1 Kings

22 And there continued three years without war between Syria and Israel.

2 But it came to pass in the third year, that Jehoshaphat king of Judah went down unto the king of Israel.

3 And the king of Israel said unto his servants, Know ye that ours is Ramoth-gilead,—yet we are too idle to take it out of the hand of the king of Syria?

4 And he said unto Jehoshaphat, Wilt thou go with me to make war upon Ramoth-gilead?

5 And Jehoshaphat said unto the king of Israel, I am as thou art, My people are as thy people, My horses as thy horses.

6 Then said Jehoshaphat unto the king of Israel,—Seek, I pray thee, at once the word of Yahweh. So the king of Israel gathered together the prophets, about four hundred men, and said unto them—Shall I go against Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall I forbear? And they said—Go up, that the Lord may deliver it into the hand of the king.

7 Then said Jehoshaphat, Is there not here a prophet of Yahweh besides,—that we may seek from him?

8 And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, Besides is a certain man by whom we might seek Yahweh, but I hate him, for he is never moved to prophesy concerning me anything good, only evil, Micaiah son of Imlah. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say so.

9 Then the king of Israel called a certain courtier,—and said, Hasten Micaiah son of Imlah.

10 Now the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah were sitting—each man upon his throne, having put on robes, in a level place at the entrance of the gate of Samaria,—and all the prophets were being moved to prophesy before them;

11 when Zedekiah son of Chenaanah made himself horns of iron,—and said—Thus saith Yahweh,—With these shalt thou push down the Syrians until thou hast consumed them.

12 And all the prophets were being moved to prophesy in like manner, saying,—Go up to Ramoth-gilead and thou shalt prosper, and Yahweh will deliver it into the hand of the king.

13 Now the messenger who went to call Micaiah, spake unto him, saying—Behold, I pray thee, the words of the prophets with one mouth are good as touching the king,—let thy word, I pray thee, be as the word of one of them, so wilt thou speak that which is good.

14 And Micaiah said,—By the life of Yahweh, what Yahweh saith unto me, that will I speak.

15 So he came unto the king, and the king said unto him—Micaiah, shall we go against Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall we forbear? And he said unto him—Go up and prosper, and Yahweh will deliver it into the hand of the king.

16 And the king said unto him, How many times must I adjure thee,—that thou speak unto me nothing but truth in the name of Yahweh?

17 And he said—I saw all Israel scattered among the mountains, like sheep that have no shepherd,—so Yahweh said, These have no masters, let them return every man unto his own house in peace.

18 Then said the king of Israel unto Jehoshaphat,—Did I not say unto thee, He will not be moved to prophesy concerning me anything good, only calamity.

19 Then he said, Therefore, hear thou the word of Yahweh,—I saw Yahweh sitting upon his throne, and all the host of the heavens standing by him, on his right hand and on his left.

20 And Yahweh said—Who will persuade Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead? And one said in this manner, and another said in that manner.

21 Then came forth a spirit and stood before Yahweh, and said—I will persuade him.

22 And Yahweh said unto him—Wherewith? And he said—I will go forth, and become a spirit of falsehood in the mouth of all his prophets,—So he said—Thou mayest persuade, yea and prevail, go forth, and do so.

23 Now therefore, lo! Yahweh hath suffered a spirit of falsehood to be put into the mouth of all these thy prophets. But Yahweh himself hath spoken concerning thee calamity.

24 Then drew near Zedekiah son of Chenaanah, and smote Micaiah on the cheek,—and said—Where then passed the Spirit of Yahweh from me to speak unto thee?

25 Then said Micaiah, Lo! thou art about to see on that day,—when thou enterest a chamber within a chamber to hide thyself.

26 And the king of Israel said, Take Micaiah, and carry him back unto Amon captain of the city,—and unto Joash son of the king;

27 and thou shalt say—Thus saith the king, Put this man into the prison,—and let him eat the bread of oppression with the water of oppression, until I enter in peace.

28 Then said Micaiah, If thou return in peace, Yahweh hath not spoken by me. And he said, Hear, ye peoples all of you!

29 So the king of Israel went up with Jehoshaphat king of Judah unto Ramoth-gilead.

30 And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat—I am about to disguise myself and enter into the battle, thou therefore put on thy robes. So the king of Israel disguised himself, and entered into the battle.

31 Now the king of Syria had commanded the captains of chariots which he had thirty and two, saying, Ye shall not fight with small or great,—save with the king of Israel alone.

32 And it came to pass, when the chariot-captains saw Jehoshaphat, that they said: Surely it is the king of Israel! But when they turned aside against him to fight, Jehoshaphat cried out.

33 And it came to pass, when the chariot-captains saw that it was not the king of Israel, that they turned back from pursuing him.

34 But a certain man drawing a bow in his innocence, smote the king of Israel between the shoulder-joints and the coat of mail,—wherefore he said to his charioteer—Turn thy hand, and convey me out of the host, for I am sore wounded.

35 But the battle increased that day, and the king was propped up in the chariot before the Syrians,—and died in the evening, and so the blood of the wound ran out into the hollow of the chariot.

36 And a loud cry went through the host at the going in of the sun, saying—Every man to his own city! and every man to his own land!

37 So the king died, and was brought into Samaria,—and they buried the king in Samaria.

38 And when the chariot was washed out at the pool of Samaria, the dogs lapped up his blood, also the harlots bathed [there],—according to the word of Yahweh which he had spoken.

39 Now the rest of the story of Ahab, and all that he did, and the house of ivory that he built, 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 slept with his fathers,—and Ahaziah his son reigned in his stead.

41 Now Jehoshaphat 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 began to reign, and twenty-five years reigned he in Jerusalem,—and the name of his mother was Azubah, daughter of Shilhi.

43 And he walked in all the way of Asa his father, he turned not aside therefrom,—doing that which was right in the eyes of Yahweh: nevertheless, the high places were not taken away,—still were the people offering sacrifices and burning incense in the high places.

44 And Jehoshaphat made peace with the king of Israel.

45 Now the rest of the story 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 Moreover, the rest of the male devotees who remained in the days of Asa his father, he consumed out of the land.

47 And king was there none in Edom, a prefect was king.

48 Jehoshaphat made ships of Tarshish to go to Ophir for gold; but they went not,—for ships had been broken to pieces in Ezion-geber.

49 Then said Ahaziah son of Ahab unto Jehoshaphat, Let my servants go with thy servants in the ships,—but Jehoshaphat did not consent.

50 So 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 Ahaziah son of Ahab began to reign over Israel in Samaria, in the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah,—and reigned over Israel two years.

52 And he did the thing that was wicked in the eyes of Yahweh,—and went in the way of his father, and in the way of his mother, and in the way of Jeroboam son of Nebat, who caused Israel to sin.

53 Yea he served Baal, and bowed down to him,—and provoked to anger Yahweh, God of Israel, according to all that his father had done.