2 Chronicles 18
Legacy Standard Bible
Jehoshaphat Allies with Ahab
18 Now (A)Jehoshaphat had riches and honor in abundance; and he allied himself by marriage with Ahab. 2 (B)And some years later he went down to Ahab at Samaria. And Ahab sacrificed sheep and oxen in abundance for him and the people who were with him, and incited him to go up against Ramoth-gilead. 3 And Ahab king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat king of Judah, “Will you go with me against Ramoth-gilead?” And he said to him, “I am as you are, and my people as your people, and we will be with you in the battle.”
4 Moreover, Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “Please inquire [a]first for the word of Yahweh.” 5 Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets, four hundred men, and said to them, “Shall we go against Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall I refrain?” And they said, “Go up, for God will give it into the hand of the king.” 6 But Jehoshaphat said, “Is there not yet a prophet of Yahweh here that we may inquire of him?” 7 And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of Yahweh, but I hate him, because he never prophesies good concerning me but always evil. He is Micaiah, son of Imla.” But Jehoshaphat said, “Let not the king say so.”
Micaiah Prophesies Against Ahab
8 Then the king of Israel called an officer and said, “Hasten to bring Micaiah son of Imla.” 9 Now the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah were sitting each on his throne, clothed in their royal garments, and they were sitting (C)at the threshing floor at the entrance of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets were prophesying before them. 10 And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made horns of iron for himself and said, “Thus says Yahweh, ‘With these you shall gore the Arameans until they are consumed.’” 11 All the prophets were also prophesying thus, saying, “Go up to Ramoth-gilead and succeed, and Yahweh will give it into the hand of the king.”
12 Now the messenger who went to summon Micaiah spoke to him saying, “Behold, the words of the prophets, as if from one mouth, are good to the king. So please let your word be like one of them and speak that which is good.” 13 But Micaiah said, “As Yahweh lives, (D)what my God says, that I shall speak.”
14 Then he came to the king, and the king said to him, “Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall I refrain?” And he said, “Go up and succeed, and they will be given into your hand.” 15 Then the king said to him, “How many times must I make you swear to speak to me nothing but the truth in the name of Yahweh?” 16 So he said,
“I saw all Israel
Scattered on the mountains,
(E)Like sheep which have no shepherd;
And Yahweh said,
‘These have no master.
Let each of them return to his house in peace.’”
17 So the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Did I not say to you that he would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil?”
18 Then Micaiah said, “Therefore, hear the word of Yahweh. (F)I saw Yahweh sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing on His right and on His left. 19 And Yahweh said, ‘Who will entice Ahab king of Israel so that he will go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?’ And one said this while another said that. 20 Then a (G)spirit came forward and stood before Yahweh and said, ‘I will entice him.’ And Yahweh said to him, ‘How?’ 21 And he said, ‘I will go out and be (H)a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ Then He said, ‘You shall entice him and also prevail. Go out and do so.’ 22 So now, behold, (I)Yahweh has put a lying spirit in the mouth of these your prophets, but Yahweh has spoken calamity against you.”
23 Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah approached and (J)struck Micaiah on the cheek and said, “[b]How did the Spirit of Yahweh pass from me to speak to you?” 24 And Micaiah said, “Behold, you will see on that day when you enter an inner room to hide.” 25 Then the king of Israel said, “(K)Take Micaiah and return him to Amon (L)the ruler of the city and to Joash the king’s son; 26 and say, ‘Thus says the king, “(M)Put this man in prison and feed him [c]sparingly with bread and water until I return safely.”’” 27 And Micaiah said, “If you indeed return safely, Yahweh has not spoken by me.” And he said, “(N)Listen, all you people.”
The Death of Ahab
28 So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah went up against Ramoth-gilead. 29 And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “I will disguise myself and go into battle, but you put on your garments.” So the king of Israel disguised himself, and they went into battle. 30 Now the king of Aram had commanded the commanders of his chariots, saying, “Do not fight with small or great, but with the king of Israel alone.” 31 Now it happened that when the commanders of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, they said, “It is the king of Israel,” and they turned to fight against him. But Jehoshaphat (O)cried out, and Yahweh helped him, and God incited them away from him. 32 So it happened that when the commanders of the chariots saw that it was not the king of Israel, they turned back from pursuing him. 33 Now a certain man drew his bow at random and struck the king of Israel [d]in a joint of the armor. So he said to the driver of the chariot, “Turn [e]around and take me out of the [f]fight, for I am severely wounded.” 34 Now the battle raged that day, and the king of Israel propped himself up in his chariot in front of the Arameans until the evening; and at sunset he died.
Footnotes
- 2 Chronicles 18:4 Lit as the day
- 2 Chronicles 18:23 Lit Which way
- 2 Chronicles 18:26 Lit with bread of oppression and water of oppression
- 2 Chronicles 18:33 Lit between the scale-armor and the breastplate
- 2 Chronicles 18:33 Lit your hand
- 2 Chronicles 18:33 Lit camp
2 Chronicles 18
New King James Version
Micaiah Warns Ahab(A)
18 Jehoshaphat (B)had riches and honor in abundance; and by marriage he (C)allied himself with (D)Ahab. 2 (E)After some years he went down to visit Ahab in Samaria; and Ahab killed sheep and oxen in abundance for him and the people who were with him, and persuaded him to go up with him to Ramoth Gilead. 3 So Ahab king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat king of Judah, “Will you go with me against Ramoth Gilead?”
And he answered him, “I am as you are, and my people as your people; we will be with you in the war.”
4 Also Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, (F)“Please inquire for the word of the Lord today.”
5 Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, four hundred men, and said to them, “Shall we go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or shall I refrain?”
So they said, “Go up, for God will deliver it into the king’s hand.”
6 But Jehoshaphat said, “Is there not still a prophet of the Lord here, that we may inquire of (G)Him?”[a]
7 So 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 never prophesies good concerning me, but always evil. He is Micaiah the son of Imla.”
And Jehoshaphat said, “Let not the king say such things!”
8 Then the king of Israel called one of his officers and said, “Bring Micaiah the son of Imla quickly!”
9 The king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah, clothed in their robes, sat each on his throne; and they sat at a threshing floor at the entrance of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets prophesied before them. 10 Now Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah had made (H)horns of iron for himself; and he said, “Thus says the Lord: ‘With these you shall gore the Syrians until they are destroyed.’ ”
11 And all the prophets prophesied so, saying, “Go up to Ramoth Gilead and prosper, for the Lord will deliver it into the king’s hand.”
12 Then the messenger who had gone to call Micaiah spoke to him, saying, “Now listen, the words of the prophets with one accord encourage the king. Therefore please let your word be like the word of one of them, and speak encouragement.”
13 And Micaiah said, “As the Lord lives, (I)whatever my God says, that I will speak.”
14 Then he came to the king; and the king said to him, “Micaiah, shall we go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or shall I refrain?”
And he said, “Go and prosper, and they shall be delivered into your hand!”
15 So the king said to him, “How many times shall I make you swear that you tell me nothing but the truth in the name of the Lord?”
16 Then he said, “I saw all Israel (J)scattered on the mountains, as sheep that have no (K)shepherd. And the Lord said, ‘These have no master. Let each return to his house in peace.’ ”
17 And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Did I not tell you he would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil?”
18 Then Micaiah said, “Therefore hear the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on His (L)throne, and all the host of heaven standing on His right hand and His left. 19 And the Lord said, ‘Who will persuade Ahab king of Israel to go up, that he may fall at Ramoth Gilead?’ So one spoke in this manner, and another spoke in that manner. 20 Then a (M)spirit came forward and stood before the Lord, and said, ‘I will persuade him.’ The Lord said to him, ‘In what way?’ 21 So he said, ‘I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ And the Lord said, ‘You shall persuade him and also prevail; go out and do so.’ 22 Therefore look! (N)The Lord has put a lying spirit in the mouth of these prophets of yours, and the Lord has declared disaster against you.”
23 Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah went near and (O)struck Micaiah on the cheek, and said, “Which way did the spirit from the Lord go from me to speak to you?”
24 And Micaiah said, “Indeed you shall see on that day when you go into an inner chamber to hide!”
25 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; 26 and say, ‘Thus says the king: (P)“Put this fellow in prison, and feed him with bread of affliction and water of affliction, until I return in peace.” ’ ”
27 But Micaiah said, “If you ever return in peace, the Lord has not spoken by (Q)me.” And he said, “Take heed, all you people!”
Ahab Dies in Battle(R)
28 So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went up to Ramoth Gilead. 29 And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “I will (S)disguise myself and go into battle; but you put on your robes.” So the king of Israel disguised himself, and they went into battle.
30 Now the king of Syria had commanded the captains of the chariots who were with him, saying, “Fight with no one small or great, but only with the king of Israel.”
31 So it was, when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, that they said, “It is the king of Israel!” Therefore they surrounded him to attack; but Jehoshaphat (T)cried out, and the Lord helped him, and God diverted them from him. 32 For so it was, when the captains of the chariots saw that it was not the king of Israel, that they turned back from pursuing him. 33 Now a certain man drew a bow at random, and struck the king of Israel between the [b]joints of his armor. So he said to the driver of his chariot, “Turn around and take me out of the battle, for I am wounded.” 34 The battle increased that day, and the king of Israel propped himself up in his chariot facing the Syrians until evening; and about the time of sunset he died.
Footnotes
- 2 Chronicles 18:6 Or him
- 2 Chronicles 18:33 Or scale armor and the breastplate
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Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
