2 Chronicles, 18

1. Although Jehoshaphat enjoyed great wealth and honour, he allied himself by marriage to Ahab.

1. Now Jehosh'aphat had great riches and honor; and he made a marriage alliance with Ahab.

2. After some years he paid a visit to Ahab in Samaria. Ahab slaughtered an immense number of sheep and oxen for him and his retinue, to induce him to attack Ramoth-Gilead.

2. After some years he went down to Ahab in Sama'ria. And Ahab killed an abundance of sheep and oxen for him and for the people who were with him, and induced him to go up against Ramoth-gilead.

3. Ahab king of Israel then said to Jehoshaphat king of Judah, 'Will you come with me to Ramoth-Gilead?' He replied, 'I will share in battle with you, my men with yours.'

3. Ahab king of Israel said to Jehosh'aphat king of Judah, "Will you go with me to Ramoth-gilead?" He answered him, "I am as you are, my people as your people. We will be with you in the war."

4. Jehoshaphat, however, said to the king of Israel, 'First, please consult the word of Yahweh.'

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

5. So the king of Israel called the prophets together, four hundred of them. 'Should we go and attack Ramoth-Gilead,' he asked, 'or should I hold back?' 'March,' they replied, 'for God will deliver it into the king's power.'

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

6. Jehoshaphat, however, said, 'Is there no other prophet of Yahweh here, for us to consult?'

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

7. The king of Israel answered 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, always unfavourable ones; he is Micaiah son of Imlah.' 'The king should not say such things,' said Jehoshaphat.

7. 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 always evil." And Jehosh'aphat said, "Let not the king say so."

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

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

9. 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 prophesying before them,

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

10. Zedekiah son of Chenaanah, 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." '

10. 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.'"

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

11. 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."

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

12. 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."

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

13. But Micai'ah said, "As the LORD lives, what my God says, that I will speak."

14. When he came to the king, the king said, 'Micaiah, should we march to attack Ramoth-Gilead, or should I hold back?' He replied, 'Go and conquer, Yahweh will deliver them into your power!'

14. 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 I forbear?" And he answered, "Go up and triumph; they will be given into your hand."

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

15. 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?"

16. 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 peacefully home!'

16. 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.'"

17. 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?'

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

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

18. 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 on his right hand and on his left;

19. Yahweh said, "Who will entice Ahab king of Israel into marching to his death at Ramoth-Gilead?" At which some answered one way, and some another.

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

20. A spirit then came forward and stood before Yahweh and said, "I will entice him." "How?" Yahweh asked.

20. Then a spirit came forward and stood before the LORD, saying, `I will entice him.' And the LORD said to him, `By what means?'

21. 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."

21. 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.'

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

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

23. 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?'

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

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

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

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

25. 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;

26. 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." '

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

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

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

28. The king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah marched on Ramoth-Gilead.

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

29. 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 they went into battle.

29. 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 they went into battle.

30. 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.'

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

31. So, when the chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat, they thought, 'That is the king of Israel,' and surrounded him to attack. But when Jehoshaphat shouted his war cry, Yahweh came to his help, God drew them away from him,

31. And when the captains of the chariots saw Jehosh'aphat, they said, "It is the king of Israel." So they turned to fight against him; and Jehosh'aphat cried out, and the LORD helped him. God drew them away from him,

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

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

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

33. 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."

34. But the battle grew fiercer as the day went on, and the king of Israel had to be held upright in his chariot facing the Aramaeans until the evening, and at sunset he died.

34. And the battle grew hot that day, and the king of Israel propped himself up in his chariot facing the Syrians until evening; then at sunset he died.