19 Ach’av told Izevel everything Eliyahu had done and how he had put all the prophets to the sword. ² Then Izevel sent a messenger to say to Eliyahu, “May the gods do terrible things to me and worse ones besides if by this time tomorrow I haven’t taken your life, just as you took theirs!” ³ On seeing that, he got up and fled for his life.

When he arrived in Be’er-Sheva, in Y’hudah, he left his servant there; ⁴ but he himself went a day farther into the desert, until he came to a broom tree. He sat down under it and prayed for his own death. “Enough!” he said. “Now, Adonai, take my life. I’m no better than my ancestors.” ⁵ Then he lay down under the broom tree and went to sleep. Suddenly, an angel touched him and said to him, “Get up and eat!” ⁶ He looked, and there by his head was a cake baked on the hot stones and a jug of water. He ate and drank, then lay down again. ⁷ The angel came again, a second time, touched him and said, “Get up and eat, or the journey will be too much for you.” ⁸ He got up, ate and drank, and, on the strength of that meal, traveled forty days and nights until he reached Horev the mountain of God.

⁹ There he went into a cave and spent the night. Then the word of Adonai came to him; he said to him, “What are you doing here, Eliyahu?” ¹⁰ He answered, “I have been very zealous for Adonai the God of armies, because the people of Isra’el have abandoned your covenant, broken down your altars and killed your prophets with the sword. Now I’m the only one left, and they’re coming after me to kill me too.” ¹¹ He said, “Go outside, and stand on the mountain before Adonai”; and right then and there, Adonai went past. A mighty blast of wind tore the mountains apart and broke the rocks in pieces before Adonai, but Adonai was not in the wind. After the wind came an earthquake, but Adonai was not in the earthquake. ¹² After the earthquake, fire broke out; but Adonai was not in the fire. And after the fire came a quiet, subdued voice. ¹³ When Eliyahu heard it, he covered his face with his cloak, stepped out and stood at the entrance to the cave. Then a voice came to him and said, “What are you doing here, Eliyahu?” ¹⁴ He answered, “I have been very zealous for Adonai the God of armies; because the people of Isra’el have abandoned your covenant, broken down your altars and killed your prophets with the sword. Now I’m the only one left, and they’re after me to kill me too.”

¹⁵ Adonai said to him, “Go back by way of the Dammesek Desert. When you get there, anoint Haza’el to be king over Aram. ¹⁶ Also anoint Yehu the son of Nimshi to be king over Isra’el, and anoint Elisha the son of Shafat of Avel-M’cholah to be prophet after you. ¹⁷ Yehu will kill whoever escapes the sword of Haza’el, and Elisha will kill whoever escapes the sword of Yehu. ¹⁸ Still, I will spare seven thousand in Isra’el, every knee that hasn’t bent down before Ba‘al and every mouth that has not kissed him.”

¹⁹ So he left and found Elisha the son of Shafat. He was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen; he himself was behind the twelfth. Eliyahu went over to him and threw his cloak on him. ²⁰ He left the oxen, ran after Eliyahu and said, “Please let me kiss my father and mother good-bye; then I will follow you.” He answered, “Go; but return, because of what I did to you.” ²¹ Elisha stopped following him. Then he took the yoke of oxen, slaughtered them, cooked their meat over the wooden yokes of the oxen and gave it to the people to eat. Then he got up, went after Eliyahu and became his servant.

20 Now Ben-Hadad the king of Aram rallied his whole army; with him were thirty-two kings, besides horses and chariots. Then he marched on Shomron and laid siege to it. ² He sent messengers inside the city to Ach’av king of Isra’el ³ to say to him, “Here is the message from Ben-Hadad: ‘Your silver and gold are mine, also your wives and your best children are mine.’” ⁴ The king of Isra’el answered, “Just as you say, my lord, king; I am yours, along with everything I own.”

⁵ The messengers returned and said, “Here is Ben-Hadad’s response: ‘I sent you a message to hand over your silver, gold, wives and children to me. ⁶ But I am going to send my servants to you tomorrow around this time; they will ransack your house and the houses of your servants; and whatever they see that they like they will seize and remove.’” ⁷ Then the king of Isra’el summoned all the leaders of the land and said, “Please take notice! Do you see how this man is trying to make trouble? First he demanded my wives, children, silver and gold; and I denied him nothing.” ⁸ All the leaders and all the people said to him, “Don’t listen, and don’t agree.” ⁹ So he said to Ben-Hadad’s messengers, “Tell my lord the king, ‘I will do all that you asked of me the first time, but this I cannot do.” The messengers left and brought word back to him.

¹⁰ Ben-Hadad then sent this message to him: “May the gods do terrible things to me and worse ones as well if there’s enough dust in Shomron to give each of my followers a handful!” ¹¹ The king of Isra’el answered, “Tell him: ‘He who is putting on his armor shouldn’t boast as if he were taking it off!’” ¹² It happened that Ben-Hadad received this message when he was drinking, he and his kings, in the field-barracks. He ordered his servants: “Take up your battle positions!” So they got ready to attack the city.

¹³ At that moment a prophet approached Ach’av king of Isra’el and said, “Here is what Adonai says: ‘Have you seen this vast army? I am going to give you victory over them today. Then you will know that I am Adonai!’” ¹⁴ Ach’av asked, “Who will defeat them?” He answered, “This is what Adonai says: ‘The young men who serve the district governors.’” He asked, “Who will start the fighting?” and he answered, “You will.” ¹⁵ He counted the district governors’ young men; there were 232. After that, he counted all the people, all the people of Isra’el; there were 7,000.

¹⁶ They set out at noon. Ben-Hadad was drinking himself senseless in the field-barracks, he and the kings, the thirty-two kings who were his allies. ¹⁷ The district governors’ men went out first. Ben-Hadad sent for information, and they reported, “Men have come out from Shomron.” ¹⁸ He said, “Whether they have come out for peace or for war, take them alive.” ¹⁹ So the district governors’ men left the city, followed by the army; ²⁰ and each one killed his man. Aram fled, and Isra’el pursued them. Ben-Hadad king of Aram escaped on horseback with some of the cavalry. ²¹ The king of Isra’el went out and attacked the horses and chariots, inflicting a massive defeat on Aram.

²² Afterwards, the prophet approached the king of Isra’el and said to him, “Go, regroup your forces, and think carefully what to do, for next year at this time the king of Aram will renew his attack.” ²³ Meanwhile, the servants of the king of Aram said to him, “Their God is a God of the hills; that’s why they were stronger than we were. But if we fight them on level ground, we will certainly be stronger than they are. ²⁴ Also do this: remove all the kings from their commands, and put professional officers in their place. ²⁵ Then recruit an army as big as the army you lost, horse for horse and chariot for chariot. We will attack them on level ground, and we will certainly be stronger than they.” He heeded what they said and acted accordingly.

²⁶ At the same time the following year, Ben-Hadad mustered the army of Aram and went up to Afek to attack Isra’el. ²⁷ The army of Isra’el, already mobilized and supplied, went to meet them; but the army of Isra’el, encamped opposite them, looked like two herds of goats; while Aram filled the land.

²⁸ At this point, a man of God approached and said to the king of Isra’el, “Here is what Adonai says: ‘Because Aram said that Adonai is a God of the hills but not a God of the valleys, I will hand over to you this entire huge army. Then you will know that I am Adonai.’”

²⁹ They remained in camp opposite each other for seven days. On the seventh day, the battle began; and the people of Isra’el killed 100,000 soldiers of Aram in a single day. ³⁰ The rest fled to Afek, into the city; and the wall fell on 27,000 of the men who were left. Ben-Hadad fled into the city and took refuge in an inside room. ³¹ His servants said to him, “Here now, we have heard that the kings of the house of Isra’el are merciful kings. If it’s all right with you, let’s put sackcloth around our waists and ropes on our heads, and go out to the king of Isra’el. Maybe he will spare your life.” ³² So they put sackcloth around their waists and ropes on their heads, went to the king of Isra’el and said, “Your servant Ben-Hadad says, ‘Please spare my life.’” And he answered, “He’s still alive? He is my brother.” ³³ The men took this as a promising indication and seized on it to say, “Yes, Ben-Hadad is your brother.” Then Ach’av said, “Go, and bring him here.” Ben-Hadad went out to him, and Ach’av had him climb up into his chariot. ³⁴ Ben-Hadad said to him, “I will return the cities my father took from your father. Also you can set up markets for trade in Dammesek, as my father did in Shomron.” “If you put this covenant in writing,” said Ach’av, “I will set you free.” So he made a covenant with him and set him free.

³⁵ One of the members of the prophets’ guild said to another one, by the word of Adonai, “Hit me!” But the man refused to hit him. ³⁶ Then he said to him, “Because you didn’t listen to the voice of Adonai, the moment you leave me, a lion will kill you.” No sooner had he left him than a lion found him and killed him. ³⁷ The prophet went to another man and said, “Hit me!” The man struck him a blow and wounded him. ³⁸ The prophet left and waited for the king by the road, disguising himself with a bandage over his eyes. ³⁹ As the king passed by, he called out to the king and said, “Your servant was on his way into the thick of the fighting when someone turned, brought a man to me and said, ‘Guard this man! If he is missing, you will pay for his life with yours; or else you will pay sixty-six pounds of silver.’ ⁴⁰ But while your servant was busy with one thing and another, he disappeared.” The king of Isra’el said to him, “So that is your sentence; you have pronounced it on yourself.” ⁴¹ Quickly he removed the bandage from his eyes, and the king of Isra’el recognized him as one of the prophets. ⁴² Then he said to the king, “Here is what Adonai says: ‘Because you have let escape the man I had given over to be destroyed, you will pay with your life for his life and with your people for his people.’” ⁴³ The king of Isra’el returned home to Shomron resentful and depressed.

21 A while later, an incident occurred involving Navot the Yizre‘eli. He owned a vineyard in Yizre‘el, right next to the palace of Ach’av king of Shomron. ² Ach’av spoke to Navot and said, “Give me your vineyard, so that I can have it as my vegetable garden, because it’s close to my palace. In exchange I will give you a better vineyard; or, if you prefer, I will give you its monetary value.” ³ But Navot said to Ach’av, “Adonai forbid that I should give you my ancestral heritage!” ⁴ Ach’av went home resentful and depressed at what Navot the Yizre‘eli had said to him, since he had said, “I won’t give you my ancestral heritage.” He lay down on his bed, turned his face away and refused to eat. ⁵ Izevel his wife went and said to him, “Why are you so depressed that you refuse to eat?” ⁶ He answered her, “Because I spoke to Navot the Yizre‘eli and said to him, “Sell me your vineyard for money; or else, if you prefer, I will give you another vineyard for it”; but he answered, “I won’t give you my vineyard.” ⁷ “Are you the king of Isra’el or not?” asked his wife Izevel. “Get up, eat some food, and cheer up! I will give you the vineyard of Navot the Yizre‘eli.”

⁸ So she wrote letters in Ach’av’s name, sealed them with his seal and sent the letters to the leaders and notables of the city where Navot lived. ⁹ In the letters she wrote, “Proclaim a fast, and give Navot the seat of honor among the people. ¹⁰ Have two good-for-nothing men sit opposite him, and have them accuse him publicly of cursing God and the king. Then take him outside and stone him to death.”

¹¹ The leaders and notables of the city he lived in did as Izevel had written in the letters she sent to them. ¹² They proclaimed a fast and gave Navot the seat of honor among the people. ¹³ The two good-for-nothing men came in and sat opposite him, and these scoundrels publicly accused Navot, saying, “Navot cursed God and the king.” So they took him outside the city and stoned him to death, ¹⁴ then sent a message to Izevel, “Navot has been stoned to death.”

¹⁵ When Izevel heard that Navot had been stoned to death, she said to Ach’av, “Get up, and take possession of the vineyard that Navot the Yizre‘eli refused to sell you, because Navot is no longer alive; he is dead.” ¹⁶ When Ach’av heard that Navot was dead, he set out to go down to the vineyard of Navot the Yizre‘eli, to take possession of it.

¹⁷ But the word of Adonai came to Eliyahu from Tishbe: ¹⁸ “Get up, go down to meet Ach’av king of Isra’el, who lives in Shomron. Right now he is in the vineyard of Navot; he has gone down there to take possession of it. ¹⁹ This is what you are to say to him: ‘Here is what Adonai says: “You have committed murder, and now you are stealing the victim’s property!” ’ Also say to him, ‘Here is what Adonai says: “In the very place where dogs licked up the blood of Navot, dogs will lick up your blood — yours!” ’”

²⁰ Ach’av said to Eliyahu, “My enemy! You’ve found me!” He answered, “Yes, I have found you; because you have given yourself over to do what is evil from Adonai’s perspective. ²¹ ‘Here,’ [says Adonai,] ‘I am bringing disaster on you! I will sweep you away completely; I will cut off from Ach’av every male, whether a slave or free in Isra’el. ²² I will make your house like the house of Yarov‘am the son of N’vat and like the house of Ba‘sha the son of Achiyah for provoking my anger and leading Isra’el into sin.’ ²³ Adonai also said this about Izevel: ‘The dogs will eat Izevel by the wall around Yizre‘el. ²⁴ If someone from the line of Ach’av dies in the city, the dogs will eat him; if he dies in the countryside, the vultures will eat him.’”

²⁵ Truly, there was never anyone like Ach’av. Stirred up by his wife Izevel, he gave himself over to do what is evil from Adonai’s perspective. ²⁶ His behavior in following idols was grossly abominable; he did everything the Emori had done, whom Adonai expelled ahead of the people of Isra’el.

²⁷ Ach’av, on hearing these words, tore his clothes, put sackcloth on himself and fasted. He slept in the sackcloth and went about dejectedly. ²⁸ Then the word of Adonai came to Eliyahu from Tishbe: ²⁹ “Do you see how Ach’av has humbled himself before me? Since he has humbled himself before me, I will not bring this evil during his lifetime; but during his son’s lifetime I will bring the evil on his house.”

22 For three years there was no war between Aram and Isra’el. ² Then, in the third year, Y’hoshafat the king of Y’hudah came down to the king of Isra’el. ³ The king of Isra’el said to his servants, “Are you aware that Ramot-Gil‘ad belongs to us; yet, we’re doing nothing to recover it from the king of Aram?” ⁴ He said to Y’hoshafat, “Will you go with me to attack Ramot-Gil‘ad?” Y’hoshafat answered the king of Isra’el, “I’m with you all the way; think of my troops and horses as yours.” ⁵ But Y’hoshafat said to the king of Isra’el, “First, we should seek the word of Adonai.”

⁶ So the king of Isra’el assembled the prophets, about 400 men. “Should I attack Ramot-Gil‘ad?” he asked them, “Or should I hold off?” They said, “Attack! Adonai will hand it over to the king.” ⁷ But Y’hoshafat said, “Besides these, isn’t there a prophet of Adonai here that we can consult?” ⁸ The king of Isra’el said to Y’hoshafat, “Yes, there is still one man through whom we can consult Adonai, Mikhay’hu the son of Yimlah; but I hate him, because he doesn’t prophesy good things for me, but bad!” Y’hoshafat replied, “The king shouldn’t say such a thing.”

⁹ Then the king of Isra’el called an officer and said, “Quickly! Bring Mikhay’hu the son of Yimlah.” ¹⁰ Now the king of Isra’el and Y’hoshafat the king of Y’hudah were each sitting on his throne, dressed in their royal robes, on a threshing-floor at the entrance to the gate of Shomron; and all the prophets were there, prophesying in their presence. ¹¹ Tzidkiyah the son of Kena‘anah had made himself some horns out of iron and said, “This is what Adonai says: ‘With these you will gore Aram until they are destroyed.’” ¹² All the prophets prophesied the same thing: “Go up and attack Ramot-Gil‘ad. You will succeed, for Adonai will hand it over to the king.”

¹³ The messenger who had gone to call Mikhay’hu said to him, “Here, now, the prophets are unanimously predicting success for the king. Please let your word be like the word of one of them — say something good.” ¹⁴ But Mikhay’hu answered, “As Adonai lives, whatever Adonai says to me is what I will say.”

¹⁵ When he reached the king, the king asked him, “Mikhay’hu, should we go up and attack Ramot-Gil‘ad; or should we hold off?” He answered, “Go up, you will succeed, Adonai will hand it over to the king.” ¹⁶ The king said to him, “How many times do I have to warn you to tell me nothing but the truth in the name of Adonai?” ¹⁷ Then he said, “I saw all Isra’el scattered over the hills like sheep without a shepherd; and Adonai said, ‘These men have no leader; let everyone go home in peace.’” ¹⁸ The king of Isra’el said to Y’hoshafat, “Didn’t I tell you that he wouldn’t prophesy good things about me, but bad?”

¹⁹ Mikhay’hu continued: “Therefore hear the word of Adonai. I saw Adonai sitting on his throne with the whole army of heaven standing by him on his right and on his left. ²⁰ Adonai asked, ‘Who will entice Ach’av to go up to his death at Ramot-Gil‘ad?’ One of them said, ‘Do it this way,’ and another, ‘Do it that way.’ ²¹ Then a spirit stepped up, stood in front of Adonai and said, ‘I will entice him.’ ²² Adonai asked, ‘How?’ and he answered, ‘I will go and be a deceiving spirit in the mouths of all his prophets.’ Adonai said, ‘You will succeed in enticing him. Go, and do it.’ ²³ So now Adonai has put a deceiving spirit in the mouths of all these prophets of yours; meanwhile, Adonai has ordained disaster for you.”

²⁴ Then Tzidkiyah the son of Kena‘anah came up, slapped Mikhay’hu in the face and said, “And how did the Spirit of Adonai leave me to speak to you?” ²⁵ Mikhay’hu said, “You’ll find out the day you go into an inside room, trying to hide.”

²⁶ The king of Isra’el said, “Seize Mikhay’hu, and take him back to Amon the governor of the city and Yo’ash the king’s son. ²⁷ Say, ‘The king says to put this man in prison; and feed him only bread and water, and not much of that, until I return in peace.’” ²⁸ Mikhay’hu said, “If you return in peace at all, Adonai has not spoken through me!” Then he added, “Did you hear me, you peoples, all of you?”

²⁹ So the king of Isra’el and Y’hoshafat the king of Y’hudah went up to Ramot-Gil‘ad. ³⁰ The king of Isra’el said to Y’hoshafat, “I will disguise myself and go into battle; but you, put on your robes.” So the king of Isra’el disguised himself and went into battle. ³¹ Now the king of Aram had ordered the thirty-two chariot commanders, “Don’t attack anyone of either high or low rank, only the king of Isra’el.” ³² So when the chariot commanders saw Y’hoshafat they said, “This must be the king of Isra’el,” and turned to attack him. But Y’hoshafat gave a yell, ³³ so that the chariot commanders saw that he wasn’t the king of Isra’el and stopped pursuing him. ³⁴ However, one soldier shot an arrow at random and struck the king of Isra’el between his lower armor and his breastplate. So the king said to his chariot-driver, “Turn the reins, and take me out of the fighting; I’m collapsing from my wounds.” ³⁵ But the fighting grew fiercer that day; and they propped the king upright in his chariot facing Aram until he died, in the evening, with the blood streaming from his wound onto the floor of the chariot. ³⁶ Around sundown, a cry spread through the ranks: “Every man to his own town! Every man to his own land!” ³⁷ So the king died and was brought to Shomron, and they buried the king in Shomron. ³⁸ They washed the chariot at the Pool of Shomron where the prostitutes bathed, and the dogs licked up his blood, in keeping with the word Adonai had spoken.

³⁹ Other activities of Ach’av’s reign, all his accomplishments, the ivory palace he built and all the cities he built are recorded in the Annals of the Kings of Isra’el. ⁴⁰ So Ach’av slept with his ancestors, and Achazyah his son became king in his place.

⁴¹ Y’hoshafat the son of Asa began his reign over Y’hudah in the fourth year of Ach’av king of Isra’el. ⁴² Y’hoshafat was thirty-five years old when he began to rule, and he ruled twenty-five years in Yerushalayim. His mother’s name was ‘Azuvah the daughter of Shilchi.

⁴³ He lived in the manner of Asa his father and did not turn away from it, doing what was right from Adonai’s perspective; ^44 (43b) although the high places were not taken away — the people still sacrificed and presented offerings on the high places.

^45 (44) Y’hoshafat made peace with the king of Isra’el.

^46 (45) Other activities of Y’hoshafat, all his power that he demonstrated and how he made war are recorded in the Annals of the Kings of Y’hudah.

^47 (46) He rid the land of the male and female cult-prostitutes remaining from the time of his father Asa.

^48 (47) There had previously been no king in Edom, but now a deputy was made king.

^49 (48) Y’hoshafat built some large “Tarshish” ships to go to Ofir for gold, but they didn’t make the voyage, because they were wrecked at ‘Etzyon-Gever. ^50 (49) Achazyah the son of Ach’av suggested to Y’hoshafat that his men should go to sea with Y’hoshafat’s men, but Y’hoshafat would not agree.

^51 (50) So Y’hoshafat slept with his ancestors and was buried with his ancestors in the City of David his ancestor, and Y’horam his son became king in his place.

^52 (51) Achazyah the son of Ach’av began his reign over Isra’el in Shomron in the seventeenth year of Y’hoshafat king of Y’hudah, and he ruled two years over Isra’el. ^53 (52) He did what was evil from Adonai’s perspective, living in the manner of his father, his mother and Yarov‘am the son of N’vat, by which he led Isra’el into sin. ^54 (53) He also served Ba‘al and worshipped him; and he made Adonai the God of Isra’el angry, in keeping with everything his father had done.

19 Ach’av told Izevel everything Eliyahu had done and how he had put all the prophets to the sword. ² Then Izevel sent a messenger to say to Eliyahu, “May the gods do terrible things to me and worse ones besides if by this time tomorrow I haven’t taken your life, just as you took theirs!” ³ On seeing that, he got up and fled for his life.

When he arrived in Be’er-Sheva, in Y’hudah, he left his servant there; ⁴ but he himself went a day farther into the desert, until he came to a broom tree. He sat down under it and prayed for his own death. “Enough!” he said. “Now, Adonai, take my life. I’m no better than my ancestors.” ⁵ Then he lay down under the broom tree and went to sleep. Suddenly, an angel touched him and said to him, “Get up and eat!” ⁶ He looked, and there by his head was a cake baked on the hot stones and a jug of water. He ate and drank, then lay down again. ⁷ The angel came again, a second time, touched him and said, “Get up and eat, or the journey will be too much for you.” ⁸ He got up, ate and drank, and, on the strength of that meal, traveled forty days and nights until he reached Horev the mountain of God.

⁹ There he went into a cave and spent the night. Then the word of Adonai came to him; he said to him, “What are you doing here, Eliyahu?” ¹⁰ He answered, “I have been very zealous for Adonai the God of armies, because the people of Isra’el have abandoned your covenant, broken down your altars and killed your prophets with the sword. Now I’m the only one left, and they’re coming after me to kill me too.” ¹¹ He said, “Go outside, and stand on the mountain before Adonai”; and right then and there, Adonai went past. A mighty blast of wind tore the mountains apart and broke the rocks in pieces before Adonai, but Adonai was not in the wind. After the wind came an earthquake, but Adonai was not in the earthquake. ¹² After the earthquake, fire broke out; but Adonai was not in the fire. And after the fire came a quiet, subdued voice. ¹³ When Eliyahu heard it, he covered his face with his cloak, stepped out and stood at the entrance to the cave. Then a voice came to him and said, “What are you doing here, Eliyahu?” ¹⁴ He answered, “I have been very zealous for Adonai the God of armies; because the people of Isra’el have abandoned your covenant, broken down your altars and killed your prophets with the sword. Now I’m the only one left, and they’re after me to kill me too.”

¹⁵ Adonai said to him, “Go back by way of the Dammesek Desert. When you get there, anoint Haza’el to be king over Aram. ¹⁶ Also anoint Yehu the son of Nimshi to be king over Isra’el, and anoint Elisha the son of Shafat of Avel-M’cholah to be prophet after you. ¹⁷ Yehu will kill whoever escapes the sword of Haza’el, and Elisha will kill whoever escapes the sword of Yehu. ¹⁸ Still, I will spare seven thousand in Isra’el, every knee that hasn’t bent down before Ba‘al and every mouth that has not kissed him.”

¹⁹ So he left and found Elisha the son of Shafat. He was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen; he himself was behind the twelfth. Eliyahu went over to him and threw his cloak on him. ²⁰ He left the oxen, ran after Eliyahu and said, “Please let me kiss my father and mother good-bye; then I will follow you.” He answered, “Go; but return, because of what I did to you.” ²¹ Elisha stopped following him. Then he took the yoke of oxen, slaughtered them, cooked their meat over the wooden yokes of the oxen and gave it to the people to eat. Then he got up, went after Eliyahu and became his servant.

20 Now Ben-Hadad the king of Aram rallied his whole army; with him were thirty-two kings, besides horses and chariots. Then he marched on Shomron and laid siege to it. ² He sent messengers inside the city to Ach’av king of Isra’el ³ to say to him, “Here is the message from Ben-Hadad: ‘Your silver and gold are mine, also your wives and your best children are mine.’” ⁴ The king of Isra’el answered, “Just as you say, my lord, king; I am yours, along with everything I own.”

⁵ The messengers returned and said, “Here is Ben-Hadad’s response: ‘I sent you a message to hand over your silver, gold, wives and children to me. ⁶ But I am going to send my servants to you tomorrow around this time; they will ransack your house and the houses of your servants; and whatever they see that they like they will seize and remove.’” ⁷ Then the king of Isra’el summoned all the leaders of the land and said, “Please take notice! Do you see how this man is trying to make trouble? First he demanded my wives, children, silver and gold; and I denied him nothing.” ⁸ All the leaders and all the people said to him, “Don’t listen, and don’t agree.” ⁹ So he said to Ben-Hadad’s messengers, “Tell my lord the king, ‘I will do all that you asked of me the first time, but this I cannot do.” The messengers left and brought word back to him.

¹⁰ Ben-Hadad then sent this message to him: “May the gods do terrible things to me and worse ones as well if there’s enough dust in Shomron to give each of my followers a handful!” ¹¹ The king of Isra’el answered, “Tell him: ‘He who is putting on his armor shouldn’t boast as if he were taking it off!’” ¹² It happened that Ben-Hadad received this message when he was drinking, he and his kings, in the field-barracks. He ordered his servants: “Take up your battle positions!” So they got ready to attack the city.

¹³ At that moment a prophet approached Ach’av king of Isra’el and said, “Here is what Adonai says: ‘Have you seen this vast army? I am going to give you victory over them today. Then you will know that I am Adonai!’” ¹⁴ Ach’av asked, “Who will defeat them?” He answered, “This is what Adonai says: ‘The young men who serve the district governors.’” He asked, “Who will start the fighting?” and he answered, “You will.” ¹⁵ He counted the district governors’ young men; there were 232. After that, he counted all the people, all the people of Isra’el; there were 7,000.

¹⁶ They set out at noon. Ben-Hadad was drinking himself senseless in the field-barracks, he and the kings, the thirty-two kings who were his allies. ¹⁷ The district governors’ men went out first. Ben-Hadad sent for information, and they reported, “Men have come out from Shomron.” ¹⁸ He said, “Whether they have come out for peace or for war, take them alive.” ¹⁹ So the district governors’ men left the city, followed by the army; ²⁰ and each one killed his man. Aram fled, and Isra’el pursued them. Ben-Hadad king of Aram escaped on horseback with some of the cavalry. ²¹ The king of Isra’el went out and attacked the horses and chariots, inflicting a massive defeat on Aram.

²² Afterwards, the prophet approached the king of Isra’el and said to him, “Go, regroup your forces, and think carefully what to do, for next year at this time the king of Aram will renew his attack.” ²³ Meanwhile, the servants of the king of Aram said to him, “Their God is a God of the hills; that’s why they were stronger than we were. But if we fight them on level ground, we will certainly be stronger than they are. ²⁴ Also do this: remove all the kings from their commands, and put professional officers in their place. ²⁵ Then recruit an army as big as the army you lost, horse for horse and chariot for chariot. We will attack them on level ground, and we will certainly be stronger than they.” He heeded what they said and acted accordingly.

²⁶ At the same time the following year, Ben-Hadad mustered the army of Aram and went up to Afek to attack Isra’el. ²⁷ The army of Isra’el, already mobilized and supplied, went to meet them; but the army of Isra’el, encamped opposite them, looked like two herds of goats; while Aram filled the land.

²⁸ At this point, a man of God approached and said to the king of Isra’el, “Here is what Adonai says: ‘Because Aram said that Adonai is a God of the hills but not a God of the valleys, I will hand over to you this entire huge army. Then you will know that I am Adonai.’”

²⁹ They remained in camp opposite each other for seven days. On the seventh day, the battle began; and the people of Isra’el killed 100,000 soldiers of Aram in a single day. ³⁰ The rest fled to Afek, into the city; and the wall fell on 27,000 of the men who were left. Ben-Hadad fled into the city and took refuge in an inside room. ³¹ His servants said to him, “Here now, we have heard that the kings of the house of Isra’el are merciful kings. If it’s all right with you, let’s put sackcloth around our waists and ropes on our heads, and go out to the king of Isra’el. Maybe he will spare your life.” ³² So they put sackcloth around their waists and ropes on their heads, went to the king of Isra’el and said, “Your servant Ben-Hadad says, ‘Please spare my life.’” And he answered, “He’s still alive? He is my brother.” ³³ The men took this as a promising indication and seized on it to say, “Yes, Ben-Hadad is your brother.” Then Ach’av said, “Go, and bring him here.” Ben-Hadad went out to him, and Ach’av had him climb up into his chariot. ³⁴ Ben-Hadad said to him, “I will return the cities my father took from your father. Also you can set up markets for trade in Dammesek, as my father did in Shomron.” “If you put this covenant in writing,” said Ach’av, “I will set you free.” So he made a covenant with him and set him free.

³⁵ One of the members of the prophets’ guild said to another one, by the word of Adonai, “Hit me!” But the man refused to hit him. ³⁶ Then he said to him, “Because you didn’t listen to the voice of Adonai, the moment you leave me, a lion will kill you.” No sooner had he left him than a lion found him and killed him. ³⁷ The prophet went to another man and said, “Hit me!” The man struck him a blow and wounded him. ³⁸ The prophet left and waited for the king by the road, disguising himself with a bandage over his eyes. ³⁹ As the king passed by, he called out to the king and said, “Your servant was on his way into the thick of the fighting when someone turned, brought a man to me and said, ‘Guard this man! If he is missing, you will pay for his life with yours; or else you will pay sixty-six pounds of silver.’ ⁴⁰ But while your servant was busy with one thing and another, he disappeared.” The king of Isra’el said to him, “So that is your sentence; you have pronounced it on yourself.” ⁴¹ Quickly he removed the bandage from his eyes, and the king of Isra’el recognized him as one of the prophets. ⁴² Then he said to the king, “Here is what Adonai says: ‘Because you have let escape the man I had given over to be destroyed, you will pay with your life for his life and with your people for his people.’” ⁴³ The king of Isra’el returned home to Shomron resentful and depressed.

21 A while later, an incident occurred involving Navot the Yizre‘eli. He owned a vineyard in Yizre‘el, right next to the palace of Ach’av king of Shomron. ² Ach’av spoke to Navot and said, “Give me your vineyard, so that I can have it as my vegetable garden, because it’s close to my palace. In exchange I will give you a better vineyard; or, if you prefer, I will give you its monetary value.” ³ But Navot said to Ach’av, “Adonai forbid that I should give you my ancestral heritage!” ⁴ Ach’av went home resentful and depressed at what Navot the Yizre‘eli had said to him, since he had said, “I won’t give you my ancestral heritage.” He lay down on his bed, turned his face away and refused to eat. ⁵ Izevel his wife went and said to him, “Why are you so depressed that you refuse to eat?” ⁶ He answered her, “Because I spoke to Navot the Yizre‘eli and said to him, “Sell me your vineyard for money; or else, if you prefer, I will give you another vineyard for it”; but he answered, “I won’t give you my vineyard.” ⁷ “Are you the king of Isra’el or not?” asked his wife Izevel. “Get up, eat some food, and cheer up! I will give you the vineyard of Navot the Yizre‘eli.”

⁸ So she wrote letters in Ach’av’s name, sealed them with his seal and sent the letters to the leaders and notables of the city where Navot lived. ⁹ In the letters she wrote, “Proclaim a fast, and give Navot the seat of honor among the people. ¹⁰ Have two good-for-nothing men sit opposite him, and have them accuse him publicly of cursing God and the king. Then take him outside and stone him to death.”

¹¹ The leaders and notables of the city he lived in did as Izevel had written in the letters she sent to them. ¹² They proclaimed a fast and gave Navot the seat of honor among the people. ¹³ The two good-for-nothing men came in and sat opposite him, and these scoundrels publicly accused Navot, saying, “Navot cursed God and the king.” So they took him outside the city and stoned him to death, ¹⁴ then sent a message to Izevel, “Navot has been stoned to death.”

¹⁵ When Izevel heard that Navot had been stoned to death, she said to Ach’av, “Get up, and take possession of the vineyard that Navot the Yizre‘eli refused to sell you, because Navot is no longer alive; he is dead.” ¹⁶ When Ach’av heard that Navot was dead, he set out to go down to the vineyard of Navot the Yizre‘eli, to take possession of it.

¹⁷ But the word of Adonai came to Eliyahu from Tishbe: ¹⁸ “Get up, go down to meet Ach’av king of Isra’el, who lives in Shomron. Right now he is in the vineyard of Navot; he has gone down there to take possession of it. ¹⁹ This is what you are to say to him: ‘Here is what Adonai says: “You have committed murder, and now you are stealing the victim’s property!” ’ Also say to him, ‘Here is what Adonai says: “In the very place where dogs licked up the blood of Navot, dogs will lick up your blood — yours!” ’”

²⁰ Ach’av said to Eliyahu, “My enemy! You’ve found me!” He answered, “Yes, I have found you; because you have given yourself over to do what is evil from Adonai’s perspective. ²¹ ‘Here,’ [says Adonai,] ‘I am bringing disaster on you! I will sweep you away completely; I will cut off from Ach’av every male, whether a slave or free in Isra’el. ²² I will make your house like the house of Yarov‘am the son of N’vat and like the house of Ba‘sha the son of Achiyah for provoking my anger and leading Isra’el into sin.’ ²³ Adonai also said this about Izevel: ‘The dogs will eat Izevel by the wall around Yizre‘el. ²⁴ If someone from the line of Ach’av dies in the city, the dogs will eat him; if he dies in the countryside, the vultures will eat him.’”

²⁵ Truly, there was never anyone like Ach’av. Stirred up by his wife Izevel, he gave himself over to do what is evil from Adonai’s perspective. ²⁶ His behavior in following idols was grossly abominable; he did everything the Emori had done, whom Adonai expelled ahead of the people of Isra’el.

²⁷ Ach’av, on hearing these words, tore his clothes, put sackcloth on himself and fasted. He slept in the sackcloth and went about dejectedly. ²⁸ Then the word of Adonai came to Eliyahu from Tishbe: ²⁹ “Do you see how Ach’av has humbled himself before me? Since he has humbled himself before me, I will not bring this evil during his lifetime; but during his son’s lifetime I will bring the evil on his house.”

22 For three years there was no war between Aram and Isra’el. ² Then, in the third year, Y’hoshafat the king of Y’hudah came down to the king of Isra’el. ³ The king of Isra’el said to his servants, “Are you aware that Ramot-Gil‘ad belongs to us; yet, we’re doing nothing to recover it from the king of Aram?” ⁴ He said to Y’hoshafat, “Will you go with me to attack Ramot-Gil‘ad?” Y’hoshafat answered the king of Isra’el, “I’m with you all the way; think of my troops and horses as yours.” ⁵ But Y’hoshafat said to the king of Isra’el, “First, we should seek the word of Adonai.”

⁶ So the king of Isra’el assembled the prophets, about 400 men. “Should I attack Ramot-Gil‘ad?” he asked them, “Or should I hold off?” They said, “Attack! Adonai will hand it over to the king.” ⁷ But Y’hoshafat said, “Besides these, isn’t there a prophet of Adonai here that we can consult?” ⁸ The king of Isra’el said to Y’hoshafat, “Yes, there is still one man through whom we can consult Adonai, Mikhay’hu the son of Yimlah; but I hate him, because he doesn’t prophesy good things for me, but bad!” Y’hoshafat replied, “The king shouldn’t say such a thing.”

⁹ Then the king of Isra’el called an officer and said, “Quickly! Bring Mikhay’hu the son of Yimlah.” ¹⁰ Now the king of Isra’el and Y’hoshafat the king of Y’hudah were each sitting on his throne, dressed in their royal robes, on a threshing-floor at the entrance to the gate of Shomron; and all the prophets were there, prophesying in their presence. ¹¹ Tzidkiyah the son of Kena‘anah had made himself some horns out of iron and said, “This is what Adonai says: ‘With these you will gore Aram until they are destroyed.’” ¹² All the prophets prophesied the same thing: “Go up and attack Ramot-Gil‘ad. You will succeed, for Adonai will hand it over to the king.”

¹³ The messenger who had gone to call Mikhay’hu said to him, “Here, now, the prophets are unanimously predicting success for the king. Please let your word be like the word of one of them — say something good.” ¹⁴ But Mikhay’hu answered, “As Adonai lives, whatever Adonai says to me is what I will say.”

¹⁵ When he reached the king, the king asked him, “Mikhay’hu, should we go up and attack Ramot-Gil‘ad; or should we hold off?” He answered, “Go up, you will succeed, Adonai will hand it over to the king.” ¹⁶ The king said to him, “How many times do I have to warn you to tell me nothing but the truth in the name of Adonai?” ¹⁷ Then he said, “I saw all Isra’el scattered over the hills like sheep without a shepherd; and Adonai said, ‘These men have no leader; let everyone go home in peace.’” ¹⁸ The king of Isra’el said to Y’hoshafat, “Didn’t I tell you that he wouldn’t prophesy good things about me, but bad?”

¹⁹ Mikhay’hu continued: “Therefore hear the word of Adonai. I saw Adonai sitting on his throne with the whole army of heaven standing by him on his right and on his left. ²⁰ Adonai asked, ‘Who will entice Ach’av to go up to his death at Ramot-Gil‘ad?’ One of them said, ‘Do it this way,’ and another, ‘Do it that way.’ ²¹ Then a spirit stepped up, stood in front of Adonai and said, ‘I will entice him.’ ²² Adonai asked, ‘How?’ and he answered, ‘I will go and be a deceiving spirit in the mouths of all his prophets.’ Adonai said, ‘You will succeed in enticing him. Go, and do it.’ ²³ So now Adonai has put a deceiving spirit in the mouths of all these prophets of yours; meanwhile, Adonai has ordained disaster for you.”

²⁴ Then Tzidkiyah the son of Kena‘anah came up, slapped Mikhay’hu in the face and said, “And how did the Spirit of Adonai leave me to speak to you?” ²⁵ Mikhay’hu said, “You’ll find out the day you go into an inside room, trying to hide.”

²⁶ The king of Isra’el said, “Seize Mikhay’hu, and take him back to Amon the governor of the city and Yo’ash the king’s son. ²⁷ Say, ‘The king says to put this man in prison; and feed him only bread and water, and not much of that, until I return in peace.’” ²⁸ Mikhay’hu said, “If you return in peace at all, Adonai has not spoken through me!” Then he added, “Did you hear me, you peoples, all of you?”

²⁹ So the king of Isra’el and Y’hoshafat the king of Y’hudah went up to Ramot-Gil‘ad. ³⁰ The king of Isra’el said to Y’hoshafat, “I will disguise myself and go into battle; but you, put on your robes.” So the king of Isra’el disguised himself and went into battle. ³¹ Now the king of Aram had ordered the thirty-two chariot commanders, “Don’t attack anyone of either high or low rank, only the king of Isra’el.” ³² So when the chariot commanders saw Y’hoshafat they said, “This must be the king of Isra’el,” and turned to attack him. But Y’hoshafat gave a yell, ³³ so that the chariot commanders saw that he wasn’t the king of Isra’el and stopped pursuing him. ³⁴ However, one soldier shot an arrow at random and struck the king of Isra’el between his lower armor and his breastplate. So the king said to his chariot-driver, “Turn the reins, and take me out of the fighting; I’m collapsing from my wounds.” ³⁵ But the fighting grew fiercer that day; and they propped the king upright in his chariot facing Aram until he died, in the evening, with the blood streaming from his wound onto the floor of the chariot. ³⁶ Around sundown, a cry spread through the ranks: “Every man to his own town! Every man to his own land!” ³⁷ So the king died and was brought to Shomron, and they buried the king in Shomron. ³⁸ They washed the chariot at the Pool of Shomron where the prostitutes bathed, and the dogs licked up his blood, in keeping with the word Adonai had spoken.

³⁹ Other activities of Ach’av’s reign, all his accomplishments, the ivory palace he built and all the cities he built are recorded in the Annals of the Kings of Isra’el. ⁴⁰ So Ach’av slept with his ancestors, and Achazyah his son became king in his place.

⁴¹ Y’hoshafat the son of Asa began his reign over Y’hudah in the fourth year of Ach’av king of Isra’el. ⁴² Y’hoshafat was thirty-five years old when he began to rule, and he ruled twenty-five years in Yerushalayim. His mother’s name was ‘Azuvah the daughter of Shilchi.

⁴³ He lived in the manner of Asa his father and did not turn away from it, doing what was right from Adonai’s perspective; ^44 (43b) although the high places were not taken away — the people still sacrificed and presented offerings on the high places.

^45 (44) Y’hoshafat made peace with the king of Isra’el.

^46 (45) Other activities of Y’hoshafat, all his power that he demonstrated and how he made war are recorded in the Annals of the Kings of Y’hudah.

^47 (46) He rid the land of the male and female cult-prostitutes remaining from the time of his father Asa.

^48 (47) There had previously been no king in Edom, but now a deputy was made king.

^49 (48) Y’hoshafat built some large “Tarshish” ships to go to Ofir for gold, but they didn’t make the voyage, because they were wrecked at ‘Etzyon-Gever. ^50 (49) Achazyah the son of Ach’av suggested to Y’hoshafat that his men should go to sea with Y’hoshafat’s men, but Y’hoshafat would not agree.

^51 (50) So Y’hoshafat slept with his ancestors and was buried with his ancestors in the City of David his ancestor, and Y’horam his son became king in his place.

^52 (51) Achazyah the son of Ach’av began his reign over Isra’el in Shomron in the seventeenth year of Y’hoshafat king of Y’hudah, and he ruled two years over Isra’el. ^53 (52) He did what was evil from Adonai’s perspective, living in the manner of his father, his mother and Yarov‘am the son of N’vat, by which he led Isra’el into sin. ^54 (53) He also served Ba‘al and worshipped him; and he made Adonai the God of Isra’el angry, in keeping with everything his father had done.