2 Chronicles 18

1 Now Jehoshaphat had riches and honor in abundance, and he allied himself with Ahab by marriage.

And Josaphat had yet great wealth and glory, and he connected himself by marriage with the house of Achaab.

2 And some years later he went down to visit Ahab in Samaria, where Ahab sacrificed many sheep and cattle for him and the people with him, and urged him to march up to Ramoth-gilead.

And he went down after a term of years to Achaab to Samaria: and Achaab killed for him sheep and calves, in abundance, and for the people with him, and he much desired him to go up with him to Ramoth of the country of Galaad.

3 Ahab king of Israel asked Jehoshaphat king of Judah, “Will you go with me against Ramoth-gilead?” And Jehoshaphat replied, “I am like you, and my people are your people; we will join you in the war.”

And Achaab king of Israel said to Josaphat king of Juda, Will you go with me to Ramoth of the country of Galaad? And he said to him, As I [am], so also [are] you, as your people, [so] also [is] my people with you for the war.

4 But Jehoshaphat also said to the king of Israel, “Please inquire first for the word of the LORD.”

And Josaphat said to the king of Israel, Seek, I pray you, the Lord today.

5 So the king of Israel assembled the prophets, four hundred men, and asked them, “Should we go to war against Ramoth-gilead, or should we refrain?” “Go up,” they replied, “and God will deliver it into the hand of the king.”

And the king of Israel gathered the prophets, four hundred men, and said to them, Shall I go to Ramoth Galaad to battle, or shall I forbear? And they said, Go up, and God shall deliver [it] into the hands of the king.

6 But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there not still a prophet of the LORD here of whom we can inquire?”

And Josaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of the Lord besides, that we may enquire of him?

7 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 to Josaphat, There is yet one man by whom to enquire of the Lord; but I hate him, for he does not prophesy concerning me for good, for all his days [are] for evil: this [is] Michaias the son of Jembla. And Josaphat said, Let not the king say so.

8 So the king of Israel called one of his officials and said, “Bring Micaiah son of Imlah at once.”

And the king called an eunuch, and said, [Fetch] quickly Michaias the son of Jembla.

9 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 Josaphat king of Juda were sitting each on his throne, and clothed in their robes, sitting in the open space at the entrance of the gate of Samaria: and all the prophets were prophesying before them.

10 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 Sedekias son of Chanaan made for himself iron horns, and said, Thus says the Lord, With these you shall thrust Syria until it be consumed.

11 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 Galaad, and you shall prosper; and the Lord shall deliver it into the hands of the king.

12 Then the messenger who had gone to call Micaiah instructed him, “Behold, 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 Michaias spoke to him, saying, Behold, the prophets have spoken favourably concerning the king with one mouth; let now, I pray you, your words be as [the words] of one of them, and do you speak good things.

13 But Micaiah said, “As surely as the LORD lives, I will speak whatever my God tells me.”

And Michaias said, [As] the Lord lives, whatever God shall say to me, that will I speak.

14 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 they will be given into your hand.”

And he came to the king, and the king said to him, Michaias, shall I go up to Ramoth Galaad to battle, or shall I forbear? And he said, Go up, and you shall prosper, and they shall be given into your hands.

15 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 to him, How often shall I solemnly charge you that you speak to me nothing but truth in the name of the Lord?

16 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 Israel scattered on the mountains, as sheep without a shepherd: and the Lord said, These have no commander; let each return to his home in peace.

17 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 to Josaphat, Said I not to you, that he would not prophesy concerning me good, but evil?

18 Micaiah continued, “Therefore hear the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing on His right and on His left.

But he said, Not so. Hear you the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven stood by on his right hand and on his left.

19 And the LORD said, ‘Who will entice Ahab king of Israel to march up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?’ And one suggested this, and another that.

And the Lord said, Who will deceive Achaab king of Israel, that he may go up, and fall in Ramoth Galaad? And one spoke this way, and another spoke that way.

20 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 stood before the Lord, and said, I will deceive him. And the Lord said, Whereby?

21 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 will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And [the Lord] said, You shall deceive [him], and shall prevail: go forth, and do so.

22 So you see, the LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouths of these prophets of yours, and the LORD has pronounced disaster against you.”

And now, behold, the Lord has put a false spirit in the mouth of these your prophets, and the Lord has spoken evil against you.

23 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?”

Then Sedekias the son of Chanaan drew near, and struck Michaias on the cheek, and said to him, By what way passed the Spirit of the Lord from me to speak to you?

24 Micaiah replied, “You will soon see, on that day when you go and hide in an inner room.”

And Michaias said, Behold, you shall see in that day, when you shall go from chamber to chamber to hide yourself.

25 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 Michaias, and carry him back to Emer the governor of the city, and to Joas the captain, the king's son;

26 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 you shall say, Thus said the king, Put this fellow into the prison house, and let him eat the bread of affliction, and [drink] the water of affliction, until I return in peace.

27 But Micaiah replied, “If you ever return safely, the LORD has not spoken through me.” Then he added, “Take heed, all you people!”

And Michaias said, If you do at all return in peace, the Lord has not spoken by me. And he said, Hear, all you people.

28 So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah went up to Ramoth-gilead.

So the king of Israel, and Josaphat king of Juda, went up to Ramoth Galaad.

29 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 to Josaphat, Disguise me, and I will enter into the battle: and do you put on my raiment. so the king of Israel disguised himself, and entered into the battle.

30 Now the king of Aram had ordered his chariot commanders, “Do not fight with anyone, small or great, except the king of Israel.”

Now the king of Syria had commanded the captains of the chariots that were with him, saying, Fight neither against small nor great, but only against the king of Israel.

31 When the chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat, they said, “This is the king of Israel!” So they turned to fight against him, but Jehoshaphat cried out, and the LORD helped him. God drew them away from him.

And it came to pass, when the captains of the chariots saw Josaphat, that they said, It is the king of Israel: and they compassed him about to fight against him: and Josaphat cried out, and the Lord delivered him; and God turned them away from him.

32 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 saw that it was not the king of Israel, that they turned away from him.

33 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!”

And a man drew a bow with a good aim, and struck the king of Israel between the lungs and the breast-plate: and he said to the charioteer, Turn your hand, drive me out of the battle, for I am wounded.

34 The battle raged throughout that day, and the king of Israel propped himself up in his chariot facing the Arameans until evening. And at sunset he died.

And the battle turned in that day; and the king of Israel remained on the chariot against Syria until evening, and died at sunset.