1 A nd they continued three years without war between Syria and Israel.

Three years passed without war between Syria and Israel.

2 A nd it came to pass in the third year, that Jehoshaphat the king of Judah came down to the king of Israel.

In the third year, Jehoshaphat the king of Judah came down to the king of Israel.

3 A nd the king of Israel said unto his servants, Know ye that Ramoth in Gilead is ours, and we be still, and take it not out of the hand of the king of Syria?

The king of Israel said to his servants, “Do you know that Ramothgilead belongs to us? We are still doing nothing to take it from the king of Syria.”

4 A nd he said unto Jehoshaphat, Wilt thou go with me to battle to Ramothgilead? And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, I am as thou art, my people as thy people, my horses as thy horses.

And he said to Jehoshaphat, “Will you go with me to battle at Ramoth-gilead?” Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “I am as you are. My people are as your people. My horses are as your horses.”

5 A nd Jehoshaphat said unto the king of Israel, Enquire, I pray thee, at the word of the Lord to day.

Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “Ask first for the word of the Lord.”

6 T hen the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, about four hundred men, and said unto them, Shall I go against Ramothgilead to battle, or shall I forbear? And they said, Go up; for the Lord shall deliver it into the hand of the king.

Then the king of Israel gathered together the men who spoke for God, 400 men. He said to them, “Should I go to Ramoth-gilead to battle, or should I not?” And they said, “Go. For the Lord will give it to the king.”

7 A nd Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of the Lord besides, that we might enquire of him?

But Jehoshaphat said, “Is there not another man who speaks for the Lord here, that we may ask him?”

8 A nd the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, There is yet one man, Micaiah the son of Imlah, by whom we may enquire of the Lord: but I hate him; for he doth not prophesy good concerning me, but evil. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say so.

The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “There is only one other man whom we may ask of the Lord, but I hate him. He does not speak anything good about me, only bad. He is Micaiah the son of Imlah.” But Jehoshaphat said, “Let not the king say that.”

9 T hen the king of Israel called an officer, and said, Hasten hither Micaiah the son of Imlah.

Then the king of Israel called a soldier and said, “Be quick to bring Micaiah the son of Imlah.”

10 A nd the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah sat each on his throne, having put on their robes, in a void place in the entrance of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets prophesied before them.

Now the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah were sitting on their thrones, dressed in their king’s clothing. They sat at the grain-floor at the gate of Samaria. All the men who speak for God were speaking in front of them.

11 A nd Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made him horns of iron: and he said, Thus saith the Lord, With these shalt thou push the Syrians, until thou have consumed them.

Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made horns of iron for himself and said, “The Lord says, ‘With these you will fight the Syrians until they are destroyed.’”

12 A nd all the prophets prophesied so, saying, Go up to Ramothgilead, and prosper: for the Lord shall deliver it into the king's hand.

And all the men who spoke for God said so. They said, “Go up to Ramoth-gilead and do well. For the Lord will give it to the king.”

13 A nd the messenger that was gone to call Micaiah spake unto him, saying, Behold now, the words of the prophets declare good unto the king with one mouth: let thy word, I pray thee, be like the word of one of them, and speak that which is good.

The man who went to call Micaiah said to him, “See, the words of those who speak for God are all in the king’s favor. Let your words be like theirs and speak in favor of the king.”

14 A nd Micaiah said, As the Lord liveth, what the Lord saith unto me, that will I speak.

But Micaiah said, “As the Lord lives, I will say what the Lord says to me.”

15 S o he came to the king. And the king said unto him, Micaiah, shall we go against Ramothgilead to battle, or shall we forbear? And he answered him, Go, and prosper: for the Lord shall deliver it into the hand of the king.

Micaiah came to the king. And the king said to him, “Micaiah, should we go to Ramothgilead to battle, or should we not?” He answered, “Go up and do well. The Lord will give it to the king.”

16 A nd the king said unto him, How many times shall I adjure thee that thou tell me nothing but that which is true in the name of the Lord ?

Then the king said to him, “How many times must I tell you to speak nothing but the truth in the name of the Lord?”

17 A nd he said, I saw all Israel scattered upon the hills, as sheep that have not a shepherd: and the Lord said, These have no master: let them return every man to his house in peace.

So Micaiah said, “I saw all Israel spread upon the mountains like sheep which have no shepherd. And the Lord said, ‘These have no owner. Let each of them return to his house in peace.’”

18 A nd the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, Did I not tell thee that he would prophesy no good concerning me, but evil?

Then the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Did I not tell you that he would not speak good of me, but bad?”

19 A nd he said, Hear thou therefore the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven standing by him on his right hand and on his left.

Micaiah said, “So hear the word of the Lord. I saw the Lord sitting on His throne. All those in heaven were standing by Him on His right and on His left.

20 A nd the Lord said, Who shall persuade Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramothgilead? And one said on this manner, and another said on that manner.

The Lord said, ‘Who will lead Ahab to go up and die at Ramoth-gilead?’ And one said one thing, and another said another thing.

21 A nd there came forth a spirit, and stood before the Lord, and said, I will persuade him.

Then a spirit came and stood before the Lord and said, ‘I will lead him.’

22 A nd the Lord said unto him, Wherewith? And he said, I will go forth, and I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And he said, Thou shalt persuade him, and prevail also: go forth, and do so.

The Lord said to him, ‘How?’ And he said, ‘I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all those who will tell what will happen in the future.’ Then the Lord said, ‘You are to lead him, and do well. Go and do so.’

23 N ow therefore, behold, the Lord hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets, and the Lord hath spoken evil concerning thee.

Now see, the Lord has put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these who tell what will happen in the future. The Lord has said bad things against you.”

24 B ut Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah went near, and smote Micaiah on the cheek, and said, Which way went the Spirit of the Lord from me to speak unto thee?

Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah came and hit Micaiah on the face and said, “How did the Spirit of the Lord go from me to speak to you?”

25 A nd Micaiah said, Behold, thou shalt see in that day, when thou shalt go into an inner chamber to hide thyself.

Micaiah said, “See, you will see on that day when you go into a room to hide yourself.”

26 A nd the king of Israel said, Take Micaiah, and carry him back unto Amon the governor of the city, and to Joash the king's son;

Then the king of Israel said, “Take Micaiah and return him to Amon the leader of the city and to Joash the king’s son.

27 A nd say, Thus saith the king, Put this fellow in the prison, and feed him with bread of affliction and with water of affliction, until I come in peace.

Tell them, ‘The king says, “Put this man in prison and feed him with little bread and water, until I return in peace.” ‘ ”

28 A nd Micaiah said, If thou return at all in peace, the Lord hath not spoken by me. And he said, Hearken, O people, every one of you.

Micaiah said, “If you do return in peace, then the Lord has not spoken by me.” And he said, “Listen, all you people.” The Death of Ahab

29 S o the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went up to Ramothgilead.

So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah went up to Ramoth-gilead.

30 A nd the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, I will disguise myself, and enter into the battle; but put thou on thy robes. And the king of Israel disguised himself, and went into the battle.

The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “I will dress so no one will know who I am, and will go to battle. But you put on your king’s clothing.” So the king of Israel dressed so no one would know who he was, and went into battle.

31 B ut the king of Syria commanded his thirty and two captains that had rule over his chariots, saying, Fight neither with small nor great, save only with the king of Israel.

Now the king of Syria had told the thirty-two captains of his war-wagons, “Do not fight with the small or strong. But only fight with the king of Israel.”

32 A nd it came to pass, when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, that 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 war-wagons saw Jehoshaphat, they said, “For sure this is the king of Israel.” And they turned to fight against him, and Jehoshaphat cried out.

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

Then the captains of the war-wagons saw that it was not the king of Israel. So they returned from going after him.

34 A nd a certain man drew a bow at a venture, and smote the king of Israel between the joints of the harness: wherefore he said unto the driver of his chariot, Turn thine hand, and carry me out of the host; for I am wounded.

But a certain man happened to shoot an arrow and hit the king of Israel between the parts of his battle-clothes. So Ahab said to the driver of his war-wagon, “Turn around and take me out of the battle. For I am hurt.”

35 A nd the battle increased that day: and the king was stayed up in his chariot against the Syrians, and died at even: and the blood ran out of the wound into the midst of the chariot.

The battle was hard that day, and the king was set up in his war-wagon in front of the Syrians. At evening he died. The blood from the cut flowed to the bottom of the war-wagon.

36 A nd there went a proclamation throughout the host about the going down of the sun, saying, Every man to his city, and every man to his own country.

Then a cry went through to his country!

37 S o the king died, and was brought to Samaria; and they buried the king in Samaria.

So the king died and was brought to Samaria. They buried the king in Samaria.

38 A nd one washed the chariot in the pool of Samaria; and the dogs licked up his blood; and they washed his armour; according unto the word of the Lord which he spake.

And they washed the war-wagon by the pool of Samaria. The dogs drank up his blood. (The women who sold the use of their bodies washed themselves there.) It happened as the word of the Lord said it would.

39 N ow the rest of the acts of Ahab, and all that he did, and the ivory house which he made, and all the cities that he built, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

Now the rest of the acts of Ahab and all he did, the ivory house and cities he built, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?

40 S o Ahab slept with his fathers; and Ahaziah his son reigned in his stead.

Ahab died and his son Ahaziah became king in his place. Jehoshaphat Rules Judah

41 A nd Jehoshaphat the son of Asa began to reign over Judah in the fourth year of Ahab king of Israel.

Jehoshaphat the son of Asa became the king of Judah in the fourth year of Ahab king of Israel.

42 J ehoshaphat was thirty and five years old when he began to reign; and he reigned twenty and five years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi.

Jehoshaphat was thirty-five years old when he became king. And he ruled twenty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi.

43 A nd he walked in all the ways of Asa his father; he turned not aside from it, doing that which was right in the eyes of the Lord: nevertheless the high places were not taken away; for the people offered and burnt incense yet in the high places.

He walked in all the way of Asa his father. He did not turn aside from it. He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. But the high places were not taken away. The people still gave gifts and burned special perfume on the high places.

44 A nd Jehoshaphat made peace with the king of Israel.

And Jehoshaphat made peace with the king of Israel.

45 N ow the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, and his might that he shewed, and how he warred, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?

The rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, the strength he showed and how he fought, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah?

46 A nd the remnant of the sodomites, which remained in the days of his father Asa, he took out of the land.

He destroyed from the land those who were left of the men who sold the use of their bodies in their religion during the days of his father Asa.

47 T here was then no king in Edom: a deputy was king.

Now there was no king in Edom. A leader was acting as king.

48 J ehoshaphat made ships of Tharshish to go to Ophir for gold: but they went not; for the ships were broken at Eziongeber.

Jehoshaphat made ships of Tarshish to go to Ophir for gold. But they did not go. For the ships were wrecked at Ezion-geber.

49 T hen said Ahaziah the son of Ahab unto Jehoshaphat, Let my servants go with thy servants in the ships. But Jehoshaphat would not.

Then Ahab’s son Ahaziah said to Jehoshaphat, “Let my servants go with your servants in the ships.” But Jehoshaphat was not willing.

50 A nd Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father: and Jehoram his son reigned in his stead.

And Jehoshaphat died and was buried with his fathers in the city of his father David. Jehoram his son became king in his place. Ahaziah Rules Israel

51 A haziah the son of Ahab began to reign over Israel in Samaria the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and reigned two years over Israel.

Ahab’s son Ahaziah became the king of Israel in Samaria in the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah. And he ruled Israel for two years.

52 A nd he did evil in the sight of the Lord, and walked in the way of his father, and in the way of his mother, and in the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin:

He did what was sinful in the eyes of the Lord. He walked in the way of his father and mother, and Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who caused Israel to sin.

53 F or he served Baal, and worshipped him, and provoked to anger the Lord God of Israel, according to all that his father had done.

He served the false god Baal and worshiped him. He made the Lord God of Israel angry in every way his father had done.