2 Chronicles 18
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Micaiah Predicts Failure
18 Now Jehoshaphat had great riches and honor, and he made a marriage alliance with Ahab.(A) 2 After some years he went down to Ahab in Samaria. Ahab slaughtered an abundance of sheep and oxen for him and for the people who were with him and induced him to go up against Ramoth-gilead.(B) 3 King Ahab of Israel said to King Jehoshaphat of Judah, “Will you go with me to Ramoth-gilead?” He answered him, “I am as you are; my people are your people. We will be with you in the war.”
4 But Jehoshaphat also said to the king of Israel, “Inquire first for the word of the Lord.”(C) 5 Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, four hundred of them, and said to them, “Shall we go to battle against Ramoth-gilead, or shall I refrain?” They said, “Go up, for God will give it into the hand of the king.” 6 But Jehoshaphat said, “Is there no other prophet of the Lord here of whom we may inquire?” 7 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “There is still one other by whom we may inquire of the Lord, Micaiah son of Imlah, but I hate him, for he never prophesies anything favorable about me but only disaster.” Jehoshaphat said, “Let the king not say such a thing.”(D) 8 Then the king of Israel summoned an officer and said, “Bring quickly Micaiah son of Imlah.” 9 Now the king of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah were sitting on their thrones, arrayed in their robes, and they were sitting at the threshing floor at the entrance of the gate of Samaria, and all the prophets were prophesying before them.(E) 10 Zedekiah son of Chenaanah made for himself horns of iron, and he said, “Thus says the Lord: With these you shall gore the Arameans until they are destroyed.” 11 All the prophets were prophesying the same and saying, “Go up to Ramoth-gilead and triumph; the Lord will give it into the hand of the king.”(F)
12 The messenger who had gone to summon Micaiah said to him, “Look, the words of the prophets with one accord are favorable to the king; let your word be like the word of one of them, and speak favorably.” 13 But Micaiah said, “As the Lord lives, whatever my God says, that I will speak.”(G)
14 When he had come to the king, the king said to him, “Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall I refrain?” He answered, “Go up and triumph; they will be given into your hand.” 15 But 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[a] said, “I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains like sheep without a shepherd, and the Lord said, ‘These have no master; let each one go home in peace.’ ”(H) 17 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Did I not tell you that he would not prophesy anything favorable about me but only disaster?”
18 Then Micaiah[b] said, “Therefore hear the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on his throne, with all the host of heaven standing to the right and to the left of him. 19 And the Lord said, ‘Who will entice King Ahab of Israel, so that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?’ Then one said one thing, and another said another, 20 until a certain spirit came forward and stood before the Lord, saying, ‘I will entice him.’ The Lord asked him, ‘How?’(I) 21 He replied, ‘I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ Then the Lord[c] said, ‘You are to entice him, and you shall succeed; go out and do it.’ 22 So you see, the Lord has put a lying spirit in the mouth of these your prophets; the Lord has decreed disaster for you.”(J)
23 Then Zedekiah son of Chenaanah came up to Micaiah, slapped him on the cheek, and said, “Which way did the spirit of the Lord pass from me to speak to you?”(K) 24 Micaiah replied, “You will find out on that day when you go in to hide in an inner chamber.” 25 The king of Israel then ordered, “Take Micaiah, and return him to Amon the governor of the city and to Joash the king’s son,(L) 26 and say: Thus says the king: Put this fellow in prison, and feed him on reduced rations of bread and water until I return in peace.”(M) 27 Micaiah said, “If you return in peace, the Lord has not spoken by me.” And he said, “Hear, you peoples, all of you!”(N)
Defeat and Death of Ahab
28 So the king of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah went up to Ramoth-gilead. 29 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “I will disguise myself and go into battle, but you wear your robes.” So the king of Israel disguised himself, and they went into battle. 30 Now the king of Aram had commanded the captains of his chariots, “Fight with no one small or great but only with the king of Israel.” 31 When the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, they said, “It is the king of Israel.” So they turned to fight against him, and Jehoshaphat cried out, and the Lord helped him. God drew them away from him,(O) 32 for when the captains of the chariots saw that it was not the king of Israel, they turned back from pursuing him. 33 But a certain man drew his bow and unknowingly struck the king of Israel between the scale armor and the breastplate, so he said to the driver of his chariot, “Turn around, and carry me out of the battle, for I am wounded.”(P) 34 The battle grew hot that day, and the king of Israel propped himself up in his chariot facing the Arameans until evening; then at sunset he died.
2 Chronicles 18
Christian Standard Bible
Jehoshaphat’s Alliance with Ahab
18 Now Jehoshaphat(A) had riches and honor in abundance,(B) and he made an alliance with Ahab through marriage.[a](C) 2 Then after some years, he went down to visit Ahab in Samaria. Ahab slaughtered many sheep, goats, and cattle for him and for the people who were with him, and he persuaded him to attack Ramoth-gilead, 3 for Israel’s King Ahab asked Judah’s King Jehoshaphat, “Will you go with me to Ramoth-gilead?”
He replied to him, “I am as you are, my people as your people; we will be with you in the battle.” 4 But Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “First, please ask what the Lord’s will is.”
5 So the king of Israel gathered the prophets, four hundred men, and asked them, “Should we go to Ramoth-gilead for war or should I refrain?”
They replied, “March up, and God will hand it over to the king.”
6 But Jehoshaphat asked, “Isn’t there a prophet of the Lord here anymore? Let’s ask him.”(D)
7 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “There is still one man who can inquire of the Lord, but I hate him because he never prophesies good about me, but only disaster. He is Micaiah son of Imlah.”
“The king shouldn’t say that,” Jehoshaphat replied.
8 So the king of Israel called an officer and said, “Hurry and get Micaiah son of Imlah!”
9 Now the king of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah, clothed in royal attire, were each sitting on his own throne. They were sitting on the threshing floor at the entrance to Samaria’s gate,(E) and all the prophets were prophesying in front of them. 10 Then Zedekiah son of Chenaanah made iron horns and said, “This is what the Lord says: You will gore the Arameans with these until they are finished off.” 11 And all the prophets were prophesying the same, saying, “March up to Ramoth-gilead and succeed, for the Lord will hand it over to the king.”
Micaiah’s Message of Defeat
12 The messenger who went to call Micaiah instructed him, “Look, the words of the prophets are unanimously favorable for the king. So let your words be like theirs, and speak favorably.”
13 But Micaiah said, “As the Lord lives, I will say whatever my God says.”[b](F)
14 So he went to the king, and the king asked him, “Micaiah, should we go to Ramoth-gilead for war, or should I[c] refrain?”
Micaiah said, “March up and succeed, for they will be handed over to you.”
15 But the king said to him, “How many times must I make you swear not to tell me anything but the truth in the name of the Lord?”
16 So Micaiah said:
I saw all Israel scattered on the hills
like sheep without a shepherd.(G)
And the Lord said,
“They have no master;
let each return home in peace.”
17 So the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Didn’t I tell you he never prophesies good about me, but only disaster?”
18 Then Micaiah said, “Therefore, hear the word of the Lord. I saw the Lord sitting on his throne, and the whole heavenly army was standing at his right hand and at his left hand.(H) 19 And the Lord said, ‘Who will entice King Ahab of Israel to march up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?’ So one was saying this and another was saying that.
20 “Then(I) a spirit came forward, stood before the Lord, and said, ‘I will entice him.’
“The Lord asked him, ‘How?’
21 “So he said, ‘I will go and become a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’
“Then he said, ‘You will entice him and also prevail. Go and do that.’
22 “Now, you see, the Lord has put a lying spirit into the mouth of[d] these prophets of yours, and the Lord has pronounced disaster against you.”
23 Then Zedekiah son of Chenaanah came up, hit Micaiah on the cheek, and demanded, “Which way did the spirit from the Lord leave me to speak to you?”
24 Micaiah replied, “You will soon see when you go to hide in an inner chamber on that day.”(J)
25 Then the king of Israel ordered, “Take Micaiah and return him(K) to Amon, the governor of the city,(L) and to Joash, the king’s son, 26 and say, ‘This is what the king says: Put this guy in prison(M) and feed him only a little bread and water[e] until I come back safely.’”
27 But Micaiah said, “If you ever return safely, the Lord has not spoken through me.” Then he said, “Listen, all you people!” (N)
Ahab’s Death
28 Then the king of Israel and Judah’s King Jehoshaphat went up to Ramoth-gilead. 29 But the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “I will disguise myself and go into battle, but you wear your royal attire.” So the king of Israel disguised himself, and they went into battle.(O)
30 Now the king of Aram had ordered his chariot commanders, “Do not fight with anyone at all[f] except the king of Israel.”
31 When the chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat, they shouted, “He must be 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 When the chariot commanders saw that he was not the king of Israel, they turned back from pursuing him.
33 But a man drew his bow without taking special aim and struck the king of Israel through the joints of his armor. So he said to the charioteer, “Turn around and take me out of the battle,[g] for I am badly wounded!” (Q) 34 The battle raged throughout that day, and the king of Israel propped himself up in his chariot facing the Arameans until evening. Then he died at sunset.
Footnotes
- 18:1 Lit made himself a son-in-law to Ahab; 1Kg 3:1; Ezr 9:14
- 18:13 LXX, Vg add to me; 1Kg 22:14
- 18:14 LXX reads we; 1Kg 22:15
- 18:22 Some Hb mss, LXX, Syr, Vg add all; 1Kg 22:23
- 18:26 Lit him on bread of oppression and water of oppression
- 18:30 Lit with small or with great
- 18:33 LXX, Vg; MT reads camp
New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.