1 For three years there was no war between Aram and Israel.

And they continued three years without war between Syria and Israel.

2 But in the third year, Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, went down to visit the king of Israel.

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

3 The king of Israel said to his servants, 'Don’t you know that Ramoth Gilead belongs to us, yet we remain idle without taking it back from the king of Aram?'

And 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?

4 So he said to Jehoshaphat, 'Will you go with me to fight against Ramoth Gilead?' Jehoshaphat answered the king of Israel, 'I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses.'

And 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.

5 Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, 'Please, first seek an answer from the LORD today.'

And Jehoshaphat said unto the king of Israel, Enquire, I pray thee, at the word of the LORD to day.

6 Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets, about four hundred men, and asked them, 'Should I go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or not?' They said, 'Go up, and the Lord will give it into the king’s hands.'

Then 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.

7 But Jehoshaphat asked, 'Is there not another prophet of the LORD here whom we can inquire of?'

And Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of the LORD besides, that we might enquire of him?

8 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, 'There is still one man through whom we can inquire of the LORD, but I hate him because he never prophesies anything good about me, only bad. His name is Micaiah son of Imlah.' Jehoshaphat replied, 'The king should not say such a thing.'

And 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.

9 So the king of Israel called an officer and said, 'Quickly bring Micaiah son of Imlah.'

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

10 The king of Israel and Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, were sitting on their thrones, dressed in their royal robes, at the threshing floor at the entrance to the gate of Samaria, while all the prophets were prophesying in front of them.

And 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.

11 Now Zedekiah son of Chenaanah had made iron horns, and he declared, 'This is what the LORD says: With these, you will gore the Arameans until they are completely destroyed.'

And 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.

12 And all the prophets were prophesying the same, saying, 'Go up to Ramoth Gilead and triumph, for the LORD will give it into the hand of the king.'

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

13 The messenger who went to summon Micaiah said to him, 'Behold, all the prophets are declaring good things to the king with one voice. Please let your word agree with theirs and say something favorable.'

And 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.

14 But Micaiah said, 'As surely as the LORD lives, I can only speak what the LORD tells me.'

And Micaiah said, As the LORD liveth, what the LORD saith unto me, that will I speak.

15 When Micaiah arrived before the king, the king said to him, 'Micaiah, should we go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or should we refrain?' Micaiah answered, 'Go and succeed, for the LORD will give it into the king’s hand.'

So 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.

16 But the king said to him, 'How many times must I make you swear to tell me nothing but the truth in the name of the LORD?'

And 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?

17 Then Micaiah said, 'I saw all Israel scattered on the hills like sheep without a shepherd. And the LORD said, “These people have no master; each one should go home in peace.”'

And 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.

18 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, 'Didn’t I tell you that he never prophesies anything good about me, only bad?'

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

19 Micaiah continued, 'Therefore, hear the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting on His throne, with all the host of heaven standing around Him on His right and on His left.'

And 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.

20 And the LORD said, ‘Who will entice Ahab to go up and fall at Ramoth Gilead?’ One suggested this, and another suggested that.

And 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.

21 Finally, a spirit came forward, stood before the LORD, and said, ‘I will entice him.’

And there came forth a spirit, and stood before the LORD, and said, I will persuade him.

22 ‘By what means?’ the LORD asked. 'I will go and be a lying spirit in the mouths of all his prophets,' he said. The LORD replied, 'You will succeed in enticing him. Go and do it.'

And 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.

23 So now the LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouths of all these prophets of yours, and the LORD has decreed disaster for you.

Now 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.

24 Then Zedekiah son of Chenaanah went up and slapped Micaiah on the cheek and demanded, 'Which way did the spirit of the LORD go when he left me to speak to you?'

But 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?

25 Micaiah replied, 'You will find out on the day you go to hide in an inner room.'

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

26 Then the king of Israel ordered, 'Take Micaiah and return him to Amon, the governor of the city, and to Joash, the king’s son.'

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;

27 And say, ‘This is what the king says: Put this man in prison and feed him only bread and water of affliction until I return safely.’

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.

28 Micaiah said, 'If you ever return safely, the LORD has not spoken through me.' Then he added, 'Pay attention, all you people!'

And 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.

29 So 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 Ramothgilead.

30 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, 'I will disguise myself and go into battle, but you wear your royal robes.' So the king of Israel disguised himself and went into battle.

And 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.

31 Now the king of Aram had commanded the thirty-two chariot commanders, 'Do not fight with anyone, whether small or great, except the king of Israel alone.'

But 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.

32 When the chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat, they thought, 'Surely this is the king of Israel.' So they turned to attack him. But Jehoshaphat cried out for help.

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.

33 When the chariot commanders saw that he was not the king of Israel, they stopped pursuing him.

And 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.

34 But someone randomly drew his bow and struck the king of Israel between the sections of his armor. The king told his chariot driver, 'Turn around and get me out of the battle, for I am badly wounded.'

And 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.

35 The battle raged throughout that day, and the king was propped up in his chariot facing the Arameans. But he died that evening, and the blood from his wound ran onto the floor of the chariot.

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 midst of the chariot.

36 As the sun was setting, a cry spread throughout the army, 'Every man to his city, and every man to his land!'

And 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.

37 So the king died and was brought to Samaria, where they buried him.

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

38 They washed the chariot at the pool of Samaria, and the dogs licked up his blood, as the prostitutes bathed there, in accordance with the word of the LORD that He had spoken.

And 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.

39 The rest of the acts of Ahab, including all that he did, the palace of ivory he built, and the cities he constructed, 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 made, and all the cities that he built, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

40 So Ahab rested with his ancestors, and his son Ahaziah became king in his place.

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

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

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

42 Jehoshaphat was thirty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem for twenty-five years. His mother’s name was Azubah, the daughter of Shilhi.

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.

43 Jehoshaphat followed in all the ways of his father Asa. He did not turn aside from them and did what was right in the eyes of the LORD.

And 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.

44 Nevertheless, the high places were not removed, and the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there.

And Jehoshaphat made peace with the king of Israel.

45 Jehoshaphat was at peace with the king of Israel.

Now 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?

46 The rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, his might, and the wars he waged, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah?

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

47 He also removed from the land the remaining cult prostitutes who had survived from the days of his father Asa.

There was then no king in Edom: a deputy was king.

48 There was no king in Edom; a deputy ruled in place of a king.

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

49 Jehoshaphat built ships to go to Ophir for gold, but they never set sail because they were wrecked at Ezion-Geber.

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

50 At that time, Ahaziah son of Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, 'Let my servants sail with your servants in the ships,' but Jehoshaphat refused.

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.

51 Jehoshaphat rested with his ancestors and was buried with them in the city of David, his father. And his son Jehoram succeeded him as king.

Ahaziah 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.

52 Ahaziah son of Ahab became king over Israel in Samaria in the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, and he reigned over Israel for two years.

And 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:

53 He did evil in the eyes of the LORD and followed the ways of his father, his mother, and Jeroboam son of Nebat, who caused Israel to sin.

For he served Baal, and worshipped him, and provoked to anger the LORD God of Israel, according to all that his father had done.

54 Ahaziah served Baal and worshiped him, and he aroused the anger of the LORD, the God of Israel, just as his father had done.