Jehoshaphat Allies with Ahab

18 Now (A)Jehoshaphat had great riches and honor; and he allied himself by marriage to Ahab. (B)Some years later he went down to visit Ahab at Samaria, and Ahab slaughtered many sheep and oxen for him and the people who were with him. And he incited him to go up against Ramoth-gilead. 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.”

However, Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “Please request the word of the Lord [a]first.” So the king of Israel assembled the [b]prophets, four hundred men, and said to them, “Should we go to battle against Ramoth-gilead, or should I refrain?” And they said, “Go up, for God will hand it over to the king.” But Jehoshaphat said, “Is there no longer a prophet of the Lord here, that we may inquire of him?” And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “There is still one man by whom we may inquire of the Lord, but I hate him, for he never prophesies anything good regarding me, but always bad. He is Micaiah the son of Imlah.” But Jehoshaphat said, “May the king not say so.”

Ahab’s False Prophets Assure Victory

Then the king of Israel summoned an officer and said, “Bring Micaiah son of Imlah quickly.” Now the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah were sitting, each on his throne, dressed in their robes, 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 Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made horns of iron for himself and said, “This is what the Lord says: ‘With these you will gore the Arameans until they are destroyed!’” 11 All the prophets were prophesying this as well, saying, “Go up to Ramoth-gilead and be successful, for the Lord will hand it over to the king.”

Micaiah Brings Word from God

12 Then the messenger who went to summon Micaiah spoke to him saying, “Behold, the words of the prophets are [c]unanimously favorable to the king. So please let your word be like one of them, and speak favorably.” 13 But Micaiah said, “As the Lord lives, (D)whatever my God says, I will speak it.”

14 When he came to the king, the king said to him, “Micaiah, should we go to battle against Ramoth-gilead, or should I refrain?” He said, “Go up and succeed, for they will be handed over to you!” 15 Then the king said to him, “How many times must I make you swear that you will tell me nothing but the truth in the name of the Lord?” 16 So he said,

“I saw all Israel
Scattered on the mountains,
(E)Like sheep that have no shepherd.
And the Lord said,
‘These people have no master.
Each of them is to return to his house in peace.’”

17 Then the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Did I not tell you that he would not prophesy anything good regarding me, but only bad?”

18 And Micaiah said, “Therefore, hear the word of the Lord. (F)I saw the Lord sitting on His throne, and all the [d]angels of heaven standing on His right and on His left. 19 And the Lord said, ‘Who will [e]entice Ahab king of Israel to go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?’ And one spirit said this, while another said that. 20 Then a (G)spirit came forward and stood before the Lord and said, ‘I will [f]entice him.’ And the Lord said to him, ‘How?’ 21 He said, ‘I will go out and be (H)a deceiving spirit in the mouths of all his prophets.’ Then He said, ‘You shall [g]entice him, and you will also prevail. Go out and do so.’ 22 Now therefore, behold, (I)the Lord has put a deceiving spirit in the mouths of these prophets of yours, for the Lord has declared disaster against you.”

23 Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah approached and (J)struck Micaiah on the cheek; and he said, “[h]How did the Spirit of the Lord pass from me to speak to you?” 24 And Micaiah said, “Behold, you are going to see how on that day when you go from one inner room to [i]another trying to hide yourself.” 25 Then the king of Israel said, “(K)Take Micaiah and return him to Amon (L)the governor of the city, and to Joash the king’s son; 26 and say, ‘This is what the king says: “(M)Put this man in prison, and feed him enough bread and water to survive until I [j]return safely.”’” 27 But Micaiah said, “If you actually return [k]safely, the Lord has not spoken by me.” And he said, “[l](N)Listen, all you people!”

Ahab’s Defeat and Death

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 robes.” 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 the small or great, but only with the king of Israel.” 31 So when the commanders of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, they said, “He is the king of Israel!” And they turned aside to fight against him. But Jehoshaphat (O)cried out, and the Lord helped him, and God diverted them from him. 32 When the commanders of the chariots saw that it was not the king of Israel, they turned back from pursuing him. 33 Now one man drew his bow at random and struck the king of Israel [m]in a joint of the armor. So he said to the driver of his chariot, “Turn [n]around and take me out of the battle, for I am severely wounded.” 34 The battle raged on 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

  1. 2 Chronicles 18:4 Lit today
  2. 2 Chronicles 18:5 I.e., official prophets who at that time were false
  3. 2 Chronicles 18:12 Lit of one mouth
  4. 2 Chronicles 18:18 Lit host
  5. 2 Chronicles 18:19 Or persuade
  6. 2 Chronicles 18:20 Or persuade
  7. 2 Chronicles 18:21 Or persuade
  8. 2 Chronicles 18:23 Lit Which way
  9. 2 Chronicles 18:24 Lit inner room
  10. 2 Chronicles 18:26 Lit come in peace
  11. 2 Chronicles 18:27 Lit in peace
  12. 2 Chronicles 18:27 Heb shema
  13. 2 Chronicles 18:33 Lit between the scales and the scale armor
  14. 2 Chronicles 18:33 Lit your hand

18 And Jehoshaphat hath riches and honour in abundance, and joineth affinity to Ahab,

and goeth down at the end of [certain] years unto Ahab to Samaria, and Ahab sacrificeth for him sheep and oxen in abundance, and for the people who [are] with him, and persuadeth him to go up unto Ramoth-Gilead.

And Ahab king of Israel saith unto Jehoshaphat king of Judah, `Dost thou go with me [to] Ramoth-Gilead?' And he saith to him, `As I -- so thou, and as thy people -- my people, even with thee in battle.'

And Jehoshaphat saith unto the king of Israel, `Seek, I pray thee, this day, the word of Jehovah.'

And the king of Israel gathereth the prophets, four hundred men, and saith unto them, `Do we go unto Ramoth-Gilead to battle, or do I forbear?' And they say, `Go up, and God doth give [it] into the hand of the king.'

And Jehoshaphat saith, `Is there not here a prophet of Jehovah still, and we seek from him?'

And the king of Israel saith unto Jehoshaphat, `Still -- one man to seek Jehovah from him, and I -- I have hated him, for he is not prophesying concerning me of good, but all his days of evil, he [is] Micaiah son of Imlah;' and Jehoshaphat saith, `Let not the king say so.'

And the king of Israel calleth unto a certain officer, and saith, `Hasten Micaiah son of Imlah.'

And the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah are sitting, each on his throne, clothed with garments, and they are sitting in a threshing-floor at the opening of the gate of Samaria, and all the prophets are prophesying before them.

10 And Zedekiah son of Chenaanah maketh for himself horns of iron, and saith, `Thus said Jehovah,

11 With these thou dost push Aram till thou hast consumed them.' And all the prophets are prophesying so, saying, `Go up [to] Ramath-Gilead and prosper, and Jehovah hath given [it] into the hand of the king.'

12 And the messenger who hath gone to call for Micaiah hath spoken unto him, saying, `Lo, the words of the prophets -- one mouth -- [are] good towards the king, and let, I pray thee, thy word be like one of theirs: and thou hast spoken good.'

13 And Micaiah saith `Jehovah liveth, surely that which my God saith, it I speak.'

14 And he cometh in unto the king, and the king saith unto him, `Micaiah, do we go unto Ramoth-Gilead to battle, or do I forbear?' And he saith, `Go ye up, and prosper, and they are given into your hand.'

15 And the king saith unto him, `How many times am I adjuring thee, that thou speak unto me only truth in the name of Jehovah?'

16 And he saith, `I have seen all Israel scattered on the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd, and Jehovah saith, There are no masters to these, they turn back each to his house in peace.'

17 And the king of Israel saith unto Jehoshaphat, `Did I not say unto thee, He doth not prophesy concerning me good, but rather of evil?'

18 And he saith, `Therefore, hear ye a word of Jehovah: I have seen Jehovah sitting on His throne, and all the host of the heavens standing on His right and His left;

19 and Jehovah saith, Who doth entice Ahab king of Israel, and he doth go up and fall in Ramoth-Gilead? And this speaker saith thus, and that speaker thus.

20 And go out doth the spirit, and stand before Jehovah, and saith, I do entice him; and Jehovah saith unto him, With what?

21 and he saith, I go out, and have become a spirit of falsehood in the mouth of all his prophets. And He saith, Thou dost entice, and also, thou art able; go out and do so.

22 And, now, lo, Jehovah hath put a spirit of falsehood in the mouth of these thy prophets, and Jehovah hath spoken concerning thee -- evil.'

23 And Zedekiah son of Chenaanah cometh nigh, and smiteth Micaiah on the cheek, and saith, `Where [is] this -- the way the Spirit of Jehovah passed over from me to speak with thee?'

24 And Micaiah saith, `Lo, thou dost see in that day, that thou dost enter into the innermost chamber to be hidden.'

25 And the king of Israel saith, `Take ye Micaiah, and turn him back unto Amon head of the city, and unto Joash son of the king,

26 and ye have said, Thus said the king, Put ye this [one] in the house of restraint, and cause him to eat bread of oppression, and water of oppression, till my return in peace.'

27 And Micaiah saith, `If thou dost certainly return in peace, Jehovah hath not spoken by me;' and he saith, `Hear ye, O peoples, all of them!'

28 And the king of Israel goeth up, and Jehoshaphat king of Judah, unto Ramoth-Gilead;

29 and the king of Israel saith unto Jehoshaphat to disguise himself, and to go into battle, `And thou, put on thy garments.' And the king of Israel disguiseth himself, and they go into battle.

30 And the king of Aram hath commanded the heads of the charioteers whom he hath, saying, `Ye do not fight with small or with great, except with the king of Israel by himself.'

31 And it cometh to pass at the heads of the charioteers seeing Jehoshaphat, that they have said, `The king of Israel he is,' and they turn round against him to fight, and Jehoshaphat crieth out, and Jehovah hath helped him, and God enticeth them from him,

32 yea, it cometh to pass, at the heads of the charioteers seeing that it hath not been the king of Israel -- they turn back from after him.

33 And a man hath drawn with a bow, in his simplicity, and smiteth the king of Israel between the joinings and the coat of mail, and he saith to the charioteer, `Turn thy hand, and thou hast brought me out of the camp, for I have become sick.'

34 And the battle increaseth on that day, and the king of Israel hath been stayed up in the chariot over-against Aram till the evening, and he dieth at the time of the going in of the sun.