1 Kings 22:1-40 - Jehoshaphat Of Judah Allies With Ahab Of Israel
1 There was peace between Israel and Syria for the next two years. 2 In the third year King Jehoshaphat of Judah went to see King Ahab of Israel. 3 Ahab asked his officials: Why have we not done anything to get back Ramoth in Gilead from the king of Syria? It is ours! 4 Ahab asked Jehoshaphat: Will you go with me to attack Ramoth? I am ready when you are, Jehoshaphat answered. And so are my soldiers and my cavalry. 5 First let us inquire of Jehovah.
6 So Ahab called in the prophets, about four hundred of them, and asked them: Should I attack Ramoth, or not? They answered: Attack, Jehovah will give you victory.
7 Jehoshaphat asked: Is there another prophet through whom we can consult Jehovah?
8 Ahab answered: There is one more, Micaiah son of Imlah. But I hate him because he never prophesies anything good for me, always something bad. The king should not say such things! Jehoshaphat replied.
9 Then Ahab called a court official and told him to get Micaiah at once.
10 They dressed in their royal robes and sat on their thrones at the threshing place near the gate of Samaria. The two kings listened to all the prophets prophesy in front of them. 11 One of them, Zedekiah son of Chenaanah, made iron horns and said to Ahab: Jehovah says: 'With these you will fight the Syrians and totally defeat them.' 12 All the other prophets said the same thing: March against Ramoth and you will win, they said. Jehovah will give you victory.
13 The messenger who went to get Micaiah said to him: All the other prophets have prophesied success for the king. You had better do the same.
14 Micaiah answered: By the living God Jehovah I promise that I will say what he tells me to say!
15 He appeared before King Ahab. The king asked him: Micaiah, should King Jehoshaphat and I go and attack Ramoth, or not? Attack! Micaiah answered. You will win. Jehovah will give you victory.
16 But Ahab replied: Tell the truth when you speak to me in the name of Jehovah! How many times do I have to tell you that?
17 Micaiah answered: I can see the army of Israel scattered over the hills like sheep without a shepherd. Jehovah said: These men have no leader. Let them go home in peace.
18 Israel's king said to Jehoshaphat: Did I not say to you, He will prophesy about me? It is always something bad!
19 Micaiah continued: Now listen to what Jehovah says! I saw Jehovah sitting on his throne in heaven, with all his angels standing beside him. 20 Jehovah asked: Who will deceive Ahab so that he will go and be killed at Ramoth? Some of the angels said one thing, and others said something else,
21 until a spirit stepped forward, approached Jehovah, and said: I will deceive him.
22 How will you deceive him? Jehovah asked. The spirit replied: I will make all of Ahab's prophets tell lies. Jehovah said: Go and deceive him. You will succeed.
23 Micaiah concluded: This is what has happened. Jehovah made these prophets of yours lie to you. He has decreed that you will meet with disaster!
24 The prophet Zedekiah went to Micaiah and slapped his face. He asked: Since when did Jehovah's spirit leave me and speak to you?
25 You will see when you go into an inner chamber to hide. Micaiah replied.
26 The king of Israel said: Take Micaiah and send him back to Amon, the ruler of the town, and to Joash, the king's son. 27 Tell them: 'It is the king's order that this man is to be put in prison and given prison food till I come again in peace.'
28 Micaiah said: If you come back at all in peace, Jehovah has not sent his word by me.
29 So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, went to Ramoth-gilead. 30 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat: I will change my clothing, so that I do not seem to be the king. Then I will go into the fight. You put on your royal robes. So the king of Israel changed his dress and went into the battle.
31 Now the king of Aram had given orders to the thirty-two captains of his war-carriages, saying: Make no attack on small or great, but only on the king of Israel.
32 So when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, they said: Truly, this is the king of Israel. They turned against him and surrounded him. Jehoshaphat gave a cry. 33 When the captains of the chariots saw that he was not the king of Israel they withdrew from him.
34 A stray arrow wounded the king of Israel a wound where his breastplate was joined to his clothing. He said to the chariot driver: Go to the side. Take me away from the fight for I am badly wounded. 35 The fight grew more violent as the day went on. The king was propped up in his chariot facing the Syrians (Aramaeans). The floor of the chariot was covered with the blood from his wound. By evening he died. 36 About sundown a cry went up from all parts of the army, saying: Let every man go back to his town and his country, for the king is dead.
37 They traveled to Samaria and buried the king there. 38 The chariot was washed at the pool of Samaria the bathing-place of the loose women. Dogs were drinking his blood there, as Jehovah said.
39 Everything else that King Ahab did, including an account of his palace decorated with ivory and of all the cities he built, is recorded in The History of the Kings of Israel. 40 Ahab's son Ahaziah succeeded him as king.