Jehoshaphat’s Alliance with Ahab

¹ Now Jehoshaphat had much wealth and honor, and he became son-in-law to Ahab.

² And ⌞after some years⌟¹ he went down to Ahab in Samaria. And Ahab slaughtered many sheep and cattle for him and for the people who were with him, and urged him to go up against Ramoth-Gilead.

1. Literally “at the end of years”

³ And Ahab the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, “Will you go up with me to Ramoth-Gilead?” And he answered him, “I am as you are, and my people are as your people with you in war.”

⁴ Then Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “Seek ⌞first of all⌟¹ the word of Yahweh.”

1. Literally “as the day”

⁵ Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets, four hundred men. And he said to them, “Shall we go to Ramoth-Gilead to battle, or shall we cease?” And they said, “Go up, since God will give it into the hand of the king.”

⁶ Then Jehoshaphat said, “Is there not here another prophet of Yahweh that we might inquire of him?”

⁷ Then the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “There is yet one man by whom to seek Yahweh, but I hate him, because he never prophesies good concerning me, but ⌞always⌟¹ disaster. He is Micaiah the son of Imlah.” Then Jehoshaphat said, “Let not the king say thus.”

1. Literally “all his days”

⁸ Then the king of Israel called to a eunuch and said, “Quickly bring Micaiah the son of Imlah.”

⁹ Now the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah were each sitting on his throne, clothed in robes. And they were sitting at the threshing floor at the entrance of the gate of Samaria, and all the prophets were prophesying before them.

¹⁰ And Zedekiah the son of Kenaanah made for himself horns of iron, and he said, “Thus says Yahweh: ‘With these you will gore Aram¹ to their destruction.’ ”

1. Or “Syria”

¹¹ And all the prophets prophesied thus, saying, “Go up to Ramoth-Gilead and triumph! Yahweh will give it into the hand of the king.”

¹² Then the messenger who went to call Micaiah said to him, “Behold, the words of the prophets are good with one voice to the king. Please let your word be as one with them and speak good.”

¹³ But Micaiah said, “As Yahweh lives, only what my God has said, that will I speak.”

¹⁴ And when he had come to the king, the king said to him, “Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth-Gilead to war or shall I cease?” And he said, “Go up and triumph! They shall be given into your hand.”

¹⁵ But the king said to him, “How many times shall I make you swear that you speak nothing except the truth in the name of Yahweh?”

¹⁶ Then he said, “I saw all Israel scattered upon the mountains like sheep that had no shepherd. And Yahweh said, ‘These have no masters; let them return to his own house in peace.’ ”

¹⁷ Then the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Did I not say to you he would not prophesy good concerning me, but only disaster?”

¹⁸ Then Micaiah said, “Therefore hear the word of Yahweh: I saw Yahweh sitting upon his throne with all the host of heaven standing on his right and on his left.

¹⁹ And Yahweh said, ‘Who will entice Ahab the king of Israel that he would go up and fall at Ramoth-Gilead?’ And one said this, and another said that.

²⁰ Then a spirit came forth and stood before Yahweh and said, ‘I will entice him.’ Then Yahweh said to him, ‘By what means?’

²¹ Then he said, ‘I will go forth and will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ And he said, ‘You will entice him and will also succeed. Go out and do so.’

²² So now, behold, Yahweh has put a spirit of deception into the mouths of these your prophets. Yahweh has spoken disaster against you.”

²³ Then Zedekiah the son of Kenaanah came near and struck Micaiah on the cheek and said, “⌞Which way⌟¹ did the Spirit of Yahweh come from me to speak to you?”

1. Literally “Where is this the way”

²⁴ Then Micaiah said, “Behold, you will see on that day when you go into a private room to hide yourself.”

²⁵ Then the king of Israel said, “Take Micaiah and return him to Amon the commander of the city and to Jehoash the son of the king,

²⁶ and say, ‘Thus says the king: “Put this one into the prison house, and let him eat ⌞a meager ration of bread and water⌟¹ until I return in peace.” ’ ”

1. Literally “bread a short ration and water a short ration”

²⁷ And Micaiah said, “If you surely return in peace Yahweh has not spoken with me.” Then he said, “Hear, peoples, all of them!”

The Death of Ahab

²⁸ Then the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah went up to Ramoth-Gilead.

²⁹ And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “I will disguise myself and go into battle, but you, wear your garments.” So the king of Israel disguised himself, and they went to war.

³⁰ Now the king of Aram¹ had commanded the commanders of his chariots,² saying, “Do not fight with the small or the great, but only with the king of Israel.”

1. Or “Syria”
2. Hebrew “chariot”

³¹ And it happened that when the commanders of the chariots¹ saw Jehoshaphat, then they said, “It is the king of Israel!” And they turned against him to fight. Then Jehoshaphat cried out and Yahweh helped him. God drove them away from him.

1. Hebrew “chariot”

³² And it happened that when the commanders of the chariots¹ saw that it was not the king of Israel, they turned back from following him.

1. Hebrew “chariot”

³³ Now a certain man drew the bow ⌞at random⌟¹ and struck the king of Israel between the soldering of his breastplate armor. Then he said to the chariot driver, “⌞Turn around⌟;² get me away from the war camp, for I am wounded.”

1. Literally “in his innocence”
2. Literally “Turn away your hand”

³⁴ And the battle went on that day, and the king of Israel was propped up in the chariot facing Aram¹ until the evening. And he died at the time of the going down of the sun.

1. Or “Syria”