1 Kings 22
1 Then three years passed without war between Syria and Israel.
Then three years passed without war between Aram and Israel.
2 But in the third year, Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, descended to the king of Israel.
However, in the third year, Jehoshaphat king of Judah went down to visit the king of Israel,
3 And the king of Israel said to his servants, “Are you ignorant that Ramoth Gilead is ours, and that we have neglected to take it from the hand of the king of Syria?”
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?”
4 And so he said to Jehoshaphat, “Will you come to the battle with me at Ramoth Gilead?”
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.”
5 And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel: “As I am, so also are you. My people and your people are one. And my horsemen are your horsemen.” And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “I beg you to inquire today of the word of the Lord.”
But Jehoshaphat also said to the king of Israel, “Please inquire first for the word of the LORD.”
6 Therefore, the king of Israel gathered together the prophets, about four hundred men, and he said to them, “Should I go to Ramoth Gilead to make war, or should I be at peace?” They responded, “Ascend, and the Lord will give it into the hand of the king.”
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.”
7 Then Jehoshaphat said, “Is there not here a particular prophet of the Lord, so that we may inquire by him?”
But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there not still a prophet of the LORD here of whom we can inquire?”
8 And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat: “One man remains, by whom we may be able to inquire of the Lord: Micaiah, the son of Imlah. But I hate him. For he does not prophecy good to me, but evil.” And Jehoshaphat said, “You should not speak in this way, O king.”
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.
9 Therefore, the king of Israel called a certain eunuch, and he said to him, “Hurry to bring here Micaiah, the son of Imlah.”
So the king of Israel called one of his officials and said, “Bring Micaiah son of Imlah at once.”
10 Now the king of Israel, and Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, were each sitting upon his own throne, clothed in the habit of royal vestments, in a courtyard beside the entrance of the gate of Samaria. And all the prophets were prophesying in their sight.
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.
11 Also, Zedekiah, the son of Chenaanah, made for himself horns of iron, and he said, “Thus says the Lord: With these, you shall threaten Syria, until you destroy it.”
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.’”
12 And all the prophets were prophesying similarly, saying: “Ascend to Ramoth Gilead, and go forth to success. For the Lord will deliver it into the hands of the king.”
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.”
13 Then truly, the messenger who had gone to summon Micaiah spoke to him, saying: “Behold, the words of the prophets, as if with one mouth, are predicting good to the king. Therefore, let your word be like theirs, and speak what is good.”
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.”
14 But Micaiah said to him, “As the Lord lives, whatever the Lord will have said to me, this shall I speak.”
But Micaiah said, “As surely as the LORD lives, I will speak whatever the LORD tells me.”
15 And so he went to the king. And the king said to him, “Micaiah, should we go to Ramoth Gilead to do battle, or should we cease?” And he responded to him, “Ascend, and go forth to success, and the Lord will deliver it into the hands of the king.”
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.”
16 But the king said to him, “I require you under oath, again and again, that you not say to me anything except what is true, in the name of the Lord.”
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?”
17 And he said: “I saw all of Israel scattered among the hills, like sheep that have no shepherd. And the Lord said: ‘These have no master. Let each of them return to his own house in peace.’”
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.’”
18 Therefore, the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat: “Did I not tell you that he prophesies nothing good to me, but always evil?”
Then the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Did I not tell you that he never prophesies good for me, but only bad?”
19 Yet truly, continuing, he said: “Because of his, listen to the word of the Lord. I saw the Lord sitting upon his throne. And the entire army of heaven was standing beside him, to the right and to the left.
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.
20 And the Lord said, ‘Who will mislead Ahab, the king of Israel, so that he may ascend and fall at Ramoth Gilead?’ And one spoke words in this manner, and another spoke otherwise.
And the LORD said, ‘Who will entice Ahab to march up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?’ And one suggested this, and another that.
21 But then a spirit went out and stood before the Lord. And he said, ‘I will mislead him.’ And the Lord said to him, ‘By what means?’
Then a spirit came forward, stood before the LORD, and said, ‘I will entice him.’ ‘By what means?’ asked the LORD.
22 And he said, ‘I will go forth, and I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ And the Lord said: ‘You will deceive him, and you will prevail. Go forth, and do so.’
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.’
23 So now, behold: the Lord has given a lying spirit into the mouth of all your prophets who are here. And the Lord has spoken evil against you.”
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.”
24 Then Zedekiah, the son of Chenaanah, drew near and struck Micaiah on the jaw, and he said, “So then, has the Spirit of the Lord left me, and spoken to you?”
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?”
25 And Micaiah said, “You shall see in the day when you will enter into a room within a room, so that you may conceal yourself.”
Micaiah replied, “You will soon see, on that day when you go and hide in an inner room.”
26 And the king of Israel said: “Take Micaiah, and let him dwell with Amon, the ruler of the city, and with Joash, the son of Amalech.
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,
27 And tell them: ‘Thus says the king: Put this man in prison, and sustain him with the bread of affliction, and with the water of distress, until I return in peace.’”
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.’”
28 And Micaiah said, “If you will have returned in peace, the Lord has not spoken through me.” And he said, “May all the people hear it.”
But Micaiah replied, “If you ever return safely, the LORD has not spoken through me.” Then he added, “Take heed, all you people!”
29 And so, the king of Israel, and Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, ascended to Ramoth Gilead.
So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah went up to Ramoth-gilead.
30 Then the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat: “Take up your armor, and enter the battle. And be clothed in your own garments.” But the king of Israel changed his clothing, and he entered the war.
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.
31 Now the king of Syria had instructed the thirty-two commanders of the chariots, saying, “You shall not fight against anyone, small or great, except against the king of Israel alone.”
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.”
32 Therefore, when the commanders of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, they suspected that he was the king of Israel. And making a violent assault, they fought against him. And Jehoshaphat cried out.
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.
33 And the commanders of the chariots understood that he was not the king of Israel, and so they turned away from him.
And when the chariot commanders saw that he was not the king of Israel, they turned back from pursuing him.
34 But a certain man bent his bow, aiming the arrow without certitude, and by chance he struck the king of Israel, between the lungs and the stomach. Then he said to the driver of his chariot, “Turn your hand, and carry me away from the army, for I have been grievously wounded.”
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!”
35 Then the battle was undertaken throughout that day. And the king of Israel was standing on his chariot opposite the Syrians, and he died in the evening. For the blood was flowing from the wound into the joints of the chariot.
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.
36 And a herald proclaimed throughout the entire army, before the setting of the sun, saying: “Let each one return to his own city, and to his own land.”
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!”
37 Then the king died, and he was carried into Samaria. And they buried the king in Samaria.
So the king died and was brought to Samaria, where they buried him.
38 And they washed his chariot in the pool of Samaria. And the dogs licked up his blood. And they washed the reins, in accord with the word of the Lord which he had spoken.
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.
39 But the rest of the words of Ahab, and all that he did, and the house of ivory that he built, and all the cities that he constructed, were these not written in the book of the words of the days of the kings of Israel?
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?
40 And so, Ahab slept with his fathers. And Ahaziah, his son, reigned in his place.
And Ahab rested with his fathers, and his son Ahaziah reigned in his place.
41 Yet truly, Jehoshaphat, the son of Asa, had begun to reign over Judah in the fourth year of Ahab, the king of Israel.
In the fourth year of Ahab’s reign over Israel, Jehoshaphat son of Asa became king of Judah.
42 He was thirty-five years old when he had begun to reign, and he reigned for twenty-five years in Jerusalem. The name of his mother was Azubah, the daughter of Shilhi.
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.
43 And he walked in the entire way of Asa, his father, and he did not decline from it. And he did what was right in the sight of the Lord. Yet truly, he did not take away the high places. For still the people were sacrificing and burning incense in the high places.
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.
44 And Jehoshaphat had peace with the king of Israel.
Jehoshaphat also made peace with the king of Israel.
45 But the rest of the words of Jehoshaphat, and his works that he did, and the battles, were these not written in the book of the words of the days of the kings of Judah?
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?
46 Then, too, the remnant of the effeminate, who had remained in the days of Asa, his father, he took away from the land.
He banished from the land the male shrine prostitutes who remained from the days of his father Asa.
47 At that time, there was no king appointed in Idumea.
And there was no king in Edom; a deputy served as king.
48 Yet truly, king Jehoshaphat had made a navy on the sea, which would sail to Ophir for gold. But they were unable to go, because the ships were broken down at Eziongeber.
Jehoshaphat built ships of Tarshish to go to Ophir for gold, but they never set sail, because they were wrecked at Ezion-geber.
49 Then Ahaziah, the son of Ahab, said to Jehoshaphat, “Let my servants go with your servants on the ships.” But Jehoshaphat was not willing.
At that time Ahaziah son of Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, “Let my servants sail with your servants,” but Jehoshaphat refused.
50 And Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers, and he was buried with them in the city of David, his father. And Jehoram, his son, reigned in his place.
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.
51 Then Ahaziah, the son of Ahab, began to reign over Israel, in Samaria, in the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah. And he reigned over Israel for two years.
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.
52 And he did evil in the sight of the Lord. And he walked in the way of his father and his mother, and in the way of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, who caused Israel to sin.
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.
53 Also, he served Baal, and he adored him, and he provoked the Lord, the God of Israel, in accord with all that his father had done.
Ahaziah served and worshiped Baal, provoking the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger, just as his father had done.
