1 Kings 22
22
Micaiah Prophesies Against Ahab
1For three years there wasn’t any war between Aram and Israel. 2In the third year Jehoshaphat went down to see Ahab, the king of Israel. Jehoshaphat was king of Judah. 3The king of Israel had spoken to his officials. He had said, “Don’t you know that Ramoth Gilead belongs to us? And we aren’t even doing anything to take it back from the king of Aram.”
4So Ahab asked Jehoshaphat, “Will you go with me to fight against Ramoth Gilead?”
Jehoshaphat replied to the king of Israel, “Yes. I’ll go with you. My men will go with you. My horses will also go with you.” 5Jehoshaphat continued, “First ask the Lord for advice.”
6So the king of Israel brought about 400 prophets together. He asked them, “Should I go to war against Ramoth Gilead? Or should I stay here?”
“Go,” they answered. “The Lord will hand it over to you.”
7But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there no longer a prophet of the Lord here? If there is, ask him what we should do.”
8The king of Israel answered Jehoshaphat. He said, “There is still one other man we can go to. We can ask the Lord for advice through him. But I hate him. He never prophesies anything good about me. He only prophesies bad things. His name is Micaiah. He’s the son of Imlah.”
“You shouldn’t say bad things about him,” Jehoshaphat replied.
9So the king of Israel called for one of his officials. He told him, “Bring Micaiah, the son of Imlah, right away.”
10The king of Israel and Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, were wearing their royal robes. They were sitting on their thrones at the threshing floor. It was near the entrance of the gate of Samaria. All the prophets were prophesying in front of them. 11Zedekiah was the son of Kenaanah. Zedekiah had made horns out of iron. They looked like animal horns. He announced, “The Lord says, ‘With these horns you will drive back the men of Aram until they are destroyed.’ ”
12All the other prophets were prophesying the same thing. “Attack Ramoth Gilead,” they said. “Win the battle over it. The Lord will hand it over to you.”
13A messenger went to get Micaiah. He said to him, “Look. The other prophets agree. All of them are saying the king will have success. So agree with them. Say the same thing they do.”
14But Micaiah said, “You can be sure that the Lord lives. And here is something you can be just as sure of. I can only tell the king what the Lord tells me to say.”
15When Micaiah arrived, the king spoke to him. He asked, “Should we go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or not?”
“Attack,” he answered. “You will win. The Lord will hand Ramoth Gilead over to you.”
16The king said to him, “I’ve made you promise to tell the truth many times before. So don’t tell me anything but the truth in the name of the Lord.”
17Then Micaiah answered, “I saw all the Israelites scattered on the hills. They were like sheep that didn’t have a shepherd. The Lord said, ‘These people do not have a master. Let each of them go home in peace.’ ”
18The king of Israel spoke to Jehoshaphat. He said, “Didn’t I tell you he never prophesies anything good about me? He only prophesies bad things.”
19Micaiah continued, “Listen to the Lord’s message. I saw the Lord sitting on his throne. All the angels of heaven were standing around him. Some were standing at his right side. The others were standing at his left side. 20The Lord said, ‘Who will get Ahab to attack Ramoth Gilead? I want him to die there.’
“One angel suggested one thing. Another suggested something else. 21Finally, a spirit came forward and stood in front of the Lord. The spirit said, ‘I’ll get Ahab to do it.’
22“ ‘How?’ the Lord asked.
“The spirit said, ‘I’ll go out and put lies in the mouths of all his prophets.’
“ ‘You will have success in getting Ahab to attack Ramoth Gilead,’ said the Lord. ‘Go and do it.’
23“So the Lord has put lies in the mouths of all your prophets. He has said that great harm will come to you.”
24Then Zedekiah, the son of Kenaanah, went up and slapped Micaiah in the face. Zedekiah asked Micaiah, “Do you think the spirit sent by the Lord left me? Do you think that spirit went to speak to you?”
25Micaiah replied, “You will find out on the day you go to hide in an inside room to save your life.”
26Then the king of Israel gave an order. He said, “Take Micaiah away. Send him back to Amon. Amon is the ruler of the city of Samaria. And send him back to Joash. Joash is a member of the royal court. 27Tell him, ‘The king says, “Put this fellow in prison. Don’t give him anything but bread and water until I return safely.” ’ ”
28Micaiah announced, “Do you really think you will return safely? If you do, the Lord hasn’t spoken through me.” He continued, “All of you people, remember what I’ve said!”
Ahab Is Killed at Ramoth Gilead
29So the king of Israel went up to Ramoth Gilead. Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, went there too. 30The king of Israel spoke to Jehoshaphat. He said, “I’ll go into battle wearing different clothes. Then people won’t recognize me. But you wear your royal robes.” So the king of Israel put on different clothes. Then he went into battle.
31The king of Aram had given an order to his 32 chariot commanders. He had said, “Fight only against the king of Israel. Don’t fight against anyone else.” 32The chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat. They thought, “That has to be the king of Israel.” So they turned to attack him. But Jehoshaphat cried out. 33Then the commanders saw he wasn’t the king of Israel after all. So they stopped chasing him.
34But someone shot an arrow without taking aim. The arrow hit the king of Israel between the parts of his armor. The king told his chariot driver, “Turn the chariot around. Get me out of this battle. I’ve been wounded.” 35All day long the battle continued. The king kept himself standing up by leaning against the inside of his chariot. He kept his face toward the men of Aram. The blood from his wound ran down onto the floor of the chariot. That evening he died. 36As the sun was setting, a cry spread through the army. “Every man must go to his own town!” they said. “Every man must go to his own land!”
37So the king died. He was brought to Samaria. They buried him there. 38They washed the chariot at a pool in Samaria. It was where the prostitutes took baths. The dogs licked up Ahab’s blood. It happened exactly as the Lord had said it would.
39The other events of Ahab’s rule are written down. Everything he did is written down. That includes the palace he built and decorated with ivory. It also includes the cities he built up and put high walls around. All these things are written in the official records of the kings of Israel. 40Ahab joined the members of his family who had already died. Ahab’s son Ahaziah became the next king after him.
Jehoshaphat King of Judah
41Jehoshaphat began to rule over Judah. It was in the fourth year that Ahab was king of Israel. Jehoshaphat was the son of Asa. 42Jehoshaphat was 35 years old when he became king. He ruled in Jerusalem for 25 years. His mother’s name was Azubah. She was the daughter of Shilhi. 43Jehoshaphat followed all the ways of his father Asa. He didn’t wander away from them. He did what was right in the sight of the Lord. But the high places weren’t removed. The people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense at them. 44Jehoshaphat was also at peace with the king of Israel.
45The other events of Jehoshaphat’s rule are written down. The brave things he did in battle and everything else he accomplished are written down. All these things are written in the official records of the kings of Judah. 46Jehoshaphat got rid of the rest of the male prostitutes who were at the temples. They had remained in the land even after the rule of his father Asa. 47At that time Edom didn’t have a king. An area governor was in charge.
48Jehoshaphat built many ships that he used to carry goods to be traded. The ships were supposed to go to Ophir for gold. But they never had a chance to sail. They were wrecked at Ezion Geber. 49At that time Ahaziah, the son of Ahab, spoke to Jehoshaphat. He said, “Let my men sail with yours.” But Jehoshaphat refused.
50Jehoshaphat joined the members of his family who had already died. He was buried in the family tomb in the city of King David. Jehoshaphat’s son Jehoram became the next king after him.
Ahaziah King of Israel
51Ahaziah became king of Israel in Samaria. It was in the 17th year that Jehoshaphat was king of Judah. Ahaziah ruled over Israel for two years. He was the son of Ahab. 52Ahaziah did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. He lived the way his father and mother had lived. He lived the way Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, had lived. Jeroboam had caused Israel to sin. 53Ahaziah served and worshiped the god named Baal. He made the Lord, the God of Israel, very angry. That’s exactly what Ahaziah’s father had done.
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1 Kings 22: NIrV
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1 Kings 22
22
Micaiah Prophesies against King Ahab
(2 Chronicles 18:1–34)
1For three years there was no war between Aram and Israel. 2In the third year King Jehoshaphat of Judah went to visit the king of Israel.
3The king of Israel asked his staff, “Do you know that Ramoth in Gilead belongs to us, and we are doing nothing to take it back from the king of Aram?” 4Then he asked Jehoshaphat, “Will you go with me to fight at Ramoth in Gilead?”
Jehoshaphat told the king of Israel, “I will do what you do. My troops will do what your troops do. My horses will do what your horses do.” 5Then Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “But first, find out what the Lord’s word is ⌞in this matter⌟.”
6So the king of Israel called 400 prophets together. He asked them, “Should I go to war against Ramoth in Gilead or not?”
“Go,” they said. “The Lord #22:6 Some Hebrew manuscripts; many Hebrew manuscripts, Targum “The LORD.” will hand over Ramoth to you.”
7But Jehoshaphat asked, “Isn’t there a prophet of the Lord whom we could ask?”
8The king of Israel told Jehoshaphat, “We can ask the Lord through Micaiah, son of Imlah, but I hate him. He doesn’t prophesy anything good about me, only evil.”
Jehoshaphat answered, “The king must not say that.”
9The king of Israel called for an officer and said, “Quick! ⌞Get⌟ Micaiah, son of Imlah!”
10The king of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah were dressed in royal robes and seated on thrones. They were on the threshing floor #22:10 A threshing floor is an outdoor area where grain is separated from its husks. at the entrance to the gate of Samaria. All the prophets were prophesying in front of them. 11Zedekiah, son of Chenaanah, made iron horns and said, “This is what the Lord says: With these horns you will push the Arameans to their destruction.” 12All the other prophets made the same prophecy. They said, “Attack Ramoth in Gilead, and you will win. The Lord will hand it over to you.”
13The messenger who went to call Micaiah told him, “The prophets have all told the king the same good message. Make your message agree with their message. Say something good.”
14Micaiah answered, “I solemnly swear, as the Lord lives, I will tell him whatever the Lord tells me.”
15When he came to the king, the king asked him, “Micaiah, should we go to war against Ramoth in Gilead or not?”
Micaiah said to him, “Attack and you will win. The Lord will hand it over to you.”
16The king asked him, “How many times must I make you take an oath in the Lord’s name to tell me nothing but the truth?”
17So Micaiah said, “I saw Israel’s troops scattered in the hills like sheep without a shepherd. The Lord said, ‘These ⌞sheep⌟ have no master. Let each one go home in peace.’ ”
18The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Didn’t I tell you he wouldn’t prophesy anything good about me, only evil?”
19Micaiah added, “Then hear the Lord’s word. I saw the Lord sitting on his throne, and the entire army of heaven was standing near him on his right and his left. 20The Lord asked, ‘Who will deceive Ahab so that he will attack and be killed at Ramoth in Gilead?’ Some answered one way, while others said something else.
21“Then the Spirit stepped forward, stood in front of the Lord, and said, ‘I will deceive him.’
“ ‘How?’ the Lord asked.
22“The Spirit answered, ‘I will go out and be a spirit that tells lies through the mouths of all of Ahab’s prophets.’
“The Lord said, ‘You will succeed in deceiving him. Go and do it.’
23“So, the Lord has put into the mouths of all these prophets of yours a spirit that makes them tell lies. The Lord has spoken evil about you.”
24Then Zedekiah, son of Chenaanah, went to Micaiah and struck him on the cheek. “How did the Lord’s Spirit leave me to talk to you?” he asked.
25Micaiah answered, “You will find out on the day you go into an inner room to hide.”
26The king of Israel then said, “Send Micaiah back to Amon, the governor of the city, and to Joash, the prince. 27Say, ‘This is what the king says: Put this man in prison, and feed him nothing but bread and water until I come home safely.’ ”
28Micaiah said, “If you really do come back safely, then the Lord wasn’t speaking through me. Pay attention to this, everyone!”
29So the king of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah went to Ramoth in Gilead. 30The king of Israel told Jehoshaphat, “I will disguise myself and go into battle, but you should wear your royal robes.” So the king of Israel disguised himself and went into battle.
31The king of Aram had given orders to the 32 chariot commanders. He said, “Don’t fight anyone except the king of Israel.”
32When the chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat, they said, “He must be the king of Israel.” So they turned to fight him. But when Jehoshaphat cried out, 33the chariot commanders realized that he wasn’t the king of Israel. They turned away from him.
34One man aimed his bow at random and hit the king of Israel between his scale armor and his breastplate. Ahab told his chariot driver, “Turn around, and get me away from these troops. I’m badly wounded.” 35But the battle got worse that day, and the king was kept propped up in his chariot facing the Arameans. He died that evening. The blood from the wound had flowed into the chariot. 36At sundown a cry went through the army, “Every man to his own city! Every man to his own property!”
37When the king was dead, he was brought to Samaria to be buried. 38His chariot was washed at the pool of Samaria, where the prostitutes bathed. The dogs licked up his blood, as the Lord had predicted.
39Isn’t everything else about Ahab—everything he did, the ivory palace he built, and all the cities he fortified—written in the official records of the kings of Israel? 40Ahab lay down in death with his ancestors. His son Ahaziah succeeded him as king.
King Jehoshaphat of Judah
(2 Chronicles 20:31–21:1)
41Jehoshaphat, son of Asa, became king of Judah in Ahab’s fourth year as king of Israel. 42Jehoshaphat was 35 years old when he began to rule, and he ruled for 25 years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Azubah, daughter of Shilhi. 43Jehoshaphat carefully followed the example his father Asa had set and did what the Lord considered right. 44But the illegal worship sites were not torn down. The people continued to sacrifice and burn incense at these worship sites.#22:44 1 Kings 22:44b–53 in English Bibles is 1 Kings 22:45–54 in the Hebrew Bible. Jehoshaphat made peace with the king of Israel.
45Isn’t everything else about Jehoshaphat—the heroic acts he did and ⌞the wars⌟ he fought—written in the official records of the kings of Judah? 46He rid the land of the male temple prostitutes who were left there from the time of his father Asa. 47There was no king in Edom; instead, a deputy ruled.
48Jehoshaphat made Tarshish-style ships to go to Ophir for gold. But they didn’t go because the ships were wrecked at Ezion Geber. 49Then Ahaziah, son of Ahab, said to Jehoshaphat, “Let my servants go with your servants in the ships.” But Jehoshaphat refused.
50Jehoshaphat lay down in death with his ancestors and was buried with them in the city of his ancestor David. His son Jehoram succeeded him as king.
King Ahaziah of Israel
51Ahaziah, son of Ahab, became king of Israel in Samaria during Jehoshaphat’s seventeenth year as king of Judah. Ahaziah ruled Israel for two years. 52He did what the Lord considered evil. He followed the example of his father and mother and of Jeroboam (Nebat’s son) who led Israel to sin. 53Ahaziah served Baal, worshiped him, and made the Lord God of Israel furious, as his father had done.
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