2 Chronicles 18

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

Jehoshaphat became very wealthy and was greatly honored. But then he arranged for one of his family to marry someone from the family of King Ahab [of Israel].

2 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.

Several years later, he went down [from Jerusalem] to Samaria to visit Ahab. Ahab welcomed him and the people who had come with him by slaughtering many sheep and cattle [for a feast].

3 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.

Then he asked Jehoshaphat, “Will you [and your army] go with my army to attack Ramoth [city] in [the] Gilead [region]?” Jehoshaphat replied, “My soldiers and I will go to the battle when you tell us to go.”

4 And Jehoshaphat said unto the king of Israel, Inquire, I pray thee, today [first] of the word of the Lord.

Then he added, “But we should ask Yahweh first, to find out what he wants us to do.”

5 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.

So the king of Israel gathered all his 400 prophets and asked them, “Should we go to attack the people of Ramoth [city], or should we not do that?” They replied, “Yes, go [and attack them] because God will enable your army to defeat them.”

6 And Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of the Eternal besides, that we might inquire of him?

But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there no prophet of Yahweh here whom we can ask?”

7 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.

The king of Israel replied, “There is still one man here, whom we can ask to find out what Yahweh wants, his name is Micaiah, the son of Imlah. But I hate him because he never says anything good about me. He always predicts [that] bad [things will happen to me].” Jehoshaphat replied, “King Ahab, you should not say that!”

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

So the king of Israel told one of his officials to summon Micaiah immediately.

9 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.

The king of Israel and the king of Judah were sitting there on their thrones, wearing their royal robes. They were at the place where people threshed grain, near the gate of Samaria [city]. All of [Ahab’s] prophets were standing in front of them, predicting what was going to happen.

10 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.

[One of them whose name was] Zedekiah, the son of Kenaanah, had made from iron something that resembled the horns of a bull. He proclaimed to Ahab, “This is what Yahweh says: ‘With horns [like these], your [army] will keep attacking the army of Syria [like a bull attacks another animal], until you completely destroy them.’”

11 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.

All the other prophets [of Ahab] agreed. They said, “Yes! If you attack Ramoth [city] in [the] Gilead [region], you will be successful, because Yahweh will enable you to defeat them.”

12 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.

The messenger who went to summon Micaiah said to him, “Listen to me! All the other prophets are unitedly predicting that the king will be successful [in the battle]. So be sure to agree with them and say that the king’s army will be successful!”

13 And Michayhu said, As the Lord liveth, truly what my God may say, that will I speak.

But Micaiah said, “As surely as Yahweh lives, I will tell the king only what Yahweh tells me to say.”

14 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.

When Micaiah arrived, the king [of Israel] asked him, “Should we go to attack Ramoth, or not?” Micaiah replied, “Sure, go! Yahweh will enable your army to defeat them!”

15 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?

But King Ahab [realized that Micaiah was lying, so he] said to Micaiah, “I have told you many times that you must always tell only the truth when you say what Yahweh [has revealed to you]!”

16 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.

Then Micaiah replied, “[The truth is that in a vision] I saw all the troops of Israel scattered on the mountains. They seemed to be like sheep that did not have a shepherd. And Yahweh said, ‘Their master has been killed. So tell them all to go home peacefully.’”

17 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?

Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, “I told you that he never predicts that anything good will happen to me! He [always] predicts that bad things will happen to me.”

18 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.

But Micaiah continued, saying, “Listen to what Yahweh showed to me! [In a vision] I saw Yahweh sitting on his throne, with all the armies of heaven [standing around him], on his right side and on his left side.

19 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.

And Yahweh said, ‘Who can persuade Ahab, the king of Israel, to go to fight against the people of Ramoth, in order that he may be killed there?’ “Some suggested one thing, and others suggested something else.

20 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?

“Finally one spirit, [having received a message from Satan], came to Yahweh and said, ‘I can do it!’ “Yahweh asked him, ‘How will you do it?’

21 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.

“The spirit replied, ‘I will go and inspire all of Ahab’s prophets to tell lies.’ Yahweh said, ‘You will be successful; go and do it!’

22 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.

“So now [I tell you that] Yahweh has caused your prophets to lie to you. Yahweh has decided that something terrible will happen to you.”

23 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?

Then Zedekiah son of Kenaanah walked over to Micaiah and slapped him on his face. He said, “Do you think that Yahweh’s Spirit left me in order to speak to you?”

24 And Michayhu said, Behold, thou shalt see it on that day when thou shalt go into the innermost chamber to hide thyself.

Micaiah replied, “You will find out for yourself [to which of us Yahweh’s Spirit has truly spoken] on the day when you go into a room of some house to hide [from the Syrian soldiers]!”

25 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;

King Ahab commanded [his soldiers], “Seize Micaiah and take him to Amon, the governor of this city, and to my son Joash.

26 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.

Tell them that I have commanded that they should put this man in prison and give him only bread and water. Do not give him anything else to eat until I return safely [from the battle]!”

27 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!

Micaiah replied, “If you return safely, [it will be clear that] it was not Yahweh who told me what to say to you!” Then he said [to all those who were standing there], “Do not forget what I have said [to King Ahab]!”

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

So the king of Israel and the king of Judah [led their armies] to Ramoth, in [the] Gilead [region].

29 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.

King Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, “I will put on different clothes, [in order that no one will recognize that I am the king.] But you should wear your royal robe.” So the king of Israel disguised himself, and they both went into the battle.

30 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.

The King of Syria told his soldiers who were driving the chariots, “Attack only the king of Israel!”

31 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.

So when the soldiers who were driving the Syrian chariots saw Jehoshaphat [wearing the royal robes], they thought “He must be the king of Israel!”

32 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.

So they turned to attack him. But when Jehoshaphat cried out, Yahweh helped him, and they realized that he was not the king of Israel. And God caused them to stop pursuing him.

33 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.

But one [Syrian] soldier shot an arrow at Ahab, without knowing that it was Ahab. The arrow struck Ahab between the places where the parts of his armor joined together. Ahab told the driver of his chariot, “Turn the chariot around and take me out of here! I have been [severely] wounded!”

34 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.

The battle continued all that day. Ahab was sitting propped up in his chariot, facing the Syrian soldiers. And late in the afternoon, when the sun was setting, he died.