2 Chronicles 18

1 Now Jehoshaphat had great riches and honor; he allied himself with Ahab by having one of his family marry his daughter.

Now Jehoshaphat had riches and honor in abundance, and joined affinity with Ahab.

2 After some years, he went down to Ahab in Samaria. Ahab killed many sheep and oxen for him and the people who were with him. Ahab also persuaded him to attack Ramoth Gilead with him.

And after certain years he went down to Ahab to Samaria. And Ahab killed sheep and oxen for him in abundance, and for the people that he had with him, and persuaded him to go up with him to Ramothgilead.

3 Ahab, king of Israel, said to Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, “Will you go with me to Ramoth Gilead?” Jehoshaphat answered him, “I am like you, and my people are like your people. We will be with you in the war.”

And Ahab king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat king of Judah, Will you go with me to Ramothgilead? And he answered him, I am as you are, and my people as your people; and we will be with you in the war.

4 Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “Please first seek the word of Yahweh for your answer.”

And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, Inquire, I pray you, at the word of the LORD to day.

5 Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, four hundred men, and said to them, “Should we go to Ramoth Gilead to battle, or should I not?” They said, “Attack, for God will give it into the hand of the king.”

Therefore the king of Israel gathered together of prophets four hundred men, and said to them, Shall we go to Ramothgilead to battle, or shall I forbear? And they said, Go up; for God will deliver it into the king’s hand.

6 But Jehoshaphat said, “Is there not here still another prophet of Yahweh with whom we might seek advice?”

But Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of the LORD besides, that we might inquire of him?

7 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “There is still one man by whom we may seek the advice of Yahweh, Micaiah son of Imlah, but I hate him because he never prophesies good concerning me, but always evil.” But Jehoshaphat said, “The king should not say that.”

And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, There is yet one man, by whom we may inquire of the LORD: but I hate him; for he never prophesied good to me, but always evil: the same is Micaiah the son of Imla. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say so.

8 Then the king of Israel called an officer and said, “Quickly bring Micaiah son of Imlah.”

And the king of Israel called for one of his officers, and said, Fetch quickly Micaiah the son of Imla.

9 Now Ahab the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah were sitting each on a throne, clothed in their robes, in an open place at the entrance of the gate of Samaria, and all the prophets were prophesying before them.

And the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah sat either of them on his throne, clothed in their robes, and they sat in a void place at the entering in of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets prophesied before them.

10 Zedekiah son of Kenaanah made himself horns of iron and said, “Yahweh says this: With these you will push the Arameans until they are consumed.”

And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah had made him horns of iron, and said, Thus says the LORD, With these you shall push Syria until they be consumed.

11 All the prophets prophesied the same, saying, “Attack Ramoth Gilead and win, for Yahweh has given it into the hand of the king.”

And all the prophets prophesied so, saying, Go up to Ramothgilead, and prosper: for the LORD shall deliver it into the hand of the king.

12 The messenger who went to summon Micaiah said to him, “Look, the words of the prophets with one mouth are favorable to the king. Let your words agree with theirs, and speak favorably.”

And the messenger that went to call Micaiah spoke to him, saying, Behold, the words of the prophets declare good to the king with one assent; let your word therefore, I pray you, be like one of theirs, and speak you good.

13 Micaiah replied, “As Yahweh lives, it is what God says that I will say.”

And Micaiah said, As the LORD lives, even what my God says, that will I speak.

14 When he came to the king, the king said to him, “Micaiah, should we go to Ramoth Gilead for battle, or not?” Micaiah answered him, “Attack and be victorious! For it will be a great victory.”

And when he was come to the king, the king said to him, Micaiah, shall we go to Ramothgilead to battle, or shall I forbear? And he said, Go you up, and prosper, and they shall be delivered into your hand.

15 Then the king said to him, “How many times must I require you to swear to tell me nothing but the truth in the name of Yahweh?”

And the king said to him, How many times shall I adjure you that you say nothing but the truth to me in the name of the LORD?

16 So Micaiah said, “I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains, like sheep who have no shepherd, and Yahweh said, 'These have no shepherd. Let every man return to his house in peace.'”

Then he said, I did see all Israel scattered on the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd: and the LORD said, These have no master; let them return therefore every man to his house in peace.

17 So the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Did I not tell you that he would not prophesy good concerning me, but only disaster?”

And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, Did I not tell you that he would not prophesy good to me, but evil?

18 Then Micaiah said, “Therefore all of you should hear the word of Yahweh: I saw Yahweh sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven were standing on his right hand and on his left.

Again he said, Therefore hear the word of the LORD; I saw the LORD sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven standing on his right hand and on his left.

19 Yahweh said, 'Who will entice Ahab, king of Israel, so that he may go up and fall at Ramoth Gilead?' One said this and another that.

And the LORD said, Who shall entice Ahab king of Israel, that he may go up and fall at Ramothgilead? And one spoke saying after this manner, and another saying after that manner.

20 Then a spirit came forward and it stood before Yahweh and said, 'I will entice him.' Yahweh said to him, 'How?'

Then there came out a spirit, and stood before the LORD, and said, I will entice him. And the LORD said to him, With which?

21 The spirit replied, 'I will go out and I will become a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.' Yahweh replied, 'You will entice him, and you will also be successful. Go now and do so.'

And he said, I will go out, and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And the Lord said, You shall entice him, and you shall also prevail: go out, and do even so.

22 Now see, Yahweh has put a lying spirit in the mouth of these prophets of yours, and Yahweh has decreed disaster for you.”

Now therefore, behold, the LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouth of these your prophets, and the LORD has spoken evil against you.

23 Then Zedekiah son of Kenaanah, came up, slapped Micaiah on the cheek, and said, “Which way did the Spirit of Yahweh take to go from me to speak to you?”

Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah came near, and smote Micaiah on the cheek, and said, Which way went the Spirit of the LORD from me to speak to you?

24 Micaiah said, “Look, you will know that on that day, when you run into some inner room to hide.”

And Micaiah said, Behold, you shall see on that day when you shall go into an inner chamber to hide yourself.

25 The king of Israel said to some servants, “You people seize Micaiah and take him to Amon, the governor of the city, and to Joash, my son.

Then the king of Israel said, Take you Micaiah, and carry him back to Amon the governor of the city, and to Joash the king’s son;

26 You people will say to him, 'The king says: Put this man in prison and feed him with only a little bread and only a little water, until I return safely.'”

And say, Thus says the king, Put this fellow in the prison, and feed him with bread of affliction and with water of affliction, until I return in peace.

27 Then Micaiah said, “If you return safely, then Yahweh has not spoken by me.” Then he added, “Listen to this, all you people.”

And Micaiah said, If you certainly return in peace, then has not the LORD spoken by me. And he said, Listen, all you people.

28 So Ahab, the king of Israel, and Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, went up against Ramoth Gilead.

So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went up to Ramothgilead.

29 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “I will disguise myself and go into the battle, but you put on your royal robes.” So the king of Israel disguised himself, and they went into the battle.

And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, I will disguise myself, and I will go to the battle; but put you on your robes. So the king of Israel disguised himself; and they went to the battle.

30 Now the king of Aram had commanded the captains of his chariots, saying, “Do not attack the unimportant or the important soldiers. Instead, attack only the king of Israel.”

Now the king of Syria had commanded the captains of the chariots that were with him, saying, Fight you not with small or great, save only with the king of Israel.

31 It came about that when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat they said, “That is the king of Israel.” They turned around to attack him, but Jehoshaphat cried out, and Yahweh helped him. God turned them away from him.

And it came to pass, when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, that they said, It is the king of Israel. Therefore they compassed about him to fight: but Jehoshaphat cried out, and the LORD helped him; and God moved them to depart from him.

32 It came about that when the commanders of the chariots saw that it was not the king of Israel, they turned back from pursuing him.

For it came to pass, that, when the captains of the chariots perceived that it was not the king of Israel, they turned back again from pursuing him.

33 But a certain man drew his bow at random and shot the king of Israel between the joints of his armor. Then Ahab said to the driver of his chariot, “Turn around and carry me out of the battle, for I am badly wounded.”

And a certain man drew a bow at a venture, and smote the king of Israel between the joints of the harness: therefore he said to his chariot man, Turn your hand, that you may carry me out of the host; for I am wounded.

34 The battle grew worse that day, and the king of Israel was held up in his chariot facing the Arameans until the evening. About the time that the sun was going down, he died.

And the battle increased that day: however, the king of Israel stayed himself up in his chariot against the Syrians until the even: and about the time of the sun going down he died.