1 T hree years passed without war between Syria and Israel.

They continued three years without war between Syria and Israel.

2 I n the third year, 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 T he 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.”

The king of Israel said to his servants, “You know that Ramoth Gilead is ours, and we do nothing, and don’t take it out of the hand of the king of Syria?”

4 A nd 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.”

He said to Jehoshaphat, “Will you go with me to battle to Ramoth Gilead?” Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses.”

5 J ehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “Ask first for the word of the Lord.”

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

6 T hen 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.”

Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, about four hundred men, and said to them, “Should I go against Ramoth Gilead to battle, or should I refrain?” They said, “Go up; for the Lord will deliver it into the hand of the king.”

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

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

8 T he 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.”

The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of Yahweh, Micaiah the son of Imlah; but I hate him, for he does not prophesy good concerning me, but evil.” Jehoshaphat said, “Don’t let the king say so.”

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

Then the king of Israel called an officer, and said, “Quickly get Micaiah the son of Imlah.”

10 N ow 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.

Now the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah were sitting each on his throne, arrayed in their robes, in an open place at the entrance of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets were prophesying before them.

11 T hen 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.’”

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

12 A nd 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.”

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

13 T he 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.”

The messenger who went to call Micaiah spoke to him, saying, “See now, the prophets declare good to the king with one mouth. Please let your word be like the word of one of them, and speak good.”

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

Micaiah said, “As Yahweh lives, what Yahweh says to me, that I will speak.”

15 M icaiah 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.”

When he had come to the king, the king said to him, “Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth Gilead to battle, or shall we forbear?” He answered him, “Go up and prosper; and Yahweh will deliver it into the hand of the king.”

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

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

17 S o 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.’”

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

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

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

19 M icaiah 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.

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

20 T he Lord said, ‘Who will lead Ahab to go up and die at Ramoth-gilead?’ And one said one thing, and another said another thing.

Yahweh said, ‘Who will entice Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth Gilead?’ One said one thing; and another said another.

21 T hen a spirit came and stood before the Lord and said, ‘I will lead him.’

A spirit came out and stood before Yahweh, and said, ‘I will entice him.’

22 T he 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.’

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

23 N ow 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.”

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

24 T hen 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?”

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

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

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

26 T hen the king of Israel said, “Take Micaiah and return him to Amon the leader of the city and to Joash the king’s son.

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.

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

Say, ‘Thus says 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.”’”

28 M icaiah 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

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

29 S o the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah went up to Ramoth-gilead.

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

30 T he 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.

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

31 N ow 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.”

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

32 W hen 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.

When the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, they said, “Surely that is the king of Israel!” and they turned aside to fight against him. Jehoshaphat cried out.

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

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

34 B ut 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.”

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 his chariot, “Turn your hand, and carry me out of the battle; for I am severely wounded.”

35 T he 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.

The battle increased that day. The king was propped up in his chariot facing the Syrians, and died at evening. The blood ran out of the wound into the bottom of the chariot.

36 T hen a cry went through to his country!

A cry went throughout the army about the going down of the sun, saying, “Every man to his city, and every man to his country!”

37 S o the king died and was brought to Samaria. They buried the king in Samaria.

So the king died, and was brought to Samaria; and they buried the king in Samaria.

38 A nd 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.

They washed the chariot by the pool of Samaria; and the dogs licked up his blood where the prostitutes washed themselves; according to Yahweh’s word which he spoke.

39 N ow 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?

Now the rest of the acts of Ahab, and all that he did, and the ivory house which he built, and all the cities that he built, aren’t they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

40 A hab died and his son Ahaziah became king in his place. Jehoshaphat Rules Judah

So Ahab slept with his fathers; and Ahaziah his son reigned in his place.

41 J ehoshaphat the son of Asa became the king of Judah in the fourth year of Ahab king of Israel.

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

42 J ehoshaphat 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.

Jehoshaphat was thirty-five years old when he began to reign; and he reigned twenty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi.

43 H e 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.

He walked in all the way of Asa his father. He didn’t turn aside from it, doing that which was right in Yahweh’s eyes. However the high places were not taken away. The people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places.

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

Jehoshaphat made peace with the king of Israel.

45 T he 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?

Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, and his might that he showed, and how he fought, aren’t they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?

46 H e 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.

The remnant of the sodomites, that remained in the days of his father Asa, he put away out of the land.

47 N ow there was no king in Edom. A leader was acting as king.

There was no king in Edom. A deputy ruled.

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

Jehoshaphat made ships of Tarshish to go to Ophir for gold, but they didn’t go; for the ships wrecked at Ezion Geber.

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

Then Ahaziah the son of Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, “Let my servants go with your servants in the ships.” But Jehoshaphat would not.

50 A nd 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

Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in his father David’s city. Jehoram his son reigned in his place.

51 A hab’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.

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

52 H e 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.

He did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight, 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, in which he made Israel to sin.

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

He served Baal and worshiped him, and provoked Yahweh, the God of Israel, to anger, in all the ways that his father had done so.