Beginning
18 1 Jehoshaphat maketh affinity with Ahab. 10 Four hundred Prophets counsel Ahab to go to war. 16 Michaiah is against them. 23 Zedekiah smiteth him. 25 The king putteth him in prison. 29 The effect of his prophecy.
1 And (A)Jehoshaphat had riches and honor in abundance, but he was joined in [a]affinity with Ahab.
2 And after certain [b]years he went down to Ahab to Samaria: and Ahab slew sheep and oxen for him in great number, and for the people that he had with him, and enticed him to go up unto [c]Ramoth Gilead.
3 And Ahab king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat king of Judah, Wilt thou go with me to Ramoth Gilead? And he answered him, I am as thou art, and my people as thy people, and we will join with thee in the war.
4 And Jehoshaphat said unto the king of Israel, Ask counsel, I pray thee, at the [d]word of the Lord this day.
5 Therefore the King of Israel gathered of [e]Prophets four hundred men, and said unto them, Shall we go to Ramoth Gilead to battle, or shall I cease? And they said, Go up: for God shall deliver it into the king’s hand.
6 But Jehoshaphat said, Is there here never a Prophet more of the Lord that we might inquire of him?
7 And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, There is yet one man by whom we may ask counsel of the Lord: but I [f]hate him: for he doth not prophesy good unto me, but always evil: it is Michaiah the son of Imla. Then Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say [g]so.
8 And the king of Israel called an eunuch, and said, Call quickly Michaiah the son of Imla.
9 ¶ And the king of Israel, and Jehoshaphat King of Judah sat either of them on his throne clothed in their [h]apparel: they sat even in the threshing floor at the entering in of the gate of Samaria: and all the Prophets prophesied before them.
10 And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made him [i]horns of iron, and said, Thus saith the Lord, With these shalt thou push the Aramites until thou hast consumed them.
11 And all the Prophets prophesied so, saying, Go up in Ramoth Gilead, and prosper: for the Lord shall deliver it unto the hand of the king.
12 ¶ And the messenger that went to call Michaiah, spake to him, saying, Behold, the words of the Prophets declare good to the king with one [j]accord: let thy word therefore, I pray thee, be like one of theirs, and speak thou good.
13 And Michaiah said, As the Lord liveth, whatsoever my God saith, that will I speak.
14 ¶ So he came to the king, and the King said unto him, Michaiah, shall we go to Ramoth Gilead to battle, or shall I leave off? And he said, [k]Go ye up, and prosper, and they shall be delivered into your hand.
15 And the King said to him, How oft shall I charge thee, that thou tell me nothing but the truth in the Name of the Lord?
16 Then he said, I saw all Israel scattered in the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd: and the Lord said, [l]These have no master: let them return every man to his house in peace.
17 And the King of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, Did I not tell thee, that he would not prophesy good unto me, but evil?
18 Again he said, Therefore hear ye the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sit upon his throne, and all the [m]host of heaven standing at his right hand, and at his left.
19 And the Lord said, Who shall [n]persuade Ahab King of Israel, that he may go up, and fall at Ramoth Gilead? And one spake and said thus, and another said that.
20 Then there came forth a spirit and stood before the Lord, and said, I will persuade him. And the Lord said unto him, Wherein?
21 And he said, I will go out, and be a false spirit in the mouth of all his Prophets. And [o]he said, Thou shalt persuade, and shalt also prevail: go forth and do so.
22 Now therefore behold, the Lord hath put a [p]false spirit in the mouth of these thy Prophets, and the Lord hath determined evil against thee.
23 Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah came near, and smote Michaiah upon the [q]cheek, and said, By what way went the Spirit of the Lord from me, to speak with thee?
24 And Michaiah said, Behold, thou shalt see that day when thou shalt go from chamber to chamber to hide thee.
25 And the King of Israel said, Take ye Michaiah, and carry him to Amon the governor of the city, and to Joash the king’s son,
26 And say, Thus saith the king, Put this man in the prison house, and feed him with bread of [r]affliction and with water of affliction, until I return in peace.
27 And Michaiah said, If thou return in peace, the Lord hath not spoken by me. And [s]he said, Hear, all ye people.
28 So the King of Israel and Jehoshaphat the King of Judah went up to Ramoth Gilead.
29 And the King of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, I will [t]change myself, and enter into the battle: but put thou on thine apparel. So the king of Israel changed himself, and they went into the battle.
30 And the king of Aram had commanded the captains of the chariots that were with him, saying, Fight you not with small nor great, but against the king of Israel only.
31 And when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, they said, It is the king of Israel: and they compassed about him to fight. But Jehoshaphat [u]cried, and the Lord helped him and moved them to depart from him.
32 For when the captains of the chariots saw that he was not the King of Israel, they turned back from him.
33 Then a certain man drew a bow [v]mightily, and smote the King of Israel between the joints [w]of his brigandine: Therefore he said to his chariotman, Turn thine hand, and carry me out of the host: for I am hurt.
34 And the battle increased that day: and the king of Israel [x]stood still in his chariot against the Aramites until even, and died at the time of the sun going down.
19 4 After Jehoshaphat was rebuked by the Prophet, he called again the people to the honoring of the Lord. 5 He appointed Judges and minsters, 9 and exhorteth them to fear God.
1 And Jehoshaphat the king of Judah returned [y]safe to his house in Jerusalem.
2 And Jehu the son of Hanani the Seer went out to meet him, and said to King Jehoshaphat, [z]Wouldest thou help the wicked, and love them that hate the Lord? therefore for this thing the wrath [aa]of the Lord is upon thee.
3 Nevertheless good things are found in thee, because thou hast taken away the groves out of the land, and hast prepared thine heart to seek God.
4 ¶ So Jehoshaphat dwelt at Jerusalem, and returned and went [ab]through the people from Beersheba to mount Ephraim, and brought them again unto the Lord God of their fathers.
5 And he set judges in the land throughout all the strong cities of Judah, city by city,
6 And said to the judges, Take heed what ye do: for ye execute not the judgments of man, but of the Lord, and he will be [ac]with you in the cause and judgment.
7 Wherefore now let the fear of the Lord be upon you: take heed, and do it: for there is no [ad]iniquity with the Lord our God, neither (B)respect of persons, nor receiving of reward.
8 Moreover in Jerusalem did Jehoshaphat set of the Levites, and of the Priests and of the chief of the families of Israel, for the judgment and cause of the Lord: and they [ae]returned to Jerusalem.
9 And he charged them, saying, Thus shall ye do in the fear of the Lord faithfully and with a perfect heart.
10 And in every cause that shall come to you of your brethren that dwell in your cities, between [af]blood and blood, between law and precept, statutes and judgments, ye shall judge them and admonish them that they trespass not against the Lord, that [ag]wrath come not upon you and upon your brethren. This shall ye do and trespass not.
11 And behold, Amariah the Priest shall be the chief over you in all matters of the Lord, and Zebadiah the son of Ishmael, a ruler of the house of Judah, shall be for all the [ah]King’s affairs, and the Levites shall be officers [ai]before you. Be of courage, and do it, and the Lord shall be with the [aj]good.
20 3 Jehoshaphat and the people pray unto the Lord. 22 The marvelous victory that the Lord gave him against his enemies. 30 His reign and acts.
1 After this also came the children of Moab and the children of Ammon, and with them of the [ak]Ammonites against Jehoshaphat to battle.
2 Then there came that told Jehoshaphat, saying, There cometh a great multitude against thee from beyond the [al]Sea, out of Aram: and behold, they be in Hazazon Tamar, which is En Gedi.
3 And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself [am]to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.
4 And Judah gathered themselves together to ask counsel of the Lord: they came even out of all the cities of Judah to inquire of the Lord.
5 And Jehoshaphat stood in the Congregation of Judah and Jerusalem in the house of the Lord before the new court,
6 And said, O Lord God of our fathers, art not thou God in heaven? and reignest not thou on all the kingdoms of the heathen? and in thine hand is power and might, and none is able to withstand thee.
7 Didst not thou our God cast out the inhabitants of this land before thy people Israel, and [an]gavest it to the seed of Abraham thy friend forever?
8 And they dwelt therein, and have built thee a Sanctuary therein for thy Name, saying,
9 (C)If evil come upon us, as the [ao]sword of judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we will stand before this house and in thy presence (for thy name [ap]is in this house) and will cry unto thee in our tribulation, and thou wilt hear and help.
10 And now, behold, the children of (D)Ammon and Moab, and mount Seir, by whom thou wouldest not let Israel go, when they came out of the land of Egypt: but they turned aside from them, and destroyed them not:
11 Behold, I say, they reward us, in coming to cast us out of thine inheritance, which thou hast caused us to inherit:
12 O our God, wilt thou not judge them? for there is no strength in us to stand before this great multitude that cometh against us, neither do we know what to do: but our eyes [aq]are toward thee.
13 And all Judah stood [ar]before the Lord with their young ones, their wives, and their children.
14 And Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, was there, upon whom came [as]the Spirit of the Lord, in the midst of the Congregation.
15 And he said, Hearken ye all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou, King Jehoshaphat: thus saith the Lord unto you, Fear you not, neither be afraid for this great multitude: for the [at]battle is not yours, but God’s.
16 Tomorrow go ye down against them: behold, they come up by the cleft of Ziz, and ye shall find them at the end of the brook before the wilderness of Jeruel.
17 Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: (E)stand still, move not, and behold the [au]salvation of the Lord towards you: O Judah, and Jerusalem, fear ye not, neither be afraid: tomorrow go out against them, and the Lord will be with you.
18 ¶ Then Jehoshaphat [av]bowed down with his face to the earth, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before the Lord, worshipping the Lord.
19 ¶ And the Levites of the children of the Kohathites, and of the children of the Korahites stood up to praise the Lord God of Israel with a loud voice on high.
20 And when they arose early in the morning, they went forth to the wilderness of Tekoa: and as they departed, Jehoshaphat stood and said, Hear ye me, O Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem: put your trust in the Lord your God, and ye shall be assured: believe his [aw]Prophets, and ye shall prosper.
21 And when he had consulted with the people, and appointed singers unto the Lord, and them that should praise him that is in the beautiful Sanctuary, in going forth before the men of arms, and saying, [ax]Praise ye the Lord, for his mercy lasteth forever.
22 And when they began to shout, and to praise, the Lord laid ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and [ay]mount Seir, which were come against Judah, and they slew one another.
23 For the children of Ammon and Moab rose against the inhabitants of mount Seir, to slay and to destroy them: and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, every one helped to [az]destroy another.
24 And when Judah came toward Mizpah in the wilderness, they looked unto the multitude: and behold, the carcasses were fallen to the earth, and none escaped.
25 And when Jehoshaphat and his people came to take away the spoil of them, they found among them in abundance both of substance and also of bodies laden with precious jewels, which they took for themselves, till they could carry no more: they were three days in gathering of the spoil: for it was much.
26 And in the fourth day they [ba]assembled themselves in the valley of Berachah: for there they blessed the Lord: therefore they called the name of that place, The valley of Berachah unto this day.
27 Then every man of Judah and Jerusalem returned with Jehoshaphat their head to go again to Jerusalem with joy: for the Lord had made them to rejoice over their enemies.
28 And they came to Jerusalem with viols, and with harps, and with trumpets, even unto the house of the Lord.
29 And the [bb]fear of God was upon all the kingdoms of the earth, when they had heard that the Lord had fought against the enemies of Israel.
30 So the kingdom of Jehoshaphat was quiet, and his God gave him rest on every side.
31 ¶ And (F)Jehoshaphat reigned over Judah, and was five and thirty years old, when he began to reign: and reigned five and twenty years in Jerusalem, and his mother’s name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi.
32 And he walked in the way of [bc]Asa his father, and departed not there from, doing that which was right in the sight of the Lord.
33 Howbeit the high places were [bd]not taken away: for the people had not yet prepared their hearts unto the God of their fathers.
34 Concerning the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat first and last, behold, they are written in the book of Jehu the son of Hanani, which (G)is mentioned in the book of the kings of Israel.
35 ¶ Yet after this did Jehoshaphat king of Judah join himself with Ahaziah king of Israel, who was given to do evil.
36 And he joined with him, to (H)make ships to go to Tarshish: and they made the ships in Ezion Geber.
37 Then Eliezer the son of Dodavah of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, Because thou hast [be]joined thyself with Ahaziah, the Lord hath broken thy works: and the ships were broken, that they were not able to go to Tarshish.
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