1 Kings 22
New American Standard Bible
Ahab’s Third Campaign against Aram
22 Now [a]three years passed without war between Aram and Israel. 2 (A)In the third year, (B)Jehoshaphat the king of Judah came down to the king of Israel. 3 Now the king of Israel said to his servants, “Are you aware that (C)Ramoth-gilead belongs to us, yet we are hesitant to take it out of the hand of the king of Aram?” 4 So he said to Jehoshaphat, “Will you go to battle with me at Ramoth-gilead?” And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “[b](D)Consider me yours, my people yours, and my horses yours!”
5 However, Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “Please request the word of the Lord [c]first.” 6 So (E)the king of Israel assembled the [d]prophets, about four hundred men, and said to them, “Should I go to battle against Ramoth-gilead or should I refrain?” And they said, “Go up, for the Lord will hand it over to the king.” 7 But (F)Jehoshaphat said, “Is there no longer a prophet of the Lord here, that we may inquire of him?” 8 And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “There is still one man by whom we may inquire of the Lord, but I hate him, because he does not prophesy anything good regarding me, but only bad. He is Micaiah the son of Imlah.” But Jehoshaphat said, “May the king not say so.” 9 Then the king of Israel summoned an officer and said, “Bring Micaiah son of Imlah quickly.” 10 Now the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah were sitting, each on his throne, dressed in their robes, at the threshing floor at the entrance of the gate of Samaria; and (G)all the prophets were prophesying before them. 11 Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made (H)horns of iron for himself and said, “This is what the Lord says: ‘(I)With these you will gore the Arameans until they are destroyed!’” 12 All the prophets were prophesying this as well, saying, “Go up to Ramoth-gilead and succeed, for the Lord will hand it over to the king.”
Micaiah Predicts Defeat
13 Then the messenger who went to summon Micaiah spoke to him saying, “Behold now, the words of the prophets are [e]unanimously favorable to the king. Please let your word be like the word of one of them, and speak favorably.” 14 But Micaiah said, “(J)As the Lord lives, whatever (K)the Lord says to me, I shall speak it.”
15 When he came to the king, the king said to him, “Micaiah, should we go to battle against Ramoth-gilead, or should we refrain?” And he said, “(L)Go up and succeed, for the Lord will hand it over to the king!” 16 Then the king said to him, “How many times must I make you swear that you will tell me nothing but the truth in the name of the Lord?” 17 So he said,
“I saw all Israel
Scattered on the mountains,
(M)Like sheep that have no shepherd.
And the Lord said,
‘These people have no master.
Each of them is to return to his house in peace.’”
18 Then the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “(N)Did I not tell you that he would not prophesy anything good regarding me, but only bad?”
19 And Micaiah said, “Therefore, hear the word of the Lord. (O)I saw the Lord sitting on His throne, and (P)all the [f]angels of heaven standing by Him on His right and on His left. 20 And the Lord said, ‘Who will [g]entice Ahab to go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?’ And one spirit said this, while another said that. 21 Then a spirit came forward and stood before the Lord, and said, ‘I will [h]entice him.’ 22 And the Lord said to him, ‘How?’ And he said, ‘I will go out and (Q)be a deceiving spirit in the mouths of all his prophets.’ Then He said, ‘You shall [i]entice him, and you will also prevail. Go and do so.’ 23 Now then, behold, (R)the Lord has put a deceiving spirit in the mouth of all these prophets of yours; and the Lord has declared disaster against you.”
24 Then (S)Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah approached and struck Micaiah on the cheek; and he said, “(T)How did the Spirit of the Lord pass from me to speak to you?” 25 And Micaiah said, “Behold, you are going to see how on that day when you (U)go from one inner room to [j]another trying to hide yourself.” 26 Then the king of Israel said, “Take Micaiah and return him to Amon the governor of the city, and to Joash the king’s son; 27 and say, ‘This is what the king says: “(V)Put this man in prison, and feed him enough bread and water to survive until I [k]return safely.”’” 28 But Micaiah said, “(W)If you actually return [l]safely, the Lord has not spoken by me.” And he said, “(X)Listen, all you people!”
Defeat and Death of Ahab
29 So (Y)the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah went up against Ramoth-gilead. 30 And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “(Z)I will disguise myself and go into the battle, but you put on your robes.” So the king of Israel disguised himself and went into the battle. 31 Now (AA)the king of Aram had commanded the thirty-two commanders of his chariots, saying, “Do not fight with the small or great, but only with the king of Israel.” 32 So when the commanders of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, they said, “Surely he is the king of Israel!” And they turned aside to fight against him, and Jehoshaphat cried out. 33 Then, when the commanders of the chariots saw that it was not the king of Israel, they turned back from pursuing him.
34 Now one man drew his bow at random and struck the king of Israel [m]in a joint of the armor. So he said to the driver of his chariot, “Turn [n]around and take me out of the battle, (AB)for I am severely wounded.” 35 The battle [o]raged on that day, and the king was propped up in his chariot in front of the Arameans, and he died at evening, and the blood from the wound ran into the bottom of the chariot. 36 (AC)Then the word passed throughout the army close to sunset, saying, “Every man to his city, and every man to his [p]country!”
37 So the king died and was brought to Samaria, and they buried the king in Samaria. 38 They washed out the chariot by the pool of Samaria, and the dogs licked up his blood (it was there that the prostitutes bathed themselves) (AD)in accordance with the word of the Lord which He had spoken. 39 Now as for the rest of the acts of Ahab and everything that he did, and (AE)the ivory house which he built and all the cities which he built, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? 40 So Ahab [q]lay down with his fathers, and his son Ahaziah became king in his place.
The New Rulers
41 (AF)Now Jehoshaphat the son of Asa became king over Judah in the fourth year of Ahab king of Israel. 42 Jehoshaphat was thirty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned for twenty-five years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi. 43 (AG)He walked [r]entirely in the way of his father Asa; he did not turn aside from it, doing what was right in the sight of the Lord. (AH)However, the high places were not taken away; the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places. 44 (AI)Jehoshaphat also made peace with the king of Israel.
45 Now as for the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, and his might which he showed and how he made war, are they not written (AJ)in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? 46 And the remnant of (AK)the cult prostitutes who remained in the days of his father Asa, he eliminated from the land.
47 Now (AL)there was no king in Edom; a governor served as king. 48 Jehoshaphat built (AM)ships of Tarshish to go to (AN)Ophir for gold, but (AO)they did not go, because the ships were destroyed at (AP)Ezion-geber. 49 Then Ahaziah the son of Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, “Let my servants go with your servants in the ships.” But Jehoshaphat was not willing. 50 (AQ)And Jehoshaphat [s]lay down with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of his father David, and his son Jehoram became king in his place.
51 Ahaziah the son of Ahab (AR)became king over Israel in Samaria in the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and he reigned over Israel for two years. 52 He did evil in the sight of the Lord and (AS)walked in the way of his father and in the way of his mother, and in the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who misled Israel into sin. 53 (AT)So he served Baal and worshiped him, and provoked the Lord God of Israel to anger, according to all that his father had done.
Footnotes
- 1 Kings 22:1 Lit they sat for three years
- 1 Kings 22:4 Lit As me as you, as my people...as my horses, as your horses, an ancient idiom
- 1 Kings 22:5 Lit today
- 1 Kings 22:6 I.e., official prophets who at that time were false
- 1 Kings 22:13 Lit of one mouth
- 1 Kings 22:19 Lit host
- 1 Kings 22:20 Or persuade
- 1 Kings 22:21 Or persuade
- 1 Kings 22:22 Or persuade
- 1 Kings 22:25 Lit inner room
- 1 Kings 22:27 Lit come in peace
- 1 Kings 22:28 Lit in peace
- 1 Kings 22:34 Lit between the scales and the scale armor
- 1 Kings 22:34 Lit your hand
- 1 Kings 22:35 Lit went up
- 1 Kings 22:36 Lit land
- 1 Kings 22:40 I.e., died
- 1 Kings 22:43 Lit in all the way of
- 1 Kings 22:50 I.e., died
1 Kings 22
Young's Literal Translation
22 And they sit still three years, there is no war between Aram and Israel,
2 and it cometh to pass in the third year, that Jehoshaphat king of Judah cometh down unto the king of Israel,
3 and the king of Israel saith unto his servants, `Have ye not known that ours [is] Ramoth-Gilead? and we are keeping silent from taking it out of the hand of the king of Aram!'
4 And he saith unto Jehoshaphat, `Dost thou go with me to battle [to] Ramoth-Gilead?' and Jehoshaphat saith unto the king of Israel, `As I am, so thou; as my people, so thy people; as my horses, so thy horses.'
5 And Jehoshaphat saith unto the king of Israel, `Seek, I pray thee, to-day, the word of Jehovah;'
6 and the king of Israel gathereth the prophets, about four hundred men, and saith unto them, `Do I go against Ramoth-Gilead to battle, or do I forbear?' and they say, `Go up, and the Lord doth give [it] into the hand of the king.'
7 And Jehoshaphat saith, `Is there not here a prophet of Jehovah besides, and we seek by him?'
8 And the king of Israel saith unto Jehoshaphat, `Yet -- one man to seek Jehovah by him, and I have hated him, for he doth not prophesy concerning me good, but evil -- Micaiah son of Imlah;' and Jehoshaphat saith, `Let not the king say so.'
9 And the king of Israel calleth unto a certain eunuch, and saith, `Hasten Micaiah son of Imlah.'
10 And the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah are sitting, each on his throne, clothed with garments, in a threshing-floor, at the opening of the gate of Samaria, and all the prophets are prophesying before them.
11 And Zedekiah son of Chenaanah maketh for himself horns of iron, and saith, `Thus said Jehovah, By these thou dost push the Aramaeans till they are consumed;'
12 and all the prophets are prophesying so, saying, `Go up to Ramoth-Gilead, and prosper, and Jehovah hath given [it] into the hand of the king.'
13 And the messenger who hath gone to call Micaiah hath spoken unto him, saying, `Lo, I pray thee, the words of the prophets, with one mouth, [are] good towards the king; let it be, I pray thee, thy word as the word of one of them -- and thou hast spoken good.'
14 And Micaiah saith, `Jehovah liveth; surely that which Jehovah saith unto me -- it I speak.'
15 And he cometh in unto the king, and the king saith unto him, `Micaiah, do we go unto Ramoth-Gilead, to battle, or do we forbear?' and he saith unto him, `Go up, and prosper, and Jehovah hath given [it] into the hand of the king.'
16 And the king saith unto him, `How many times am I adjuring thee that thou speak nothing unto me but truth in the name of Jehovah?'
17 And he saith, `I have seen all Israel scattered on the hills as sheep that have no shepherd, and Jehovah saith, These have no master; they turn back each to his house in peace.'
18 And the king of Israel saith unto Jehoshaphat, `Have I not said unto thee, He doth not prophesy of me good, but evil?'
19 And he saith, `Therefore, hear a word of Jehovah; I have seen Jehovah sitting on His throne, and all the host of the heavens standing by Him, on His right and on His left;
20 and Jehovah saith, Who doth entice Ahab, and he doth go up and fall in Ramoth-Gilead? and this one saith thus, and that one is saying thus.
21 `And the spirit goeth out, and standeth before Jehovah, and saith, I -- I do entice him; and Jehovah saith unto him, By what?
22 and he saith, I go out, and have been a spirit of falsehood in the mouth of all his prophets; and He saith, Thou dost entice, and also thou art able; go out and do so.
23 And now, lo, Jehovah hath put a spirit of falsehood in the mouth of all these thy prophets, and Jehovah hath spoken concerning thee -- evil.'
24 And Zedekiah son of Chenaanah draweth nigh, and smiteth Micaiah on the cheek, and saith, `Where [is] this -- he hath passed over -- the Spirit of Jehovah -- from me to speak with thee?'
25 And Micaiah saith, `Lo, thou art seeing on that day, when thou goest in to the innermost chamber to be hidden.'
26 And the king of Israel saith, `Take Micaiah, and turn him back unto Amon head of the city, and unto Joash son of the king,
27 and thou hast said, Thus said the king, Place ye this one in the house of restraint, and cause him to eat bread of oppression, and water of oppression, till my coming in peace.'
28 And Micaiah saith, `If thou at all return in peace -- Jehovah hath not spoken by me;' and he saith, `Hear, O peoples, all of them.'
29 And the king of Israel goeth up, and Jehoshaphat king of Judah, to Ramoth-Gilead.
30 And the king of Israel saith unto Jehoshaphat to disguise himself, and to go into battle, `And thou, put on thy garments.' And the king of Israel disguiseth himself, and goeth into battle.
31 And the king of Aram commanded the heads of the charioteers whom he hath -- thirty and two -- saying, `Ye do not fight with small or with great, but with the king of Israel by himself.'
32 And it cometh to pass, at the heads of the charioteers seeing Jehoshaphat, that they said, `He [is] only the king of Israel;' and they turn aside to him to fight, and Jehoshaphat crieth out,
33 and it cometh to pass, at the heads of the charioteers seeing that he [is] not the king of Israel, that they turn back from after him.
34 And a man hath drawn with a bow, in his simplicity, and smiteth the king of Israel between the joinings and the coat of mail, and he saith to his charioteer, `Turn thy hand, and take me out from the camp, for I have become sick.'
35 And the battle increaseth on that day, and the king hath been caused to stand in the chariot, over-against Aram, and he dieth in the evening, and the blood of the wound runneth out unto the midst of the chariot,
36 and he causeth the cry to pass over through the camp, at the going in of the sun, saying, `Each unto his city, and each unto his land.'
37 And the king dieth, and cometh into Samaria, and they bury the king in Samaria;
38 and [one] rinseth the chariot by the pool of Samaria, and the dogs lick his blood -- when the armour they had washed -- according to the word of Jehovah that He spake.
39 And the rest of the matters of Ahab, and all that he did, and the house of ivory that he built, and all the cities that he built, are they not written on the book of the Chronicles of the kings of Israel?
40 And Ahab lieth with his fathers, and Ahaziah his son reigneth in his stead.
41 And Jehoshaphat son of Asa hath reigned over Judah in the fourth year of Ahab king of Israel,
42 Jehoshaphat [is] a son of thirty and five years in his reigning, and twenty and five years he hath reigned in Jerusalem, and the name of his mother [is] Azubah daughter of Shilhi.
43 And he walketh in all the way of Asa his father, he hath not turned aside from it, to do that which [is] right in the eyes of Jehovah; only the high places have not turned aside, yet are the people sacrificing and making perfume in high places.
44 And Jehoshaphat maketh peace with the king of Israel;
45 and the rest of the matters of Jehoshaphat, and his might that he got, and with which he fought, are they not written on the book of the Chronicles of the kings of Judah?
46 And the remnant of the whoremongers who were left in the days of Asa his father he took away out of the land;
47 and there is no king in Edom; he set up a king.
48 Jehoshaphat made ships at Tarshish to go to Ophir for gold, and they went not, for the ships were broken in Ezion-Geber.
49 Then said Ahaziah son of Ahab unto Jehoshaphat, `Let my servants go with thy servants in the ships;' and Jehoshaphat was not willing.
50 And Jehoshaphat lieth with his fathers, and is buried with his fathers in the city of David his father, and Jehoram his son reigneth in his stead.
51 Ahaziah son of Ahab hath reigned over Israel in Samaria in the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and reigneth over Israel two years,
52 and doth the evil thing in the eyes of Jehovah, and walketh in the way of his father, and in the way of his mother, and in the way of Jeroboam son of Nebat who caused Israel to sin,
53 and serveth the Baal, and boweth himself to it, and provoketh Jehovah, God of Israel, according to all that his father had done.
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