1 Kings 22
1 They continued three years without war between Syria and Israel.
For three years Aram and Israel were not at war.
2 In the third year, Jehoshaphat the king of Judah came down to the king of Israel.
But in the third year Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, went to visit the king of Israel.
3 The king of Israel said to his servants, “You know that Ramoth Gilead is ours, and we do nothing, and do not take it out of the hand of the king of Syria?”
The king of Israel had said to his officers, “Aren't you aware that Ramoth-gilead really belongs to us and yet we haven't done anything to take it back from the king of Aram?”
4 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.”
So he asked Jehoshaphat, “Will you join me in an attack to recapture Ramoth-gilead?” Jehoshaphat replied to the king of Israel, “You and I are as one, my men and your men are as one, and my horses and your horses are as one.”
5 Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “Please inquire first for the LORD’s word.”
Then Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “But first though, please find out what the Lord says.”
6 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.”
So the king of Israel brought out the prophets—four hundred of them—and he asked them, “Should I go up and attack Ramoth-gilead, or should I not?” “Yes, go ahead,” they replied, “for the Lord will hand it over to the king.”
7 But Jehoshaphat said, “Is not there here a prophet of the LORD, that we may inquire of him?”
But Jehoshaphat asked, “Isn't there another prophet of the Lord here that we can ask?”
8 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of the LORD, Micaiah the son of Imlah; but I hate him, for he does not prophesy good concerning me, but evil.” Jehoshaphat said, “Do not let the king say so.”
“Yes, there's another man who could consult the Lord,” the king of Israel replied, “but I don't like him because he never prophesies anything good for me—it's always bad! His name is Micaiah, son of Imlah.” “You shouldn't talk like that,” said Jehoshaphat.
9 Then the king of Israel called an officer, and said, “Quickly get Micaiah the son of Imlah.”
The king of Israel called over one of his officials and told him, “Bring me Micaiah, son of Imlah, right away.”
10 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.
Dressed in their royal robes, the king of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah, were sitting on their thrones at the threshing floor beside the gate of Samaria, with all of the prophets prophesying in front of them.
11 Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made himself horns of iron, and said, “The LORD says, ‘With these you will push the Syrians, until they are consumed.’”
One of them, Zedekiah, son of Chenaanah, had made himself iron horns. He announced, “This is what the Lord says: ‘With these horns you will gore the Arameans until they're dead!”
12 All the prophets prophesied so, saying, “Go up to Ramoth Gilead and prosper; for the LORD will deliver it into the hand of the king.”
All the prophets were prophesying the same thing, saying, “Go ahead, attack Ramoth-gilead; you will be successful, for the Lord will hand it over to the king.”
13 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.”
The messenger who went to call Micaiah told him, “Look, all the prophets are unanimous in prophesying positively to the king. So please make sure to speak positively like them.”
14 Micaiah said, “As the LORD lives, what the LORD says to me, that I will speak.”
But Micaiah replied, “As the Lord lives, I can only say what my God tells me.”
15 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 the LORD will deliver it into the hand of the king.”
When he came before the king, the king asked him, “Should we go up and attack Ramoth-gilead, or should we not?” “Yes, go ahead and be victorious,” Micaiah replied, “for the Lord will give it into the king's hand.”
16 The king said to him, “How many times do I have to adjure you that you speak to me nothing but the truth in the LORD’s name?”
But the king said to him, “How many times must I make you swear to tell me only the truth in the name of the Lord?”
17 He said, “I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd. The LORD said, ‘These have no master. Let them each return to his house in peace.’”
So Micaiah answered, “I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains like sheep without a shepherd. The Lord said, ‘These people have no master; let each of them go home in peace.’”
18 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Did not I tell you that he would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil?”
The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Didn't I tell you he never prophesies anything good for me, only bad?”
19 Micaiah said, “Therefore hear the LORD’s word. I saw the LORD sitting on his throne, and all the army of heaven standing by him on his right hand and on his left.
Micaiah went on to say, “So listen to what the Lord says. I saw the Lord sitting on his throne, surrounded by the whole army of heaven standing to his right and to his left.
20 The LORD said, ‘Who will entice Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth Gilead?’ One said one thing, and another said another.
The Lord asked, ‘Who will trick Ahab, king of Israel, into attacking Ramoth-gilead so he will be killed there?’ One said this, another said that, and another said something else.
21 A spirit came out and stood before the LORD, and said, ‘I will entice him.’
Finally a spirit came and approached the Lord and said, ‘I will trick him.’
22 The LORD 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.’
‘How are you going to do that?’ the Lord asked. ‘I will go and be a lying spirit and make all his prophets tell lies,’ the spirit replied. ‘That will work,’ the Lord responded. ‘Go and do it.’
23 Now therefore, behold, the LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these your prophets; and the LORD has spoken evil concerning you.”
As you see, the Lord has put a lying spirit into these prophets of yours, and the Lord has pronounced your death sentence.”
24 Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah came near and struck Micaiah on the cheek, and said, “Which way did the LORD’s Spirit go from me to speak to you?”
Then Zedekiah, son of Chenaanah, went and slapped Micaiah in the face, and demanded, “Which way did the Spirit of the Lord go when he left me to speak to you?”
25 Micaiah said, “Behold, you will see on that day when you go into an inner room to hide yourself.”
“You'll soon find out when you try and find some secret place to hide!” Micaiah replied.
26 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.
The king of Israel ordered, “Place Micaiah under arrest and take him back to Amon the governor of the city and to my son Joash.
27 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.”’”
Tell them these are the king's instructions: ‘Put this man in jail. Give him only bread and water until my safe return.’”
28 Micaiah said, “If you return at all in peace, the LORD has not spoken by me.” He said, “Listen, all you people!”
“If you do in fact return safely then the Lord has not spoken through me,” Micaiah declared. “Pay attention everyone to all I've said!”
29 So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went up to Ramoth Gilead.
The king of Israel and Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, went to attack Ramoth-gilead.
30 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.
The king of Israel told Jehoshaphat, “When I go into battle I will be in disguise, but you should wear your royal robes.” So the king of Israel disguised himself and went into battle.
31 Now the king of Syria had commanded the thirty-two captains of his chariots, saying, “Do not fight with small nor great, except only with the king of Israel.”
The king of Aram had already given these orders to his chariot commanders: “Head straight for the king of Israel alone. Don't fight with anyone else, whoever they are.”
32 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.
So when the chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat, they shouted, “This must be the king of Israel!” So they turned to attack him, but when Jehoshaphat called out for help,
33 When the captains of the chariots saw that it was not the king of Israel, they turned back from pursuing him.
the chariot commanders saw it wasn't the king of Israel and stopped chasing him.
34 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.”
However, an enemy archer shot an arrow at random, hitting the king of Israel between the joints of his armor by his breastplate. The king told his charioteer, “Turn around and get me out of the fight, because I've been wounded!”
35 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.
The battle lasted all day. The king of Israel was propped up in his chariot to face the Arameans, but in the evening he died. The blood had poured out of his wound onto the floor of the chariot.
36 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!”
At sunset, a shout went out from the lines: “Retreat! Every man back to his town, every man back to his own country!”
37 So the king died, and was brought to Samaria; and they buried the king in Samaria.
So the king died. He was taken back to Samaria where they buried him.
38 They washed the chariot by the pool of Samaria; and the dogs licked up his blood where the prostitutes washed themselves, according to the LORD’s word which he spoke.
They washed his chariot at a pool in Samaria where the prostitutes came to bathe, and dogs licked up his blood, just as the Lord had said.
39 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, are not they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
The rest of what happened in Ahab's reign, all that he did, the ivory palace he constructed and all the cities he built are recorded in the Book of Chronicles of the Kings of Israel.
40 So Ahab slept with his fathers; and Ahaziah his son reigned in his place.
Ahab died and his son Ahaziah succeeded him as king.
41 Jehoshaphat the son of Asa began to reign over Judah in the fourth year of Ahab king of Israel.
Jehoshaphat, son of Asa, became king of Judah in the fourth year of the reign of Ahab, king of Israel.
42 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.
Jehoshaphat was thirty-five when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem for twenty-five years. His mother's name was Azubah, daughter of Shilhi.
43 He walked in all the way of Asa his father. He did not turn away from it, doing that which was right in the LORD’s eyes. However, the high places were not taken away. The people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places.
He followed all the ways of his father; he did not depart from them, and he did what was right in the Lord's sight. However, the high places were not removed and the people still sacrificed and presented offerings there.
44 Jehoshaphat made peace with the king of Israel.
Jehoshaphat also made peace with the king of Israel.
45 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, and his might that he showed, and how he fought, are not they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?
The rest of what happened in Jehoshaphat's reign, his great achievements and the wars he fought are recorded in the Book of Chronicles of the Kings of Judah.
46 The remnant of the sodomites, that remained in the days of his father Asa, he put away out of the land.
He expelled from the land any cult prostitutes who were left from the time of his father Asa.
47 There was no king in Edom. A deputy ruled.
(At that time there was no king in Edom; only a deputy who served as king.)
48 Jehoshaphat made ships of Tarshish to go to Ophir for gold, but they did not go, for the ships wrecked at Ezion Geber.
Jehoshaphat built sea-going ships to go to Ophir for gold, but they went because they were wrecked at Ezion-geber.
49 Then Ahaziah the son of Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, “Let my servants go with your servants in the ships.” But Jehoshaphat would not.
During that time Ahaziah, son of Ahab, asked Jehoshaphat, “Let my men sail with your men,” but Jehoshaphat refused.
50 Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in his father David’s city. Jehoram his son reigned in his place.
Jehoshaphat died and was buried with his forefathers in the City of David. His son Jehoram succeeded him as king.
51 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.
Ahaziah, son of Ahab, became king of Israel in Samaria in the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, and he reigned over Israel for two years.
52 He did that which was evil in the LORD’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.
He did what was evil in the Lord's sight and followed the ways of his father and mother, and of Jeroboam, son of Nebat, who had made Israel sin.
53 He served Baal and worshiped him, and provoked the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger in all the ways that his father had done so.
He served Baal and worshiped him, and angered the Lord, the God of Israel, just as his father had.
