2 Chronicles 18

1 Now Jehoshaphat had riches and honor in abundance; and he allied himself with Ahab.

And Josaphat had yet great wealth and glory, and he connected himself by marriage with the house of Achaab.

2 After some years, he went down to Ahab to Samaria. Ahab killed sheep and cattle for him in abundance, and for the people who were with him, and moved him to go up with him to Ramoth Gilead.

And he went down after a term of years to Achaab to Samaria: and Achaab slew for him sheep and calves, in abundance, and for the people with him, and he much desired him to go up with him to Ramoth of the country of Galaad.

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

And Achaab king of Israel said to Josaphat king of Juda, Wilt thou go with me to Ramoth of the country of Galaad? And he said to him, As I [am], so also [art] thou, as thy people, [so] also [is] my people with thee for the war.

4 Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “Please inquire first for the LORD’s word.”

And Josaphat said to the king of Israel, Seek, I pray thee, the Lord to-day.

5 Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, four hundred men, and said to them, “Shall we go to Ramoth Gilead to battle, or shall I forbear?” They said, “Go up, for God will deliver it into the hand of the king.”

And the king of Israel gathered the prophets, four hundred men, and said to them, Shall I go to Ramoth Galaad to battle, or shall I forbear? And they said, Go up, and God shall deliver [it] into the hands of the king.

6 But Jehoshaphat said, “Isn’t there here a prophet of the LORD besides, that we may inquire of him?”

And Josaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of the Lord besides, that we may enquire of him?

7 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 prophesies good concerning me, but always evil. He is Micaiah the son of Imla.” Jehoshaphat said, “Don’t let the king say so.”

And the king of Israel said to Josaphat, There is yet one man by whom to enquire of the Lord; but I hate him, for he does not prophesy concerning me for good, for all his days [are] for evil: this [is] Michaias the son of Jembla. And Josaphat said, Let not the king say so.

8 Then the king of Israel called an officer, and said, “Get Micaiah the son of Imla quickly.”

And the king called an eunuch, and said, [Fetch] quickly Michaias the son of Jembla.

9 Now the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah each sat on his throne, arrayed in their robes, and they were sitting 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 Josaphat king of Juda were sitting each on his throne, and clothed in their robes, sitting in the open space at the entrance of the gate of Samaria: and all the prophets were prophesying before them.

10 Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made himself horns of iron and said, “The LORD says, ‘With these you shall push the Syrians, until they are consumed.’”

And Sedekias son of Chanaan made for himself iron horns, and said, Thus saith the Lord, With these thou shalt thrust Syria until it be consumed.

11 All the prophets prophesied so, saying, “Go up to Ramoth Gilead, and prosper; for the LORD will deliver it into the hand of the king.”

And all the prophets prophesied so, saying, Go up to Ramoth Galaad, and thou shalt prosper; and the Lord shall deliver it into the hands of the king.

12 The messenger who went to call Micaiah spoke to him, saying, “Behold, the words of the prophets declare good to the king with one mouth. Let your word therefore, please be like one of theirs, and speak good.”

And the messenger that went to call Michaias spoke to him, saying, Behold, the prophets have spoken favourably concerning the king with one mouth; let now, I pray thee, thy words be as [the words] of one of them, and do thou speak good things.

13 Micaiah said, “As the LORD lives, I will say what my God says.”

And Michaias said, [As] the Lord lives, whatever God shall say to me, that will I speak.

14 When he had come to the king, the king said to him, “Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth Gilead to battle, or shall I forbear?” He said, “Go up, and prosper. They shall be delivered into your hand.”

And he came to the king, and the king said to him, Michaias, shall I go up to Ramoth Galaad to battle, or shall I forbear? And he said, Go up, and thou shalt prosper, and they shall be given into your hands.

15 The king said to him, “How many times shall I adjure you that you speak to me nothing but the truth in the LORD’s name?”

And the king said to him, How often shall I solemnly charge thee that thou speak to me nothing but truth in the name of the Lord?

16 He said, “I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd. The LORD said, ‘These have no master. Let them each return to his house in peace.’”

And he said, I saw Israel scattered on the mountains, as sheep without a shepherd: and the Lord said, These have no commander; let each return to his home in peace.

17 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Didn’t I tell you that he would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil?”

And the king of Israel said to Josaphat, Said I not to thee, that he would not prophesy concerning me good, but evil?

18 Micaiah said, “Therefore hear the LORD’s word: I saw the LORD sitting on his throne, and all the army of heaven standing on his right hand and on his left.

But he said, Not so. Hear ye the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven stood by on his right hand and on his left.

19 The LORD said, ‘Who will entice Ahab king of Israel, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth Gilead?’ One spoke saying in this way, and another saying in that way.

And the Lord said, Who will deceive Achaab king of Israel, that he may go up, and fall in Ramoth Galaad? And one spoke this way, and another spoke that way.

20 A spirit came out, stood before the LORD, and said, ‘I will entice him.’ “The LORD said to him, ‘How?’

And there came forth a spirit, and stood before the Lord, and said, I will deceive him. And the Lord said, Whereby?

21 “He said, ‘I will go, and will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ “He said, ‘You will entice him, and will prevail also. Go and do so.’

And he said, I will go forth, and will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And [the Lord] said, Thou shalt deceive [him], and shalt prevail: go forth, and do so.

22 “Now therefore, behold, the LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouth of these your prophets; and the LORD has spoken evil concerning you.”

And now, behold, the Lord has put a false spirit in the mouth of these thy prophets, and the Lord has spoken evil against thee.

23 Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah came near, and struck Micaiah on the cheek, and said, “Which way did the LORD’s Spirit go from me to speak to you?”

Then Sedekias the son of Chanaan drew near, and smote Michaias on the cheek, and said to him, By what way passed the Spirit of the Lord from me to speak to thee?

24 Micaiah said, “Behold, you shall see on that day, when you go into an inner room to hide yourself.”

And Michaias said, Behold, thou shalt see in that day, when thou shalt go from chamber to chamber to hide thyself.

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

And the king of Israel said, Take Michaias, and carry him back to Emer the governor of the city, and to Joas the captain, the king's son;

26 and say, ‘The king says, “Put this fellow in the prison, and feed him with bread of affliction and with water of affliction, until I return in peace.”’”

and ye shall say, Thus said the king, Put this fellow into the prison house, and let him eat the bread of affliction, and [drink] the water of affliction, until I return in peace.

27 Micaiah said, “If you return at all in peace, the LORD has not spoken by me.” He said, “Listen, you people, all of you!”

And Michaias said, If thou do at all return in peace, the Lord has not spoken by me. And he said, Hear, all ye people.

28 So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went up to Ramoth Gilead.

So the king of Israel, and Josaphat king of Juda, went up to Ramoth Galaad.

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

And the king of Israel said to Josaphat, Disguise me, and I will enter into the battle: and do thou put on my raiment. so the king of Israel disguised himself, and entered into the battle.

30 Now the king of Syria had commanded the captains of his chariots, saying, “Don’t fight with small nor great, except only with the king of Israel.”

Now the king of Syria had commanded the captains of the chariots that were with him, saying, Fight neither against small nor great, but only against the king of Israel.

31 When the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, they said, “It is the king of Israel!” Therefore they turned around to fight against him. But Jehoshaphat cried out, and the LORD helped him; and God moved them to depart from him.

And it came to pass, when the captains of the chariots saw Josaphat, that they said, It is the king of Israel: and they compassed him about to fight against him: and Josaphat cried out, and the Lord delivered him; and God turned them away from him.

32 When the captains of the chariots saw that it was not the king of Israel, they turned back from pursuing him.

And it came to pass, when the captains of the chariots saw that it was not the king of Israel, that they turned away from him.

33 A certain man drew his bow at random, and struck the king of Israel between the joints of the armor. Therefore he said to the driver of the chariot, “Turn around and carry me out of the battle, for I am severely wounded.”

And a man drew a bow with a good aim, and smote the king of Israel between the lungs and the breast-plate: and he said to the charioteer, Turn thine hand, drive me out of the battle, for I am wounded.

34 The battle increased that day. However, the king of Israel propped himself up in his chariot against the Syrians until the evening; and at about sunset, he died.

And the battle turned in that day; and the king of Israel remained on the chariot against Syria until evening, and died at sunset.