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
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
The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
