1 Kings 22
1 Then three years passed without war between Aram and Israel.
And they remained [at rest] three years, there being no war between Syria and Israel.
2 However, in the third year, Jehoshaphat king of Judah went down to visit the king of Israel,
And it came to pass in the third year that Jehoshaphat the king of Judah came down to the king of Israel.
3 who said to his servants, “Do you not know that Ramoth-gilead is ours, but we have failed to take it from the hand of the king of Aram?”
And the king of Israel said unto his servants, Know ye that Ramoth in Gil'ad is ours, and we remain idle, without taking it out of the hand of the king of Syria?
4 So he asked Jehoshaphat, “Will you go with me to fight against Ramoth-gilead?” Jehoshaphat answered the king of Israel, “I am like you, my people are your people, and my horses are your horses.”
And he said unto Jehoshaphat, Wilt thou go with me to the battle against Ramoth-gil'ad? And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, I [will be] like thee, my people like thy people, my horses like thy horses.
5 But Jehoshaphat also said to the king of Israel, “Please inquire first for the word of the LORD.”
And Jehoshaphat said unto the king of Israel, Inquire, I pray thee, today [first] of the word of the Lord.
6 So the king of Israel assembled the prophets, about four hundred men, and asked them, “Should I go to war against Ramoth-gilead, or should I refrain?” “Go up,” they replied, “and the Lord will deliver it into the hand of the king.”
Then assembled the king of Israel the prophets, about four hundred men, and said unto them, shall I go against Ramoth-gil'ad to battle, or shall I forbear? And they said, Go up; and the Lord will deliver [it] into the hand of the king.
7 But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there not still a prophet of the LORD here of whom we can inquire?”
And Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of the Eternal besides, that we might inquire of him?
8 The king of Israel answered, “There is still one man who can ask the LORD, but I hate him because he never prophesies anything good for me, but only bad. He is Micaiah son of Imlah.” “The king should not say that!” Jehoshaphat replied.
And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, There is yet one man, by whom we might inquire of the Lord; but I hate him; for he will never prophesy good concerning me, but evil: [it is] Michayhu the son of Yimlah. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say so.
9 So the king of Israel called one of his officials and said, “Bring Micaiah son of Imlah at once.”
Then called the king of Israel a certain officer, and said, Hasten hither Michayhu the son of Yimlah.
10 Dressed in royal attire, the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah were sitting on their thrones at the threshing floor by the entrance of the gate of Samaria, with all the prophets prophesying before them.
And the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah were sitting each on his throne, dressed in their regal garments, in a threshing-floor at the entrance of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets prophesied before them.
11 Now Zedekiah son of Chenaanah had made for himself iron horns and declared, “This is what the LORD says: ‘With these you shall gore the Arameans until they are finished off.’”
And Zedekiah the son of Kena'anah had made himself horns of iron; and he said, Thus hath said the Lord, With these shalt thou push the Syrians, until thou have made an end of them.
12 And all the prophets were prophesying the same, saying, “Go up to Ramoth-gilead and prosper, for the LORD will deliver it into the hand of the king.”
And all the prophets prophesied so, saying, Go up to Ramoth-gil'ad, and prosper; and the Lord will deliver it into the king's hand.
13 Then the messenger who had gone to call Micaiah instructed him, “Behold now, with one accord the words of the prophets are favorable to the king. So please let your words be like theirs, and speak favorably.”
And the messenger that went to call Michayhu spoke unto him, saying, Behold now, the words of the prophets are with one voice good for the king: do let thy word, I pray thee, be like the word of any one of them, and speak something good.
14 But Micaiah said, “As surely as the LORD lives, I will speak whatever the LORD tells me.”
And Michayhu said, As the Lord liveth, truly, what the Lord may say unto me, that will I speak.
15 When Micaiah arrived, the king asked him, “Micaiah, should we go to war against Ramoth-gilead, or should we refrain?” “Go up and triumph,” Micaiah replied, “for the LORD will give it into the hand of the king.”
And when he was come to the king, the king said unto him, Michayhu, shall we go against Ramoth-gil'ad to battle, or shall we forbear? And he answered him, Go up, and prosper; and may the Lord deliver it into the hand of the king.
16 But the king said to him, “How many times must I make you swear not to tell me anything but the truth in the name of the LORD?”
And the king said unto him, How many times yet must I adjure thee that thou shalt not speak to me anything but the truth in the name of the Lord?
17 So Micaiah declared: “I saw all Israel scattered on the hills like sheep without a shepherd. And the LORD said, ‘These people have no master; let each one return home in peace.’”
And he said, I saw all Israel scattered over the mountains, as flocks that have not a shepherd: and the Lord said, These have no master; let them return every man to his house in peace.
18 Then the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Did I not tell you that he never prophesies good for me, but only bad?”
And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, Did I not say unto thee that he would not prophesy concerning me any good, but [only] evil?
19 Micaiah continued, “Therefore hear the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing by Him on His right and on His left.
And he said, Therefore hear thou the word of the Lord, I saw the Lord sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven standing by him on his right and on his left.
20 And the LORD said, ‘Who will entice Ahab to march up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?’ And one suggested this, and another that.
And the Lord said, Who will persuade Achab, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gil'ad! And one said, In this manner, and another said, In that manner.
21 Then a spirit came forward, stood before the LORD, and said, ‘I will entice him.’ ‘By what means?’ asked the LORD.
And there came forth a spirit, and placed himself before the Lord, and said, I will persuade him. And the Lord said unto him, Wherewith?
22 And he replied, ‘I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouths of all his prophets.’ ‘You will surely entice him and prevail,’ said the LORD. ‘Go and do it.’
And he said, I will go forth, and I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And he said, Thou wilt persuade him, and also prevail: go forth, and do so.
23 So you see, the LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouths of all these prophets of yours, and the LORD has pronounced disaster against you.”
And now, behold, the Lord hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets; but the Lord hath spoken evil concerning thee.
24 Then Zedekiah son of Chenaanah went up, struck Micaiah in the face, and demanded, “Which way did the Spirit of the LORD go when He departed from me to speak with you?”
And Zedekiah, the son of Kena'anah, went near, and struck Michayhu on the cheek, and said, Which way passed the Spirit of the Lord away from me to speak with thee!
25 Micaiah replied, “You will soon see, on that day when you go and hide in an inner room.”
And Michayhu said, Behold, thou shalt see it on that day, when thou shalt go into the innermost chamber to hide thyself.
26 And the king of Israel declared, “Take Micaiah and return him to Amon the governor of the city and to Joash the king’s son,
And the king of Israel said, Take Michayhu, and carry him back unto Amon the governor of the city, and unto Joash the king's son;
27 and tell them that this is what the king says: ‘Put this man in prison and feed him only bread and water until I return safely.’”
And say, Thus hath said the king, Put this man in the prison, and feed him with sparing bread and with sparing water, until I come home in peace.
28 But Micaiah replied, “If you ever return safely, the LORD has not spoken through me.” Then he added, “Take heed, all you people!”
And Michayhu said, If thou return at all in peace, then hath the Lord not spoken through me. And he said, Hear it, O all ye nations!
29 So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah went up to Ramoth-gilead.
So the king of Israel went up with Jehoshaphat the king of Judah to Ramoth-gil'ad.
30 And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “I will disguise myself and go into battle, but you wear your royal robes.” So the king of Israel disguised himself and went into battle.
And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, I will disguise myself, and enter into the battle; but do thou put on thy regal garments. And the king of Israel disguised himself, and went into the battle.
31 Now the king of Aram had ordered his thirty-two chariot commanders, “Do not fight with anyone, small or great, except the king of Israel.”
And the king of Syria had commanded the captains over his chariots, thirty-two [in number], saying, Fight neither with a small nor a great one, save only with the king of Israel alone.
32 When the chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat, they said, “Surely this is the king of Israel!” So they turned to fight against him, but Jehoshaphat cried out.
And it came to pass, when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, that they said, Surely this is the king of Israel. And they turned aside against him to fight: and Jehoshaphat cried out.
33 And when the chariot commanders saw that he was not the king of Israel, they turned back from pursuing him.
And it came to pass, when the captains of the chariots perceived that it was not the king of Israel, that they turned back from following him.
34 However, a certain man drew his bow without taking special aim, and he struck the king of Israel between the joints of his armor. So the king said to his charioteer, “Turn around and take me out of the battle, for I am badly wounded!”
But a man drew his bow at a venture, and struck the king of Israel between the joints and the armor; wherefore he said unto his chariot-driver. Turn about, and carry me out of the camp; for I am wounded.
35 The battle raged throughout that day, and the king was propped up in his chariot facing the Arameans. And the blood from his wound ran out onto the floor of the chariot, and that evening he died.
And the battle increased on that day; and the king was stayed up in his chariot against the Syrians; but he died in the evening: and the blood of the wound flowed down into the hollow of the chariot.
36 As the sun was setting, the cry rang out in the army: “Every man to his own city, and every man to his own land!”
And there went a proclamation throughout the camp at the going down of the sun, saying, Every man to his city, and every man to his own land.
37 So the king died and was brought to Samaria, where they buried him.
So the king died, and was brought to Samaria; and they buried the king in Samaria.
38 And the chariot was washed at the pool of Samaria where the prostitutes bathed, and the dogs licked up Ahab’s blood, according to the word that the LORD had spoken.
And the chariot was washed out at the pool of Samaria; and the dogs licked up his blood, as they washed his armor: according to the word of the Lord which he had spoken.
39 As for the rest of the acts of Ahab, along with all his accomplishments and the ivory palace and all the cities he built, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?
Now the rest of the acts of Achab, and all that he did, and the ivory house which he built, and all the cities that he built, behold, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.
40 And Ahab rested with his fathers, and his son Ahaziah reigned in his place.
So Achab slept with his fathers: and Achazyahu his son became king in his stead.
41 In the fourth year of Ahab’s reign over Israel, Jehoshaphat son of Asa became king of Judah.
And Jehoshaphat the son of Assa became king over Judah in the fourth year of Achab the king of Israel.
42 Jehoshaphat was thirty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-five years. His mother’s name was Azubah daughter of Shilhi.
Jehoshaphat was thirty and five years old when he became king, and twenty and five years did he reign in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was 'Azubah the daughter of Shilchi.
43 And Jehoshaphat walked in all the ways of his father Asa; he did not turn away from them, but did what was right in the eyes of the LORD. The high places, however, were not removed; the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places.
And he walked in all the ways of Assa his father; he turned not aside from it, doing what is right in the eyes of the Lord: Nevertheless the high-places were not removed; for the people still offered, and burnt incense on the high-places.
44 Jehoshaphat also made peace with the king of Israel.
And Jehoshaphat made peace with the king of Israel.
45 As for the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, along with the might he exercised and how he waged war, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah?
Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, and his mighty deeds that he showed, and how he warred, behold, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah.
46 He banished from the land the male shrine prostitutes who remained from the days of his father Asa.
And the remnant of the sodomites, that had been left in the days of his father Assa, did he put away out of the land.
47 And there was no king in Edom; a deputy served as king.
There was then no king in Edom: a deputy was king.
48 Jehoshaphat built ships of Tarshish to go to Ophir for gold, but they never set sail, because they were wrecked at Ezion-geber.
Jehoshaphat made Tharshish-ships to go to Ophir for gold; but they went not; for the ships were wrecked at 'Ezyon-geber.
49 At that time Ahaziah son of Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, “Let my servants sail with your servants,” but Jehoshaphat refused.
Then said Achazyahu the son of Achab unto Jehoshaphat, Let my servants go with thy servants in the ships. But Jehoshaphat would not.
50 And Jehoshaphat rested with his fathers and was buried with them in the city of his father David. And his son Jehoram reigned in his place.
And Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father: and Jehoram his son became king in his stead.
51 In the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat’s reign over Judah, Ahaziah son of Ahab became king of Israel, and he reigned in Samaria two years.
Achazyahu the son of Achab became king over Israel in Samaria in the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah; and he reigned over Israel two years.
52 And he did evil in the sight of the LORD and walked in the ways of his father and mother and of Jeroboam son of Nebat, who had caused Israel to sin.
And he did what is evil in the eyes of the Lord, and walked in the way of his father, and in the way of his mother, and in the way of Jerobo'am the son of Nebat, who had induced Israel to sin.
53 Ahaziah served and worshiped Baal, provoking the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger, just as his father had done.
And he served Ba'al, and bowed down to him, and he provoked to anger the Lord the God of Israel, all just as his father had done.
