1 Kings 22
Christian Standard Bible
Jehoshaphat’s Alliance with Ahab
22 There was(A) a lull of three years(B) without war between Aram and Israel. 2 However, in the third year, King Jehoshaphat(C) of Judah went to visit the king of Israel.(D) 3 The king of Israel had said to his servants, “Don’t you know that Ramoth-gilead(E) is ours, but we’re doing nothing to take it from the king of Aram?” 4 So(F) he asked Jehoshaphat, “Will you go with me to fight Ramoth-gilead?” (G)
Jehoshaphat replied to the king of Israel, “I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses.”(H) 5 But Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “First, please ask what the Lord’s will is.”(I)
6 So the king of Israel gathered the prophets, about four hundred men,(J) and asked them, “Should I go against Ramoth-gilead for war or should I refrain?”
They replied, “March up, and the Lord will hand it over to the king.”(K)
7 But Jehoshaphat asked, “Isn’t there a prophet of the Lord here anymore?(L) Let’s ask him.”
8 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “There is still one man who can inquire of the Lord, but I hate him(M) because he never prophesies good about me,(N) but only disaster. He is Micaiah son of Imlah.”
“The king shouldn’t say that!” Jehoshaphat replied.
9 So the king of Israel called an officer and said, “Hurry and get Micaiah son of Imlah!”
10 Now the king of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah,(O) clothed in royal attire, were each sitting on his own throne. They were on the threshing floor(P) at the entrance to the gate of Samaria, and all the prophets were prophesying in front of them. 11 Then Zedekiah(Q) son of Chenaanah made iron horns(R) and said, “This is what the Lord says: ‘You will gore the Arameans with these until they are finished off.’” 12 And all the prophets were prophesying the same: “March up to Ramoth-gilead(S) and succeed, for the Lord will hand it over to the king.”
Micaiah’s Message of Defeat
13 The messenger(T) who went to call Micaiah instructed him, “Look, the words of the prophets are unanimously favorable for the king. So let your words be like theirs, and speak favorably.”
14 But Micaiah said, “As the Lord lives,(U) I will say whatever the Lord says to me.”(V)
15 So he went to the king, and the king asked him, “Micaiah, should we go to Ramoth-gilead for war, or should we refrain?”
Micaiah told him, “March up and succeed. The Lord will hand it over to the king.”
16 But the king said to him, “How many times must I make you swear not to tell me anything but the truth in the name of the Lord?”
17 So Micaiah said:
I saw all Israel scattered on the hills
like sheep without a shepherd.(W)
And the Lord said,
“They have no master;
let everyone return home in peace.”(X)
18 So the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Didn’t I tell you he never prophesies good about me, but only disaster?”
19 Then Micaiah said, “Therefore, hear the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on his throne,(Y) and the whole heavenly army(Z) was standing by him at his right hand and at his left hand. 20 And the Lord said, ‘Who will entice Ahab to march up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?’ (AA) So one was saying this and another was saying that.
21 “Then a spirit came forward, stood in the Lord’s presence, and said, ‘I will entice him.’
22 “The Lord asked him, ‘How?’
“He said, ‘I will go and become a lying spirit(AB) in the mouth of all his prophets.’
“Then he said, ‘You will certainly entice him and prevail.(AC) Go and do that.’
23 “You see, the Lord has put a lying spirit into the mouth of all these prophets of yours, and the Lord has pronounced disaster against you.”
24 Then Zedekiah(AD) son of Chenaanah came up, hit Micaiah on the cheek, and demanded, “Did[a] the Spirit of the Lord leave me to speak to you?” (AE)
25 Micaiah replied, “You will soon see when you go to hide in an inner chamber on that day.”(AF)
26 Then the king of Israel ordered, “Take Micaiah and return him to Amon, the governor of the city, and to Joash, the king’s son,(AG) 27 and say, ‘This is what the king says: Put this guy in prison(AH) and feed him only a little bread and water[b] until I come back safely.’”
28 But Micaiah said, “If you ever return safely, the Lord has not spoken through me.”(AI) Then he said, “Listen, all you people!” [c](AJ)
Ahab’s Death
29 Then(AK) the king of Israel and Judah’s King Jehoshaphat went up to Ramoth-gilead.(AL) 30 But the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “I will disguise(AM) myself and go into battle, but you wear your royal attire.” So the king of Israel disguised himself and went into battle.(AN)
31 Now the king of Aram had ordered his thirty-two chariot commanders,(AO) “Do not fight with anyone at all[d] except the king of Israel.”(AP)
32 When the chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat, they shouted, “He must be the king of Israel!” So they turned to fight against him, but Jehoshaphat cried out. 33 When the chariot commanders saw that he was not the king of Israel, they turned back from pursuing him.
34 But a man drew his bow(AQ) without taking special aim and struck the king of Israel through the joints of his armor. So he said to his charioteer, “Turn around and take me out of the battle,[e] for I am badly wounded!” (AR) 35 The battle raged throughout that day, and the king was propped up in his chariot facing the Arameans. He died that evening,(AS) and blood from his wound flowed into the bottom of the chariot. 36 Then the cry rang out in the army as the sun set, declaring:
Each man to his own city,
and each man to his own land!(AT)
37 So the king died and was brought to Samaria. They buried the king in Samaria.(AU) 38 Then someone washed the chariot at the pool of Samaria. The dogs licked up his blood, and the prostitutes bathed in it, according to the word of the Lord that he had spoken.(AV)
39 The rest of the events of Ahab’s reign, along with all his accomplishments, including the ivory palace(AW) he built, and all the cities he built, are written in the Historical Record of Israel’s Kings.(AX) 40 Ahab rested with his ancestors,(AY) and his son Ahaziah(AZ) became king in his place.
Judah’s King Jehoshaphat
41 Jehoshaphat(BA) son of Asa became king over Judah in the fourth year of Israel’s King Ahab. 42 Jehoshaphat was thirty-five years old when he became king; he reigned twenty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Azubah daughter of Shilhi. 43 He walked in all the ways of his father Asa;(BB) he did not turn away from them but did what was right in the Lord’s sight. However, the high places were not taken away;[f] the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places.(BC) 44 Jehoshaphat also made peace with the king of Israel.(BD)
45 The rest of the events of Jehoshaphat’s reign, along with the might he exercised and how he waged war, are written in the Historical Record of Judah’s Kings.(BE) 46 He eradicated from the land the rest of the male cult prostitutes who were left from the days of his father Asa.(BF) 47 There was no king in Edom;(BG) a deputy served as king. 48 Jehoshaphat made ships of Tarshish(BH) to go to Ophir(BI) for gold, but they did not go because the ships were wrecked at Ezion-geber.(BJ) 49 At that time, Ahaziah(BK) son of Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, “Let my servants go with your servants in the ships,” but Jehoshaphat was not willing. 50 Jehoshaphat rested with his ancestors and was buried with them in the city of his ancestor David.(BL) His son Jehoram(BM) became king in his place.
Israel’s King Ahaziah
51 Ahaziah(BN) son of Ahab became king over Israel in Samaria(BO) in the seventeenth year of Judah’s King Jehoshaphat,(BP) and he reigned over Israel two years. 52 He did what was evil in the Lord’s sight.(BQ) He walked in the ways of his father,(BR) in the ways of his mother,(BS) and in the ways of Jeroboam son of Nebat, who had caused Israel to sin.(BT) 53 He served Baal and bowed in worship to him.(BU) He angered the Lord God of Israel just as his father had done.(BV)
列王紀上 22
Chinese Contemporary Bible (Traditional)
米該雅先知警告亞哈王
22 亞蘭和以色列之間三年無戰事。 2 第三年,猶大王約沙法來見以色列王亞哈。 3 以色列王對臣僕說:「你們都知道基列的拉末是我們的領土,我們豈能坐視不理,不從亞蘭王手中奪回來呢?」 4 他問約沙法:「你願意跟我一起去攻打基列的拉末嗎?」約沙法回答說:「你我不分彼此,我的民就是你的民,我的馬就是你的馬。」 5 約沙法又對以色列王說:「你要先求問耶和華。」
6 於是,以色列王就召來了大約四百名先知,問他們:「我可以去攻打基列的拉末嗎?」他們說:「可以去,主必把那城交在王手中。」 7 但約沙法問:「這裡沒有耶和華的先知供我們求問嗎?」 8 以色列王回答說:「這裡還有一個人,是音拉的兒子米該雅,我們可以託他求問耶和華。可是我厭惡他,因為他給我的預言都是有凶無吉。」約沙法說:「王不要這樣說。」 9 以色列王召來一名內侍,說:「你快把音拉的兒子米該雅帶來。」 10 以色列王和猶大王約沙法在撒瑪利亞城門前的麥場,身穿朝服,坐在寶座上,眾先知都在他們面前說預言。 11 基拿拿的兒子西底迦造了兩隻鐵角,說:「耶和華這樣說,『你必用這鐵角牴亞蘭人,直到毀滅他們。』」 12 所有的先知也都預言說:「去攻打基列的拉末吧,一定得勝,耶和華必將那城交在王的手中。」
13 去召米該雅的使者對米該雅說:「眾先知都異口同聲地向王說吉言,你就像他們一樣說些吉言吧。」 14 米該雅回答說:「我憑永活的耶和華起誓,耶和華對我說什麼,我就說什麼。」 15 米該雅來到以色列王面前,王就問他:「米該雅啊,我可不可以去攻打基列的拉末?」米該雅回答說:「上去攻打吧,一定得勝,耶和華必將那城交在王手中。」 16 王卻說:「我要囑咐你多少次,你才肯奉耶和華的名對我說實話呢?」 17 米該雅說:「我看見以色列人四散在山上,好像沒有牧人的羊群一樣。耶和華說,『這些人沒有主人,讓他們各自平安地回家去吧。』」 18 以色列王對約沙法說:「我不是告訴過你嗎?他給我的預言都是有凶無吉。」 19 米該雅說:「你要聽耶和華的話。我看見耶和華坐在寶座上,眾天軍侍立在祂左右。 20 耶和華說,『誰願意去引誘亞哈到基列的拉末去送死呢?』眾天軍議論紛紛。 21 後來,有一個靈站出來對耶和華說他願意去。 22 耶和華問他用什麼方法,他說,『我要做謊言之靈,進入他眾先知的口中。』耶和華說,『你必能成功,就這樣做吧。』 23 現在,耶和華已經把謊言之靈放進這些先知口中,耶和華已決意降禍給你。」
24 基拿拿的兒子西底迦聽了米該雅的話就上前打他的臉,說:「耶和華的靈怎會離開我向你說話呢?」 25 米該雅說:「你躲進密室的那天就知道了。」 26 以色列王下令說:「把米該雅交給亞們總督和約阿施王子, 27 告訴他們,『王說,要把這人關在監牢,只給他一些餅和水,直到我平安地回來。』」 28 米該雅說:「如果你能夠平安地回來,耶和華就沒有藉著我說話。」他又說:「眾民啊,你們都記住我的話。」
亞哈之死
29 以色列王和猶大王約沙法出兵攻打基列的拉末。 30 以色列王對約沙法說:「我要改裝上陣,你就穿王袍吧。」以色列王就改裝上陣。 31 亞蘭王已經吩咐他的三十二名戰車長不要跟對方的大小軍兵交鋒,只攻擊以色列王。 32 戰車長看見約沙法,以為他一定是以色列王,便轉過來攻擊他。約沙法高聲喊叫, 33 戰車長見他不是以色列王,便不再追殺他。 34 有人隨手放了一箭,射進了以色列王的鎧甲縫中。王對駕車的說:「調轉車頭拉我離開戰場吧,我受了重傷。」 35 那天的戰事非常激烈,亞哈王被人扶著站在車上,迎戰亞蘭人。到了黃昏,王就死了,車上流滿了血。 36 太陽快要下山的時候,以色列軍中傳出號令,叫人各回本鄉本城。
37 王死後,他們把王的屍體運回撒瑪利亞安葬, 38 並在撒瑪利亞妓女洗浴的池邊洗他的戰車,有狗來舔他的血,正如耶和華所言。 39 亞哈其他的事,他的一切所作所為和他建造的象牙宮及各城邑,都記在以色列的列王史上。 40 亞哈與祖先同眠後,他兒子亞哈謝繼位。
約沙法做猶大王
41 亞哈做以色列王第四年,亞撒的兒子約沙法登基做猶大王。 42 約沙法三十五歲登基,在耶路撒冷執政二十五年。他母親叫阿蘇巴,是示利希的女兒。 43 約沙法事事效法他父親亞撒,不偏不離,做耶和華視為正的事。但他沒有拆毀邱壇,百姓仍然在那裡獻祭燒香。 44 約沙法與以色列王修好。
45 約沙法其他的事,包括他的功業和戰績,都記在猶大的列王史上。 46 約沙法除掉了他父親亞撒時代遺留的男廟妓。 47 那時以東沒有王,由總督治理。 48 約沙法又建造了一批他施船,要到俄斐去運載黃金,可是沒有成行,因為船隻在以旬·迦別失事了。 49 後來,亞哈的兒子亞哈謝請求約沙法讓他的人跟約沙法的人一起出海,但約沙法拒絕了。 50 約沙法與祖先同眠後葬在大衛城他的祖墳裡。他兒子約蘭繼位。
亞哈謝做以色列王
51 猶大王約沙法執政第十七年,亞哈的兒子亞哈謝在撒瑪利亞登基做以色列王,執政兩年。 52 他做耶和華視為惡的事,步他父母的後塵,效法使以色列人陷入罪中的尼八之子耶羅波安。 53 他像他父親一樣供奉、祭拜巴力,惹以色列的上帝耶和華發怒。
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