2 Chronicles 18

1 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].

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

2 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].

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 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.”

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

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

5 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.”

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

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

7 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!”

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

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

9 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.

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 [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.’”

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 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.”

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 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!”

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

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

14 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!”

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 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]!”

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 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.’”

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 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.”

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

18 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.

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 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.

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 “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?’

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

21 “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!’

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 “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.”

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 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?”

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 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]!”

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

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

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 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]!”

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 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]!”

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

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

29 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.

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

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 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!”

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 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.

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 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!”

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 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.

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.