1 Kings 22
1 Then three years passed without war between Syria and Israel.
And he rested three years, and there was no war between Syria and Israel.
2 But in the third year, Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, descended to the king of Israel.
And it came to pass in the third year, that Josaphat king of Juda went down to 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?”
And the king of Israel said to his servants, Know ye that Remmath Galaad [is] ours, and we are slow to take it out of the hand of the king of Syria?
4 And so he said to Jehoshaphat, “Will you come to the battle with me at Ramoth Gilead?”
And the king of Israel said to Josaphat, Wilt thou go up with us to Remmath Galaad to battle?
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.”
And Josaphat said, As I [am], so [art] thou also; as my people, [so is] thy people; as my horses, [so are] thy horses. And Josaphat king of Juda said to the king of Israel, Enquire, I pray thee, of the Lord to-day.
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.”
And the king of Israel gathered all the prophets together, about four hundred men; and the king said to them, Shall I go up to Remmath Galaad to battle, or shall I forbear? and they said, Go up, and the Lord will surely give [it] into the hands of the king.
7 Then Jehoshaphat said, “Is there not here a particular prophet of the Lord, so that we may inquire by him?”
And Josaphat said to the king of Israel, Is there not here a prophet of the Lord, that we may enquire of the Lord by him?
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.”
And the king of Israel said to Josaphat, There is one man here [for us] to enquire of the Lord by; but I hate him, for he does not speak good of me, but only evil; Michaias son of Jemblaa. And Josaphat king of Juda said, Let not the king say so.
9 Therefore, the king of Israel called a certain eunuch, and he said to him, “Hurry to bring here Micaiah, the son of Imlah.”
And the king of Israel called a eunuch and said, [Bring hither] quickly Michaias son of Jemblaa.
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.
And the king of Israel and Josaphat king of Juda sat, each on his throne, armed in the gates of Samaria; and all the prophets prophesied 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.”
And Sedekias son of Chanaan made for himself iron horns, and said, Thus saith the Lord, With these thou shalt push Syria, until it be consumed.
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 prophesied in like manner, saying, Go up to Remmath Galaad, and [the thing] shall prosper, and the Lord shall deliver it and the king of Syria into thine hands.
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.”
And the messenger that went to call Michaias spoke to him, saying, Behold now, all the prophets speak with one mouth good concerning the king, let now thy words be like the words of one of them, and speak good things.
14 But Micaiah said to him, “As the Lord lives, whatever the Lord will have said to me, this shall I speak.”
And Michaias said, [As] the Lord lives, whatsoever the Lord shall say to me, that will I speak.
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.”
And he came to the king: and the king said to him, Michaias, shall I go up to Remmath Galaad to battle, or shall I forbear? and he said, Go up, and the Lord shall deliver 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.”
And the king said to him, How often shall I adjure thee, that thou speak to me 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.’”
And he said, Not so. I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains as a flock without a shepherd: and the Lord said, [Is] not God lord of these? let each one return to his 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?”
And the king of Israel said to Josaphat king of Juda, Did I not say to thee that this man does not prophesy good to me, for [he speaks] nothing but evil?
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.
And Michaias said, Not so, [it is] not I: hear the word of the Lord; [it is] not so. I saw the God of Israel sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven stood about him on his right hand 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 deceive Achaab king of Israel, that he may go up and fall in Remmath Galaad? and one spoke one way, and another another way.
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?’
And there came forth a spirit and stood before the Lord, and said, I will deceive him.
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 the Lord said to him, Whereby? And he said, I will go forth, and will be a false spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And he said, Thou shalt deceive him, yea, and shalt prevail: go forth, and do so.
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.”
And now, behold, the Lord has put a false spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets, and the Lord has spoken evil against thee.
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?”
And Sedekias the son of Chanaan came near and smote Michaias on the cheek, and said, What sort of a spirit of the Lord [has] spoken in thee?
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.”
And Michaias said, Behold, thou shalt see in that day, when thou shalt go into an innermost chamber to hide thyself there.
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 said, Take Michaias, and convey him away to Semer the keeper of the city;
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 Joas the king's son to put this [fellow] in prison, and to feed him with bread of affliction and water of affliction until I return in peace.
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.”
And Michaias said, If thou return at all in peace, the Lord has not spoken by me.
29 And so, the king of Israel, and Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, ascended to Ramoth Gilead.
So the king of Israel went up, and Josaphat king of Juda with him to Remmath Galaad.
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 Josaphat king of Juda, I will disguise myself, and enter into the battle, and do thou put on my raiment. So the king of Israel disguised himself, and went into the 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.”
And the king of Syria had charged the thirty-two captains of his chariots, saying, Fight not [against] small or great, but against the king of Israel only.
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.
And it came to pass, when the captains of the chariots saw Josaphat king of Juda, that they said, this seems [to be] the king of Israel. And they compassed him about to fight [against] him; and Josaphat 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 it came to pass, when the captains of the chariots saw that this was not the king of Israel, that they returned from 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.”
And one drew a bow with a good aim, and smote the king of Israel between the lungs and the breast-plate: and he said to his charioteer, Turn thine hands, and carry me away out of the battle, for I am 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.
And the war was turned in that day, and the king was standing on the chariot, against Syria from morning till evening; and he shed the blood out of his wound, into the bottom of the chariot, and died at even, and the blood ran out of the wound into the bottom of the chariot.
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.”
And the herald of the army stood at sunset, saying, Let every man go to his own city and his own land,
37 Then the king died, and he was carried into Samaria. And they buried the king in Samaria.
for the king is dead. And they came to Samaria, and buried the king in Samaria.
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 they washed the chariot at the fountain of Samaria; and the swine and the dogs licked up the blood, and the harlots washed themselves in the blood, according to the word of the Lord which he spoke.
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?
And the rest of the acts of Achaab, and all that he did, and the ivory house which he built, and all the cities which he built, behold, [are] not these things 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 Achaab slept with his fathers, and Ochozias his son reigned in his stead.
41 Yet truly, Jehoshaphat, the son of Asa, had begun to reign over Judah in the fourth year of Ahab, the king of Israel.
And Josaphat the son of Asa reigned over Juda: in the fourth year of Achaab king of Israel began Josaphat to reign.
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.
Thirty and five years old [was he] when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty and five years in Jerusalem; and his mother's name [was] Azuba daughter of Salai.
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 he walked in all the way of Asa his father: he turned not from it, even from doing that which was right in the eyes of the Lord. Only he took not away [any] of the high places: the people still sacrificed and burnt incense on the high places.
44 And Jehoshaphat had peace with the king of Israel.
And Josaphat was at 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?
And the rest of the acts of Josaphat, and his mighty deeds, whatever he did, behold, [are] not these things written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Juda?
46 Then, too, the remnant of the effeminate, who had remained in the days of Asa, his father, he took away from the land.
47 At that time, there was no king appointed in Idumea.
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.
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.
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 Josaphat slept with his fathers, and was buried by his fathers in the city of David his father, and Joram his son reigned in his stead.
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.
And Ochozias son of Achaab reigned over Israel in Samaria: in the seventeenth year of Josaphat king of Juda, Ochozias son of Achaab reigned over Israel 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 that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, and walked in the way of Achaab his father, and in the way of Jezabel his mother, and in the sins of the house of Jeroboam the son of Nabat, who 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.
And he served Baalim, and worshipped them, and provoked the Lord God of Israel, according to all that had been done before him.
