18:1 Now Jehoshaphat had great wealth and honor, and he allied himself with Ahab by marriage.
18:2 Some years later he went down to visit Ahab in Samaria. Ahab slaughtered many sheep and cattle for him and the people with him and urged him to attack Ramoth Gilead.
18:3 Ahab king of Israel asked Jehoshaphat king of Judah, “Will you go with me against Ramoth Gilead?” Jehoshaphat replied, “I am as you are, and my people as your people; we will join you in the war.”
18:4 But Jehoshaphat also said to the king of Israel, “First seek the counsel of the LORD.”
18:5 So the king of Israel brought together the prophets–four hundred men–and asked them, “Shall we go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or shall I refrain?” “Go,” they answered, “for God will give it into the king’s hand.”
18:6 But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there not a prophet of the LORD here whom we can inquire of?”
18:7 The king of Israel answered 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, but always bad. He is Micaiah son of Imlah.” “The king should not say that,” Jehoshaphat replied.
18:8 So the king of Israel called one of his officials and said, “Bring Micaiah son of Imlah at once.”
18:9 Dressed in their royal robes, the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah were sitting on their thrones at the threshing floor by the entrance to the gate of Samaria, with all the prophets prophesying before them.
18:10 Now Zedekiah son of Kenaanah had made iron horns, and he declared, “This is what the LORD says: ‘With these you will gore the Arameans until they are destroyed.’”
18:11 All the other prophets were prophesying the same thing. “Attack Ramoth Gilead and be victorious,” they said, “for the LORD will give it into the king’s hand.”
18:12 The messenger who had gone to summon Micaiah said to him, “Look, as one man the other prophets are predicting success for the king. Let your word agree with theirs, and speak favorably.”
18:13 But Micaiah said, “As surely as the LORD lives, I can tell him only what my God says.”
18:14 When he arrived, the king asked him, “Micaiah, shall we go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or shall I refrain?” “Attack and be victorious,” he answered, “for they will be given into your hand.”
18:15 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?”
18:16 Then Micaiah answered, “I saw all Israel scattered on the hills like sheep without a shepherd, and the LORD said, ‘These people have no master. Let each one go home in peace.’”
18:17 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Didn’t I tell you that he never prophesies anything good about me, but only bad?”
18:18 Micaiah continued, “Therefore hear the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting on his throne with all the host of heaven standing on his right and on his left.
18:19 And the LORD said, ‘Who will entice Ahab king of Israel into attacking Ramoth Gilead and going to his death there?’ “One suggested this, and another that.
18:20 Finally, a spirit came forward, stood before the LORD and said, ‘I will entice him.’ “‘By what means?’ the LORD asked.
18:21 “‘I will go and be a lying spirit in the mouths of all his prophets,’ he said. “‘You will succeed in enticing him,’ said the LORD. ‘Go and do it.’
18:22 “So now the LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouths of these prophets of yours. The LORD has decreed disaster for you.”
18:23 Then Zedekiah son of Kenaanah went up and slapped Micaiah in the face. “Which way did the spirit from the LORD go when he went from me to speak to you?” he asked.
18:24 Micaiah replied, “You will find out on the day you go to hide in an inner room.”
18:25 The king of Israel then ordered, “Take Micaiah and send him back to Amon the ruler of the city and to Joash the king’s son,
18:26 and say, ‘This is what the king says: Put this fellow in prison and give him nothing but bread and water until I return safely.’”
18:27 Micaiah declared, “If you ever return safely, the LORD has not spoken through me.” Then he added, “Mark my words, all you people!”
18:28 So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah went up to Ramoth Gilead.
18:29 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “I will enter the battle in disguise, but you wear your royal robes.” So the king of Israel disguised himself and went into battle.
18:30 Now the king of Aram had ordered his chariot commanders, “Do not fight with anyone, small or great, except the king of Israel.”
18:31 When the chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat, they thought, “This is the king of Israel.” So they turned to attack him, but Jehoshaphat cried out, and the LORD helped him. God drew them away from him,
18:32 for when the chariot commanders saw that he was not the king of Israel, they stopped pursuing him.
18:33 But someone drew his bow at random and hit the king of Israel between the sections of his armor. The king told the chariot driver, “Wheel around and get me out of the fighting. I’ve been wounded.”
18:34 All day long the battle raged, and the king of Israel propped himself up in his chariot facing the Arameans until evening. Then at sunset he died.
18:1 And Jehoshaphat had great riches and honor, and he allied himself in marriage with Ahab.
18:2 And after a number of years he came down to Ahab in Samaria. And Ahab slaughtered sheep and oxen in abundance for him and for the people who were with him, and persuaded him to go up against Ramoth-gilead.
18:3 And Ahab the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, Will you go with me to Ramoth-gilead? And Jehoshaphat said to him, I will be as you are; my people will be as your people; we will be with you in battle.
18:4 And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, Ask today, I beg you, for the word of Jehovah.
18:5 And the king of Israel assembled the prophets, four hundred men, and said to them, Shall we go against Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall I refrain? And they said, Go up, and God will give it into the king’s hand.
18:6 But Jehoshaphat said, Is there not yet another prophet of Jehovah here, that we might inquire of him?
18:7 And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of Jehovah; but I hate him, for he prophesies no good concerning me, but always evil. He is Micaiah the son of Imla. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say so.
18:8 Then the king of Israel called a certain officer and said, Quickly bring Micaiah the son of Imla.
18:9 Now the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah were sitting each on his throne, arrayed in their robes, sitting on the threshing floor at the entrance of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets were prophesying before them.
18:10 And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made for himself horns of iron, and he said, Thus says Jehovah, With these you will push the Syrians until you have destroyed them.
18:11 And all the prophets prophesied so, saying, Go up to Ramoth-gilead, and succeed; for Jehovah will deliver it into the king’s hand.
18:12 And the messenger who went to call Micaiah spoke to him, saying, See, the words of the prophets, being of one accord, seem good to the king. So let your word, I beg you, be like one of them, and speak good.
18:13 And Micaiah said, As Jehovah lives, that which my God says, that will I speak.
18:14 And when he came to the king, the king said to him, Micaiah, shall we go against Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall I refrain? And he said, Go up, and succeed; for they will be delivered into your hand.
18:15 And the king said to him, How many times shall I adjure you to tell me nothing but the truth in the name of Jehovah?
18:16 And he said, I saw all Israel scattered upon the mountains, like sheep that have no shepherd. And Jehovah said, These have no master; let each of them return to his house in peace.
18:17 And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, Did I not tell you that he prophesies no good concerning me, but evil?
18:18 And Micaiah said, Hear therefore the word of Jehovah, I saw Jehovah sitting on His throne and all the host of heaven standing on His right hand and His left.
18:19 And Jehovah said, Who shall entice Ahab the king of Israel, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead? And one said after this manner, and another said after that manner.
18:20 And there came forth a certain spirit and stood before Jehovah and said, I will entice him. And Jehovah said unto him, How?
18:21 And he said, I will go forth and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And He said, You shall entice him and surely prevail. Go forth, and do so.
18:22 So now Jehovah has put a lying spirit in the mouth of these your prophets, and Jehovah has spoken evil concerning you.
18:23 Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah approached and struck Micaiah upon the cheek and said, Which way did the Spirit of Jehovah pass from me to speak to you?
18:24 And Micaiah said, You will see on that day when you go from room to room to hide yourself.
18:25 And 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.
18:26 And you shall say, Thus says the king, Put this man in prison, and feed him with the bread of affliction and with the water of affliction until I return in peace.
18:27 And Micaiah said, If you return in peace at all, Jehovah has not spoken by me. And he said, Listen, O peoples, all of you!
18:28 And the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went up to Ramoth-gilead.
18:29 And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, I will disguise myself and enter into the battle; but you put on your robes. And the king of Israel disguised himself, and they went into the battle.
18:30 And the king of Syria commanded the captains of his chariots, saying, Fight neither with small nor great, but with the king of Israel only.
18:31 And when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, they said, This is the king of Israel. And they surrounded him to fight, and Jehoshaphat cried out. And Jehovah helped him, and God diverted them from him.
18:32 And when the captains of the chariots perceived that he was not the king of Israel, they turned back from pursuing him.
18:33 And a man drew a bow at random and hit the king of Israel between the scale armor and the breastplate. And the king of Israel said to his charioteer, Turn your hand, and drive me out of the camp; for I am wounded.
18:34 And the battle increased that day; and the king of Israel was propped up in his chariot before the Syrians until the evening, and he died at the time of the setting of the sun.