Verse 1
And they continued three years without war between Syria and Israel.
Verse 2
And it came to pass in the third year, that Jehoshaphat the king of Judah came down to the king of Israel.
Verse 3
And the king of Israel said unto his servants, Know ye that Ramoth-gilead is ours, and we are still, and take it not out of the hand of the king of Syria?
Verse 4
And he said unto Jehoshaphat, Wilt thou go with me to battle to Ramoth-gilead? And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, I am as thou art, my people as thy people, my horses as thy horses.
Verse 5
And Jehoshaphat said unto the king of Israel, Inquire first, I pray thee, for the word of Jehovah.
Verse 6
Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, about four hundred men, and said unto them, Shall I go against Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall I forbear? And they said, Go up; for the Lord will deliver it into the hand of the king.
Verse 7
But Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of Jehovah besides, that we may inquire of him?
Verse 8
And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, there is yet one man by whom we may inquire of Jehovah, Micaiah the son of Imlah: but I hate him; for he doth not prophesy good concerning me, but evil. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say so.
Verse 9
Then the king of Israel called an officer, and said, Fetch quickly Micaiah the son of Imlah.
Verse 10
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.
Verse 11
And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made him horns of iron, and said, Thus saith Jehovah, With these shalt thou push the Syrians, until they be consumed.
Verse 12
And all the prophets prophesied so, saying, Go up to Ramoth-gilead, and prosper; for Jehovah will deliver it into the hand of the king.
Verse 13
And the messenger that went 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 thou good.
Verse 14
And Micaiah said, As Jehovah liveth, what Jehovah saith unto me, that will I speak.
Verse 15
And when he was come to the king, the king said unto him, Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall we forbear? And he answered him, Go up and prosper; and Jehovah will deliver it into the hand of the king.
Verse 16
And the king said unto him, How many times shall I adjure thee that thou speak unto me nothing but the truth in the name of Jehovah?
Verse 17
And he said, I saw all Israel scattered upon the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd: and Jehovah said, These have no master; let them return every man to his house in peace.
Verse 18
And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, Did I not tell thee that he would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil?
Verse 19
And [Micaiah] said, Therefore hear thou the word of Jehovah: I saw Jehovah sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven standing by him on his right hand and on his left.
Verse 20
And Jehovah said, Who shall entice Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead? And one said on this manner; and another said on that manner.
Verse 21
And there came forth a spirit, and stood before Jehovah, and said, I will entice him.
Verse 22
And Jehovah said unto him, Wherewith? And he said, I will go forth, and will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And he said, Thou shalt entice him, and shalt prevail also: go forth, and do so.
Verse 23
Now therefore, behold, Jehovah hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets; and Jehovah hath spoken evil concerning thee.
Verse 24
Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah came near, and smote Micaiah on the cheek, and said, Which way went the Spirit of Jehovah from me to speak unto thee?
Verse 25
And Micaiah said, Behold, thou shalt see on that day, when thou shalt go into an inner chamber to hide thyself.
Verse 26
And 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;
Verse 27
and 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.
Verse 28
And Micaiah said, If thou return at all in peace, Jehovah hath not spoken by me. And he said, Hear, ye peoples, all of you.
Verse 29
So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went up to Ramoth-gilead.
Verse 30
And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, I will disguise myself, and go into the battle; but put thou on thy robes. And the king of Israel disguised himself, and went into the battle.
Verse 31
Now the king of Syria had commanded the thirty and two captains of his chariots, saying, Fight neither with small nor great, save only with the king of Israel.
Verse 32
And 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.
Verse 33
And it came to pass, when the captains of the chariots saw that it was not the king of Israel, that they turned back from pursuing him.
Verse 34
And a certain man drew his bow at a venture, and smote the king of Israel between the joints of the armor: wherefore he said unto the driver of his chariot, Turn thy hand, and carry me out of the host; for I am sore wounded.
Verse 35
And 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 bottom of the chariot.
Verse 36
And there went a cry throughout the host about the going down of the sun, saying, Every man to his city, and every man to his country.
Verse 37
So the king died, and was brought to Samaria; and they buried the king in Samaria.
Verse 38
And they washed the chariot by the pool of Samaria; and the dogs licked up his blood (now the harlots washed themselves [there] ); according unto the word of Jehovah which he spake.
Verse 39
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, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
Verse 40
So Ahab slept with his fathers; and Ahaziah his son reigned in his stead.
Verse 41
And Jehoshaphat the son of Asa began to reign over Judah in the fourth year of Ahab king of Israel.
Verse 42
Jehoshaphat 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.
Verse 43
And he walked in all the way of Asa his father; He turned not aside from it, doing that which was right in the eyes of Jehovah: howbeit the high places were not taken away; the people still sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places.
Verse 44
And Jehoshaphat made peace with the king of Israel.
Verse 45
Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, and his might that he showed, and how he warred, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?
Verse 46
And the remnant of the sodomites, that remained in the days of his father Asa, he put away out of the land.
Verse 47
And there was no king in Edom: a deputy was king.
Verse 48
Jehoshaphat made ships of Tarshish to go to Ophir for gold: but they went not; for the ships were broken at Ezion-geber.
Verse 49
Then said Ahaziah the son of Ahab unto Jehoshaphat, Let my servants go with thy servants in the ships. But Jehoshaphat would not.
Verse 50
And 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.
Verse 51
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.
Verse 52
And he did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah, 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, wherein he made Israel to sin.
Verse 53
And he served Baal, and worshipped him, and provoked to anger Jehovah, the God of Israel, according to all that his father had done.