2 Chronicles 18

Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition

Micaiah Predicts Failure

18 Now Jehosh′aphat had great riches and honor; and he made a marriage alliance with Ahab. ² After some years he went down to Ahab in Samar′ia. And Ahab killed an abundance of sheep and oxen for him and for the people who were with him, and induced him to go up against Ra′moth-gil′ead. ³ Ahab king of Israel said to Jehosh′aphat king of Judah, “Will you go with me to Ra′moth-gil′ead?” He answered him, “I am as you are, my people as your people. We will be with you in the war.”

⁴ And Jehosh′aphat said to the king of Israel, “Inquire first for the word of the Lord.” ⁵ Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, four hundred men, and said to them, “Shall we go to battle against Ra′moth-gil′ead, or shall I forbear?” And they said, “Go up; for God will give it into the hand of the king.” ⁶ But Jehosh′aphat said, “Is there not here another prophet of the Lord of whom we may inquire?” ⁷ And the king of Israel said to Jehosh′aphat, “There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of the Lord, Micai′ah the son of Imlah; but I hate him, for he never prophesies good concerning me, but always evil.” And Jehosh′aphat said, “Let not the king say so.” ⁸ Then the king of Israel summoned an officer and said, “Bring quickly Micai′ah the son of Imlah.” ⁹ Now the king of Israel and Jehosh′aphat the king 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 Samar′ia; and all the prophets were prophesying before them. ¹⁰ And Zedeki′ah the son of Chena′anah made for himself horns of iron, and said, “Thus says the Lord, ‘With these you shall push the Syrians until they are destroyed.’” ¹¹ And all the prophets prophesied so, and said, “Go up to Ra′moth-gil′ead and triumph; the Lord will give it into the hand of the king.”

¹² And the messenger who went to summon Micai′ah said to him, “Behold, the words of the prophets^[a] with one accord are favorable to the king; let your word be like the word of one of them, and speak favorably.” ¹³ But Micai′ah said, “As the Lord lives, what my God says, that I will speak.” ¹⁴ And when he had come to the king, the king said to him, “Micai′ah, shall we go to Ra′moth-gil′ead to battle, or shall I forbear?” And he answered, “Go up and triumph; they will be given into your hand.” ¹⁵ But the king said to him, “How many times shall I adjure you that you speak to me nothing but the truth in the name of the Lord?” ¹⁶ And 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 each return to his home in peace.’” ¹⁷ And the king of Israel said to Jehosh′aphat, “Did I not tell you that he would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil?” ¹⁸ And Micai′ah said, “Therefore hear the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven standing on his right hand and on his left; ¹⁹ and the Lord said, ‘Who will entice Ahab the king of Israel, that he may go up and fall at Ra′moth-gil′ead?’ And one said one thing, and another said another. ²⁰ Then a spirit came forward and stood before the Lord, saying, ‘I will entice him.’ And the Lord said to him, ‘By what means?’ ²¹ And he said, ‘I will go forth, and will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ And he said, ‘You are to entice him, and you shall succeed; go forth and do so.’ ²² Now therefore behold, the Lord has put a lying spirit in the mouth of these your prophets; the Lord has spoken evil concerning you.”

²³ Then Zedeki′ah the son of Chena′anah came near and struck Micai′ah on the cheek, and said, “Which way did the Spirit of the Lord go from me to speak to you?” ²⁴ And Micai′ah said, “Behold, you shall see on that day when you go into an inner chamber to hide yourself.” ²⁵ And the king of Israel said, “Seize Micai′ah, and take him back to Amon the governor of the city and to Jo′ash the king’s son; ²⁶ and say, ‘Thus says the king, Put this fellow in prison, and feed him with scant fare of bread and water, until I return in peace.’” ²⁷ And Micai′ah said, “If you return in peace, the Lord has not spoken by me.” And he said, “Hear, all you peoples!”

Defeat and Death of Ahab

²⁸ So the king of Israel and Jehosh′aphat the king of Judah went up to Ra′moth-gil′ead. ²⁹ And the king of Israel said to Jehosh′aphat, “I will disguise myself and go into battle, but you wear your robes.” And the king of Israel disguised himself; and they went into battle. ³⁰ Now the king of Syria had commanded the captains of his chariots, “Fight with neither small nor great, but only with the king of Israel.” ³¹ And when the captains of the chariots saw Jehosh′aphat, they said, “It is the king of Israel.” So they turned to fight against him; and Jehosh′aphat cried out, and the Lord helped him. God drew them away from him, 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 at a venture, and struck the king of Israel between the scale armor and the breastplate; therefore he said to the driver of his chariot, “Turn about, and carry me out of the battle, for I am wounded.” ³⁴ And the batle grew hot that day, and the king of Israel propped himself up in his chariot facing the Syrians until evening; then at sunset he died.