٢ أخبار 18

١ 1 وَكَانَ لِيَهُوشَافَاطَ غِنًى وَكَرَامَةٌ بِكَثْرَةٍ. وَصَاهَرَ أَخْآبَ.

Jehoshaphat became very wealthy and was greatly honored. But then he arranged for one of his family to marry someone from the family of King Ahab [of Israel].

٢ 2 وَنَزَلَ بَعْدَ سِنِينَ إِلَى أَخْآبَ إِلَى ٱلسَّامِرَةِ، فَذَبَحَ أَخْآبُ غَنَمًا وَبَقَرًا بِكَثْرَةٍ لَهُ وَلِلشَّعْبِ ٱلَّذِي مَعَهُ، وَأَغْوَاهُ أَنْ يَصْعَدَ إِلَى رَامُوتِ جِلْعَادَ.

Several years later, he went down [from Jerusalem] to Samaria to visit Ahab. Ahab welcomed him and the people who had come with him by slaughtering many sheep and cattle [for a feast].

٣ 3 وَقَالَ أَخْآبُ مَلِكُ إِسْرَائِيلَ لِيَهُوشَافَاطَ مَلِكِ يَهُوذَا: «أَتَذْهَبُ مَعِي إِلَى رَامُوتِ جِلْعَادَ؟» وَقَالَ لَهُ: «مَثَلِي مَثَلُكَ وَشَعْبِي كَشَعْبِكَ وَمَعَكَ فِي ٱلْقِتَالِ».

Then he asked Jehoshaphat, “Will you [and your army] go with my army to attack Ramoth [city] in [the] Gilead [region]?” Jehoshaphat replied, “My soldiers and I will go to the battle when you tell us to go.”

٤ 4 ثُمَّ قَالَ يَهُوشَافَاطُ لِمَلِكِ إِسْرَائِيلَ: «ٱسْأَلِ ٱلْيَوْمَ عَنْ كَلَامِ ٱلرَّبِّ».

Then he added, “But we should ask Yahweh first, to find out what he wants us to do.”

٥ 5 فَجَمَعَ مَلِكُ إِسْرَائِيلَ ٱلْأَنْبِيَاءَ، أَرْبَعَ مِئَةِ رَجُلٍ، وَقَالَ لَهُمْ: «أَنَذْهَبُ إِلَى رَامُوتِ جِلْعَادَ لِلْقِتَالِ أَمْ أَمْتَنِعُ؟» فَقَالُوا: «ٱصْعَدْ فَيَدْفَعَهَا ٱللهُ لِيَدِ ٱلْمَلِكِ».

So the king of Israel gathered all his 400 prophets and asked them, “Should we go to attack the people of Ramoth [city], or should we not do that?” They replied, “Yes, go [and attack them] because God will enable your army to defeat them.”

٦ 6 فَقَالَ يَهُوشَافَاطُ: «أَلَيْسَ هُنَا أَيْضًا نَبِيٌّ لِلرَّبِّ فَنَسْأَلَ مِنْهُ؟»

But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there no prophet of Yahweh here whom we can ask?”

٧ 7 فَقَالَ مَلِكُ إِسْرَائِيلَ لِيَهُوشَافَاطَ: «بَعْدُ رَجُلٌ وَاحِدٌ لِسُؤَالِ ٱلرَّبِّ بِهِ، وَلَكِنَّنِي أُبْغِضُهُ لِأَنَّهُ لَا يَتَنَبَّأُ عَلَيَّ خَيْرًا بَلْ شَرًّا كُلَّ أَيَّامِهِ، وَهُوَ مِيخَا بْنُ يَمْلَةَ». فَقَالَ يَهُوشَافَاطُ: «لَا يَقُلِ ٱلْمَلِكُ هَكَذَا».

The king of Israel replied, “There is still one man here, whom we can ask to find out what Yahweh wants, his name is Micaiah, the son of Imlah. But I hate him because he never says anything good about me. He always predicts [that] bad [things will happen to me].” Jehoshaphat replied, “King Ahab, you should not say that!”

٨ 8 فَدَعَا مَلِكُ إِسْرَائِيلَ خَصِيًّا وَقَالَ: «أَسْرِعْ بِمِيخَا بْنِ يَمْلَةَ».

So the king of Israel told one of his officials to summon Micaiah immediately.

٩ 9 وَكَانَ مَلِكُ إِسْرَائِيلَ وَيَهُوشَافَاطُ مَلِكُ يَهُوذَا جَالِسَيْنِ كُلُّ وَاحِدٍ عَلَى كُرْسِيِّهِ، لَابِسَيْنِ ثِيَابَهُمَا وَجَالِسَيْنِ فِي سَاحَةٍ عِنْدَ مَدْخَلِ بَابِ ٱلسَّامِرَةِ، وَجَمِيعُ ٱلْأَنْبِيَاءِ يَتَنَبَّأُونَ أَمَامَهُمَا.

The king of Israel and the king of Judah were sitting there on their thrones, wearing their royal robes. They were at the place where people threshed grain, near the gate of Samaria [city]. All of [Ahab’s] prophets were standing in front of them, predicting what was going to happen.

١٠ 10 وَعَمِلَ صِدْقِيَّا بْنُ كَنْعَنَةَ لِنَفْسِهِ قُرُونَ حَدِيدٍ وَقَالَ: «هَكَذَا قَالَ ٱلرَّبُّ: بِهَذِهِ تَنْطَحُ ٱلْأَرَامِيِّينَ حَتَّى يَفْنَوْا».

[One of them whose name was] Zedekiah, the son of Kenaanah, had made from iron something that resembled the horns of a bull. He proclaimed to Ahab, “This is what Yahweh says: ‘With horns [like these], your [army] will keep attacking the army of Syria [like a bull attacks another animal], until you completely destroy them.’”

١١ 11 وَتَنَبَّأَ جَمِيعُ ٱلْأَنْبِيَاءِ هَكَذَا قَائِلِينَ: «ٱصْعَدْ إِلَى رَامُوتِ جِلْعَادَ وَأَفْلِحْ، فَيَدْفَعَهَا ٱلرَّبُّ لِيَدِ ٱلْمَلِكِ».

All the other prophets [of Ahab] agreed. They said, “Yes! If you attack Ramoth [city] in [the] Gilead [region], you will be successful, because Yahweh will enable you to defeat them.”

١٢ 12 وَأَمَّاَ ٱلرَّسُولُ ٱلَّذِي ذَهَبَ لِيَدْعُوَ مِيخَا فَكَلَّمَهُ قَائِلًا: «هُوَذَا كَلَامُ جَمِيعِ ٱلْأَنْبِيَاءِ بِفَمٍ وَاحِدٍ خَيْرٌ لِلْمَلِكِ. فَلْيَكُنْ كَلَامُكَ كَوَاحِدٍ مِنْهُمْ وَتَكَلَّمْ بِخَيْرٍ».

The messenger who went to summon Micaiah said to him, “Listen to me! All the other prophets are unitedly predicting that the king will be successful [in the battle]. So be sure to agree with them and say that the king’s army will be successful!”

١٣ 13 فَقَالَ مِيخَا: «حَيٌّ هُوَ ٱلرَّبُّ، إِنَّ مَا يَقُولُهُ إِلَهِي فَبِهِ أَتَكَلَّمُ».

But Micaiah said, “As surely as Yahweh lives, I will tell the king only what Yahweh tells me to say.”

١٤ 14 وَلَمَّا جَاءَ إِلَى ٱلْمَلِكِ قَالَ لَهُ ٱلْمَلِكُ: «يَا مِيخَا، أَنَذْهَبُ إِلَى رَامُوتِ جِلْعَادَ لِلْقِتَالِ أَمْ أَمْتَنِعُ؟» فَقَالَ: «ٱصْعَدُوا وَأَفْلِحُوا فَيُدْفَعُوا لِيَدِكُمْ».

When Micaiah arrived, the king [of Israel] asked him, “Should we go to attack Ramoth, or not?” Micaiah replied, “Sure, go! Yahweh will enable your army to defeat them!”

١٥ 15 فَقَالَ لَهُ ٱلْمَلِكُ: «كَمْ مَرَّةٍ أَسْتَحْلِفُكَ أَنْ لَا تَقُولَ لِي إِلَّا ٱلْحَقَّ بِٱسْمِ ٱلرَّبِّ؟»

But King Ahab [realized that Micaiah was lying, so he] said to Micaiah, “I have told you many times that you must always tell only the truth when you say what Yahweh [has revealed to you]!”

١٦ 16 فَقَالَ: «رَأَيْتُ كُلَّ إِسْرَائِيلَ مُشَتَّتِينَ عَلَى ٱلْجِبَالِ كَخِرَافٍ لَا رَاعِيَ لَهَا. فَقَالَ ٱلرَّبُّ: لَيْسَ لِهَؤُلَاءِ أَصْحَابٌ، فَلْيَرْجِعُوا كُلُّ وَاحِدٍ إِلَى بَيْتِهِ بِسَلَامٍ».

Then Micaiah replied, “[The truth is that in a vision] I saw all the troops of Israel scattered on the mountains. They seemed to be like sheep that did not have a shepherd. And Yahweh said, ‘Their master has been killed. So tell them all to go home peacefully.’”

١٧ 17 فَقَالَ مَلِكُ إِسْرَائِيلَ لِيَهُوشَافَاطَ: «أَمَا قُلْتُ لَكَ إِنَّهُ لَا يَتَنَبَّأُ عَلَيَّ خَيْرًا بَلْ شَرًّا؟»

Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, “I told you that he never predicts that anything good will happen to me! He [always] predicts that bad things will happen to me.”

١٨ 18 وَقَالَ: «فَٱسْمَعْ إِذًا كَلَامَ ٱلرَّبِّ. قَدْ رَأَيْتُ ٱلرَّبَّ جَالِسًا عَلَى كُرْسِيِّهِ، وَكُلُّ جُنْدِ ٱلسَّمَاءِ وُقُوفٌ عَنْ يَمِينِهِ وَعَنْ يَسَارِهِ.

But Micaiah continued, saying, “Listen to what Yahweh showed to me! [In a vision] I saw Yahweh sitting on his throne, with all the armies of heaven [standing around him], on his right side and on his left side.

١٩ 19 فَقَالَ ٱلرَّبُّ: مَنْ يُغْوِي أَخْآبَ مَلِكَ إِسْرَائِيلَ فَيَصْعَدَ وَيَسْقُطَ فِي رَامُوتِ جِلْعَادَ؟ فَقَالَ هَذَا هَكَذَا، وَقَالَ ذَاكَ هَكَذَا.

And Yahweh said, ‘Who can persuade Ahab, the king of Israel, to go to fight against the people of Ramoth, in order that he may be killed there?’ “Some suggested one thing, and others suggested something else.

٢٠ 20 ثُمَّ خَرَجَ ٱلرُّوحُ وَوَقَفَ أَمَامَ ٱلرَّبِّ وَقَالَ: أَنَا أُغْوِيهِ. فَقَالَ لَهُ ٱلرَّبُّ: بِمَاذَا؟

“Finally one spirit, [having received a message from Satan], came to Yahweh and said, ‘I can do it!’ “Yahweh asked him, ‘How will you do it?’

٢١ 21 فَقَالَ: أَخْرُجُ وَأَكُونُ لِرُوحِ كَذِبٍ فِي أَفْوَاهِ جَمِيعِ أَنْبِيَائِهِ. فَقَالَ: إِنَّكَ تُغْوِيهِ وَتَقْتَدِرُ. فَٱخْرُجْ وَٱفْعَلْ هَكَذَا.

“The spirit replied, ‘I will go and inspire all of Ahab’s prophets to tell lies.’ Yahweh said, ‘You will be successful; go and do it!’

٢٢ 22 وَٱلْآنَ هُوَذَا قَدْ جَعَلَ ٱلرَّبُّ رُوحَ كَذِبٍ فِي أَفْوَاهِ أَنْبِيَائِكَ هَؤُلَاءِ، وَٱلرَّبُّ تَكَلَّمَ عَلَيْكَ بِشَرٍّ».

“So now [I tell you that] Yahweh has caused your prophets to lie to you. Yahweh has decided that something terrible will happen to you.”

٢٣ 23 فَتَقَدَّمَ صِدْقِيَّا بْنُ كَنْعَنَةَ وَضَرَبَ مِيخَا عَلَى ٱلْفَكِّ وَقَالَ: «مِنْ أَيِّ طَرِيقٍ عَبَرَ رُوحُ ٱلرَّبِّ مِنِّي لِيُكَلِّمَكَ؟».

Then Zedekiah son of Kenaanah walked over to Micaiah and slapped him on his face. He said, “Do you think that Yahweh’s Spirit left me in order to speak to you?”

٢٤ 24 فَقَالَ مِيخَا: «إِنَّكَ سَتَرَى فِي ذَلِكَ ٱلْيَوْمِ ٱلَّذِي تَدْخُلُ فِيهِ مِنْ مُخْدَعٍ إِلَى مُخْدَعٍ لِتَخْتَبِئَ».

Micaiah replied, “You will find out for yourself [to which of us Yahweh’s Spirit has truly spoken] on the day when you go into a room of some house to hide [from the Syrian soldiers]!”

٢٥ 25 فَقَالَ مَلِكُ إِسْرَائِيلَ: «خُذُوا مِيخَا وَرُدُّوهُ إِلَى أَمُّونَ رَئِيسِ ٱلْمَدِينَةِ وَإِلَى يُوآشَ ٱبْنِ ٱلْمَلِكِ،

King Ahab commanded [his soldiers], “Seize Micaiah and take him to Amon, the governor of this city, and to my son Joash.

٢٦ 26 وَقُولُوا هَكَذَا يَقُولُ ٱلْمَلِكُ: ضَعُوا هَذَا فِي ٱلسِّجْنِ، وَأَطْعِمُوهُ خُبْزَ ٱلضِّيقِ وَمَاءَ ٱلضِّيقِ حَتَّى أَرْجِعَ بِسَلَامٍ».

Tell them that I have commanded that they should put this man in prison and give him only bread and water. Do not give him anything else to eat until I return safely [from the battle]!”

٢٧ 27 فَقَالَ مِيخَا: «إِنْ رَجَعْتَ رُجُوعًا بِسَلَامٍ، فَلَمْ يَتَكَلَّمِ ٱلرَّبُّ بِي». وَقَالَ: «ٱسْمَعُوا أَيُّهَا ٱلشُّعُوبُ أَجْمَعُونَ».

Micaiah replied, “If you return safely, [it will be clear that] it was not Yahweh who told me what to say to you!” Then he said [to all those who were standing there], “Do not forget what I have said [to King Ahab]!”

٢٨ 28 فَصَعِدَ مَلِكُ إِسْرَائِيلَ وَيَهُوشَافَاطُ مَلِكُ يَهُوذَا إِلَى رَامُوتِ جِلْعَادَ.

So the king of Israel and the king of Judah [led their armies] to Ramoth, in [the] Gilead [region].

٢٩ 29 وَقَالَ مَلِكُ إِسْرَائِيلَ لِيَهُوشَافَاطَ: «إِنِّي أَتَنَكَّرُ وَأَدْخُلُ ٱلْحَرْبَ، وَأَمَّا أَنْتَ فَٱلْبَسْ ثِيَابَكَ». فَتَنَكَّرَ مَلِكُ إِسْرَائِيلَ وَدَخَلَا ٱلْحَرْبَ.

King Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, “I will put on different clothes, [in order that no one will recognize that I am the king.] But you should wear your royal robe.” So the king of Israel disguised himself, and they both went into the battle.

٣٠ 30 وَأَمَرَ مَلِكُ أَرَامَ رُؤَسَاءَ ٱلْمَرْكَبَاتِ ٱلَّتِي لَهُ قَائِلًا: «لَا تُحَارِبُوا صَغِيرًا وَلَا كَبِيرًا إِلَّا مَلِكَ إِسْرَائِيلَ وَحْدَهُ».

The King of Syria told his soldiers who were driving the chariots, “Attack only the king of Israel!”

٣١ 31 فَلَمَّا رَأَى رُؤَسَاءُ ٱلْمَرْكَبَاتِ يَهُوشَافَاطَ قَالُوا: «إِنَّهُ مَلِكُ إِسْرَائِيلَ»، فَحَاوَطُوهُ لِلْقِتَالِ، فَصَرَخَ يَهُوشَافَاطُ، وَسَاعَدَهُ ٱلرَّبُّ وَحَوَّلَهُمُ ٱللهُ عَنْهُ.

So when the soldiers who were driving the Syrian chariots saw Jehoshaphat [wearing the royal robes], they thought “He must be the king of Israel!”

٣٢ 32 فَلَمَّا رَأَى رُؤَسَاءُ ٱلْمَرْكَبَاتِ أَنَّهُ لَيْسَ مَلِكَ إِسْرَائِيلَ رَجَعُوا عَنْهُ.

So they turned to attack him. But when Jehoshaphat cried out, Yahweh helped him, and they realized that he was not the king of Israel. And God caused them to stop pursuing him.

٣٣ 33 وَإِنَّ رَجُلًا نَزَعَ فِي قَوْسِهِ غَيْرَ مُتَعَمِّدٍ وَضَرَبَ مَلِكَ إِسْرَائِيلَ بَيْنَ أَوْصَالِ ٱلدِّرْعِ، فَقَالَ لِمُدِيرِ ٱلْمَرْكَبَةِ: «رُدَّ يَدَكَ وَأَخْرِجْنِي مِنَ ٱلْجَيْشِ لِأَنِّي قَدْ جُرِحْتُ».

But one [Syrian] soldier shot an arrow at Ahab, without knowing that it was Ahab. The arrow struck Ahab between the places where the parts of his armor joined together. Ahab told the driver of his chariot, “Turn the chariot around and take me out of here! I have been [severely] wounded!”

٣٤ 34 وَٱشْتَدَّ ٱلْقِتَالُ فِي ذَلِكَ ٱلْيَوْمِ، وَأُوقِفَ مَلِكُ إِسْرَائِيلَ فِي ٱلْمَرْكَبَةِ مُقَابِلَ أَرَامَ إِلَى ٱلْمَسَاءِ، وَمَاتَ عِنْدَ غُرُوبِ ٱلشَّمْسِ.

The battle continued all that day. Ahab was sitting propped up in his chariot, facing the Syrian soldiers. And late in the afternoon, when the sun was setting, he died.