1 Kings 22

1  SYRIA AND Israel continued without war for three years.2  In the third year Jehoshaphat king of Judah came down to the king of Israel.3  And [Ahab] king of Israel said to his servants, Do you know that Ramoth in Gilead is ours, and we keep silence and do not take it from the king of Syria?4  And [Ahab] said to Jehoshaphat, Will you go with me to Ramoth-gilead to battle? Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses.5  But Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, Inquire first, I pray you, for the word of the Lord today.6  Then [Ahab] king of Israel gathered the prophets together, about 400 men, and said to them, Shall I go against Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall I hold back? And they said, Go up, for the Lord will deliver it into the hand of the king.7  Jehoshaphat said, Is there not another prophet of the Lord here whom we may ask?8  [Ahab] king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, There is yet one man, Micaiah son of Imlah, by whom we may inquire of the Lord, but I hate him, for he never prophesies good for me, but evil. Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say that.9  Then [Ahab] king of Israel told an officer, Bring quickly Micaiah son of Imlah.10  Now the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah were sitting in [royal] robes [or armor], each on his throne in an open place [on a threshing floor] at the entrance of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets prophesied before them.11  And Zedekiah son of Chenaanah made him 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 agreed, saying, Go up to Ramoth-gilead and prosper, for the Lord will deliver it into the king’s hand.13  The messenger who went to call Micaiah said to him, Behold now, the prophets unanimously declare good to the king. Let your answer, I pray you, be like theirs, and say what is good.14  But Micaiah said, As the Lord lives, I will speak what the Lord says to me.15  So he came to the king. King [Ahab] said, Micaiah, shall we go against Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall we hold back? And he answered, Go and prosper, for the Lord will deliver it into the king’s hand.16  And the king said to him, How many times must I charge you to tell me nothing but the truth in the name of the Lord?17  And he said, I saw all Israel scattered upon the hills as sheep that have no shepherd, and the Lord said, These have no master. Let them return every man to his house in peace.18  Then the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, Did I not tell you that he would prophesy no good concerning me, but evil?19  And Micaiah said, Hear the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing by Him on His right hand and on His left.20  And the Lord said, Who will entice Ahab to go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead? One said this way, another said that way.21  Then there came forth a spirit [of whom I am about to tell] and stood before the Lord and said, I will entice him.22  The Lord said to him, By what means? And he said, I will go forth and be a lying spirit in the mouths of all his prophets. [The Lord] said, You shall entice him and succeed also. Go forth and do it.23  So the Lord has put a lying spirit in the mouths of all these prophets; and the Lord has spoken evil concerning you.24  But Zedekiah son of Chenaanah went near and struck Micaiah on the cheek and said, Which way went the Spirit of the Lord from me to speak to you?25  Micaiah said, Behold, you shall see on that day when you go into an inner chamber to hide yourself.26  [Ahab] king of Israel said, Take Micaiah, carry him back to Amon the governor of the city and to Joash the king’s son,27  And say, The king says, Put this fellow in prison and feed him with bread and water of affliction until I come in peace.28  Micaiah said, If you return at all in peace, the Lord has not spoken by me. He [added], Hear, O people, every one of you!29  So [Ahab] king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went up to Ramoth-gilead.30  And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, I will disguise myself and enter the battle, but you put on your [royal] clothing. And the king of Israel disguised himself and went into the battle.31  But the king of Syria had commanded the thirty-two captains of his chariots, Fight neither with small nor great, but only with [Ahab] king of Israel.32  And when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, they said, Surely it is the king of Israel. They turned to fight against him, but Jehoshaphat cried out.33  And when the captains of the chariots saw that it was not the king of Israel, they turned back from pursuing him.34  But a certain man drew a bow at a venture and smote [Ahab] the king of Israel between the joints of the armor. So he said to the driver of his chariot, Turn around and carry me out of the army, for I am wounded.35  The battle increased that day, and [Ahab] the king was propped up in his chariot facing the Syrians, and at nightfall he died. And the blood of his wound flowed onto the floor of the chariot.36  And there went a cry throughout the army about sundown, saying, Every man to his city and his own country,37  For the king is dead! And [Ahab] was brought to Samaria, where they buried him.38  And they washed [his] chariot by the pool of Samaria, where the harlots bathed, and the dogs licked up his blood, as the Lord had predicted. 39  The rest of Ahab’s acts, all he did, the ivory palace and all the cities he built, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?40  So Ahab slept with his fathers. Ahaziah his son reigned in his stead.41  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 he reigned twenty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother was Azubah daughter of Shilhi.43  He walked in all the ways or customs of Asa his father, never swerving from it, doing right in the sight of the Lord. However, the [idolatrous] high places were not taken away; for the people still sacrificed and burned incense in the high places.44  And Jehoshaphat made peace with Israel’s king.45  The rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, 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  And the remnant of the sodomites (the male cult prostitutes) who remained in the days of his father Asa, [Jehoshaphat] expelled from the country.47  There was no king in Edom; a deputy was acting king.48  Jehoshaphat ordered ships of Tarshish to go to Ophir for gold, but they did not go, for the ships were wrecked at Ezion-geber.49  When Ahaziah son of Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, Let my servants go with your servants in the ships, Jehoshaphat refused.50  Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers and was buried with them in the city of David his father [forefather]. And Jehoram his son reigned in his stead.51  Ahaziah son of Ahab began his two-year reign over Israel in Samaria in the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah.52  He did evil in the sight of the Lord and walked in the ways of his father [Ahab] and of his mother [Jezebel] and of Jeroboam son of Nebat, who made Israel sin.53  He served Baal and worshiped him and provoked the Lord, the God of Israel, to anger in all the ways his father had done.

1 Kings 22

Ahab Dies in Battle

1 There was no war between Syria and Israel for three years.t2 In the third year King Jehoshaphat of Judah came down to visitt the king of Israel.3 The king of Israel said to his servants, “Surely you recognize that Ramoth Gilead belongs to us, though we are hesitant to reclaim it from the king of Syria.”t4 Then he said to Jehoshaphat, “Will you go with me to attack Ramoth Gilead?” Jehoshaphat replied to the king of Israel, “I will support you; my army and horses are at your disposal.”t5 Then Jehoshaphat added,t “First seek an oracle from the Lord.”t6 So the king of Israel assembled about four hundred prophets and asked them, “Should I attack Ramoth Gilead or not?”t They said, “Attack! The sovereign onet will hand it over to the king.”7 But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there not a prophet of the Lord still here, that we may ask him?”8 The king of Israel answered Jehoshaphat, “There is still one man through whom we can seek the Lord’s will.t But I despiset him because he does not prophesy prosperity for me, but disaster. His name is Micaiah son of Imlah.t Jehoshaphat said, “The king should not say such things.”

9 The king of Israel summoned an official and said, “Quickly bring Micaiah son of Imlah.”
10 Now the king of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah were sitting on their respective thrones,t dressed in their robes, at the threshing floor at the entrance of the gate of Samaria.s All the prophets were prophesying before them.11 Zedekiah son of Kenaanah made iron horns and said, “This is what the Lord says, ‘With these you will gore Syria until they are destroyed.’”12 All the prophets were prophesying the same, saying, “Attack Ramoth Gilead! You will succeed; the Lord will hand it over to the king.”13 Now the messenger who went to summon Micaiah said to him, “Look, the prophets are in complete agreement that the king will succeed.t Your words must agree with theirs; you must predict success.”t

14 But Micaiah said, “As certainly as the Lord lives, I will say what the Lord tells me to say.”
15 When he came before the king, the king asked him, “Micaiah, should we attack Ramoth Gilead or not?” He answered him, “Attack! You will succeed; the Lord will hand it over to the king.”s16 The king said to him, “How many times must I make you solemnly promise int the name of the Lord to tell me only the truth?”17 Micaiaht said, “I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains like sheep that have no shepherd. Then the Lord said, ‘They have no master. They should go home in peace.’”18 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Didn’t I tell you he does not prophesy prosperity for me, but disaster?”19 Micaiaht said, “That being the case, hear the word of the Lord. I saw the Lord sitting on his throne, with all the heavenly assembly standing on his right and on his left.20 The Lord said, ‘Who will deceive Ahab, so he will attack Ramoth Gilead and diet there?’ One said this and another that.21 Then a spiritt stepped forward and stood before the Lord. He said, ‘I will deceive him.’ The Lord asked him, ‘How?’22 He replied, ‘I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouths of all his prophets.’ The Lordt said, ‘Deceive and overpower him.t Go out and do as you have proposed.’23 So now, look, the Lord has placed a lying spirit in the mouths of all these prophets of yours; but the Lord has decreed disaster for you.”24 Zedekiah son of Kenaanah approached, hit Micaiah on the jaw, and said, “Which way did the Lord’s spirit go when he went from me to speak to you?”25 Micaiah replied, “Look, you will see in the day when you go into an inner room to hide.”26 Then the king of Israel said, “Take Micaiah and return him to Amon the city official and Joash the king’s son.27 Say, ‘This is what the king says, “Put this man in prison. Give him only a little bread and watert until I safely return.”’”t

28 Micaiah said, “If you really do safely return, then the Lord has not spoken through me.” Then he added, “Take note,t all you people.”
29 The king of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah attacked Ramoth Gilead.30 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “I will disguise myself and then entert into the battle; but you wear your royal robes.” So the king of Israel disguised himself and then entered into the battle.31 Now the king of Syria had ordered his thirty-two chariot commanders, “Do not fight common soldiers or high-ranking officers;t fight only the king of Israel.”32 When the chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat, they said, “He must be the king of Israel.” So they turned and attacked him, but Jehoshaphat cried out.33 When the chariot commanders realized he was not the king of Israel, they turned away from him.34 Now an archer shot an arrow at random,t and it struck the king of Israel between the plates of his armor. The kingt ordered his charioteer, “Turn around and take me from the battle line,t because I’m wounded.”35 While the battle raged throughout the day, the king stood propped up in his chariot opposite the Syrians. He died in the evening; the blood from the wound ran down into the bottom of the chariot.36 As the sun was setting, a cry went through the camp, “Each one should return to his city and to his homeland.”37 So the king died and was taken to Samaria, where they buried him.t

38 They washed off the chariot at the pool of Samaria (this was where the prostitutes bathed);t dogs licked his blood, just as the Lord had said would happen.t
39 The rest of the events of Ahab’s reign, including a record of his accomplishments and how he built a luxurious palace and various cities, are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the Kings of Israel.t

40 Ahab passed away.t His son Ahaziah replaced him as king.

Jehoshaphat’s Reign over Judah

41 In the fourth year of King Ahab’s reign over Israel, Asa’s son Jehoshaphat became king over Judah.42 Jehoshaphat was thirty-five years old when he became king and he reigned for twenty-five years in Jerusalem.s His mother was Azubah, the daughter of Shilhi.43 He followed in his father Asa’s footsteps and was careful to do what the Lord approved.t(22:44)sssssss However, the high places were not eliminated; the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense on the high places.

44 Jehoshaphat was also at peace with the king of Israel.
45 The rest of the events of Jehoshaphat’s reign, including his successes and military exploits, are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the Kings of Judah.t46 He removed from the land any male cultic prostitutes who had managed to survive the reign of his father Asa.ts47 There was no king in Edom at this time; a governor ruled.48 Jehoshaphat built a fleet of large merchant shipst to travel to Ophir for gold, but they never made the voyage because they were shipwrecked in Ezion Geber.

49 Then Ahaziah son of Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, “Let my sailors join yours in the fleet,”t but Jehoshaphat refused.

50 Jehoshaphat passed awayt and was buried with his ancestors in the city of his ancestort David. His son Jehoram replaced him as king.

Ahaziah’s Reign over Israel

51 In the seventeenth year of King Jehoshaphat’s reign over Judah, Ahab’s son Ahaziah became king over Israel in Samaria.s He ruled for two years over Israel.52 He did evil in the sight oft the Lord and followed in the footstepst of his father and mother; like Jeroboam son of Nebat, he encouraged Israel to sin.t

53 He worshiped and bowed down to Baal,t angering the Lord God of Israel just as his father had done.t