2 Chronicles 18

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

Therfor Josaphat was riche and ful noble, and bi affynyte, `ethir alie, he was ioyned to 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 aftir yeeris he cam doun to hym in to Samarie; at whos comyng Achab killide ful many wetheris and oxis, and to the puple that cam with hym; and he counseilide hym to stie in to Ramoth 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 Achab, the kyng of Israel, seide to Josaphat, kyng of Juda, Come thou with me in to Ramoth of Galaad. To whom he answeride, As and Y am, thou art; as thi puple, so and my puple; and we schulen be with thee in batel.

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

And Josaphat seide to the kyng of Israel, Y biseche, counsele thou in present tyme 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.”

Therfor the kyng of Israel gaderide togidere foure hundrid `men of prophetis, and seide to hem, Owen we to go in to Ramath of Galaad for to fiyte, ethir `take reste? And thei seiden, Stie ye, and God schal bitake in the hond of the king.

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

And Josaphat seide, Whether no profete of the Lord is here, that we `axe also of hym?

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 kyng of Israel seide to Josaphat, O man is, of whom we `moun axe the wille of the Lord, but and Y hate hym, for he prophecieth not good, but yuel to me in al tyme; sothely it is Mychee, the sone of Jebla. And Josaphat seide to hym, Kyng, speke thou not in this maner.

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

Therfor the kyng of Israel clepide oon of the geldyngis, and seide to hym, Clepe thou soone Mychee, the sone of Jebla.

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.

Forsothe the kyng of Israel and Josaphat, the kyng of Juda, saten euer eithir in his seete, and weren clothid in kyngis aray; forsothe thei saten in the cornfloor, `ether large hows, bisidis the yate of Samarie; and alle the prophetis profesieden bifor hem.

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.’”

Forsothe Sedechie, the sone of Cananee, made to hym yrone hornes, and seide, The Lord seith these thingis, With these thou schalt wyndewe Sirie, til thou al to-brake it.

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 alle prophetis profesieden in lijk maner, and seiden, Stie thou in to Ramoth of Galaad, and thou schalt haue prosperite; and the Lord schal bitake hem in to the hondis of the kyng.

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.”

Forsothe the messanger, that yede to clepe Mychee, seide to hym, Lo! the wordis of alle prophetis tellen with o mouth goodis to the kyng; therfor, Y preye thee, that thi word disente not fro hem, and that thou speke prosperitees.

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

To whom Mychee answeride, The Lord lyueth, for what euer thingis my Lord spekith to me, Y schal speke these thingis. Therfor he cam to the kyng.

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.”

To whom the kyng seide, Mychee, owen we go in to Ramoth of Galaad to fiyte, ether take reste? To whom he answeride, Stie ye, for alle prosperitees schulen come, and enemyes schulen be bitakun in to youre hondis.

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 kyng seide, Eft and eft Y charge thee, that thou speke not to me no but that that is soth 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 seide, Y siy al Israel scaterid in the hillis, as scheep with out scheepherde. And the Lord seide, These men han not lordis; ech man turne ayen in to his hows in pees.

17 Then the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Did I not tell you that he never prophesies good for me, but only bad?”

The kyng of Israel seide to Josaphat, Whether Y seide not to thee, that he profesiede not ony good to me, but tho thingis that ben yuele?

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 therfor Mychee seide, Here ye the word of the Lord. Y siy the Lord sittynge in his trone, and al the oost of heuene stondynge nyy him at the riytside and `leftside.

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 seide, Who schal disseyue Achab, the kyng of Israel, that he stie, and falle doun in Ramoth of Galaad? And whanne oon seide in this maner, and another seide in another maner, a spirit cam forth,

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

and stood bifor the Lord, and seide, Y schal disseyue hym. To whom the Lord seide, `Wherynne, therfor schalt thou disseyue?

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 answeride, Y schal go out, and Y schal be a `fals spirit in the mouth of alle hise profetis. And the Lord seide, Thou schalt disseyue, and thou schalt haue the maystri; go thou out, 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.”

Now therfor, lo! the Lord hath youe a spirit of leesyng in the mouth of alle thi prophetis, and the Lord spak yuels of 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?”

Forsothe Sedechie, the sone of Chananee, neiyide, and smoot `the cheke of Mychee, and seide, Bi what weye passide the Spirit of the Lord fro me to speke to thee?

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

And Mychee seide, Thou thi silf schalt se in that dai, whanne thou schalt entre fro closet in to closet, that thou be hid.

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,

Sotheli the kyng of Israel comaundide, seiynge, Take ye Mychee, and lede ye hym to Amon, prince of the citee, and to Joas, the sone of Amalech;

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 ye schulen seie, The kyng seith these thingis, Sende ye this man in to prisoun, and yyue ye to hym a litil of breed, and a litil of watir, til Y turne ayen in pees.

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 Mychee seide, If thou turnest ayen in pees, the Lord spak not in me. And he seide, Alle `puplis here ye.

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

Therfor the kyng of Israel, and Josaphat, the kyng of Juda, stieden in to Ramoth of 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 kyng of Israel seide to Josaphat, Y schal chaunge clothing, and so Y schal go to fiyte; but be thou clothid in thi clothis. Therfor whanne the kyng of Israel hadde chaungid clothing, he cam to batel.

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

Forsothe the kyng of Sirie comaundide to the duykis of his multitude of knyytis, and seide, Fiyte ye not ayens the leeste, nether ayens the mooste; no but ayens the kyng aloone 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.

Therfor whanne the princes of the multitude of knyytis hadden seyn Josaphat, thei seiden, This is the kyng of Israel; and thei cumpassiden hym, and fouyten. And he criede to the Lord; and the Lord helpide hym, and turnede hem awey fro hym.

32 And when the chariot commanders saw that he was not the king of Israel, they turned back from pursuing him.

Sotheli whanne the duykis of the multitude of knyytis hadden herd, that it was not the kyng of Israel, thei leften hym.

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!”

Forsothe it bifelde, that oon of the puple schette an arewe in to vncerteyn, and smoot the kyng of Israel bitwixe the necke and the schuldris. And he seide to his charietere, Turne thin hond, and lede me out of the scheltrun; for Y am woundid.

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 batel was endid in that dai. Certis the kyng of Israel stood in his chare ayens men of Sirye `til to euentid, and he diede, whanne the sunne yede doun.