< Kings III 22 >

1 And he rested three years, and there was no war between Syria and Israel.
They continued three years without war between Syria and Israel.
2 And it came to pass in the third year, that Josaphat king of Juda went down to the king of Israel.
In the third year, Jehoshaphat the king of Judah came down to the king of Israel.
3 And the king of Israel said to his servants, Know ye that Remmath Galaad [is] ours, and we are slow to take it out of the hand of the king of Syria?
The king of Israel said to his servants, “You know that Ramoth Gilead is ours, and we do nothing, and don’t take it out of the hand of the king of Syria?”
4 And the king of Israel said to Josaphat, Wilt thou go up with us to Remmath Galaad to battle?
He said to Jehoshaphat, “Will you go with me to battle to Ramoth Gilead?” Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses.”
5 And Josaphat said, As I [am], so [art] thou also; as my people, [so is] thy people; as my horses, [so are] thy horses. And Josaphat king of Juda said to the king of Israel, Enquire, I pray thee, of the Lord to-day.
Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “Please inquire first for Yahweh’s word.”
6 And the king of Israel gathered all the prophets together, about four hundred men; and the king said to them, Shall I go up to Remmath Galaad to battle, or shall I forbear? and they said, Go up, and the Lord will surely give [it] into the hands of the king.
Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, about four hundred men, and said to them, “Should I go against Ramoth Gilead to battle, or should I refrain?” They said, “Go up; for the Lord will deliver it into the hand of the king.”
7 And Josaphat said to the king of Israel, Is there not here a prophet of the Lord, that we may enquire of the Lord by him?
But Jehoshaphat said, “Isn’t there here a prophet of Yahweh, that we may inquire of him?”
8 And the king of Israel said to Josaphat, There is one man here [for us] to enquire of the Lord by; but I hate him, for he does not speak good of me, but only evil; Michaias son of Jemblaa. And Josaphat king of Juda said, Let not the king say so.
The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of Yahweh, Micaiah the son of Imlah; but I hate him, for he does not prophesy good concerning me, but evil.” Jehoshaphat said, “Don’t let the king say so.”
9 And the king of Israel called a eunuch and said, [Bring hither] quickly Michaias son of Jemblaa.
Then the king of Israel called an officer, and said, “Quickly get Micaiah the son of Imlah.”
10 And the king of Israel and Josaphat king of Juda sat, each on his throne, armed in the gates of Samaria; and all the prophets prophesied before them.
Now the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah were sitting each on his throne, arrayed in their robes, in an open place at the entrance of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets were prophesying before them.
11 And Sedekias son of Chanaan made for himself iron horns, and said, Thus saith the Lord, With these thou shalt push Syria, until it be consumed.
Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made himself horns of iron, and said, “Yahweh says, ‘With these you will push the Syrians, until they are consumed.’”
12 And all the prophets prophesied in like manner, saying, Go up to Remmath Galaad, and [the thing] shall prosper, and the Lord shall deliver it and the king of Syria into thine hands.
All the prophets prophesied so, saying, “Go up to Ramoth Gilead and prosper; for Yahweh will deliver it into the hand of the king.”
13 And the messenger that went to call Michaias spoke to him, saying, Behold now, all the prophets speak with one mouth good concerning the king, let now thy words be like the words of one of them, and speak good things.
The messenger who went to call Micaiah spoke to him, saying, “See now, the prophets declare good to the king with one mouth. Please let your word be like the word of one of them, and speak good.”
14 And Michaias said, [As] the Lord lives, whatsoever the Lord shall say to me, that will I speak.
Micaiah said, “As Yahweh lives, what Yahweh says to me, that I will speak.”
15 And he came to the king: and the king said to him, Michaias, shall I go up to Remmath Galaad to battle, or shall I forbear? and he said, Go up, and the Lord shall deliver it into the hand of the king.
When he had come to the king, the king said to him, “Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth Gilead to battle, or shall we forbear?” He answered him, “Go up and prosper; and Yahweh will deliver it into the hand of the king.”
16 And the king said to him, How often shall I adjure thee, that thou speak to me truth in the name of the Lord?
The king said to him, “How many times do I have to adjure you that you speak to me nothing but the truth in Yahweh’s name?”
17 And he said, Not so. I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains as a flock without a shepherd: and the Lord said, [Is] not God lord of these? let each one return to his home in peace.
He said, “I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd. Yahweh said, ‘These have no master. Let them each return to his house in peace.’”
18 And the king of Israel said to Josaphat king of Juda, Did I not say to thee that this man does not prophesy good to me, for [he speaks] nothing but evil?
The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Didn’t I tell you that he would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil?”
19 And Michaias said, Not so, [it is] not I: hear the word of the Lord; [it is] not so. I saw the God of Israel sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven stood about him on his right hand and on his left.
Micaiah said, “Therefore hear Yahweh’s word. I saw Yahweh sitting on his throne, and all the army of heaven standing by him on his right hand and on his left.
20 And the Lord said, Who will deceive Achaab king of Israel, that he may go up and fall in Remmath Galaad? and one spoke one way, and another another way.
Yahweh said, ‘Who will entice Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth Gilead?’ One said one thing, and another said another.
21 And there came forth a spirit and stood before the Lord, and said, I will deceive him.
A spirit came out and stood before Yahweh, and said, ‘I will entice him.’
22 And the Lord said to him, Whereby? And he said, I will go forth, and will be a false spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And he said, Thou shalt deceive him, yea, and shalt prevail: go forth, and do so.
Yahweh said to him, ‘How?’ He said, ‘I will go out and will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ He said, ‘You will entice him, and will also prevail. Go out and do so.’
23 And now, behold, the Lord has put a false spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets, and the Lord has spoken evil against thee.
Now therefore, behold, Yahweh has put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these your prophets; and Yahweh has spoken evil concerning you.”
24 And Sedekias the son of Chanaan came near and smote Michaias on the cheek, and said, What sort of a spirit of the Lord [has] spoken in thee?
Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah came near and struck Micaiah on the cheek, and said, “Which way did Yahweh’s Spirit go from me to speak to you?”
25 And Michaias said, Behold, thou shalt see in that day, when thou shalt go into an innermost chamber to hide thyself there.
Micaiah said, “Behold, you will see on that day when you go into an inner room to hide yourself.”
26 And the king of Israel said, Take Michaias, and convey him away to Semer the keeper of the city;
The king of Israel said, “Take Micaiah, and carry him back to Amon the governor of the city and to Joash the king’s son.
27 and tell Joas the king's son to put this [fellow] in prison, and to feed him with bread of affliction and water of affliction until I return in peace.
Say, ‘The king says, “Put this fellow in the prison, and feed him with bread of affliction and with water of affliction, until I come in peace.”’”
28 And Michaias said, If thou return at all in peace, the Lord has not spoken by me.
Micaiah said, “If you return at all in peace, Yahweh has not spoken by me.” He said, “Listen, all you people!”
29 So the king of Israel went up, and Josaphat king of Juda with him to Remmath Galaad.
So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went up to Ramoth Gilead.
30 And the king of Israel said to Josaphat king of Juda, I will disguise myself, and enter into the battle, and do thou put on my raiment. So the king of Israel disguised himself, and went into the battle.
The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “I will disguise myself and go into the battle, but you put on your robes.” The king of Israel disguised himself and went into the battle.
31 And the king of Syria had charged the thirty-two captains of his chariots, saying, Fight not [against] small or great, but against the king of Israel only.
Now the king of Syria had commanded the thirty-two captains of his chariots, saying, “Don’t fight with small nor great, except only with the king of Israel.”
32 And it came to pass, when the captains of the chariots saw Josaphat king of Juda, that they said, this seems [to be] the king of Israel. And they compassed him about to fight [against] him; and Josaphat cried out.
When the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, they said, “Surely that is the king of Israel!” and they came over to fight against him. Jehoshaphat cried out.
33 And it came to pass, when the captains of the chariots saw that this was not the king of Israel, that they returned from him.
When the captains of the chariots saw that it was not the king of Israel, they turned back from pursuing him.
34 And one drew a bow with a good aim, and smote the king of Israel between the lungs and the breast-plate: and he said to his charioteer, Turn thine hands, and carry me away out of the battle, for I am wounded.
A certain man drew his bow at random, and struck the king of Israel between the joints of the armor. Therefore he said to the driver of his chariot, “Turn around, and carry me out of the battle, for I am severely wounded.”
35 And the war was turned in that day, and the king was standing on the chariot, against Syria from morning till evening; and he shed the blood out of his wound, into the bottom of the chariot, and died at even, and the blood ran out of the wound into the bottom of the chariot.
The battle increased that day. The king was propped up in his chariot facing the Syrians, and died at evening. The blood ran out of the wound into the bottom of the chariot.
36 And the herald of the army stood at sunset, saying, Let every man go to his own city and his own land,
A cry went throughout the army about the going down of the sun, saying, “Every man to his city, and every man to his country!”
37 for the king is dead. And they came to Samaria, and buried the king in Samaria.
So the king died, and was brought to Samaria; and they buried the king in Samaria.
38 And they washed the chariot at the fountain of Samaria; and the swine and the dogs licked up the blood, and the harlots washed themselves in the blood, according to the word of the Lord which he spoke.
They washed the chariot by the pool of Samaria; and the dogs licked up his blood where the prostitutes washed themselves, according to Yahweh’s word which he spoke.
39 And the rest of the acts of Achaab, and all that he did, and the ivory house which he built, and all the cities which he built, behold, [are] not these things written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
Now the rest of the acts of Ahab, and all that he did, and the ivory house which he built, and all the cities that he built, aren’t they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
40 And Achaab slept with his fathers, and Ochozias his son reigned in his stead.
So Ahab slept with his fathers; and Ahaziah his son reigned in his place.
41 And Josaphat the son of Asa reigned over Juda: in the fourth year of Achaab king of Israel began Josaphat to reign.
Jehoshaphat the son of Asa began to reign over Judah in the fourth year of Ahab king of Israel.
42 Thirty and five years old [was he] when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty and five years in Jerusalem; and his mother's name [was] Azuba daughter of Salai.
Jehoshaphat was thirty-five years old when he began to reign; and he reigned twenty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi.
43 And he walked in all the way of Asa his father: he turned not from it, even from doing that which was right in the eyes of the Lord. Only he took not away [any] of the high places: the people still sacrificed and burnt incense on the high places.
He walked in all the way of Asa his father. He didn’t turn away from it, doing that which was right in Yahweh’s eyes. However, the high places were not taken away. The people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places.
44 And Josaphat was at peace with the king of Israel.
Jehoshaphat made peace with the king of Israel.
45 And the rest of the acts of Josaphat, and his mighty deeds, whatever he did, behold, [are] not these things written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Juda?
Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, and his might that he showed, and how he fought, aren’t they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?
The remnant of the sodomites, that remained in the days of his father Asa, he put away out of the land.
There was no king in Edom. A deputy ruled.
Jehoshaphat made ships of Tarshish to go to Ophir for gold, but they didn’t go, for the ships wrecked at Ezion Geber.
Then Ahaziah the son of Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, “Let my servants go with your servants in the ships.” But Jehoshaphat would not.
50 And Josaphat slept with his fathers, and was buried by his fathers in the city of David his father, and Joram his son reigned in his stead.
Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in his father David’s city. Jehoram his son reigned in his place.
51 And Ochozias son of Achaab reigned over Israel in Samaria: in the seventeenth year of Josaphat king of Juda, Ochozias son of Achaab reigned over Israel in Samaria two years.
Ahaziah the son of Ahab began to reign over Israel in Samaria in the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and he reigned two years over Israel.
52 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, and walked in the way of Achaab his father, and in the way of Jezabel his mother, and in the sins of the house of Jeroboam the son of Nabat, who caused Israel to sin.
He did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight, and walked in the way of his father, and in the way of his mother, and in the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, in which he made Israel to sin.
53 And he served Baalim, and worshipped them, and provoked the Lord God of Israel, according to all that had been done before him.
He served Baal and worshiped him, and provoked Yahweh, the God of Israel, to anger in all the ways that his father had done so.

< Kings III 22 >