2 Chronicles 18

1 And it belonged to Jehoshaphat wealth and honor to abundance and he became son-in-law to Ahab.

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 to [the] end of years to Ahab to Samaria and he slaughtered for him Ahab sheep and cattle to abundance and for the people which [was] with him and he incited him to go up against Ramoth Gilead.

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 And he said Ahab [the] king of Israel to Jehoshaphat [the] king of Judah ¿ will you go with me Ramoth Gilead and he said to him as me as you and [will be] as people your people my and with you 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 he said Jehoshaphat to [the] king of Israel seek please as the day [the] word of Yahweh.

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

5 And he assembled [the] king of Israel the prophets four hundred man and he said to them ¿ will we go against Ramoth Gilead for battle or? will I desist and they said go up so he may give [it] God in [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 he said Jehoshaphat ¿ [is] there not here a prophet of Yahweh still so we may enquire from him.

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

7 And he said [the] king of Israel - to Jehoshaphat still a man one to consult Yahweh from him and I I hate him for not he [is] prophesying on me good for all days his evil he [is] Micaiah [the] son of Imlah and he said Jehoshaphat may not he say the king thus.

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 And he called [the] king of Israel to a court-official one and he said bring quickly (Micaiah *Q(K)*) [the] son of Imlah.

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 throne his clothed garments and sitting at [the] threshing floor [the] entrance of [the] gate of Samaria and all the prophets [were] prophesying 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 he had made for himself Zedekiah [the] son of Kenaanah horns of iron and he said thus he says Yahweh with these you will gore Aram until destroy 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 [were] prophesying thus saying go up Ramoth Gilead and succeed and he will give [it] Yahweh in [the] hand of the king.

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 who he had gone - to summon Micaiah he spoke to him saying here! [the] words of the prophets a mouth one [is] good concerning the king and let it be please word your like one from them and you will speak 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 he said Micaiah [by] [the] life of Yahweh that [that] which he will say God my it I will speak.

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

14 And he came to the king and he said the king to him O Micah ¿ will we go against Ramoth Gilead for battle or? will I desist and he said go up and succeed so they may be given in hand your.

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 he said to him the king until how many? times [will] I make swear you that not you will speak to me only truth in [the] name of Yahweh.

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 And he said I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains like flock which not [belongs] to them a shepherd and he said Yahweh not masters [belong] to these let them return each to own house his 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 he said [the] king of Israel to Jehoshaphat ¿ not did I say to you not he prophesies on me good that except 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 [the] word of Yahweh I saw Yahweh sitting on throne his and all [the] host of the heavens [were] standing on right [hand] his and left [hand] his.

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 he said Yahweh who? will he deceive Ahab [the] king of Israel so he may go up and he may fall at Ramoth Gilead and he said this one [was] saying thus and this one [was] saying thus.

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 And it came forth the spirit and it stood before Yahweh and it said I I will deceive him and he said Yahweh to it how?

“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 it said I will go out and I will become a spirit of falsehood in [the] mouth of all prophets his and he said you will deceive and also you will prevail go out and do thus.

“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 here! he has put Yahweh a spirit of falsehood in [the] mouth of prophets your these and Yahweh he has spoken on you calamity.

“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 he drew near Zedekiah [the] son of Kenaanah and he struck Micaiah on the cheek and he said where? this [is] the way [which] it passed [the] spirit of Yahweh from with me to speak with you.

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 he said Micaiah here you [will be] seeing on the day that when you will go a room in a room to hide yourself.

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 he said [the] king of Israel take Micaiah and return him to Amon [the] official of the city and to Joash [the] son of the king.

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

26 And you will say thus he says the king put this one [the] house of imprisonment and feed him bread oppression and water oppression until return I in safety.

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 he said Micaiah certainly [if] you will return in safety not he has spoken Yahweh by me and he said listen O peoples all of them.

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 he went up [the] king of Israel and Jehoshaphat [the] king of Judah against Ramoth Gilead.

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

29 And he said [the] king of Israel to Jehoshaphat I will disguise myself and I will go in battle and you wear own clothes your and he disguised himself [the] king of Israel and they went in 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 Aram he had commanded [the] commanders of the chariotry which [belonged] to him saying not you must do battle with the small with the great that except with [the] king of Israel to only him.

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

31 And it was when saw [the] commanders of the chariotry Jehoshaphat and they they said [is] [the] king of Israel he and they surrounded him to fight and he cried out Jehoshaphat and Yahweh he helped him and he lured them God 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 was when saw [the] commanders of the chariotry that not it was [the] king of Israel and they turned back from after 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 And someone he drew on the bow to innocence his and he struck [the] king of Israel between the joints and between the body armor and he said to the charioteer turn around (hand your *Q(K)*) and you will take out me from the camp for I have been 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 it went up the battle on the day that and [the] king of Israel he was [was] holding upright in the chariot opposite to Aram until the evening and he died to [the] time of [the] going of the sun.

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.