2 Chronicles 18
Modern English Version
Micaiah Prophesies Against Ahab(A)
18 Now Jehoshaphat had great riches and honor, and he married into the family of Ahab. 2 At the end of some years he went down to Ahab in Samaria. And Ahab slaughtered a great amount of sheep and oxen for Jehoshaphat and those who journeyed with him and then lured him up to Ramoth Gilead. 3 And King Ahab of Israel said to King Jehoshaphat of Judah, “Will you go up with me to Ramoth Gilead?”
And he responded, “I am as you are, and as your people also my people are. We will be with you in this war.” 4 And Jehoshaphat further said to the king of Israel, “Inquire today the word of the Lord on this.”
5 So the king of Israel gathered together four hundred prophets, and he inquired from them, “Should I go up to Ramoth Gilead for battle, or should I cease from this?”
They said, “Go up, for God will give this to the hand of the king.”
6 But Jehoshaphat said, “Is there not still here another prophet for the Lord from whom we might inquire?”
7 Then the king of Israel responded to Jehoshaphat, “There is still one man from whom we can seek the Lord, but I hate him because he does not prophesy anything good for me but always disaster. He is Micaiah the son of Imlah.”
And Jehoshaphat said, “May the king not speak like this.”
8 So the king of Israel called to a court eunuch and said, “Hurry and bring Micaiah the son of Imlah.”
9 And the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah were sitting on their own thrones, clothed in their royal garments, at the threshing floor at the entrance at the gate of Samaria, and all the prophets were prophesying before them. 10 Then Zedekiah the son of Kenaanah made for himself iron horns, and he said, “Thus says the Lord: With these you will thrust out the Arameans in Syria until they are finished.”
11 And all the prophets were prophesying the same, “Go up to Ramoth Gilead and find success, because the Lord has given the king into your hands.”
12 And the messenger who went to call Micaiah said to him, “The words of the prophets are as one voice and only for good to the king, so may your word be like one of them, and you speak favorably.”
13 And Micaiah said, “As the Lord lives, whatever my God says, that will I speak.”
14 When he came to the king, the king said to him, “Micaiah, should we go up to Ramoth Gilead for battle, or should I cease?”
He said, “All of you go up and be successful, and they will be given into your hands.”
15 Then the king said to him, “How many times must I cause you to swear that you speak to me only truth in the name of the Lord?”
16 Then he said, “I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains like sheep that have no shepherd. The Lord said, ‘There are no masters for them. Let each man return to his home in peace.’ ”
17 Then the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Did I not say to you that he would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil?”
18 So the prophet said, “Now hear the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on His throne and the heavenly assembly was standing at His right and His left. 19 And the Lord said, ‘Who will deceive Ahab king of Israel so that he might go up and fall at Ramoth Gilead?’
“One was saying one thing, and another was saying something else. 20 Then a spirit came out and stood before the Lord, and he said, ‘I will deceive him.’
“Then the Lord said to him, ‘How?’
21 “Then he said, ‘I will go out and be a spirit of deception in the mouth of all the prophets.’
“Then the Lord said, ‘You will deceive and find success. Go out and do this.’
22 “Now see that the Lord has put a spirit of deception in the mouth of your prophets. So the Lord has declared disaster over you.”
23 Then Zedekiah the son of Kenaanah came near to Micaiah and struck him on the cheek. And he said, “Which way then did the spirit from the Lord pass from me to speak with you?”
24 Then Micaiah said, “You will see it on the day when you enter an inner chamber to hide yourself.”
25 And the king of Israel said, “Seize Micaiah and take him to Amon, the governor of the city, and to Joash the son of the king, 26 and you will say, ‘So says the king: Put him in a prison, and feed him a little food and water until I return in peace.’ ”
27 Then Micaiah said, “If you certainly return in peace, then the Lord has not spoken by me. Listen, all you people!”
The Death of Ahab(B)
28 So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went up to Ramoth Gilead. 29 Then the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “I will disguise myself and go into battle, but you will put on your clothes.” So the king of Israel disguised himself, and they both entered into battle.
30 And the king of Aram ordered the commanders of his chariots, “Do not wage war with the small or great but with the king of Israel alone.” 31 And it happened when the commanders of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat they said, “It is the king of Israel.” So they turned on him to wage war. But Jehoshaphat cried out, and the Lord helped him, then God drew them away from the king. 32 And it happened when the commanders of the chariots saw that he was not the king of Israel, then they turned away from him.
33 But a man pulled his bow at random and struck the king of Israel between his armor scales and body armor. He said to the commander of the chariot, “Turn and remove me from the battle because I am wounded.” 34 And the battle continued on that day, and the king of Israel was set up in his chariot before the Arameans until evening. Then he died when the sun set.
2 Chronicles 18
21st Century King James Version
18 Now Jehoshaphat had riches and honor in abundance, and allied himself through marriage ties with Ahab.
2 And after certain years he went down to Ahab in Samaria. And Ahab killed sheep and oxen for him in abundance and for the people whom he had with him, and persuaded him to go up with him to Ramothgilead.
3 And Ahab king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat king of Judah, “Wilt thou go with me to Ramothgilead?” And he answered him, “I am as thou art, and my people as thy people; and we will be with thee in the war.”
4 And Jehoshaphat said unto the king of Israel, “Inquire, I pray thee, at the word of the Lord today.”
5 Therefore the king of Israel gathered together of prophets four hundred men, and said unto them, “Shall we go to Ramothgilead to battle, or shall I forbear?” And they said, “Go up; for God will deliver it into the king’s hand.”
6 But Jehoshaphat said, “Is there not here a prophet of the Lord besides these, that we might inquire of him?”
7 And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, “There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of the Lord; but I hate him, for he never prophesied good unto me, but always evil. The same is Micaiah the son of Imla.” And Jehoshaphat said, “Let not the king say so!”
8 And the king of Israel called for one of his officers and said, “Fetch quickly Micaiah the son of Imla.”
9 And the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah sat each of them on his throne, clothed in their robes, and they sat in an open place at the entrance of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets prophesied before them.
10 And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah had made him horns of iron, and said, “Thus saith the Lord: ‘With these thou shalt push Syria until they be consumed.’”
11 And all the prophets prophesied so, saying, “Go up to Ramothgilead and prosper, for the Lord shall deliver it into the hand of the king.”
12 And the messenger who went to call Micaiah spoke to him, saying, “Behold, the words of the prophets declare good to the king with one assent. Let thy word therefore, I pray thee, be like one of theirs, and speak thou good.”
13 And Micaiah said, “As the Lord liveth, even what my God saith, that will I speak.”
14 And when he had come to the king, the king said unto him, “Micaiah, shall we go to Ramothgilead to battle, or shall I forbear?” And he said, “Go ye up and prosper, and they shall be delivered into your hand.”
15 And the king said to him, “How many times shall I adjure thee that thou say nothing but the truth to me in the name of the Lord?”
16 Then he said, “I saw all Israel scattered upon the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd. And the Lord said, ‘These have no master. Let them return therefore every man to his house in peace.’”
17 And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Did I not tell thee that he would not prophesy good unto me, but evil?”
18 Again Micaiah said, “Therefore hear the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting upon His throne, and all the host of heaven standing on His right hand and on His left.
19 And the Lord said, ‘Who shall entice Ahab king of Israel, that he may go up and fall at Ramothgilead?’ And one spoke saying in this manner, and another saying in that manner.
20 Then there came out a spirit, and stood before the Lord and said, ‘I will entice him.’ And the Lord said unto him, ‘How?’
21 And he said, ‘I will go out, and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ And the Lord said, ‘Thou shalt entice him, and thou shalt also prevail. Go out, and do even so.’
22 Now therefore, behold, the Lord hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of these thy prophets, and the Lord hath spoken evil against thee.”
23 Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah came near, and smote Micaiah upon the cheek and said, “Which way went the spirit of the Lord from me to speak unto thee?”
24 And Micaiah said, “Behold, thou shalt see on that day when thou shalt go into an inner chamber to hide thyself.”
25 Then the king of Israel said, “Take ye Micaiah, and carry him back to Amon the governor of the city and to Joash the king’s son,
26 and say, ‘Thus saith the king: Put this fellow in the prison, and feed him with bread of affliction and with water of affliction until I return in peace.’”
27 And Micaiah said, “If thou certainly return in peace, then hath not the Lord spoken by me.” And he said, “Hearken, all ye people.”
28 So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went up to Ramothgilead.
29 And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, “I will disguise myself and will go to the battle; but put thou on thy robes.” So the king of Israel disguised himself, and they went to the battle.
30 Now the king of Syria had commanded the captains of the chariots who were with him, saying, “Fight ye not with small or great, but only with the king of Israel.”
31 And it came to pass when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat that they said, “It is the king of Israel.” Therefore they compassed about him to fight. But Jehoshaphat cried out, and the Lord helped him; and God moved them to depart from him.
32 For it came to pass, when the captains of the chariots perceived that it was not the king of Israel, they turned back again from pursuing him.
33 And a certain man drew a bow at random, and smote the king of Israel between the joints of the armor. Therefore he said to his chariot man, “Turn thine hand, that thou mayest carry me out of the host, for I am wounded.”
34 And the battle increased that day. Nonetheless the king of Israel propped himself up in his chariot against the Syrians until the evening. And about the time of the sun going down he died.
The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.
Copyright © 1994 by Deuel Enterprises, Inc.