2 Chronicles 18
Evangelical Heritage Version
Micaiah Prophesies Against Ahab
18 Jehoshaphat had abundant riches and honor. He also formed a marriage alliance with Ahab.
2 After some years passed, Jehoshaphat went down to visit Ahab in Samaria. Ahab sacrificed sheep and cattle in great numbers for him and for the troops with him. So Ahab persuaded him to go up against Ramoth Gilead.
3 Ahab king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat king of Judah, “Will you go with me to Ramoth Gilead?”
Jehoshaphat answered him, “I am like you. My people are like your people. We are with you in the war.”
4 But Jehoshaphat also said to the king of Israel, “Please seek the word of the Lord today.”
5 So the king of Israel assembled the prophets, four hundred men, and he said to them, “Should we go up to make war on Ramoth Gilead, or should I refrain?”
They said, “Go up! God will give it into the hand of the king.”
6 But Jehoshaphat said, “Is there no longer a prophet of the Lord here? We should inquire from him.”
7 Then the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “There is still one man from whom we could inquire of the Lord, but I hate him because he doesn’t prophesy anything good about me. He continually prophesies only bad things. He is Micaiah son of Imlah.”
Jehoshaphat said, “The king should not talk like that.”
8 So the king of Israel summoned one of his officials and said, “Quickly bring Micaiah son of Imlah here.”
9 Now the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah were sitting on their thrones, arrayed in their robes. They were sitting by the threshing floor at the entrance to the gate to Samaria, and all the prophets were prophesying before them.
10 Zedekiah son of Kena’anah had made iron horns for himself, and he said, “This is what the Lord says. With these you will gore the Arameans until they are destroyed.” 11 All the prophets were prophesying in this same way: “Go up to Ramoth Gilead and triumph, for the Lord will give it into the hand of the king.”
12 The messenger who was sent to summon Micaiah said to him, “Pay attention to the words of the prophets. With one mouth they are promising good things to the king. Please! Your words should be like the words of one of them. You should say something good.”
13 But Micaiah said, “As surely as the Lord lives, whatever my God says, that is what I will say.”
14 Then he came to the king, and the king said to him, “Micaiah, should we go to Ramoth Gilead for battle, or should I refrain?”
Micaiah answered him, “Go up and triumph. They will be given into your hand.”
15 The king said to him, “How many times must I make you swear to me that you will tell me nothing but the truth in the name of the Lord?”
16 Micaiah said, “I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains like sheep that have no shepherd. The Lord said, ‘They have no masters. Let each one return to his home in peace.’”
17 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Didn’t I tell you that he does not prophesy anything good about me but only bad?”
18 Then Micaiah proclaimed:
Now hear this word from the Lord.
I saw the Lord sitting on his throne, and the whole army of heaven was standing on his right and on his left.
19 The Lord said, “Who will entice Ahab king of Israel, so that he goes up and falls at Ramoth Gilead?”
One spirit said this; another one said that. 20 Finally a spirit came forward and stood before the Lord and said, “I will entice him.”
The Lord said to him, “How?”
21 He said, “I will go and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.”
The Lord said, “You will entice him successfully. Go and do that.”
22 Now look! The Lord has put a lying spirit into the mouth of all your prophets, for the Lord has decreed disaster for you.
23 Then Zedekiah son of Kena’anah came over and struck Micaiah on his cheek and said, “Where is this pathway on which the spirit of the Lord has traveled from me to speak to you?”
24 Micaiah said, “You will see on the day you go into the inner room to hide.”
25 Then the king of Israel said, “Seize Micaiah and take him back to Amon, the administrator of the city, and to Joash, son of the king. 26 You are to say to them, ‘This is what the king says. Put this man in prison and feed him nothing more than bread and water until I come back safely.’”
27 Micaiah said, “If you ever come back safely, then the Lord has not spoken through me.”
He also said, “Hear this, you people, all of you!”
Ahab Dies in Battle
28 Then the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah went up to Ramoth Gilead.
29 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “I will disguise myself when I go into the battle, but you wear your robes.” So the king of Israel disguised himself, and they went into battle.
30 The king of Aram had ordered his chariot commanders, “Do not fight against anyone, whether small or great, but only against the king of Israel.”
31 When the chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat, they said, “That is the king of Israel!” So they turned to fight against him.
Jehoshaphat cried out, and the Lord helped him. God drew them away from him.
32 When the chariot commanders realized that he was not the king of Israel, they stopped pursuing him.
33 But a man shot an arrow at random and struck the king of Israel in the seam between two parts of his armor.
Ahab said to the chariot driver, “Turn around and take me out of the battle, because I have been wounded.”
34 The battle increased in intensity all that day. The king of Israel was propped up in his chariot facing Aram until evening. He died at sunset.
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, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
