the management of the army.

4. At the beginning of the spring, Benhadad took his army with him, and
led it against the Hebrews; and when he was come to a certain city which
was called Aphek, he pitched his camp in the great plain. Ahab also
went to meet him with his army, and pitched his camp over against him,
although his army was a very small one, if it were compared with the
enemy's; but the prophet came again to him, and told him, that God would
give him the victory, that he might demonstrate his own power to be,
not only on the mountains, but on the plains also; which it seems was
contrary to the opinion of the Syrians. So they lay quiet in their camp
seven days; but on the last of those days, when the enemies came out
of their camp, and put themselves in array in order to fight, Ahab
also brought out his own army; and when the battle was joined, and they
fought valiantly, he put the enemy to flight, and pursued them, and
pressed upon them, and slew them; nay, they were destroyed by their
own chariots, and by one another; nor could any m