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Micaiah Prophesies against King Ahab(A)
22 For three years there was no war between Aram and Israel. 2 In the third year King Jehoshaphat of Judah went to visit the king of Israel.
3 The king of Israel asked his staff, “Do you know that Ramoth in Gilead belongs to us, and we are doing nothing to take it back from the king of Aram?” 4 Then he asked Jehoshaphat, “Will you go with me to fight at Ramoth in Gilead?”
Jehoshaphat told the king of Israel, “I will do what you do. My troops will do what your troops do. My horses will do what your horses do.” 5 Then Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “But first, find out what the Lord’s word is ⌞in this matter⌟.”
6 So the king of Israel called 400 prophets together. He asked them, “Should I go to war against Ramoth in Gilead or not?”
“Go,” they said. “The Lord [a] will hand over Ramoth to you.”
7 But Jehoshaphat asked, “Isn’t there a prophet of the Lord whom we could ask?”
8 The king of Israel told Jehoshaphat, “We can ask the Lord through Micaiah, son of Imlah, but I hate him. He doesn’t prophesy anything good about me, only evil.”
Jehoshaphat answered, “The king must not say that.”
9 The king of Israel called for an officer and said, “Quick! ⌞Get⌟ Micaiah, son of Imlah!”
10 The king of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah were dressed in royal robes and seated on thrones. They were on the threshing floor [b] at the entrance to the gate of Samaria. All the prophets were prophesying in front of them. 11 Zedekiah, son of Chenaanah, made iron horns and said, “This is what the Lord says: With these horns you will push the Arameans to their destruction.” 12 All the other prophets made the same prophecy. They said, “Attack Ramoth in Gilead, and you will win. The Lord will hand it over to you.”
13 The messenger who went to call Micaiah told him, “The prophets have all told the king the same good message. Make your message agree with their message. Say something good.”
14 Micaiah answered, “I solemnly swear, as the Lord lives, I will tell him whatever the Lord tells me.”
15 When he came to the king, the king asked him, “Micaiah, should we go to war against Ramoth in Gilead or not?”
Micaiah said to him, “Attack and you will win. The Lord will hand it over to you.”
16 The king asked him, “How many times must I make you take an oath in the Lord’s name to tell me nothing but the truth?”
17 So Micaiah said, “I saw Israel’s troops scattered in the hills like sheep without a shepherd. The Lord said, ‘These ⌞sheep⌟ have no master. Let each one go home in peace.’ ”
18 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Didn’t I tell you he wouldn’t prophesy anything good about me, only evil?”
19 Micaiah added, “Then hear the Lord’s word. I saw the Lord sitting on his throne, and the entire army of heaven was standing near him on his right and his left. 20 The Lord asked, ‘Who will deceive Ahab so that he will attack and be killed at Ramoth in Gilead?’ Some answered one way, while others said something else.
21 “Then the Spirit stepped forward, stood in front of the Lord, and said, ‘I will deceive him.’
“ ‘How?’ the Lord asked.
22 “The Spirit answered, ‘I will go out and be a spirit that tells lies through the mouths of all of Ahab’s prophets.’
“The Lord said, ‘You will succeed in deceiving him. Go and do it.’
23 “So, the Lord has put into the mouths of all these prophets of yours a spirit that makes them tell lies. The Lord has spoken evil about you.”
24 Then Zedekiah, son of Chenaanah, went to Micaiah and struck him on the cheek. “How did the Lord’s Spirit leave me to talk to you?” he asked.
25 Micaiah answered, “You will find out on the day you go into an inner room to hide.”
26 The king of Israel then said, “Send Micaiah back to Amon, the governor of the city, and to Joash, the prince. 27 Say, ‘This is what the king says: Put this man in prison, and feed him nothing but bread and water until I come home safely.’ ”
28 Micaiah said, “If you really do come back safely, then the Lord wasn’t speaking through me. Pay attention to this, everyone!”
29 So the king of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah went to Ramoth in Gilead. 30 The king of Israel told Jehoshaphat, “I will disguise myself and go into battle, but you should wear your royal robes.” So the king of Israel disguised himself and went into battle.
31 The king of Aram had given orders to the 32 chariot commanders. He said, “Don’t fight anyone except the king of Israel.”
32 When the chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat, they said, “He must be the king of Israel.” So they turned to fight him. But when Jehoshaphat cried out, 33 the chariot commanders realized that he wasn’t the king of Israel. They turned away from him.
34 One man aimed his bow at random and hit the king of Israel between his scale armor and his breastplate. Ahab told his chariot driver, “Turn around, and get me away from these troops. I’m badly wounded.” 35 But the battle got worse that day, and the king was kept propped up in his chariot facing the Arameans. He died that evening. The blood from the wound had flowed into the chariot. 36 At sundown a cry went through the army, “Every man to his own city! Every man to his own property!”
37 When the king was dead, he was brought to Samaria to be buried. 38 His chariot was washed at the pool of Samaria, where the prostitutes bathed. The dogs licked up his blood, as the Lord had predicted.
39 Isn’t everything else about Ahab—everything he did, the ivory palace he built, and all the cities he fortified—written in the official records of the kings of Israel? 40 Ahab lay down in death with his ancestors. His son Ahaziah succeeded him as king.
King Jehoshaphat of Judah(B)
41 Jehoshaphat, son of Asa, became king of Judah in Ahab’s fourth year as king of Israel. 42 Jehoshaphat was 35 years old when he began to rule, and he ruled for 25 years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Azubah, daughter of Shilhi. 43 Jehoshaphat carefully followed the example his father Asa had set and did what the Lord considered right. 44 But the illegal worship sites were not torn down. The people continued to sacrifice and burn incense at these worship sites.[c] Jehoshaphat made peace with the king of Israel.
45 Isn’t everything else about Jehoshaphat—the heroic acts he did and ⌞the wars⌟ he fought—written in the official records of the kings of Judah? 46 He rid the land of the male temple prostitutes who were left there from the time of his father Asa. 47 There was no king in Edom; instead, a deputy ruled.
48 Jehoshaphat made Tarshish-style ships to go to Ophir for gold. But they didn’t go because the ships were wrecked at Ezion Geber. 49 Then Ahaziah, son of Ahab, said to Jehoshaphat, “Let my servants go with your servants in the ships.” But Jehoshaphat refused.
50 Jehoshaphat lay down in death with his ancestors and was buried with them in the city of his ancestor David. His son Jehoram succeeded him as king.
King Ahaziah of Israel
51 Ahaziah, son of Ahab, became king of Israel in Samaria during Jehoshaphat’s seventeenth year as king of Judah. Ahaziah ruled Israel for two years. 52 He did what the Lord considered evil. He followed the example of his father and mother and of Jeroboam (Nebat’s son) who led Israel to sin. 53 Ahaziah served Baal, worshiped him, and made the Lord God of Israel furious, as his father had done.
16 Then Paul stood up, motioned with his hand, and said, “Men of Israel and converts to Judaism, listen to me. 17 The God of the people of Israel chose our ancestors and made them a strong nation while they lived as foreigners in Egypt. He used his powerful arm to bring them out of Egypt, 18 and he put up with them for about forty years in the desert. 19 Then he destroyed seven nations in Canaan and gave their land to his people as an inheritance. 20 He did all this in about four hundred and fifty years.
“After that he gave his people judges until the time of the prophet Samuel.
21 “Then the people demanded a king, so God gave them Saul, son of Kish, from the tribe of Benjamin. After forty years 22 God removed Saul and made David their king. God spoke favorably about David. He said, ‘I have found that David, son of Jesse, is a man after my own heart. He will do everything I want him to do.’
23 “God had the Savior, Jesus, come to Israel from David’s descendants, as he had promised. 24 Before Jesus began his ministry, John ⌞the Baptizer⌟ told everyone in Israel about the baptism of repentance.[a] 25 When John was finishing his work, he said, ‘Who do you think I am? I’m not the person you’re looking for. He will come later. I’m not even good enough to untie his sandals.’
26 “Brothers—descendants of Abraham and converts to Judaism—the message that God saves people was sent to us. 27 The people who live in Jerusalem and their rulers didn’t know who Jesus was. They didn’t understand the prophets’ messages, which are read every day of rest—a holy day. So they condemned Jesus and fulfilled what the prophets had said. 28 Although they couldn’t find any good reason to kill him, they asked Pilate to have him executed. 29 When they had finished doing everything that was written about him, they took him down from the cross and placed him in a tomb. 30 But God brought him back to life, 31 and for many days he appeared to those who had come with him to Jerusalem from Galilee. These people are now witnesses and are testifying to the Jewish people about him. 32 We are telling you the Good News: What God promised our ancestors has happened. 33 God has fulfilled the promise for us, their descendants, by bringing Jesus back to life. This is what Scripture says in the second psalm:
‘You are my Son.
Today I have become your Father.’
34 “God stated that he brought Jesus back to life and that Jesus’ body never decayed. He said, ‘I will give you the enduring love promised to David.’ 35 Another psalm says, ‘You will not allow your holy one to decay.’ 36 After doing God’s will by serving the people of his time, David died. He was laid to rest with his ancestors, but his body decayed. 37 However, the man God brought back to life had a body that didn’t decay.
38 “So, brothers, I’m telling you that through Jesus your sins can be forgiven. Sins kept you from receiving God’s approval through Moses’ Teachings. 39 However, everyone who believes in Jesus receives God’s approval.
40 “Be careful, or what the prophets said may happen to you.
41 ‘Look, you mockers!
Be amazed and die!
I am going to do something in your days
that you would not believe even if it were reported to you!’ ”
By David.
138 I will give thanks to you with all my heart.
I will make music to praise you in front of the false gods.
2 I will bow toward your holy temple.
I will give thanks to your name because of your mercy and truth.
You have made your name and your promise greater than everything.
3 When I called, you answered me.
You made me bold by strengthening my soul.
4 All the kings of the earth will give thanks to you, O Lord,
because they have heard the promises you spoke.
5 They will sing this about the ways of the Lord:
“The Lord’s honor is great!”
6 Even though the Lord is high above, he sees humble people ⌞close up⌟,
and he recognizes arrogant people from a distance.
7 Even though I walk into the middle of trouble,
you guard my life against the anger of my enemies.
You stretch out your hand,
and your right hand saves me.
8 The Lord will do everything for me.
O Lord, your mercy endures forever.
Do not let go of what your hands have made.
17 A friend always loves,
and a brother is born to share trouble.
18 A person without good sense closes a deal with a handshake.
He guarantees a loan in the presence of his friend.
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