1 Kings 22:7-53 ▼

7 And Jehoshaphat said, “Is there not here a prophet of YHWH still, that we may inquire of Him?”

8 And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “There is still one man to seek YHWH by him. I hate him, because he does not prophesy concerning me good, but rather evil: Micaiah son of Imlah.” And Jehoshaphat said, “Let not the king say such things.”

9 And the king of Israel called to one eunuch and said, “Bring quickly Micaiah son of Imlah.”

10 And the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah were sitting, each on his throne, clothed with garments, by the threshing floor at the entrance of the gate of Samaria. And all the prophets prophesied before them.

11 And Zedekiah son of Chenaanah had made for himself horns of iron, and he said, “Thus says YHWH: ‘With these you shall gore Aram until they are consumed.’”

12 And all the prophets prophesied thus, saying, “Go up to Ramoth-gilead and prosper, and YHWH will deliver it into the hand of the king.”

13 And the messenger who had gone to call Micaiah spoke to him, saying, “Behold, please, the words of the prophets with one accord are good unto the king. Let be, please, your word like the word of one of them, and speak good.”

14 And Micaiah said, “As YHWH lives, surely that which YHWH says to me, that I will speak.”

15 And he came to the king. And the king said to him, “Micaiah, shall we go against Ramoth-gilead to war, or shall we refrain?” And he answered to him, “Go up and prosper, for YHWH will deliver it into the hand of the king.”

16 And the king said to him, “Up to how many times shall I make you swear that you speak nothing to me but the truth in the name of YHWH?”

17 And he said, “I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains, like the sheep that have no shepherd. And YHWH said, ‘These have no master; let them return, a man to his house in peace.’”

18 And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Did not I say to you that he would not prophesy concerning me good, but rather evil?”

19 And he said, “Therefore hear the word of YHWH. I saw YHWH sitting on His throne, and all the host of the heavens standing beside him on His right and on His left.

20 And YHWH said, ‘Who will persuade Ahab to go up, that he may fall at Ramoth-gilead?’ And thus spoke this one, and thus spoke this one.

21 And a spirit came forward and stood before the face of YHWH and said, ‘I will persuade him.’ And YHWH said to him, ‘By what?’

22 And he said, ‘I will go and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ And He said, ‘Entice him and also you will prevail. Go and do so.’

23 And now, behold, YHWH has put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these prophets of yours, and YHWH has declared disaster against you.”

24 And Zedekiah son of Chenaanah went near, and he struck Micaiah on the cheek and said, “Where is this that has passed over the spirit of YHWH from me to speak with you?”

25 And Micaiah said, “Behold, you shall see on that day, when you go into an inner chamber to hide.”

26 And the king of Israel said, “Take Micaiah and return him to Amon the governor of the city and to Joash son of the king.

27 And say, thus says the king: ‘Put this one in the house of restraint, and feed him with bread of affliction and water of affliction, until I come in peace.’”

28 And Micaiah said, “If you ever return in peace, YHWH has not spoken by me.” And he said, “Take heed, peoples, all of them.”

29 And the king of Israel went up, and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, to Ramoth-gilead.

30 And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “I will disguise myself and come into the battle, and you put on your robes.” And the king of Israel disguised himself and went into the battle.

31 And the king of Aram had commanded the captains of the chariots who were unto him, thirty-two, saying, “You? shall not fight with small or with great, except but with the king of Israel by himself.”

32 And it came to pass, the commanders of the chariots seeing Jehoshaphat, that they said, “It is surely the king of Israel.” And they turned aside to fight against him, and Jehoshaphat cried out.

33 And it came to pass, the captains of the chariots seeing that it was not the king of Israel, that they turned back from pursuing him.

34 And a man drew with the bow in his simplicity, and he struck the king of Israel between the joints and between of armor. And he said to the driver of his chariot, “Turn your hand and take me out of the battle, for I am wounded.”

35 And the battle increased that day, and the king was propped up in the chariot over against Aram. And he died in the evening, and the blood from the wound ran out onto the floor of the chariot.

36 And a shout went throughout the army at the going in of the sun, saying, “Each man to his city, and each man to his own land.”

37 And the king died and was brought to Samaria, and they buried the king in Samaria.

38 And one washed the chariot at a pool in Samaria. And the dogs licked up his blood, and the prostitutes bathed, according to the word of YHWH that He had spoken.

39 And the rest of the acts of Ahab, and all that he did, and the ivory house that he built, and all the cities that he built, are they not written in the Book of the Words of the Days of the Kings of Israel?

40 And Ahab rested with his fathers. And Ahaziah his son reigned in his place.

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

42 Jehoshaphat was a son of thirty-five years in his reigning, and twenty-five years he reigned in Jerusalem. And the name of his mother was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi.

43 And he walked in all the ways of Asa his father; he did not turn aside from them, doing right in the eyes of YHWH. Nevertheless, they did not remove the high places; still the people offered sacrifices and burned incense on the high places.

44 And Jehoshaphat made peace with the kings of Israel.

45 And the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, and the might that he showed, and how he made war, are they not written in the Book of the Words of the Days of the Kings of Judah?

46 And the rest of the male shrine prostitutes, who remained from the days of Asa his father, he banished from the land.

47 And there was no king in Edom; he set up a king.

48 Jehoshaphat made ships of Tarshish to go to Ophir for gold, and they never sailed, for the ships were wrecked at Ezion-geber.

49 Then said Ahaziah son of Ahab to Jehoshaphat, “Let my servants go with your servants in the ships.” And Jehoshaphat was not willing.

50 And Jehoshaphat rested with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the City of David his father. And Joram his son reigned in his place.

51 Ahaziah son of Ahab became king over Israel in Samaria in the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah. And he reigned over Israel two years.

52 And He did evil in the eyes of YHWH and walked in the way of his father, and in the way of his mother, and in the way of Jeroboam son of Nebat who had caused Israel to sin.

53 For he served the Baal and bowed down to him and provoked to anger YHWH, God of Israel, according to all that his father had done.