2 Chronicles 18

1 And Jehoshaphat has riches and honor in abundance, and joins affinity to Ahab,

And it came to pass, when Jehoshaphat had riches and honour, in abundance, that he contracted, by marriage, affinity with Ahab.

2 and goes down at the end of [certain] years to Samaria to [visit] Ahab, and Ahab sacrifices sheep and oxen in abundance for him and for the people who [are] with him, and persuades him to go up to Ramoth-Gilead.

So he went down, at the end of some years, unto Ahab, to Samaria, Ahab therefore sacrificed for him, sheep and oxen, in abundance, also for the people whom he had with him, -and then persuaded him to go up against Ramoth-gilead.

3 And Ahab king of Israel says to Jehoshaphat king of Judah, “Do you go with me [to] Ramoth-Gilead?” And he says to him, “As I—so you, and as your people—my people, and [we go] with you into the battle.”

For Ahab king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat king of Judah, Wilt thou go up with me to Ramoth-gilead? And he said unto him—So am I, even as thou, and, like thy people, are my people, and, with thee, in the war.

4 And Jehoshaphat says to the king of Israel, “Please seek the word of YHWH this day.”

Then said Jehoshaphat, unto the king of Israel, —Seek, I pray thee, some time to-day, the word of Yahweh.

5 And the king of Israel gathers the prophets, four hundred men, and says to them, “Do we go to Ramoth-Gilead to battle, or do I refrain?” And they say, “Go up, and God gives [it] into the hand of the king.”

So the king of Israel gathered together the prophets, four hundred men, and said unto them, Shall we go up against Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall I forbear? And they said—Go up, and may God deliver it into the hand of the king!

6 And Jehoshaphat says, “[Is there] not still a prophet of YHWH here, and we seek from him?”

Then said Jehoshaphat, Is there not here a prophet of Yahweh, besides, —that we may seek, from him?

7 And the king of Israel says to Jehoshaphat, “[There is] still one man to seek YHWH from him, and I have hated him, for he is not prophesying of good concerning me, but of evil [for] all his days, he [is] Micaiah son of Imlah”; and Jehoshaphat says, “Do not let the king say so.”

Then said the king of Israel unto Jehoshaphat—There is yet one man, by whom to seek Yahweh, but, I, hate him, for he is never prophesying, concerning me, anything good—but—all his days—evil, the same, is Micaiah, son of Imla. Then said Jehoshaphat, Let not the king say, so!

8 And the king of Israel calls to a certain officer and says, “Hurry Micaiah son of Imlah.”

And the king of Israel called for a certain officer, —and said, Haste, Micaiah son of Imla!

9 And the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah are sitting, each on his throne, clothed with garments, and they are sitting in a threshing-floor at the opening of the Gate of Samaria, and all the prophets are prophesying before them.

Now, the king of Israel, and Jehoshaphat king of Judah, were sitting, each upon his throne, clothed in robes, and they were sitting in an open space, at the entrance of the gate of Samaria, —and, all the prophets, were prophesying before them.

10 And Zedekiah son of Chenaanah makes horns of iron for himself and says, “Thus said YHWH:

Then did Zedekiah son of Chenaanah make him horns of iron, —and said—Thus, saith Yahweh, With these, shalt thou push Syria, until they are consumed.

11 With these you push Aram until you have consumed them.” And all the prophets are prophesying so, saying, “Go up [to] Ramath-Gilead and prosper, and YHWH has given [it] into the hand of the king.”

And, all the prophets, were prophesying, so, saying, -Go up to Ramoth-gilead, and prosper, and Yahweh will deliver [it] into the hand of the king.

12 And the messenger who has gone to call for Micaiah has spoken to him, saying, “Behold, the words of the prophets [as] one mouth [are] good toward the king, and please let your word be like one of theirs: and you have spoken good.”

And, the messenger who went to call Micaiah, spake unto him, saying, Lo! the words of the prophets, with one mouth, are good for the king, —be thy word then, I pray thee, like one of theirs, so wilt thou speak good.

13 And Micaiah says “YHWH lives, surely that which my God says, I speak it.”

Then said Micaiah, —By the life of Yahweh, whatsoever my God shall say, that, must I speak.

14 And he comes to the king, and the king says to him, “Micaiah, do we go to Ramoth-Gilead to battle, or do I refrain?” And he says, “Go up, and prosper, and they are given into your hand.”

Now, when he came unto the king, the king said unto him, Micah, shall we go against Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall I forbear? And he said, Go ye up and prosper, and may they be delivered into your hand.

15 And the king says to him, “How many times am I adjuring you that you speak to me only truth in the Name of YHWH?”

Then the king said unto him, How many times, must, I, be putting thee on oath, —that thou speak unto me nothing but the truth in the name of Yahweh?

16 And he says, “I have seen all Israel scattered on the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd, and YHWH says, There are no masters for these, they each return to his house in peace.”

So he said, I saw all Israel, scattered upon the mountains, like sheep that have no shepherd, -and Yahweh said, No masters, have these! let them return every man unto his own house, in peace.

17 And the king of Israel says to Jehoshaphat, “Did I not say to you [that] he does not prophesy good concerning me, but rather of evil?”

Then said the king of Israel, unto Jehoshaphat, —Said I not unto thee, He wilt not prophesy concerning me anything good, but evil?

18 And [Micaiah] says, “Therefore, hear a word of YHWH: I have seen YHWH sitting on His throne, and all the host of the heavens standing on His right and His left;

Then said he, Therefore, hear ye the word of Yahweh, —I saw Yahweh, sitting upon his throne, and, all the host of the heavens, standing, on his right hand and his left.

19 and YHWH says, Who entices Ahab king of Israel, and he goes up and falls in Ramoth-Gilead? And this speaker says thus, and that speaker thus.

Then said Yahweh, Who will persuade Ahab king of Israel, that he may go up and fall in Ramoth-gilead? And one spake, saying after this manner, and another, saying after that manner.

20 And the spirit goes out, and stands before YHWH, and says, I entice him; and YHWH says to him, With what?

Then came there forth a spirit and stood before Yahweh, and said, I, will persuade him. And Yahweh said unto him, Wherewith?

21 And he says, I go out, and have become a spirit of falsehood in the mouth of all his prophets. And He says, You entice, and also, you are able; go out and do so.

And he said, I will go forth and become a spirit of falsehood, in the mouth of all his prophets. And he said—Thou mayest persuade, moreover also, thou shalt prevail, go forth, and do, so.

22 And now, behold, YHWH has put a spirit of falsehood in the mouth of these prophets of yours, and YHWH has spoken calamity concerning you.”

Now, therefore, lo! Yahweh hath suffered a spirit of falsehood to be put into the mouth of these thy prophets, —but, Yahweh, hath spoken concerning thee—evil.

23 And Zedekiah son of Chenaanah comes near and strikes Micaiah on the cheek, and says, “Where [is] this—the way the spirit [from] YHWH passed over from me to speak with you?”

Then drew near Zedekiah son of Chenaanah, and smote Micaiah upon the cheek, —and said, Which then is the way the spirit of Yahweh passed from me, to speak with thee?

24 And Micaiah says, “Behold, you see in that day that you enter into the innermost chamber to be hidden.”

Then said Micaiah, Lo! thou shalt see, on that day when thou shalt enter into a chamber within a chamber, to hide thyself.

25 And the king of Israel says, “Take Micaiah, and turn him back to Amon head of the city, and to Joash son of the king,

Then said the king of Israel, Take ye Micaiah, and carry him back unto Amon ruler of the city, and unto Joash son of the king;

26 and you have said, Thus said the king: Put this [one] in the house of restraint, and cause him to eat bread of oppression, and water of oppression, until my return in peace.”

and ye shall say, Thus, saith the king, Put ye this one into the prison, —and feed him with the bread of oppression, and with the water of oppression, until I return in peace.

27 And Micaiah says, “If you certainly return in peace, YHWH has not spoken by me”; and he says, “Hear, O peoples, all of them!”

Then said Micaiah, If thou do, at all return, in peace, Yahweh hath not spoken by me. And he said, Hear! ye peoples, all!

28 And the king of Israel goes up—and Jehoshaphat king of Judah—to Ramoth-Gilead;

Then went up the king of Israel, and Jehoshaphat king of Judah, against Ramothgilead.

29 and the king of Israel says to Jehoshaphat to disguise himself, and to go into battle, “And you, put on your garments.” And the king of Israel disguises himself, and they go into battle.

And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, [I am about] to disguise myself, and enter into the battle, but, thou, put on thy robes. So the king of Israel disguised himself, and entered into the battle.

30 And the king of Aram has commanded the heads of the charioteers whom he has, saying, “You do not fight with small or with great, except with the king of Israel by himself.”

Now, the king of Syria, had commanded the captains of chariots which he had, saying, Ye shall not fight, with small [or] with great, —save with the king of Israel, alone.

31 And it comes to pass at the heads of the charioteers seeing Jehoshaphat, that they have said, “He is the king of Israel,” and they turn around against him to fight, and Jehoshaphat cries out, and YHWH has helped him, and God entices them from him;

So it came to pass, when the chariot-captains saw Jehoshaphat, that, they, said, The king of Israel, it is. And they compassed him about, to fight, —but Jehoshaphat made outcry, and, Yahweh, helped him, yea God allured them away from him.

32 indeed, it comes to pass, at the heads of the charioteers seeing that it has not been the king of Israel—they turn back from after him.

And so it came to pass, when the chariot-captains saw that it was not the king of Israel, that they turned back from pursuing him;

33 And a man has drawn with a bow in his simplicity, and strikes the king of Israel between the joinings and the coat of mail, and he says to the charioteer, “Turn your hand, and you have brought me out of the camp, for I have become [gravely] sick.”

but, a certain man, drawing a bow in his innocence, smote the king of Israel between the shoulder-joints and the coat of mail, —wherefore he said to the charioteer, Turn thy hand, and convey me out of the host, for I am sore wounded.

34 And the battle increases on that day, and the king of Israel has been propped up in the chariot in front of Aram until the evening, and he dies at the time of the going in of the sun.

But the battle increased on that day, and, the king of Israel, was propping himself up in the chariot before the Syrians, until evening, -and died at the time of the going in of the sun.