The Daily Audio Bible
Today's audio is from the NIV. Switch to the NIV to read along with the audio.
Jehoshaphat Reigns in Judah
17 And Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his place, and he strengthened himself against Israel. 2 And he put troops in all the fortified cities of Judah, and put garrisons in the land of Judah and in the cities of Ephraim that Asa his father had taken. 3 And Yahweh was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the former ways of David his father and did not seek after the Baals, 4 but he sought after the God of his ancestors[a] and walked in his commandments and not according to the works of Israel. 5 So Yahweh established the kingdom in his hand. And all Judah gave tribute to Jehoshaphat, and he had much wealth and honor. 6 And his heart was courageous in the ways of Yahweh. Moreover, he removed the high places and the Asherahs from Judah.
7 In the third year of his reign he sent his officials, Ben-Hail, Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel, and Micaiah, to teach in the cities of Judah; 8 and with them the Levites Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Asahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, Tobijah, and Tob-Adonijah; and with them the priests Elisham and Joram. 9 And they taught in Judah, and the scroll of the law of Yahweh was with them when they went around in all the cities of Judah, and they taught the people.
10 And the fear of Yahweh was upon all the kingdoms of the lands surrounding Judah, and they did not make war against Jehoshaphat. 11 And some of the Philistines brought a gift and silver to Jehoshaphat as tribute. The Arabians also brought him seven thousand seven hundred sheep and seven thousand seven hundred goats.
12 And Jehoshaphat grew greater and greater,[b] and he built fortresses and storage cities in Judah. 13 And he had many supplies in the cities of Judah and mighty warriors for battle in Jerusalem. 14 Now these were their enrollment by the house of their ancestors:[c] of Judah, the commanders of thousands: Adnah, the commander, and with him were three hundred thousand mighty armed warriors; 15 and at his side,[d] Jehohanan the commander, and with him were two hundred and eighty thousand; 16 and at his side,[e] Amasiah the son of Zicri, who had made a freewill offering to Yahweh, and with him were two hundred thousand mighty armed warriors. 17 And from Benjamin: Eliada, a powerful mighty warrior, and with him were two hundred thousand armed with bow and shield; 18 and at his side,[f] Jehozabad, and with him were one hundred and eighty thousand armed for war. 19 These were serving the king, besides those whom the king had placed in the fortified cities throughout all Judah.
Jehoshaphat’s Alliance with Ahab
18 Now Jehoshaphat had much wealth and honor, and he became son-in-law to Ahab. 2 And after some years[g] he went down to Ahab in Samaria. And Ahab slaughtered many sheep and cattle for him and for the people who were with him, and urged him to go up against Ramoth-Gilead. 3 And Ahab the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, “Will you go up with me to Ramoth-Gilead?” And he answered him, “I am as you are, and my people are as your people with you in war.”
4 Then Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “Seek first of all[h] the word of Yahweh.” 5 Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets, four hundred men. And he said to them, “Shall we go to Ramoth-Gilead to battle, or shall we cease?” And they said, “Go up, since God will give it into the hand of the king.” 6 Then Jehoshaphat said, “Is there not here another prophet of Yahweh that we might inquire of him?” 7 Then the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “There is yet one man by whom to seek Yahweh, but I hate him, because he never prophesies good concerning me, but always[i] disaster. He is Micaiah the son of Imlah.” Then Jehoshaphat said, “Let not the king say thus.” 8 Then the king of Israel called to a eunuch and said, “Quickly bring Micaiah the son of Imlah.”
9 Now the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah were each sitting on his throne, clothed in robes. And they were sitting at the threshing floor at the entrance of the gate of Samaria, and all the prophets were prophesying before them. 10 And Zedekiah the son of Kenaanah made for himself horns of iron, and he said, “Thus says Yahweh: ‘With these you will gore Aram[j] to their destruction.’” 11 And all the prophets prophesied thus, saying, “Go up to Ramoth-Gilead and triumph! Yahweh will give it into the hand of the king.”
12 Then the messenger who went to call Micaiah said to him, “Behold, the words of the prophets are good with one voice to the king. Please let your word be as one with them and speak good.” 13 But Micaiah said, “As Yahweh lives, only what my God has said, that will I speak.”
14 And when he had come to the king, the king said to him, “Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth-Gilead to war or shall I cease?” And he said, “Go up and triumph! They shall be given into your hand.” 15 But the king said to him, “How many times shall I make you swear that you speak nothing except the truth in the name of Yahweh?” 16 Then he said, “I saw all Israel scattered upon the mountains like sheep that had no shepherd. And Yahweh said, ‘These have no masters; let them return to his own house in peace.’” 17 Then the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Did I not say to you he would not prophesy good concerning me, but only disaster?” 18 Then Micaiah said, “Therefore hear the word of Yahweh: I saw Yahweh sitting upon his throne with all the host of heaven standing on his right and on his left. 19 And Yahweh said, ‘Who will entice Ahab the king of Israel that he would go up and fall at Ramoth-Gilead?’ And one said this, and another said that. 20 Then a spirit came forth and stood before Yahweh and said, ‘I will entice him.’ Then Yahweh said to him, ‘By what means?’ 21 Then he said, ‘I will go forth and will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ And he said, ‘You will entice him and will also succeed. Go out and do so.’ 22 So now, behold, Yahweh has put a spirit of deception into the mouths of these your prophets. Yahweh has spoken disaster against you.”
23 Then Zedekiah the son of Kenaanah came near and struck Micaiah on the cheek and said, “Which way[k] did the Spirit of Yahweh come from me to speak to you?” 24 Then Micaiah said, “Behold, you will see on that day when you go into a private room to hide yourself.” 25 Then the king of Israel said, “Take Micaiah and return him to Amon the commander of the city and to Jehoash the son of the king, 26 and say, ‘Thus says the king: “Put this one into the prison house, and let him eat a meager ration of bread and water[l] until I return in peace.”’” 27 And Micaiah said, “If you surely return in peace Yahweh has not spoken with me.” Then he said, “Hear, peoples, all of them!”
The Death of Ahab
28 Then the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah went up to Ramoth-Gilead. 29 And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “I will disguise myself and go into battle, but you, wear your garments.” So the king of Israel disguised himself, and they went to war. 30 Now the king of Aram[m] had commanded the commanders of his chariots,[n] saying, “Do not fight with the small or the great, but only with the king of Israel.” 31 And it happened that when the commanders of the chariots[o] saw Jehoshaphat, then they said, “It is the king of Israel!” And they turned against him to fight. Then Jehoshaphat cried out and Yahweh helped him. God drove them away from him. 32 And it happened that when the commanders of the chariots[p] saw that it was not the king of Israel, they turned back from following him. 33 Now a certain man drew the bow at random[q] and struck the king of Israel between the soldering of his breastplate armor. Then he said to the chariot driver, “Turn around;[r] get me away from the war camp, for I am wounded.” 34 And the battle went on that day, and the king of Israel was propped up in the chariot facing Aram[s] until the evening. And he died at the time of the going down of the sun.
25 As he also says in Hosea,
“I will call those who were not my people, ‘My people,’
and those who were not loved, ‘Loved.’[a]
26 And it will be in the place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’
there they will be called ‘sons of the living God.’”[b]
27 And Isaiah cries out concerning Israel,
“Even if the number of the sons of Israel is like the sand of the sea,
the remnant will be saved,
28 for the Lord will execute his sentence thoroughly and decisively[c] upon the earth.”[d]
29 And just as Isaiah foretold,
“If the Lord of hosts had not left us descendants,
we would have become like Sodom
and would have resembled Gomorrah.”[e]
30 What then shall we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, attained righteousness—even the righteousness that is by faith. 31 But Israel, pursuing the law of righteousness, did not attain to the law. 32 Why that? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if by works. They stumbled over the stone that causes people to stumble[f], 33 just as it is written,
“Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone that causes people to stumble[g],
and a rock that causes them to fall[h],
and the one who believes in him will not be put to shame.”[i]
The Righteousness of God through Faith in Christ
10 Brothers, the desire of my heart and my prayer to God on behalf of them is for their salvation. 2 For I testify about them that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. 3 For ignoring the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own,[j] they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God. 4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.
5 For Moses writes about the righteousness that is from the law: “The person who does this[k] will live by it.”[l][m] 6 But the righteousness from faith speaks like this: “Do not say in your heart,[n] ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’”[o] (that is, to bring Christ down), 7 or “Who will descend into the abyss?”[p] (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). 8 But what does it say? “The word is near to you, in your mouth and in your heart”[q] (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim), 9 that[r] if you confess with your mouth “Jesus is Lord” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth one confesses, resulting in salvation. 11 For the scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.”[s] 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord is Lord of all, who is rich to all who call upon him. 13 For “everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved.”[t]
God’s Blessing on the King
For the music director. A psalm of David.[a]
20 May Yahweh answer you in the day of trouble.
May the name of Jacob’s God protect[b] you.
2 May he send you help[c] from the sanctuary,
and from Zion may he sustain you.
3 May he remember all your offerings,
and your burnt offering may he regard favorably.[d]
4 May he give to you your heart’s desire,[e]
and your every plan may he fulfill. Selah
5 May we shout for joy over your victory,
and in the name of our God may we set up banners.
May Yahweh fulfill all your requests.
6 Now I know that Yahweh will help his anointed.[f]
He will answer him from his holy heaven
with the victorious power of his right hand.
7 Some boast in chariots and others in horses,[g]
but we boast in the name of Yahweh, our God.
8 They will collapse and fall,
and we will rise and stand firm.
9 Rescue,[h] O Yahweh.
Let the king answer us when we call.
2 Roaring like the lion is the dreaded anger of a king;
he who provokes him forfeits his life.[a]
3 It is honorable for the man to refrain from strife,
but every fool will be quick to quarrel.
2012 by Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software