Three 1years
passed
without
war
between
Aram
and Israel
.
aIn the third year
bJehoshaphat
the king
of Judah
came
down
to the king
of Israel
.
Now the king of Israel
said
to his servants
, "Do you know
that aRamoth-gilead
belongs to us, and we 1are still
doing
nothing
to take
it out of the hand
of the king
of Aram
?"
And he said to Jehoshaphat
, "Will you go
with me to battle
at Ramoth-gilead
?" And Jehoshaphat
said
to the king
of Israel
, " aI am as you are, my people
as your people
, my horses
as your horses
."
Moreover, Jehoshaphat said
to the king
of Israel
, "Please
inquire
1first
for the word
of the LORD
."
Then athe king of Israel
gathered
the prophets
together, about four
hundred
men
, and said
to them, "Shall I go
against
Ramoth-gilead
to battle
or
shall I refrain
?" And they said
, "Go
up, for the Lord
will give
it into the hand
of the king
."
But aJehoshaphat said
, "Is there
not yet
a prophet
of the LORD
here
that we may inquire
of him?"
The king of Israel
said
to Jehoshaphat
, "There is yet
one
man
by whom we may inquire
of the LORD
, but I hate
him, because
he does not prophesy
good
concerning
me, but evil
. He is Micaiah
son
of Imlah
." But Jehoshaphat
said
, "Let not the king
say
so
."
Then the king of Israel
called
an officer
and said
, " 1Bring
quickly
Micaiah
son
of Imlah
."
Now the king of Israel
and Jehoshaphat
king
of Judah
were sitting
each
on his throne
, arrayed
in their robes
, at the threshing
floor
at the entrance
of the gate
of Samaria
; and aall
the prophets
were prophesying
before
them.
Then Zedekiah the son
of Chenaanah
made
ahorns
of iron
for himself and said
, "Thus
says
the LORD
, ` bWith these
you will gore
the Arameans
until
they are consumed
.' "
All the prophets
were prophesying
thus
, saying
, "Go
up to Ramoth-gilead
and prosper
, for the LORD
will give
it into the hand
of the king
."
Then the messenger who
went
to summon
Micaiah
spoke
to him saying
, "Behold
now
, the words
of the prophets
are uniformly
favorable
to the king
. Please
let your word
be like the word
of one
of them, and speak
favorably
."
But Micaiah said
, " aAs the LORD
lives
, what
bthe LORD
says
to me, that I shall speak
."
When he came to the king
, the king
said
to him, "Micaiah
, shall we go
to Ramoth-gilead
to battle
, or
shall we refrain
?" And he 1answered
him, " aGo
up and succeed
, and the LORD
will give
it into the hand
of the king
."
Then the king said
to him, "How
many
times
must I adjure
you to speak
to me nothing
but the truth
in the name
of the LORD
?"
So he said, "I saw
all
Israel
Scattered
on the mountains
, aLike sheep
which
have
no
shepherd
. And the LORD
said
, `These
have no
master
. Let each
of them return
to his house
in peace
.' "
Then the king of Israel
said
to Jehoshaphat
, " aDid I not tell
you that he would not prophesy
good
concerning
me, but evil
?"
1Micaiah said, "Therefore
, hear
the word
of the LORD
. aI saw
the LORD
sitting
on His throne
, and ball
the host
of heaven
standing
by Him on His right
and on His left
.
"The LORD said
, `Who
will entice
Ahab
to go
up and fall
at Ramoth-gilead
?' And one
said
this
while another
said
that.
"Then a spirit came
forward
and stood
before
the LORD
and said
, `I will entice
him.'
"The LORD said
to him, `How
?' And he said
, `I will go
out and abe a deceiving
spirit
in the mouth
of all
his prophets
.' Then He said
, `You are to entice
him and also
prevail
. Go
and do
so
.'
"Now therefore, behold
, athe LORD
has put
a deceiving
spirit
in the mouth
of all
these
your prophets
; and the LORD
has proclaimed
disaster
against
you."
Then aZedekiah the son
of Chenaanah
came
near
and struck
Micaiah
on the cheek
and said
, " bHow
did the Spirit
of the LORD
pass
from me to speak
to you?"
Micaiah said
, "Behold
, you shall see
on that day
when
you aenter
an inner
room
to hide
yourself."
Then the king of Israel
said
, "Take
Micaiah
and return
him to Amon
the governor
of the city
and to Joash
the king's
son
;
and say, `Thus
says
the king
, " aPut
this
man in prison
and feed
him 1sparingly
with bread
and water
until
I return
safely
.""'
Micaiah said
, " aIf
you indeed
return
safely
the LORD
has not spoken
by me." And he said
, " bListen
, all
you people
."
So athe king of Israel
and Jehoshaphat
king
of Judah
went
up against Ramoth-gilead
.
The king of Israel
said
to Jehoshaphat
, " aI will disguise
myself and go
into the battle
, but you put
on your robes
." So the king
of Israel
disguised
himself and went
into the battle
.
Now athe king of Aram
had commanded
the thirty-two
captains
of his chariots
, saying
, "Do not fight
with small
or great
, but with the king
of Israel
alone
."
So when the captains of the chariots
saw
Jehoshaphat
, they said
, "Surely
it is the king
of Israel
," and they turned
aside
to fight
against
him, and Jehoshaphat
cried
out.
When the captains of the chariots
saw
that it was not the king
of Israel
, they turned
back
from pursuing
him.
Now a certain man drew
his bow
at random
and struck
the king
of Israel
1in a joint
of the armor
. So he said
to the driver
of his chariot
, "Turn
2around
and take
me out of the 3fight
; afor I am
severely
wounded
."
The battle 1raged
that day
, and the king
was propped
up in his chariot
in front
of the Arameans
, and died
at evening
, and the blood
from the wound
ran
into the bottom
of the chariot
.
aThen a cry passed
throughout
the army
close to sunset
, saying
, "Every
man
to his city
and every
man
to his 1country
."
So the king died
and was brought
to Samaria
, and they buried
the king
in Samaria
.
They washed the chariot
by the pool
of Samaria
, and the dogs
licked
up his blood
(now the harlots
bathed
themselves there), aaccording to the word
of the LORD
which
He spoke
.
Now the rest of the acts
of Ahab
and all
that he did
and athe ivory
house
which
he built
and all
the cities
which
he built
, are they not written
in the Book
of the Chronicles
of the Kings
of Israel
?
So Ahab slept
with his fathers
, and Ahaziah
his son
became
king
in his place
.
aNow Jehoshaphat the son
of Asa
became
king
over
Judah
in the fourth
year
of Ahab
king
of Israel
.
Jehoshaphat was thirty-five
years
old
when he became
king
, and he reigned
twenty-five
years
in Jerusalem
. And his mother's
name
was Azubah
the daughter
of Shilhi
.
aHe walked in all
the way
of Asa
his father
; he did not turn
aside
from it, doing
right
in the sight
of the LORD
. bHowever
, the high
places
were not taken
away
; the people
still
sacrificed
and burnt
incense
on the high
places
.
aJehoshaphat also made
peace
with the king
of Israel
.
Now the rest of the acts
of Jehoshaphat
, and his might
which
he showed
and how
he warred
, are they not written
ain the Book
of the Chronicles
of the Kings
of Judah
?
The remnant of athe sodomites
who
remained
in the days
of his father
Asa
, he 1expelled
from the land
.
Now athere was no
king
in Edom
; a deputy
was king
.
Jehoshaphat made
aships
of Tarshish
to go
to bOphir
for gold
, but cthey did not go
for the ships
were broken
at dEzion-geber
.
Then Ahaziah
the son
of Ahab
said
to Jehoshaphat
, "Let my servants
go
with your servants
in the ships
." But Jehoshaphat
was not willing
.
aAnd Jehoshaphat slept
with his fathers
and was buried
with his fathers
in the city
of his father
David
, and Jehoram
his son
became
king
in his place
.
Ahaziah the son
of Ahab
abecame
king
over
Israel
in Samaria
in the seventeenth
year
of Jehoshaphat
king
of Judah
, and he reigned
two years
over
Israel
.
He did evil
in the sight
of the LORD
and awalked
in the way
of his father
and in the way
of his mother
and in the way
of Jeroboam
the son
of Nebat
, who
caused Israel
to sin
.
aSo he served Baal
and worshiped
him and provoked
the LORD
God
of Israel
to anger
, according to all
that his father
had done
.