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18  Heoi nui atu nga taonga me te kororia o Iehohapata; a i piri ano raua ko Ahapa i te ara pakuwha.

Na i te mutunga o etahi tau ka haere atu ia ki a Ahapa, ki Hamaria. A he tini nga hipi me nga kau i patua e Ahapa ma ratou ko ona hoa. Na kei te kukume ia i a ia kia haere tahi raua ki Ramoto Kireara.

A ka mea a Ahapa kingi o Iharaira ki a Iehohapata kingi o Hura, Kia haere taua ki Ramoto Kireara? Ano ra ko tera ki a ia, Ko ahau, ko koe, rite tonu taua; ko toku iwi, ko tou iwi, rite tonu; hei hoa ano matou mou ki te pakanga.

A ka mea a Iehohapata ki te kingi o Iharaira, Tena, rapua aianei tetahi kupu i a Ihowa.

Na ka huihuia nga poropiti e te kingi o Iharaira, e wha rau tangata. Na ka mea ia ki a ratou, Me haere ranei matou ki Ramoto Kireara ki te whawhai, kauaka ranei ahau e haere? Ano ra ko ratou; Haere; ma te Atua hoki e homai ki te ringa o te kingi.

Na ka mea a Iehohapata, Kahore ranei i konei tetahi atu, he poropiti na Ihowa, hei rapunga atu ma tatou?

Ano ra ko te kingi o Iharaira ki a Iehohapata, Tenei ano tetahi tangata, hei rapunga atu ma tatou i ta Ihowa; otiia e kino ana ahau ki a ia; no te mea kahore ana poropiti pai moku; he kino kau tana i nga ra katoa; ko Mikaia tera, ko te tama a Imi ra. Na ka mea a Iehohapata, Kaua e pena mai te kupu a te kingi.

Katahi te kingi o Iharaira ka karanga ki tetahi o nga rangatira, ka mea, Kia hohoro mai a Mikaia tama a Imira.

Na i runga te kingi o Iharaira raua ko Iehohapata kingi o Hura i tona torona, i tona torona e noho ana, oti rawa o raua kakahu te kakahu, a noho ana raua i te wahi tuwhera, i te kuwaha o te keti o Hamaria, me te poropiti ano nga poropiti katoa i to raua aroaro.

10 Na kua oti i a Terekia tama a Kenaana etahi haona rino te hanga mana. Ko tana kupu ano tenei, Ko te kupu tenei a Ihowa, Ka tukia nga Hiriani e koe ki enei a poto noa.

11 Me nga poropiti katoa, pera tonu ta ratou poropiti: i mea ratou, Haere ki Ramoto Kireara, kia taea hoki tau; kua homai hoki e Ihowa ki te ringa o te kingi.

12 A i korero te karere i haere nei ki te tiki i a Mikaia; i mea ki a ia, Nana, ko nga kupu a nga poropiti ki te kingi, kotahi tonu te mangai mo te pai; na kia rite tau kupu ki ta tetahi o ratou, kia pai au korero.

13 Na ka mea a Mikaia, E ora ana a Ihowa, ina, ko ta toku Atua e korero mai ai ki ahau, ko taku tena e korero ai.

14 A, no tona taenga ki te kingi, ka mea te kingi ki a ia, E Mikaia, me haere ranei matou ki Ramoto Kireara ki te whawhai, kaua ranei? Ano ra ko tera ki a ia, Haere, kia taea hoki ta koutou; ka homai hoki ratou ki to koutou ringa.

15 Na ka mea te kingi ki a ia, Kia hia ianei aku whakaoati i a koe kia kati au e korero mai ai ki ahau i runga i te ingoa o Ihowa, ko te mea pono anake.

16 Katahi tera ka ki, I kite ahau i a Iharaira katoa e marara noa ana i runga i nga maunga, koia ano kei nga hipi kahore nei o ratou kaitiaki: a i mea a Ihowa, Kahore o enei ariki: kia hoki marie ratou ki tona whare, ki tona whare.

17 Na ka mea te kingi o Iharaira ki a Iehohapata, Kahore ianei ahau i ki atu ki a koe, E kore e pai tana poropiti moku; engari he kino?

18 Na ka mea tera, Mo reira whakarongo ki te kupu a Ihowa, I kite ahau i a Ihowa e noho ana i runga i tona torona, i te mano katoa ano o te rangi e tu ana i tona matau, i tona maui.

19 Na ka mea a Ihowa, Ko wai hei whakapati i a Ahapa kingi o Iharaira kia haere ai, kia hinga ai ki Ramoto Kireara? Na puta ke ta tenei kupu, puta ke ta tenei kupu.

20 Na ko te putanga o tetahi wairua, tu ana i te aroaro o Ihowa, ka mea, Maku ia e whakapati. A ka mea a Ihowa ki a ia, Me pehea?

21 Ano ra ko tera, Me haere atu ahau, a hei wairua teka ahau i roto i nga mangai o ana poropiti katoa. Na ka mea ia, Mau ia e whakapati, ka taea ano e koe. Haere, meatia tau na.

22 Na, tena, kua hoatu inaianei e Ihowa he wairua teka ki te mangai o enei poropiti au, kua kino ano ta Ihowa korero mou.

23 Katahi ka whakatata a Terekia tama a Kenaana, ka patu i te paparinga o Mikaia, ka mea, I na hea te haerenga atu o te wairua o Ihowa i ahau ki a koe, korero ai?

24 Ano ra ko Mikaia, Tera koe e kite i te ra e haere ai koe ki tetahi ruma i roto rawa piri ai.

25 Katahi te kingi o Iharaira ka mea, Kawea atu a Mikaia, whakahokia ki a Amono rangatira o te pa, ki a Ioaha hoki tama a te kingi:

26 Ki atu hoki, Ko te kupu tenei a te kingi, Hoatu tenei ki te whare herehere, whangaia hoki ki te taro o te tangihanga, ki te wai o te tangihanga, kia hoki mai ra ano ahau i runga i te rangimarie.

27 Ano ra ko Mikaia, Ki te tupono koe te hoki mai i runga i te rangimarie, heoi he teka naku i whakapuaki ta Ihowa korero. I mea ano ia, Whakarongo mai, e nga iwi katoa.

28 Heoi haere ana te kingi o Iharaira raua ko Iehohapata, kingi o Hura ki runga, ki Ramoto Kireara.

29 Na ka mea te kingi o Iharaira ki a Iehohapata, Me whakaputa ke toku ahau, ka haere ki te whawhai; ko koe ia kakahuria ou kakahu. Heoi whakaputa ke ana te kingi o Iharaira i tona ahua, a haere ana raua ki te whawhai.

30 Kua oti ano ana rangatira hariata te whakahau e te kingi o Hiria; i mea ia, Kaua e whawhai ki te iti, ki te rahi; engari ki te kingi anake o Iharaira.

31 Na, i te kitenga o nga rangatira o nga hariata i a Iehohapata, ka mea ratou, Ko te kingi o Iharaira tenei. Na kua mui ki a ia ki te whawhai. Otiia ko te karangatanga o Iehohapata, a ka awhinatia ia e Ihowa; a na te Atua ratou i mea kia whakarere i a ia.

32 Na, i te kitenga o nga rangatira o nga hariata ehara i te kingi o Iharaira, hoki ana ratou i te whai i a ia.

33 Na ka kumea te kopere e tetahi tangata, he mea noa iho, tu tonu te kingi o Iharaira i waenga pu o te hononga iho o te pukupuku: na reira tera i mea ai ki te kaiarataki o tana hariata, Tahuri tou ringa; kawea atu ahau i roto i te ope; kua tu hoki ahau.

34 Na ka rahi haere te whawhai i taua ra; a i whakamanawanui te kingi o Iharaira, i tu atu ki nga Hiriani i runga i tona hariata, a ahiahi noa; a i te rerenga o te ra ka mate.

Micaiah Prophesies Against Ahab(A)

18 Now Jehoshaphat had great wealth and honor,(B) and he allied(C) himself with Ahab(D) by marriage. Some years later he went down to see Ahab in Samaria. Ahab slaughtered many sheep and cattle for him and the people with him and urged him to attack Ramoth Gilead. Ahab king of Israel asked Jehoshaphat king of Judah, “Will you go with me against Ramoth Gilead?”

Jehoshaphat replied, “I am as you are, and my people as your people; we will join you in the war.” But Jehoshaphat also said to the king of Israel, “First seek the counsel of the Lord.”

So the king of Israel brought together the prophets—four hundred men—and asked them, “Shall we go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or shall I not?”

“Go,” they answered, “for God will give it into the king’s hand.”

But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there no longer a prophet of the Lord here whom we can inquire of?”

The king of Israel answered Jehoshaphat, “There is still one prophet through whom we can inquire of the Lord, but I hate him because he never prophesies anything good about me, but always bad. He is Micaiah son of Imlah.”

“The king should not say such a thing,” Jehoshaphat replied.

So the king of Israel called one of his officials and said, “Bring Micaiah son of Imlah at once.”

Dressed in their royal robes, the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah were sitting on their thrones at the threshing floor by the entrance of the gate of Samaria, with all the prophets prophesying before them. 10 Now Zedekiah son of Kenaanah had made iron horns, and he declared, “This is what the Lord says: ‘With these you will gore the Arameans until they are destroyed.’”

11 All the other prophets were prophesying the same thing. “Attack Ramoth Gilead(E) and be victorious,” they said, “for the Lord will give it into the king’s hand.”

12 The messenger who had gone to summon Micaiah said to him, “Look, the other prophets without exception are predicting success for the king. Let your word agree with theirs, and speak favorably.”

13 But Micaiah said, “As surely as the Lord lives, I can tell him only what my God says.”(F)

14 When he arrived, the king asked him, “Micaiah, shall we go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or shall I not?”

“Attack and be victorious,” he answered, “for they will be given into your hand.”

15 The king said to him, “How many times must I make you swear to tell me nothing but the truth in the name of the Lord?”

16 Then Micaiah answered, “I saw all Israel(G) scattered on the hills like sheep without a shepherd,(H) and the Lord said, ‘These people have no master. Let each one go home in peace.’”

17 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Didn’t I tell you that he never prophesies anything good about me, but only bad?”

18 Micaiah continued, “Therefore hear the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on his throne(I) with all the multitudes of heaven standing on his right and on his left. 19 And the Lord said, ‘Who will entice Ahab king of Israel into attacking Ramoth Gilead and going to his death there?’

“One suggested this, and another that. 20 Finally, a spirit came forward, stood before the Lord and said, ‘I will entice him.’

“‘By what means?’ the Lord asked.

21 “‘I will go and be a deceiving spirit(J) in the mouths of all his prophets,’ he said.

“‘You will succeed in enticing him,’ said the Lord. ‘Go and do it.’

22 “So now the Lord has put a deceiving spirit in the mouths of these prophets of yours.(K) The Lord has decreed disaster for you.”

23 Then Zedekiah son of Kenaanah went up and slapped(L) Micaiah in the face. “Which way did the spirit from[a] the Lord go when he went from me to speak to you?” he asked.

24 Micaiah replied, “You will find out on the day you go to hide in an inner room.”

25 The king of Israel then ordered, “Take Micaiah and send him back to Amon the ruler of the city and to Joash the king’s son, 26 and say, ‘This is what the king says: Put this fellow in prison(M) and give him nothing but bread and water until I return safely.’”

27 Micaiah declared, “If you ever return safely, the Lord has not spoken through me.” Then he added, “Mark my words, all you people!”

Ahab Killed at Ramoth Gilead(N)

28 So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah went up to Ramoth Gilead. 29 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “I will enter the battle in disguise, but you wear your royal robes.” So the king of Israel disguised(O) himself and went into battle.

30 Now the king of Aram had ordered his chariot commanders, “Do not fight with anyone, small or great, except the king of Israel.” 31 When the chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat, they thought, “This is the king of Israel.” So they turned to attack him, but Jehoshaphat cried out,(P) and the Lord helped him. God drew them away from him, 32 for when the chariot commanders saw that he was not the king of Israel, they stopped pursuing him.

33 But someone drew his bow at random and hit the king of Israel between the breastplate and the scale armor. The king told the chariot driver, “Wheel around and get me out of the fighting. I’ve been wounded.” 34 All day long the battle raged, and the king of Israel propped himself up in his chariot facing the Arameans until evening. Then at sunset he died.(Q)

Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 18:23 Or Spirit of