2 Chronicles 18

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

And Jehoshaphat had riches and honor in abundance, and he intermarried with Achab.

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 [some] years to Achab to Samaria. And Achab killed for him sheep and oxen in abundance, and for the people that were with him, and persuaded him to go up to Ramoth-gil'ad.

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.”

Then said Achab the king of Israel unto Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, Wilt thou go with me against Ramoth-gil'ad! And he said to him, I [will be] like thee, and my people [shall be] as thy people; and we will be with thee in the battle.

4 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.

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.”

Then did the king of Israel assemble the prophets, four hundred men, and said unto them, Shall we go to Ramoth-gil'ad to battle, or shall I forbear? And they said, Go up, and God will deliver [it] into the hand of the king.

6 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?

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 unto Jehoshaphat, There is yet one man, by whom we may inquire of the Lord; but I hate him; for he never prophesieth any good concerning me, but at all times evil: it is Michayhu the son of Yimla. And Jehoshaphat 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.”

Then called the king of Israel a certain court-officer, and said, “Hasten hither Michayhu the son of Yimla.”

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 Jehoshaphat the king of Judah were sitting each on his throne, dressed in their royal garments, and they were sitting in a threshing-floor at the entrance of the gate of Samaria: and all the prophets prophesied 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 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.

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 against Ramoth-gil'ad, and prosper, and the Lord will deliver it into the king's hand.

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 Michayhu spoke to him, saying, Behold, the words of the prophets are with one voice good for the king: so do let thy word, I pray thee, be like [that of] any one of them, and speak something good.

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

And Michayhu said, As the Lord liveth, truly what my God may say, 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 when he was come to the king, the king said unto him, Michah, shall we go to Ramoth-gil'ad to battle, or shall I forbear? And he said, Go ye up, and prosper, and may they be delivered into your hand.

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 many times yet must I adjure thee that thou shalt not speak to me any thing but the 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.’”

Then said he, 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.

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 Jehoshaphat, Did I not say unto thee that he would not prophesy concerning me any good, but [only] for 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.

And he said, Therefore hear ye the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven standing on his right and 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 persuade Achab the king of Israel, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gil'ad? And one said—one saying after this manner, and another saying after that manner.

20 Then a spirit came forward, stood before the LORD, and said, ‘I will entice him.’ ‘By what means?’ asked the LORD.

Then came there forth a spirit, and placed himself before the Lord, and said, I will persuade him. And the Lord said unto him, Wherewith?

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 I will become 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.

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 hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of these thy prophets: but the Lord hath spoken evil concerning thee.

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?”

And Zedekiah the son of Kena'anah went near, and struck Michayhu on the cheek, and said, Which is the way the Spirit of the Lord passed away from me to speak with thee?

24 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.

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 ye Michayhu, and carry him back unto Amon the governor of the city, and to Joash 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 say ye, Thus hath said the king, Put this man in the prison, and feed him with sparing bread and with sparing water, 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 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!

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

And the king of Israel went up with Jehoshaphat the king of Judah to Ramoth-gil'ad.

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 unto Jehoshaphat, I will disguise myself, and enter into the battle; but do thou put on thy royal garments. And the king of Israel disguised himself, and they went 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.”

And the king of Syria had commanded the captains of the chariots that he had, saying, Fight ye not with the small or with the great, save only with the king of Israel alone.

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 Jehoshaphat, that they said, This is the king of Israel. And they encompassed him to fight; and Jehoshaphat cried out, and the Lord helped him; and God induced them to go 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 perceived that it was not the king of Israel, that they turned back from following 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!”

But a certain man drew his bow at a venture, and struck the king of Israel between the joints and the armor: wherefore he said to the chariot-driver, Turn about, and carry me out of the camp; 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 increased on that day: and the king of Israel stayed [himself] up in the chariot against the Syrians until the evening, and he died at the time of the sun's going down.