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:

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.

The Sealed of Israel

7 After this I saw four angels^(A) standing at the four corners of the earth, restraining the four winds of the earth^(B) so that no wind could blow on the earth or on the sea or on any tree. ² Then I saw another angel rising up from the east,^(C) who had the seal of the living God.^(D) He cried out in a loud voice to the four angels who were allowed to harm the earth and the sea, ³ “Don’t harm the earth or the sea or the trees^(E) until we seal the servants of our God on their foreheads.”^{(F) 4} And I heard the number of the sealed:

A Multitude from the Great Tribulation

⁹ After this I looked, and there was a vast multitude from every nation, tribe, people, and language,^(H) which no one could number,^(I) standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were clothed in white robes with palm branches in their hands.^{(J) 10} And they cried out in a loud voice:

¹¹ All the angels stood around the throne, and along with the elders and the four living creatures they fell facedown before the throne and worshiped God, ¹² saying,

¹³ Then one of the elders asked me, “Who are these people in white robes, and where did they come from?”

¹⁴ I said to him, “Sir,^[a] you know.”

Then he told me: These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation.^(M) They washed their robes and made them white^(N) in the blood of the Lamb.

Fourth Vision: High Priest and Branch

3 Then he showed me the high priest Joshua^(A) standing before the angel of the Lord,^(B) with Satan^[a](C) standing at his right side to accuse him. ² The Lord^[b] said to Satan, “The Lord rebuke you, Satan! May the Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Isn’t this man a burning stick snatched from the fire?” ^(D)

³ Now Joshua was dressed with filthy^[c] clothes^(E) as he stood before the angel.^{(F) 4} So the angel of the Lord^[d] spoke to those^[e] standing before him, “Take off his filthy clothes!” Then he said to him, “See, I have removed your iniquity from you,^(G) and I will clothe you with festive robes.”

⁵ Then I said, “Let them put a clean turban^(H) on his head.” So a clean turban was placed on his head, and they clothed him in garments while the angel of the Lord was standing nearby.

⁶ Then the angel of the Lord charged Joshua, ⁷ “This is what the Lord of Armies says: If you walk in my ways and keep my mandates, you will both rule my house and take care of my courts; I will also grant you access among these who are standing here.

⁸ “Listen, High Priest Joshua, you and your colleagues sitting before you; indeed, these men are a sign that I am about to bring my servant, the Branch.^{(I) 9} Notice the stone^(J) I have set before Joshua; on that one stone are seven eyes.^(K) I will engrave an inscription on it”—this is the declaration of the Lord of Armies—“and I will take away the iniquity of this land in a single day. ¹⁰ On that day, each of you will invite his neighbor to sit under his vine and fig tree.”^(L) This is the declaration of the Lord of Armies.

The Fourth Sign: Feeding of the Five Thousand

6 After^(A) this, Jesus crossed the Sea of Galilee^(B) (or Tiberias^(C)). ² A huge crowd was following him because they saw the signs that he was performing by healing the sick. ³ Jesus went up a mountain and sat down there with his disciples.

⁴ Now the Passover, a Jewish festival, was near. ⁵ So when Jesus looked up and noticed a huge crowd coming toward him,^(D) he asked Philip,^(E) “Where will we buy bread so that these people can eat?” ⁶ He asked this to test him,^(F) for he himself knew what he was going to do.

⁷ Philip answered him, “Two hundred denarii^[a](G) worth of bread wouldn’t be enough for each of them to have a little.”

⁸ One of his disciples, Andrew,^(H) Simon^(I) Peter’s^(J) brother, said to him, ⁹ “There’s a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish—but what are they for so many?”

¹⁰ Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.”

There was plenty of grass in that place; so they sat down. The men numbered about five thousand.^{(K) 11} Then Jesus took the loaves, and after giving thanks he distributed them to those who were seated—so also with the fish, as much as they wanted.^(L)

¹² When they were full, he told his disciples, “Collect the leftovers so that nothing is wasted.”^{(M) 13} So they collected them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces from the five barley loaves that were left over by those who had eaten.

¹⁴ When the people saw the sign^[b] he had done, they said, “This truly is the Prophet^(N) who is to come^(O) into the world.”^(P)

¹⁵ Therefore, when Jesus realized that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king,^(Q) he withdrew again to the mountain by himself.

The Fifth Sign: Walking on Water

¹⁶ When^(R) evening came, his disciples went down to the sea, ¹⁷ got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum.^(S) Darkness had already set in, but Jesus had not yet come to them. ¹⁸ A high wind arose, and the sea began to churn. ¹⁹ After they had rowed about three or four miles,^[c] they saw Jesus walking on the sea. He was coming near the boat, and they were afraid. ²⁰ But he said to them, “It is I.^[d](T) Don’t be afraid.” ²¹ Then they were willing to take him on board, and at once the boat was at the shore where they were heading.

The Bread of Life

²² The next day, the crowd that had stayed on the other side of the sea saw there had been only one boat.^[e](U) They also saw that Jesus had not boarded the boat with his disciples, but that his disciples had gone off alone. ²³ Some boats from Tiberias^(V) came near the place where they had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. ²⁴ When the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats and went to Capernaum looking for Jesus. ²⁵ When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi,^(W) when did you get here?”

²⁶ Jesus answered, “Truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw^[f] the signs, but because you ate the loaves and were filled. ²⁷ Don’t work for the food that perishes^(X) but for the food that lasts for eternal life,^(Y) which the Son of Man^(Z) will give you, because God the Father^(AA) has set his seal of approval on him.”

²⁸ “What can we do to perform the works of God?” they asked.

²⁹ Jesus replied, “This is the work^(AB) of God—that you believe in the one he has sent.”^(AC)

³⁰ “What sign, then, are you going to do so that we may see and believe you?” they asked. “What are you going to perform? ³¹ Our ancestors ate the manna^(AD) in the wilderness,^(AE) just as it is written: He gave them bread from heaven to eat.”^[g](AF)

³² Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, Moses^(AG) didn’t give you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. ³³ For the bread of God is the one who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”

³⁴ Then they said, “Sir, give us this bread always.”

³⁵ “I am^(AH) the bread of life,” Jesus told them. “No one who comes to me^(AI) will ever be hungry,^(AJ) and no one who believes in me^(AK) will ever be thirsty^(AL) again. ³⁶ But as I told you, you’ve seen me,^[h] and yet you do not believe. ³⁷ Everyone the Father gives me will come to me, and the one who comes to me I will never cast out.^{(AM) 38} For I have come down from heaven,^(AN) not to do my own will, but the will of him^(AO) who sent me. ³⁹ This is the will of him who sent me: that I should lose none of those he has given me but should raise^(AP) them up on the last day. ⁴⁰ For this is the will of my Father: ^(AQ) that everyone who sees the Son^(AR) and believes in him will have eternal life, and I will raise^(AS) him up on the last day.”

⁴¹ Therefore the Jews started grumbling about him because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” ⁴² They were saying, “Isn’t this Jesus the son of Joseph,^(AT) whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?”

⁴³ Jesus answered them, “Stop grumbling among yourselves. ⁴⁴ No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws^[i] him, and I will raise him up on the last day. ⁴⁵ It is written in the Prophets: ^(AU) And they will all be taught by God.^[j](AV) Everyone who has listened to and learned from the Father^(AW) comes to me— ⁴⁶ not that anyone has seen the Father^(AX) except the one who is from God.^(AY) He has seen the Father.^(AZ)

⁴⁷ “Truly I tell you, anyone who believes^[k] has eternal life. ⁴⁸ I am the bread of life. ⁴⁹ Your ancestors ate the manna^(BA) in the wilderness,^(BB) and they died. ⁵⁰ This is the bread that comes down from heaven so that anyone may eat of it and not die.^{(BC) 51} I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread he will live^(BD) forever.^(BE) The bread that I will give for the life^(BF) of the world is my flesh.”^(BG)

⁵² At that, the Jews argued^(BH) among themselves,^(BI) “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?”

⁵³ So Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man^(BJ) and drink his blood,^(BK) you do not have life in yourselves. ⁵⁴ The one who eats my flesh and drinks my blood^(BL) has eternal life, and I will raise^(BM) him up on the last day, ⁵⁵ because my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink. ⁵⁶ The one who eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him.^{(BN) 57} Just as the living^(BO) Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live^(BP) because of me. ⁵⁸ This is the bread that came down from heaven; it is not like the manna^[l] your ancestors ate—and they died. The one who eats this bread will live forever.”^(BQ)

⁵⁹ He said these things while teaching in the synagogue^(BR) in Capernaum.^(BS)

Many Disciples Desert Jesus

⁶⁰ Therefore, when many of his disciples heard this, they said, “This teaching is hard. Who can accept^[m] it?”

⁶¹ Jesus, knowing in himself^(BT) that his disciples were grumbling about this, asked them, “Does this offend you? ⁶² Then what if you were to observe the Son of Man^(BU) ascending^(BV) to where he was before? ⁶³ The Spirit^(BW) is the one who gives life. The flesh doesn’t help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life. ⁶⁴ But there are some among you who don’t believe.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning^(BX) those who did not^[n] believe and the one who would betray^(BY) him.) ⁶⁵ He said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me^(BZ) unless it is granted to him by the Father.”

⁶⁶ From that moment^[o] many of his disciples turned back and no longer accompanied him. ⁶⁷ So Jesus said to the Twelve,^(CA) “You don’t want to go away too, do you?”

⁶⁸ Simon Peter^(CB) answered, “Lord, to whom will we go? You have the words of eternal life. ⁶⁹ We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.”^[p](CC)

⁷⁰ Jesus replied to them, “Didn’t I choose you, the Twelve?^(CD) Yet one of you is a devil.”^{(CE) 71} He was referring to Judas,^(CF) Simon Iscariot’s son,^[q] one of the Twelve, because he was going to betray^(CG) him.