The Second Book of the Chronicles

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- Chapter 18 -

(1 Kings 22:1–12)

Jehoshaphat became very wealthy and was greatly honored. But then he arranged for one of his family to marry someone from the family of King Ahab of Israel.

Several years later, he went down from Jerusalem to Samaria to visit Ahab. Ahab welcomed him, and the people who had come with him by slaughtering many sheep and cattle for a feast.

Then he asked Jehoshaphat, “Will you and your army go with my army to attack the city of Ramoth in the region of Gilead?” Jehoshaphat replied, “My soldiers and I are at your orders. We will go to war when you tell us to go.”

Then he added, “But we should ask Yahweh first, to find out what he wants us to do.”

So the king of Israel gathered all his four hundred prophets and asked them, “Should we go to fight the people of Ramoth, or should we not?” They replied, “Yes, go and attack them because God will enable your army to defeat them.”

But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there no prophet of Yahweh here whom we can ask?”

The king of Israel replied, “There is still one man here, whom we can ask to find out what Yahweh wants, His name is Micaiah son of Imlah. But I hate him because he never says anything good about me. He always predicts that bad things will happen to me.” Jehoshaphat replied, “King Ahab, you should not say that!”

So the king of Israel told one of his officials to summon Micaiah immediately.

Now the king of Israel and the king of Judah were sitting there on thrones, wearing their royal robes. They were sitting by the gate of Samaria, and all the prophets were busy saying words of prophecy to them.

One of them whose name was Zedekiah son of Kenaanah, had made from iron something that resembled the horns of a bull. He proclaimed to Ahab, “This is what Yahweh says: ‘With horns like these, your army will keep attacking the army of Aram like a bull attacks another animal, until you completely destroy them.’”

All the other prophets of Ahab agreed. They said, “Yes! If you attack Ramoth in Gilead, you will be successful, because Yahweh will enable you to defeat them.”

Micaiah Prophesies against Ahab

(1 Kings 22:13–28)

The messenger who went to summon Micaiah said to him, “Listen to me! All the other prophets are predicting the same thing. You had better do as they are doing!”

But Micaiah said, “As surely as Yahweh lives, I will tell him only what he tells me to say.”

When Micaiah arrived, the king of Israel asked him, “Should we go to attack Ramoth, or not?” Micaiah replied, “Sure, go! Yahweh will enable your army to defeat them!”

But King Ahab wished to appear reverent toward Yahweh in front of Jehoshaphat. He said to Miciaiah, “I keep telling you to say only what Yahweh tells you to say!”

Then Micaiah replied, “The truth is that in a vision I saw all the troops of Israel scattered on the mountains. They seemed to be like sheep that did not have a shepherd. And Yahweh said, ‘Their master has been killed. So tell them all to go home peacefully.’”

Ahab turned to Jehoshaphat and said, “I told you that Micaiah never says anything good will happen to me! He only predicts bad things for me.”

But Micaiah continued, saying, “Listen to what Yahweh showed to me! In a vision I saw Yahweh sitting on his throne, with all the armies of heaven standing around him, on his right side and on his left side.

And Yahweh said, ‘Who can persuade Ahab, the king of Israel, to go to fight against the people of Ramoth, in order that he may be killed there?’ Some suggested one thing, and others suggested something else.

Finally one spirit came forward and said, ‘I can do it!’ Yahweh asked him, ‘How will you do it?’

The spirit replied, ‘I will go and inspire all of Ahab’s prophets to tell lies.’ Yahweh said, ‘You will be successful; go and do it!’

So now I tell you that Yahweh has caused your prophets to lie to you. Yahweh has decided that something terrible will happen to you.”

Then Zedekiah walked over to Micaiah and slapped him on his face. He said, “Do you think that Yahweh’s spirit left me in order to speak to you?”

Micaiah replied, “You will find out for yourself to which of us Yahweh’s spirit has truly spoken on the day when you go into a room of some house to hide from the Aramean soldiers!”

King Ahab commanded his soldiers, “Arrest Micaiah and take him to Amon, the governor of this city, and to my son Joash.

Tell them that I have commanded that they should put this man in prison and give him only bread and water. Do not give him anything else to eat until I return safely from the battle!”

Micaiah replied, “If you return safely, it will be clear that it was not Yahweh who told me what to say to you!” Then he said to all those who were standing there, “Do not forget what I have said to King Ahab!”

Ahab’s Defeat and Death

(1 Kings 22:29–40)

So the king of Israel and the king of Judah led their armies to Ramoth in Gilead.

King Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, “I will put on different clothes, in order that no one will recognize that I am the king. But you should wear your royal robe.” So the king of Israel disguised himself, and they both went into the battle.

The king of Aram had told his soldiers who were driving the chariots, “Attack only the king of Israel! Do not attack anyone else.”

So when the soldiers who were driving the Aramean chariots saw Jehoshaphat wearing the royal robes, they thought, “He must be the king of Israel!”

So they turned to attack him. But when Jehoshaphat cried out, Yahweh helped him, and they realized that he was not the king of Israel. And God caused them to stop pursuing him.

But one Aramean soldier shot an arrow at Ahab, without knowing who he was. The arrow struck Ahab between the places where the parts of his armor joined together. Ahab told the driver of his chariot, “Turn the chariot around and take me out of here! I have been severely wounded!”

The battle continued all the day. Ahab was sitting propped up in his chariot, facing the Aramean soldiers. And late in the afternoon, when the sun was setting, he died.

(1 Kings 22:1–12)

Now Jehoshaphat had riches and honor in abundance; and he allied himself with Ahab.

After some years, he went down to Ahab to Samaria. Ahab killed sheep and cattle for him in abundance, and for the people who were with him, and moved him to go up with him to Ramoth Gilead.

Ahab king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat king of Judah, “Will you go with me to Ramoth Gilead?” He answered him, “I am as you are, and my people as your people. We will be with you in the war.”

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

Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, four hundred men, and said to them, “Shall we go to Ramoth Gilead to battle, or shall I forbear?” They said, “Go up, for God will deliver it into the hand of the king.”

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

The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of the LORD; but I hate him, for he never prophesies good concerning me, but always evil. He is Micaiah the son of Imla.” Jehoshaphat said, “Don’t let the king say so.”

Then the king of Israel called an officer, and said, “Get Micaiah the son of Imla quickly.”

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

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

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

Micaiah Prophesies against Ahab

(1 Kings 22:13–28)

The messenger who went to call Micaiah spoke to him, saying, “Behold, the words of the prophets declare good to the king with one mouth. Let your word therefore, please be like one of theirs, and speak good.”

Micaiah said, “As the LORD lives, I will say what my God says.”

When he had come to the king, the king said to him, “Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth Gilead to battle, or shall I forbear?” He said, “Go up, and prosper. They shall be delivered into your hand.”

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

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

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

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

The LORD said, ‘Who will entice Ahab king of Israel, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth Gilead?’ One spoke saying in this way, and another saying in that way.

A spirit came out, stood before the LORD, and said, ‘I will entice him.’ “The LORD said to him, ‘How?’

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

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

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

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

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;

and say, ‘The king says, “Put this fellow in the prison, and feed him with bread of affliction and with water of affliction, until I return in peace.”’”

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

Ahab’s Defeat and Death

(1 Kings 22:29–40)

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

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

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

When the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, they said, “It is the king of Israel!” Therefore they turned around to fight against him. But Jehoshaphat cried out, and the LORD helped him; and God moved them to depart from him.

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

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 the chariot, “Turn around and carry me out of the battle, for I am severely wounded.”

The battle increased that day. However, the king of Israel propped himself up in his chariot against the Syrians until the evening; and at about sunset, he died.