2 Chronicles 18
18
Jehoshaphat’s Alliance with Ahab
1Now Jehoshaphat had much wealth and honor, and he became son-in-law to Ahab. 2And after some years#Literally “at the end of years” he went down to Ahab in Samaria. And Ahab slaughtered many sheep and cattle for him and for the people who were with him, and urged him to go up against Ramoth-Gilead. 3And Ahab the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, “Will you go up with me to Ramoth-Gilead?” And he answered him, “I am as you are, and my people are as your people with you in war.”
4Then Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “Seek first of all#Literally “as the day” the word of Yahweh.” 5Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets, four hundred men. And he said to them, “Shall we go to Ramoth-Gilead to battle, or shall we cease?” And they said, “Go up, since God will give it into the hand of the king.” 6Then Jehoshaphat said, “Is there not here another prophet of Yahweh that we might inquire of him?” 7Then the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “There is yet one man by whom to seek Yahweh, but I hate him, because he never prophesies good concerning me, but always#Literally “all his days” disaster. He is Micaiah the son of Imlah.” Then Jehoshaphat said, “Let not the king say thus.” 8Then the king of Israel called to a eunuch and said, “Quickly bring Micaiah the son of Imlah.”
9Now the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah were each sitting on his throne, clothed in robes. And they were sitting at the threshing floor at the entrance of the gate of Samaria, and all the prophets were prophesying before them. 10And Zedekiah the son of Kenaanah made for himself horns of iron, and he said, “Thus says Yahweh: ‘With these you will gore Aram#Or “Syria” to their destruction.’ ” 11And all the prophets prophesied thus, saying, “Go up to Ramoth-Gilead and triumph! Yahweh will give it into the hand of the king.”
12Then the messenger who went to call Micaiah said to him, “Behold, the words of the prophets are good with one voice to the king. Please let your word be as one with them and speak good.” 13But Micaiah said, “As Yahweh lives, only what my God has said, that will I speak.”
14And when he had come to the king, the king said to him, “Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth-Gilead to war or shall I cease?” And he said, “Go up and triumph! They shall be given into your hand.” 15But the king said to him, “How many times shall I make you swear that you speak nothing except the truth in the name of Yahweh?” 16Then he said, “I saw all Israel scattered upon the mountains like sheep that had no shepherd. And Yahweh said, ‘These have no masters; let them return to his own house in peace.’ ” 17Then the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Did I not say to you he would not prophesy good concerning me, but only disaster?” 18Then Micaiah said, “Therefore hear the word of Yahweh: I saw Yahweh sitting upon his throne with all the host of heaven standing on his right and on his left. 19And Yahweh said, ‘Who will entice Ahab the king of Israel that he would go up and fall at Ramoth-Gilead?’ And one said this, and another said that. 20Then a spirit came forth and stood before Yahweh and said, ‘I will entice him.’ Then Yahweh said to him, ‘By what means?’ 21Then he said, ‘I will go forth and will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ And he said, ‘You will entice him and will also succeed. Go out and do so.’ 22So now, behold, Yahweh has put a spirit of deception into the mouths of these your prophets. Yahweh has spoken disaster against you.”
23Then Zedekiah the son of Kenaanah came near and struck Micaiah on the cheek and said, “Which way#Literally “Where is this the way” did the Spirit of Yahweh come from me to speak to you?” 24Then Micaiah said, “Behold, you will see on that day when you go into a private room to hide yourself.” 25Then the king of Israel said, “Take Micaiah and return him to Amon the commander of the city and to Jehoash the son of the king, 26and say, ‘Thus says the king: “Put this one into the prison house, and let him eat a meager ration of bread and water#Literally “bread a short ration and water a short ration” until I return in peace.” ’ ” 27And Micaiah said, “If you surely return in peace Yahweh has not spoken with me.” Then he said, “Hear, peoples, all of them!”
The Death of Ahab
28Then the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah went up to Ramoth-Gilead. 29And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “I will disguise myself and go into battle, but you, wear your garments.” So the king of Israel disguised himself, and they went to war. 30Now the king of Aram#Or “Syria” had commanded the commanders of his chariots,#Hebrew “chariot” saying, “Do not fight with the small or the great, but only with the king of Israel.” 31And it happened that when the commanders of the chariots#Hebrew “chariot” saw Jehoshaphat, then they said, “It is the king of Israel!” And they turned against him to fight. Then Jehoshaphat cried out and Yahweh helped him. God drove them away from him. 32And it happened that when the commanders of the chariots#Hebrew “chariot” saw that it was not the king of Israel, they turned back from following him. 33Now a certain man drew the bow at random#Literally “in his innocence” and struck the king of Israel between the soldering of his breastplate armor. Then he said to the chariot driver, “Turn around;#Literally “Turn away your hand” get me away from the war camp, for I am wounded.” 34And the battle went on that day, and the king of Israel was propped up in the chariot facing Aram#Or “Syria” until the evening. And he died at the time of the going down of the sun.
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2 Chronicles 18: LEB
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2 Chronicles 18
18
Jehoshaphat and Ahab
1Jehoshaphat enjoyed great riches and high esteem, and he made an alliance with Ahab of Israel by having his son marry Ahab’s daughter. 2A few years later he went to Samaria to visit Ahab, who prepared a great banquet for him and his officials. They butchered great numbers of sheep, goats, and cattle for the feast. Then Ahab enticed Jehoshaphat to join forces with him to recover Ramoth-gilead.
3“Will you go with me to Ramoth-gilead?” King Ahab of Israel asked King Jehoshaphat of Judah.
Jehoshaphat replied, “Why, of course! You and I are as one, and my troops are your troops. We will certainly join you in battle.” 4Then Jehoshaphat added, “But first let’s find out what the Lord says.”
5So the king of Israel summoned the prophets, 400 of them, and asked them, “Should we go to war against Ramoth-gilead, or should I hold back?”
They all replied, “Yes, go right ahead! God will give the king victory.”
6But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there not also a prophet of the Lord here? We should ask him the same question.”
7The king of Israel replied to Jehoshaphat, “There is one more man who could consult the Lord for us, but I hate him. He never prophesies anything but trouble for me! His name is Micaiah son of Imlah.”
Jehoshaphat replied, “That’s not the way a king should talk! Let’s hear what he has to say.”
8So the king of Israel called one of his officials and said, “Quick! Bring Micaiah son of Imlah.”
Micaiah Prophesies against Ahab
9King Ahab of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah, dressed in their royal robes, were sitting on thrones at the threshing floor near the gate of Samaria. All of Ahab’s prophets were prophesying there in front of them. 10One of them, Zedekiah son of Kenaanah, made some iron horns and proclaimed, “This is what the Lord says: With these horns you will gore the Arameans to death!”
11All the other prophets agreed. “Yes,” they said, “go up to Ramoth-gilead and be victorious, for the Lord will give the king victory!”
12Meanwhile, the messenger who went to get Micaiah said to him, “Look, all the prophets are promising victory for the king. Be sure that you agree with them and promise success.”
13But Micaiah replied, “As surely as the Lord lives, I will say only what my God says.”
14When Micaiah arrived before the king, Ahab asked him, “Micaiah, should we go to war against Ramoth-gilead, or should I hold back?”
Micaiah replied sarcastically, “Yes, go up and be victorious, for you will have victory over them!”
15But the king replied sharply, “How many times must I demand that you speak only the truth to me when you speak for the Lord?”
16Then Micaiah told him, “In a vision I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains, like sheep without a shepherd. And the Lord said, ‘Their master has been killed.#18:16 Hebrew These people have no master. Send them home in peace.’”
17“Didn’t I tell you?” the king of Israel exclaimed to Jehoshaphat. “He never prophesies anything but trouble for me.”
18Then Micaiah continued, “Listen to what the Lord says! I saw the Lord sitting on his throne with all the armies of heaven around him, on his right and on his left. 19And the Lord said, ‘Who can entice King Ahab of Israel to go into battle against Ramoth-gilead so he can be killed?’
“There were many suggestions, 20and finally a spirit approached the Lord and said, ‘I can do it!’
“‘How will you do this?’ the Lord asked.
21“And the spirit replied, ‘I will go out and inspire all of Ahab’s prophets to speak lies.’
“‘You will succeed,’ said the Lord. ‘Go ahead and do it.’
22“So you see, the Lord has put a lying spirit in the mouths of your prophets. For the Lord has pronounced your doom.”
23Then Zedekiah son of Kenaanah walked up to Micaiah and slapped him across the face. “Since when did the Spirit of the Lord leave me to speak to you?” he demanded.
24And Micaiah replied, “You will find out soon enough when you are trying to hide in some secret room!”
25“Arrest him!” the king of Israel ordered. “Take him back to Amon, the governor of the city, and to my son Joash. 26Give them this order from the king: ‘Put this man in prison, and feed him nothing but bread and water until I return safely from the battle!’”
27But Micaiah replied, “If you return safely, it will mean that the Lord has not spoken through me!” Then he added to those standing around, “Everyone mark my words!”
The Death of Ahab
28So King Ahab of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah led their armies against Ramoth-gilead. 29The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “As we go into battle, I will disguise myself so no one will recognize me, but you wear your royal robes.” So the king of Israel disguised himself, and they went into battle.
30Meanwhile, the king of Aram had issued these orders to his chariot commanders: “Attack only the king of Israel! Don’t bother with anyone else.” 31So when the Aramean chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat in his royal robes, they went after him. “There is the king of Israel!” they shouted. But Jehoshaphat called out, and the Lord saved him. God helped him by turning the attackers away from him. 32As soon as the chariot commanders realized he was not the king of Israel, they stopped chasing him.
33An Aramean soldier, however, randomly shot an arrow at the Israelite troops and hit the king of Israel between the joints of his armor. “Turn the horses#18:33 Hebrew Turn your hand. and get me out of here!” Ahab groaned to the driver of the chariot. “I’m badly wounded!”
34The battle raged all that day, and the king of Israel propped himself up in his chariot facing the Arameans. In the evening, just as the sun was setting, he died.
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