2 Chronicles 18 – New American Standard Bible 2020 (NASB20)

Jehoshaphat Allies with Ahab

1 Now Jehoshaphat ^H3092 had ^H1961 great ^H7230 riches ^H6239 and honor ^H3519; and he allied ^H2859 himself by ^H2859 marriage ^H2859 to Ahab ^H256.

2 Some years ^H8141 later ^H7093 he went ^H3381 down ^H3381 to visit Ahab ^H256 at Samaria ^H8111, and Ahab ^H256 slaughtered ^H2076 many ^H7230 sheep ^H6629 and oxen ^H1241 for him and the people ^H5971 who ^H834 were with him. And he incited ^H5496 him to go ^H5927 up ^H5927 against ^H413 Ramoth-gilead ^H7433. 3 Ahab ^H256 king ^H4428 of Israel ^H3478 said ^H559 to Jehoshaphat ^H3092 king ^H4428 of Judah ^H3063, “Will you go ^H1980 with me against Ramoth-gilead ^H7433?” And he said ^H559 to him, “I am as you are, and my people ^H5971 as your people ^H5971, and we will be with you in the battle ^H4421.”

4 However, Jehoshaphat ^H3092 said ^H559 to the king ^H4428 of Israel ^H3478, “Please ^H4994 request ^H1875 the word ^H1697 of the LORD ^H3068 [fn]first ^H3117.” 5 So the king ^H4428 of Israel ^H3478 assembled ^H6908 the [fn]prophets ^H5030, four ^H702 hundred ^H3967 men ^H376, and said ^H559 to them, “Should we go ^H1980 to battle ^H4421 against ^H413 Ramoth-gilead ^H7433, or ^H518 should I refrain ^H2308?” And they said ^H559, “Go ^H5927 up ^H5927, for God ^H430 will hand ^H5414 H3027 it over ^H5414 to the king ^H4428.” 6 But Jehoshaphat ^H3092 said ^H559, “Is ^H369 there ^H369 no ^H369 longer ^H5750 a prophet ^H5030 of the LORD ^H3068 here ^H6311, that we may inquire ^H1875 of him?” 7 And the king ^H4428 of Israel ^H3478 said ^H559 to Jehoshaphat ^H3092, “There is still ^H5750 one ^H259 man ^H376 by whom we may inquire ^H1875 of the LORD ^H3068, but I hate ^H8130 him, for he never ^H369 prophesies ^H5012 anything good ^H2896 regarding ^H5921 me, but always ^H3605 H3117 bad ^H7451. He is Micaiah ^H4321 the son ^H1121 of Imlah ^H3229.” But Jehoshaphat ^H3092 said ^H559, “May the king ^H4428 not say ^H559 so ^H3651.”

Ahab’s False Prophets Assure Victory

8 Then the king ^H4428 of Israel ^H3478 summoned ^H7121 an officer ^H5631 and said ^H559, “Bring ^H4116 Micaiah ^H4321 son ^H1121 of Imlah ^H3229 quickly ^H4116.” 9 Now the king ^H4428 of Israel ^H3478 and Jehoshaphat ^H3092 the king ^H4428 of Judah ^H3063 were sitting ^H3427, each ^H376 on his throne ^H3678, dressed ^H3847 in their robes ^H899, and they were sitting ^H3427 at the threshing ^H1637 floor ^H1637 at the entrance ^H6607 of the gate ^H8179 of Samaria ^H8111; and all ^H3605 the prophets ^H5030 were prophesying ^H5012 before ^H6440 them. 10 Then Zedekiah ^H6667 the son ^H1121 of Chenaanah ^H3668 made ^H6213 horns ^H7161 of iron ^H1270 for himself and said ^H559, “This ^H3541 is ^H3541 what ^H3541 the LORD ^H3068 says ^H559: ‘With these ^H428 you will gore ^H5055 the Arameans ^H758 until ^H5704 they are destroyed ^H3615!’” 11 All ^H3605 the prophets ^H5030 were prophesying ^H5012 this ^H3651 as well, saying ^H559, “Go ^H5927 up ^H5927 to Ramoth-gilead ^H7433 and be ^H6743 successful ^H6743, for the LORD ^H3068 will hand ^H5414 H3027 it over ^H5414 to the king ^H4428.”

Micaiah Brings Word from God

12 Then the messenger ^H4397 who ^H834 went ^H1980 to summon ^H7121 Micaiah ^H4321 spoke ^H1696 to him saying ^H559, “Behold ^H2009, the words ^H1697 of the prophets ^H5030 are [fn]unanimously ^H259 H6310 favorable ^H2896 to the king ^H4428. So please ^H4994 let your word ^H1697 be like one ^H259 of them, and speak ^H1696 favorably ^H2896.”

13 But Micaiah ^H4321 said ^H559, “As the LORD ^H3068 lives ^H2416, whatever ^H834 my God ^H430 says ^H559, I will speak ^H1696 it.”

14 When he came ^H935 to the king ^H4428, the king ^H4428 said ^H559 to him, “Micaiah ^H4318, should we go ^H1980 to battle ^H4421 against ^H413 Ramoth-gilead ^H7433, or ^H518 should I refrain ^H2308?” He said ^H559, “Go ^H5927 up ^H5927 and succeed ^H6743, for they will be handed ^H5414 H3027 over ^H5414 to you!” 15 Then the king ^H4428 said ^H559 to him, “How ^H5704 H4100 many ^H5704 H4100 times ^H6471 must I make ^H7650 you swear ^H7650 that you will tell ^H1696 me nothing ^H3808 but the truth ^H571 in the name ^H8034 of the LORD ^H3068?” 16 So he said ^H559,

“I saw ^H7200 all ^H3605 Israel ^H3478

Scattered ^H6327 on the mountains ^H2022,

Like sheep ^H6629 that have ^H369 no ^H369 shepherd ^H7462.

And the LORD ^H3068 said ^H559,

‘These ^H428 people have no ^H3808 master ^H113.

Each ^H376 of them is to return ^H7725 to his house ^H1004 in peace ^H7965.’”

17 Then the king ^H4428 of Israel ^H3478 said ^H559 to Jehoshaphat ^H3092, “Did I not tell ^H559 you that he would not prophesy ^H5012 anything good ^H2896 regarding ^H5921 me, but only bad ^H7451?”

18 And Micaiah said ^H559, “Therefore ^H3651, hear ^H8085 the word ^H1697 of the LORD ^H3068. I saw ^H7200 the LORD ^H3068 sitting ^H3427 on His throne ^H3678, and all ^H3605 the [fn]angels ^H6635 of heaven ^H8064 standing ^H5975 on His right ^H3225 and on His left ^H8040. 19 And the LORD ^H3068 said ^H559, ‘Who ^H4310 will [fn]entice ^H6601 Ahab ^H256 king ^H4428 of Israel ^H3478 to go ^H5927 up ^H5927 and fall ^H5307 at Ramoth-gilead ^H7433?’ And one ^H2088 spirit said ^H559 this ^H3602, while another ^H2088 said ^H559 that. 20 Then a spirit ^H7307 came ^H3318 forward ^H3318 and stood ^H5975 before ^H6440 the LORD ^H3068 and said ^H559, ‘I will [fn]entice ^H6601 him.’ And the LORD ^H3068 said ^H559 to him, ‘How ^H4100?’ 21 He said ^H559, ‘I will go ^H3318 out ^H3318 and be a deceiving ^H8267 spirit ^H7307 in the mouths ^H6310 of all ^H3605 his prophets ^H5030.’ Then He said ^H559, ‘You shall [fn]entice ^H6601 him, and you will also ^H1571 prevail ^H3201. Go ^H3318 out ^H3318 and do ^H6213 so ^H3651.’ 22 Now ^H6258 therefore ^H6258, behold ^H2009, the LORD ^H3068 has put ^H5414 a deceiving ^H8267 spirit ^H7307 in the mouths ^H6310 of these ^H428 prophets ^H5030 of yours, for the LORD ^H3068 has declared ^H1696 disaster ^H7451 against ^H5921 you.”

23 Then Zedekiah ^H6667 the son ^H1121 of Chenaanah ^H3668 approached ^H5066 and struck ^H5221 Micaiah ^H4321 on the cheek ^H3895; and he said ^H559, “[fn]How ^H335 H2088 did the Spirit ^H7307 of the LORD ^H3068 pass ^H5674 from me to speak ^H1696 to you?” 24 And Micaiah ^H4321 said ^H559, “Behold ^H2009, you are going to see ^H7200 how on that day ^H3117 when ^H834 you go ^H935 from one inner ^H2315 room ^H2315 to [fn]another ^H2315 trying to hide ^H2244 yourself.” 25 Then the king ^H4428 of Israel ^H3478 said ^H559, “Take ^H3947 Micaiah ^H4321 and return ^H7725 him to Amon ^H526 the governor ^H8269 of the city ^H5892, and to Joash ^H3060 the king’s ^H4428 son ^H1121; 26 and say ^H559, ‘This ^H3541 is ^H3541 what ^H3541 the king ^H4428 says ^H559: “Put ^H7760 this ^H2088 man in prison ^H1004 H3608, and feed ^H398 him enough ^H3906 bread ^H3899 and water ^H4325 to ^H3906 survive ^H3906 until ^H5704 I [fn]return ^H7725 safely ^H7965.”’” 27 But Micaiah ^H4321 said ^H559, “If ^H518 you actually ^H7725 return ^H7725 [fn]safely ^H7965, the LORD ^H3068 has not spoken ^H1696 by me.” And he said ^H559, “[fn]Listen ^H8085, all ^H3605 you people ^H5971!”

Ahab’s Defeat and Death

28 So the king ^H4428 of Israel ^H3478 and Jehoshaphat ^H3092 king ^H4428 of Judah ^H3063 went ^H5927 up ^H5927 against ^H413 Ramoth-gilead ^H7433.

29 And the king ^H4428 of Israel ^H3478 said ^H559 to Jehoshaphat ^H3092, “I will disguise ^H2664 myself and go ^H935 into battle ^H4421, but you put ^H3847 on ^H3847 your robes ^H899.” So the king ^H4428 of Israel ^H3478 disguised ^H2664 himself, and they went ^H935 into battle ^H4421. 30 Now the king ^H4428 of Aram ^H758 had commanded ^H6680 the commanders ^H8269 of his chariots ^H7393, saying ^H559, “Do not fight ^H3898 with the small ^H6996 or great ^H1419, but only ^H905 with the king ^H4428 of Israel ^H3478.” 31 So when the commanders ^H8269 of the chariots ^H7393 saw ^H7200 Jehoshaphat ^H3092, they said ^H559, “He is the king ^H4428 of Israel ^H3478!” And they turned ^H5437 aside ^H5437 to fight ^H3898 against ^H5921 him. But Jehoshaphat ^H3092 cried ^H2199 out ^H2199, and the LORD ^H3068 helped ^H5826 him, and God ^H430 diverted ^H5496 them from him. 32 When the commanders ^H8269 of the chariots ^H7393 saw ^H7200 that it was not the king ^H4428 of Israel ^H3478, they turned ^H7725 back ^H7725 from pursuing ^H310 him. 33 Now one man ^H376 drew ^H4900 his bow ^H7198 at random ^H8537 and struck ^H5221 the king ^H4428 of Israel ^H3478 [fn]in a joint ^H1694 of the armor ^H8302. So he said ^H559 to the driver ^H7395 of ^H7395 his chariot ^H7395, “Turn ^H2015 [fn]around ^H3027 and take ^H3318 me out ^H3318 of the battle ^H4264, for I am ^H2470 severely ^H2470 wounded ^H2470.” 34 The battle ^H4421 raged ^H5927 on that day ^H3117, and the king ^H4428 of Israel ^H3478 propped ^H5975 himself up ^H5975 in his chariot ^H4818 in front ^H5227 of the Arameans ^H758 until ^H5704 the evening ^H6153; and at sunset ^H8121 H935 he died ^H4191.