Chronological
22 Therefore three years passed without battle betwixt Syria and Israel.
2 And in the third year Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, went down to the king of Israel.
3 And the king of Israel said to his servants, Know ye not, that Ramoth of Gilead is ours, and (that) we be negligent to (not) take it (back) from the hand of the king of Syria?
4 And he said to Jehoshaphat, Whether thou shalt come with me to fight in Ramoth of Gilead? And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, As I am, so and thou (I am ready when thou art/What is mine is yours); my people and thy people be one; and my knights and thy knights be one.
5 And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, I pray thee, ask thou today the word of the Lord.
6 Therefore the king of Israel gathered together [the] prophets, about four hundred men, and he said to them, Ought I to go into Ramoth of Gilead to fight, either ought I to rest? Which answered, Go thou up, and the Lord shall give it in(to) the hand of the king.
7 Forsooth Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here any (other) prophet of the Lord, that we (may) ask by him?
8 And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, One man, Micaiah, the son of Imlah, is left, by whom we may ask the Lord; but I hate him, for he prophesieth not good to me, but evil. To whom Jehoshaphat said, King, speak thou not so. (And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, There is one man left, Micaiah, the son of Imlah, by whom we can ask the Lord; but I hate him, for he never prophesieth good things for me, but only evil. To whom Jehoshaphat said, O king, do not thou say such things!)
9 Therefore the king of Israel called some chamberlain, and said to him, Haste thou to bring Micaiah, [the] son of Imlah.
10 Forsooth the king of Israel, and Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, sat, each in his throne, clothed with king’s ornament, in the large house beside the door, or wicket, of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets prophesied in the sight of them. (And so the king of Israel, and Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, each sat on their throne, clothed with king’s adornment, at the entrance to the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets prophesied before them.)
11 Also Zedekiah, the son of Chenaanah, made to himself horns of iron, and said, The Lord God saith these things, With these thou shalt scatter Syria, till thou do away it. (And Zedekiah, the son of Chenaanah, made iron horns for himself, and said, The Lord God saith these things, With these horns thou shalt scatter Syria, until thou do it away.)
12 And all [the] prophets prophesied in like manner, and said, Ascend thou into Ramoth of Gilead, and go thou with prosperity; and the Lord shall betake thine enemies in(to) the hand of the king.
13 Soothly the messenger, that went to call Micaiah, spake to him, and said, Lo! the words of the prophets with one mouth preach goods to the king; therefore thy word be like them, and speak thou goods. (And the messenger who went to call Micaiah, spoke to him, and said, Lo! the words of the prophets preach with one mouth good things for the king; and so let thy word/s be like them, and say thou what is good.)
14 To whom Micaiah said, (As) The Lord liveth, for whatever thing the Lord shall say to me, I shall speak this.
15 Therefore he came to the king. And the king said to him, Micaiah, ought we (to) go into Ramoth of Gilead to fight, either cease (we)? To which king he answered, Ascend thou, and go in prosperity; and the Lord shall betake it into the hand of the king.
16 Forsooth the king said to him, Again and again I conjure thee (Again and again I adjure thee), that thou speak not to me, no but that that is sooth in the name of the Lord.
17 And he said, I saw all Israel scattered in the hills, as sheep not having a shepherd; and the Lord said, These have no lord, each man turn again into his house in peace (and the Lord said, They have no lord, so let each one now return to his house in peace).
18 Therefore the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, Whether I said not to thee, that he prophesieth not good to me, but ever[more] evil? (And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, Did I not say to thee, that he never prophesieth good for me, but always evil?)
19 Soothly that Micaiah added, and said, Therefore hear thou the word of the Lord; I saw the Lord sitting on his throne, and I saw all the host of heaven standing nigh [to] him, on the right side and on the left side.
20 And the Lord said, Who shall deceive Ahab, king of Israel, that he ascend, and fall in Ramoth of Gilead? And one said such words, and another in another manner.
21 Soothly a spirit went out, and went before the Lord, and said, I shall deceive him.
22 To whom the Lord spake, In what thing? And he said, I shall go out, and I shall be a spirit of leasing in the mouth of all his prophets (and I shall be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets). And the Lord said, Thou shalt deceive (him), and shalt have the mastery; go thou out, and do so.
23 Now therefore, lo! the Lord gave a spirit of leasing in the mouth of all (these) prophets that be here; and the Lord spake evil against thee. (And so now, lo! the Lord hath put a lying spirit in the mouths of all these prophets of thine that be here; and the Lord hath spoken evil against thee.)
24 Forsooth Zedekiah, [the] son of Chenaanah, nighed, and smote Micaiah on the cheek, and said, Whether the Spirit of the Lord forsook me, and spake to thee?
25 And Micaiah said, Thou shalt see in that day (Thou shalt see on that day), when thou shalt go into a closet within (a) closet, (so) that thou be hid.
26 And the king of Israel said, Take Micaiah, and dwell he at Amon, [the] prince of the city, and at Joash, the son of Amalek; (And the king of Israel said, Take hold of Micaiah, and deliver him to Amon, the ruler of the city, and Joash, the son of Ahab;)
27 and say ye to them, The king saith these things, Send ye this man into prison, and sustain ye him with bread of tribulation, and with water of anguish, till I turn again in peace (until I safely return).
28 And Micaiah said, If thou shalt turn again in peace, the Lord spake not in me (If thou shalt safely return, then the Lord hath not spoken by me). And he said, Hear ye, all peoples.
29 Therefore the king of Israel ascended, and Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, into Ramoth of Gilead. (And so the king of Israel, and Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, went up to Ramoth of Gilead.)
30 Therefore the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, Take thou armours, and enter thou into battle, and be thou clothed in thy clothes, that is, in (the) noble signs of the king. Certainly the king of Israel changed his clothing, and entered into battle. (And so the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, Take thou up thy arms, or thy weapons, and enter thou into the battle, and be thou clothed in thy clothes, that is, in the noble signs of the king. But the king of Israel changed his own clothes, and only then entered into the battle.)
31 Soothly the king of Syria had commanded to [the] two and thirty princes of chariots, and said, Ye shall not fight against any man [the] less, either [the] more, but against the king of Israel only. (And the king of Syria had commanded to the thirty-two leaders of his chariots, and said, Ye shall not fight against any lesser man, or against any greater man, but only against the king of Israel.)
32 Therefore when the princes of (the) chariots had seen Jehoshaphat, they supposed that he was (the) king of Israel, and by fierceness made, they fought against him. And Jehoshaphat cried [out], calling (for) God’s help, and declaring his banner;
33 and the princes of [the] chariots understood, that it was not the king of Israel, and they ceased from (pursuing) him.
34 Soothly some man bent a bow, and directed an arrow into uncertain, and by hap he smote the king of Israel betwixt the lung and the stomach. And the king said to his charioteer, Turn thine hand, and cast me out of the host, for I am wounded grievously (And the king said to his charioteer, Turn thy hand, and take me out of the battle, for I am grievously wounded).
35 Therefore [the] battle was joined in that day, and the king of Israel stood in his chariot against (the) men of Syria, and he was dead at eventide. Forsooth the blood of the wound floated down into the bottom of the chariot. (And so the battle was joined on that day, and the king of Israel stood in his chariot facing the Syrians, and then he died that evening. And the blood from his wound flowed down into the bottom of his chariot.)
36 And a crier sounded in all the host, before that the sun went down, and said, Each man turn again into his city, and into his land (Each man return to his own city, and to his own land).
37 Forsooth the king was dead, and was borne into Samaria; and they buried the king in Samaria.
38 And they washed his chariot in the cistern of Samaria, and dogs licked his blood, and they washed the armours, by the word of the Lord which he had spoken. (And they washed his chariot at the pool of Samaria, and the dogs licked up his blood, and they washed his arms, or his weapons/and the whores washed themselves in it, according to the word which the Lord had spoken.)
39 Soothly the residue of [the] words of Ahab, and all things which he did, and the house of ivory which he builded, and of all [the] cities which he builded (and the ivory house and all the cities which he built), whether these be not written in the book of [the] words of [the] days of the kings of Israel?
40 Therefore Ahab slept with his fathers, and Ahaziah, his son, reigned for him. (And so Ahab died, and his son Ahaziah reigned for him.)
41 Forsooth Jehoshaphat, [the] son of Asa, began to reign on Judah in the fourth year of Ahab, king of Israel.
42 Jehoshaphat was of five and thirty years, when he began to reign, and he reigned five and twenty years in Jerusalem; the name of his mother was Azubah, [the] daughter of Shilhi.
43 And he went in all the way of Asa, his father, and [he] bowed not [aside] from it; and he did that, that was rightful in the sight of the Lord. Nevertheless he did not away [the] high things, for yet the people made sacrifice, and burnt incense, in high places. (And he went in all the ways of his father Asa, and he turned not aside from them; and he did what was right before the Lord. But he did not do away the hill shrines, for yet the people offered sacrifices, and burned incense, at the hill shrines.)
44 And Jehoshaphat had peace with the king of Israel.
45 Soothly the residue of [the] words of Jehoshaphat, and the works and (the) battles, which he did, whether these be not written in the book of [the] words of [the] days of the kings of Judah?
46 But also he took away from the land the relics of [the] men turned into women’s conditions, that (were) left in the days of Asa, his father. (And he also did away from the land the male and female whores, who served at the hill shrines, who were still there from the days of his father Asa.)
47 Neither a king was ordained then in Edom (And there was not a king then in Edom, that is, Idumea); (but a deputy, appointed by the king of Judah, ruled over it).
48 Forsooth king Jehoshaphat made ships in the sea, that should sail into Ophir for gold, and those might not go, for they were broken in Eziongeber. (And King Jehoshaphat made ships of the sea, to sail to Ophir for gold, but they never arrived there, for they were wrecked at Eziongeber.)
49 Then Ahaziah, [the] son of Ahab, said to Jehoshaphat, My servants (shall) go with thine in (our) ships. And Jehoshaphat would not (But Jehoshaphat would not consent to that).
50 And Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers, and was buried with them in the city of David, his (fore)father; and Jehoram[a], his son, reigned for him.
51 Forsooth Ahaziah, [the] son of Ahab, began to reign on Israel, in Samaria, in the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah; and Ahaziah reigned on Israel two years.
52 And he did evil in the sight of the Lord, and went in the way of his father, and of his mother, and in the way of Jeroboam, [the] son of Nebat, that made Israel to do sin.
53 And he served Baal, and worshipped him, and wrathed the Lord God of Israel, by all things which his father had done. (And he served Baal, and worshipped him, and stirred the Lord God of Israel to anger, by doing all the evil things which his father had done.)
18 Forsooth Jehoshaphat was full rich, and noble, and by affinity he was joined to Ahab. (Now Jehoshaphat was very rich, and noble, and by marriage he was joined to Ahab.)
2 And after certain years Jehoshaphat came down to Ahab into Samaria; at whose coming Ahab killed full many wethers and oxen, and to the people that came with him; and Ahab counselled Jehoshaphat to go up with him into Ramoth of Gilead. (And after some years Jehoshaphat came down to Ahab in Samaria; and Ahab killed a great many rams and oxen for him, and for the people who came with him; and Ahab counselled Jehoshaphat to go up with him into Ramoth of Gilead.)
3 And Ahab, king of Israel, said to Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, Come thou with me into Ramoth of Gilead. To whom he answered, As and I am, so and thou art; and as thy people, so and my people; and we shall be with thee in battle. (And Ahab, the king of Israel, said to Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, Come thou with me to Ramoth of Gilead. And Jehoshaphat answered, I am ready when thou art/What is mine is yours; and my people be as thy people; and we shall be with thee in battle.)
4 And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, I beseech thee, counsel thou in this present time the word of the Lord.
5 Therefore the king of Israel gathered together four hundred men of (the) prophets, and said to them, Ought we to go into Ramoth of Gilead for to fight, either take rest? (or should we not?) And the prophets said, Go ye up, and God shall betake it into the hand of the king.
6 And Jehoshaphat said, Whether no (other) prophet of the Lord is here, that we may also ask of him?
7 And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, One man is, of whom we may ask the will of the Lord, but I hate him, for he prophesieth not good, but evil to me, in all time; soothly it is Micaiah, the son of Imla. And Jehoshaphat said to him, King, speak thou not in this manner. (And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, There is one man, of whom we can ask the will of the Lord, but I hate him, for every time he prophesieth not good, but only evil for me; this is Micaiah, the son of Imla. And Jehoshaphat said to him, O king, do not thou say such things.)
8 Then the king of Israel called one of his geldings, or (his honest and) chaste servants, and said to him, Call thou anon Micaiah, the son of Imla. (Then the king of Israel called one of his eunuchs, and said to him, Call thou at once Micaiah, the son of Imla.)
9 And the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, sat ever either in his seat, and they were clothed in king’s array; and they sat in the cornfloor, beside the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets prophesied before them. (And the king of Israel, and Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, both sat on their thrones, and they were clothed in king’s clothing; and they sat at the entrance to the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets prophesied before them.)
10 And Zedekiah, the son of Chenaanah, made to him iron horns (made iron horns for himself), and said, The Lord saith these things, With these, thou shalt winnow the men of Syria, till thou all-brake them.
11 And all the prophets prophesied in like manner, and said, Go thou up into Ramoth of Gilead, and thou shalt have prosperity; and the Lord shall betake them into the hands of the king (yea, the Lord shall deliver them into the hands of the king).
12 And the messenger, that went to call Micaiah (who went to call Micaiah), said to him, Lo! the words of all the prophets tell with one mouth good things to the king; therefore, I pray thee, that thy word dissent not from them, and that thou speak prosperities to him.
13 To whom Micaiah answered, (As) The Lord liveth, for whatever things my Lord God speaketh to me, I shall say those things.
14 Therefore he came to the king (And so he came to the king). To whom the king said, Micaiah, ought we (to) go into Ramoth of Gilead to fight, either (should we) take rest, and not to go thither? To whom Micaiah answered, Go ye up thither, for all prosperities shall come to you, and [the] enemies shall be taken into your hands.
15 And the king said to him, Again and again I charge thee, that thou speak not to me no but that that is sooth in the name of the Lord.
16 And he said, I saw all Israel scattered abroad in the hills, as sheep without a shepherd. And the Lord said, These men have not lords; each man therefore turn again into his house in peace. (And then Micaiah said, I saw all Israel scattered over the hills, like sheep without a shepherd. And the Lord said, These men have no leader; so let each man return to his house in peace.)
17 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, Whether I said not to thee, that he prophesied not any good to me, but those things that be evil? (And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, Did I not say to thee, that he would not prophesy any good for me, but only those things that be evil?)
18 And then Micaiah said, Hear ye the word of the Lord. I saw the Lord sitting in his throne (I saw the Lord sitting on his throne), and all the host of heaven standing nigh [to] him at the right side and at the left.
19 And the Lord said, Who shall deceive Ahab, king of Israel, (so) that he go up, and fall down in Ramoth of Gilead? And when one said in this manner, and another said in another manner,
20 a spirit came forth, and stood before the Lord, and said, I shall deceive him. To whom the Lord said, And wherein shalt thou deceive him? (And how shalt thou deceive him?)
21 And he answered, I shall go out, and I shall be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And the Lord said, Thou shalt deceive him, and thou shalt have the mastery; go thou out, and do so.
22 Now therefore, lo! the Lord hath given a spirit of leasing in the mouth of all thy prophets, and the Lord hath spoken evil things of thee, that is, he hath said (of the) evil things to come to thee. (And so now, lo! the Lord hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all thy prophets, and the Lord hath spoken evil things for thee, that is, he hath said that evil things shall come to thee.)
23 And Zedekiah, the son of Chenaanah, nighed, and he smote Micaiah upon the cheek (and he struck Micaiah upon his cheek), and said, By what way hath the Spirit of the Lord passed from me to speak with thee?
24 And Micaiah said, Thou thyself shalt see in that day, when thou shalt enter from closet into closet, that thou be hid. (And Micaiah said, Thou thyself shalt see, or shalt discover, on that day, when thou shalt go from closet to closet, so that thou can be hid.)
25 And the king of Israel commanded, saying, Take ye Micaiah, and lead ye him to Amon, [the] prince of the city, and to Joash, the son of Amalek (the son of Ahab);
26 and ye shall say to them, The king saith these things, Send ye this man into prison, and give ye to him a little of bread, and a little of water, till I turn again in peace (until I return home safely).
27 And Micaiah said, If thou turnest again in peace, the Lord spake not to me. And he said, All peoples hear ye. (And Micaiah said, If thou returnest home safely, the Lord did not speak through me. And he said, Hear ye, all the people.)
28 Then the king of Israel, and Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, went up into Ramoth of Gilead.
29 And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, I shall change my clothing, and so I shall go to fight; but be thou clothed in thy (king’s) clothes. Therefore when the king of Israel had changed (his) clothing, he came to (the) battle.
30 And the king of Syria commanded to the dukes of the multitude of his knights, and said, Fight ye not against the least, nor against the most; but against the king alone of Israel. (And the king of Syria had commanded to the leaders of his multitude of horsemen, and said, Do not ye fight against the least, or against the most, but only against the king of Israel.)
31 Therefore when the princes of the multitude of knights had seen Jehoshaphat, they said, This is the king of Israel; and they (en)compassed him, and fought against him (And so when the leaders of the multitude of horsemen had seen Jehoshaphat, they said, This is the king of Israel; and they surrounded him, and fought against him). And Jehoshaphat cried to the Lord; and the Lord helped him, and turned them away from him.
32 And when the dukes of the multitude of knights had heard, or understood, that it was not the king of Israel, they left him/they let him go. (And when the leaders of the multitude of horsemen had understood that he was not the king of Israel, they let him go.)
33 And it befelled, that one man of the people shot an arrow into uncertain(ty), and he smote the king of Israel betwixt the neck and the shoulders. And he said to his charioteer, Turn thine hand, and lead me out of the battle array; for I am wounded.
34 And the battle was ended in that day. Certainly the king of Israel stood in his chariot against (the) men of Syria till to eventide, and he died, when the sun went down. (And the battle ended that day. And the king of Israel stood in his chariot facing the men of Syria until the evening, and then he died, when the sun went down.)
2001 by Terence P. Noble