1 Kings, 22

1. There was a lull of three years, with no fighting between Aram and Israel.

1. For three years Syria and Israel continued without war.

2. Then, in the third year, Jehoshaphat king of Judah paid a visit to the king of Israel.

2. But in the third year Jehosh'aphat the king of Judah came down to the king of Israel.

3. The king of Israel said to his officers, 'You are aware that Ramoth in Gilead belongs to us? And yet we do nothing to wrest it away from the king of Aram.'

3. And the king of Israel said to his servants, "Do you know that Ramoth-gilead belongs to us, and we keep quiet and do not take it out of the hand of the king of Syria?"

4. He said to Jehoshaphat, 'Will you come with me to attack Ramoth in Gilead?' Jehoshaphat replied to the king of Israel, 'I will be as you, my men as yours, my horses as yours.'

4. And he said to Jehosh'aphat, "Will you go with me to battle at Ramoth-gilead?" And Jehosh'aphat said to the king of Israel, "I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses."

5. Jehoshaphat, however, said to the king of Israel, 'First, please enquire what the word of Yahweh is.'

5. And Jehosh'aphat said to the king of Israel, "Inquire first for the word of the LORD."

6. The king of Israel then called the prophets together, about four hundred of them. 'Should I go and attack Ramoth in Gilead,' he asked, 'or should I hold back?' 'Go ahead,' they replied, 'for Yahweh has already given it to the king.'

6. Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, about four hundred men, and said to them, "Shall I go to battle against Ramoth-gilead, or shall I forbear?" And they said, "Go up; for the Lord will give it into the hand of the king."

7. Jehoshaphat, however, said, 'Is there no other prophet of Yahweh here, so that we can enquire through him?'

7. But Jehosh'aphat said, "Is there not here another prophet of the LORD of whom we may inquire?"

8. The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, 'There is one more man through whom we can consult Yahweh, but I hate him because he never has a favourable prophecy for me, only unfavourable ones; he is Micaiah son of Imlah.' 'I hope the king's words are unjustified,' said Jehoshaphat.

8. And the king of Israel said to Jehosh'aphat, "There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of the LORD, Micai'ah the son of Imlah; but I hate him, for he never prophesies good concerning me, but evil." And Jehosh'aphat said, "Let not the king say so."

9. The king of Israel then summoned a court official and said, 'Bring Micaiah son of Imlah immediately.'

9. Then the king of Israel summoned an officer and said, "Bring quickly Micai'ah the son of Imlah."

10. The king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah were sitting each on his throne, wearing their robes, in an open space just outside the gate of Samaria, with all the prophets in a state of ecstasy before them.

10. Now the king of Israel and Jehosh'aphat the king of Judah were sitting on their thrones, arrayed in their robes, at the threshing floor at the entrance of the gate of Sama'ria; and all the prophets were prophesying before them.

11. Zedekiah son of Kenaanah, who had made himself some iron horns, said, 'Yahweh says, "With horns like these you will gore the Aramaeans till you make an end of them." '

11. And Zedeki'ah the son of Chena'anah made for himself horns of iron, and said, "Thus says the LORD, `With these you shall push the Syrians until they are destroyed.'"

12. And all the prophets cried ecstatically in the same vein, saying, 'March on Ramoth in Gilead! Success is sure, for Yahweh has already given it to the king!'

12. And all the prophets prophesied so, and said, "Go up to Ramoth-gilead and triumph; the LORD will give it into the hand of the king."

13. The messenger who had gone to summon Micaiah said to him, 'Look here, what the prophets are saying is uniformly favourable to the king. I hope you will say the same as they do and speak favourably.'

13. And the messenger who went to summon Micai'ah said to him, "Behold, the words of the prophets with one accord are favorable to the king; let your word be like the word of one of them, and speak favorably."

14. Micaiah said, 'As Yahweh lives, I shall speak as Yahweh tells me!'

14. But Micai'ah said, "As the LORD lives, what the LORD says to me, that I will speak."

15. When he came to the king, the king said, 'Micaiah, should we go and attack Ramoth in Gilead, or should we hold back?' He replied, 'Go ahead! Success is sure, for Yahweh has already given it to the king!'

15. And when he had come to the king, the king said to him, "Micai'ah, shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall we forbear?" And he answered him, "Go up and triumph; the LORD will give it into the hand of the king."

16. The king then said, 'How often must I put you on oath to tell me nothing but the truth in the name of Yahweh?'

16. But the king said to him, "How many times shall I adjure you that you speak to me nothing but the truth in the name of the LORD?"

17. Then he spoke out: I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains like sheep without a shepherd. And Yahweh said, 'These have no master, let them all go safely home!'

17. And he said, "I saw all Israel scattered upon the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd; and the LORD said, `These have no master; let each return to his home in peace.'"

18. At this the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, 'Did I not tell you that he never gives me favourable prophecies, but only unfavourable ones?'

18. And the king of Israel said to Jehosh'aphat, "Did I not tell you that he would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil?"

19. Micaiah went on, 'Now listen to the word of Yahweh. I saw Yahweh seated on his throne with the whole array of heaven standing by him, on his right and on his left.

19. And Micai'ah said, "Therefore hear the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven standing beside him on his right hand and on his left;

20. Yahweh said, "Who will entice Ahab into marching to his death at Ramoth in Gilead?" At which some answered one way, and some another.

20. and the LORD said, `Who will entice Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?' And one said one thing, and another said another.

21. A spirit then came forward and stood before Yahweh and said, "I will entice him."

21. Then a spirit came forward and stood before the LORD, saying, `I will entice him.'

22. "How?" Yahweh asked. He replied, "I shall go and be a deceptive spirit in the mouths of all his prophets." Yahweh said, "You will succeed in enticing him. Go and do it."

22. And the LORD said to him, `By what means?' And he said, `I will go forth, and will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.' And he said, `You are to entice him, and you shall succeed; go forth and do so.'

23. And now, you see, Yahweh has put a deceptive spirit into the mouths of all your prophets here, for in fact Yahweh has pronounced disaster on you.'

23. Now therefore behold, the LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these your prophets; the LORD has spoken evil concerning you."

24. Zedekiah son of Chenaanah then came up, struck Micaiah on the cheek and said, 'Which way did Yahweh's spirit leave me, to speak to you?'

24. Then Zedeki'ah the son of Chena'anah came near and struck Micai'ah on the cheek, and said, "How did the Spirit of the LORD go from me to speak to you?"

25. 'That is what you will find out,' Micaiah retorted, 'the day you go from room to room, trying to hide.'

25. And Micai'ah said, "Behold, you shall see on that day when you go into an inner chamber to hide yourself."

26. The king of Israel said, 'Seize Micaiah and hand him over to Amon, governor of the city, and Joash, the king's son,

26. And the king of Israel said, "Seize Micai'ah, and take him back to Amon the governor of the city and to Jo'ash the king's son;

27. and say, "These are the king's orders: Put this man in prison and feed him on nothing but bread and water until I am safely home." '

27. and say, `Thus says the king, "Put this fellow in prison, and feed him with scant fare of bread and water, until I come in peace."'"

28. Micaiah said, 'If you ever do get home safely, Yahweh has not spoken through me.'

28. And Micai'ah said, "If you return in peace, the LORD has not spoken by me." And he said, "Hear, all you peoples!"

29. The king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah marched on Ramoth in Gilead.

29. So the king of Israel and Jehosh'aphat the king of Judah went up to Ramoth-gilead.

30. The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, 'I shall disguise myself to go into battle, but you put on your robes.' So the king of Israel disguised himself and went into battle.

30. And the king of Israel said to Jehosh'aphat, "I will disguise myself and go into battle, but you wear your robes." And the king of Israel disguised himself and went into battle.

31. Now, the king of Aram had given his chariot commanders the following order, 'Do not attack anyone of whatever rank, except the king of Israel.'

31. Now the king of Syria had commanded the thirty-two captains of his chariots, "Fight with neither small nor great, but only with the king of Israel."

32. So, when the chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat, they thought, 'That is obviously the king of Israel,' and surrounded him to attack. But when Jehoshaphat shouted his war cry

32. And when the captains of the chariots saw Jehosh'aphat, they said, "It is surely the king of Israel." So they turned to fight against him; and Jehosh'aphat cried out.

33. the chariot commanders, realising that he was not the king of Israel, broke off their pursuit.

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

34. Someone, however, drawing his bow without any special aim, shot the king of Israel between the joints of his armour. 'Turn about!' said the king to his charioteer. 'Get me out of the fighting; I am collapsing.'

34. But a certain man drew his bow at a venture, and struck the king of Israel between the scale armor and the breastplate; therefore he said to the driver of his chariot, "Turn about, and carry me out of the battle, for I am wounded."

35. But the battle grew fiercer as the day went on and the king had to be held upright in his chariot facing the Aramaeans, the blood from the wound running into the bottom of the chariot, until in the evening he died.

35. And the battle grew hot that day, and the king was propped up in his chariot facing the Syrians, until at evening he died; and the blood of the wound flowed into the bottom of the chariot.

36. At sundown a shout ran through the ranks, 'Every man back to his town, every man back to his country!

36. And about sunset a cry went through the army, "Every man to his city, and every man to his country!"

37. The king is dead.' He was taken to Samaria and in Samaria the king was buried.

37. So the king died, and was brought to Sama'ria; and they buried the king in Sama'ria.

38. They washed the chariot at the Pool of Samaria; the dogs licked up the blood, and the prostitutes washed in it, in accordance with the word which Yahweh had spoken.

38. And they washed the chariot by the pool of Sama'ria, and the dogs licked up his blood, and the harlots washed themselves in it, according to the word of the LORD which he had spoken.

39. The rest of the history of Ahab, his entire career, the ivory house he erected, all the towns he built, is this not recorded in the Book of the Annals of the Kings of Israel?

39. Now the rest of the acts of Ahab, and all that he did, and the ivory house which 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. When Ahab fell asleep with his ancestors, his son Ahaziah succeeded him.

40. So Ahab slept with his fathers; and Ahazi'ah his son reigned in his stead.

41. Jehoshaphat son of Asa became king of Judah in the fourth year of Ahab king of Israel.

41. Jehosh'aphat the 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 came to the throne, and he reigned for twenty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Azubah daughter of Shilhi.

42. Jehosh'aphat was thirty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Azu'bah the daughter of Shilhi.

43. In every way he followed the example of his father Asa undeviatingly, doing what is pleasing to Yahweh.

43. He walked in all the way of Asa his father; he did not turn aside from it, doing what was right in the sight of the LORD; yet the high places were not taken away, and the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places.

44. The high places, however, were not abolished; the people still offered sacrifice and incense on the high places.

44. Jehosh'aphat also made peace with the king of Israel.

45. Jehoshaphat was at peace with the king of Israel.

45. Now the rest of the acts of Jehosh'aphat, and his might that he showed, and how he warred, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah?

46. The rest of the history of Jehoshaphat, the valour he showed, the wars he waged, is this not recorded in the Book of the Annals of the Kings of Judah?

46. And the remnant of the male cult prostitutes who remained in the days of his father Asa, he exterminated from the land.

47. The few male sacred prostitutes left over from the days of his father Asa, he expelled from the country.

47. There was no king in Edom; a deputy was king.

48. At the time, Edom had no king, and King

48. Jehosh'aphat made ships of Tarshish to go to Ophir for gold; but they did not go, for the ships were wrecked at E'zion-ge'ber.

49. Jehoshaphat built ships of Tarshish to go to Ophir for gold, but they never made the voyage since the ships were wrecked at Ezion-Geber.

49. Then Ahazi'ah the son of Ahab said to Jehosh'aphat, "Let my servants go with your servants in the ships," but Jehosh'aphat was not willing.

50. Ahaziah son of Ahab then proposed to Jehoshaphat, 'Let my men go to sea with yours.' But Jehoshaphat would not agree.

50. And Jehosh'aphat slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father; and Jeho'ram his son reigned in his stead.

51. When Jehoshaphat fell asleep with his ancestors he was buried in the City of his ancestor, David; his son Jehoram succeeded him.

51. Ahazi'ah the son of Ahab began to reign over Israel in Sama'ria in the seventeenth year of Jehosh'aphat king of Judah, and he reigned two years over Israel.

52. Ahaziah son of Ahab became king of Israel in Samaria in the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and reigned over Israel for two years.

52. He did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the way of his father, and in the way of his mother, and in the way of Jerobo'am the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin.

53. He did what is displeasing to Yahweh, by following the example of his father and mother, and of Jeroboam son of Nebat who had led Israel into sin.

53. He served Ba'al and worshiped him, and provoked the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger in every way that his father had done.

54. He served Baal and worshipped him, and provoked the anger of Yahweh God of Israel just as his father had done.

54.