1 Kings 22

Micaiah Prophesies Against King Ahab—2 Chronicles 18:1–34

1 For three years there was no war between Aram and Israel.

2 In the third year King Jehoshaphat of Judah went to visit the king of Israel.
3 The king of Israel asked his staff, “Do you know that Ramoth in Gilead belongs to us, and we are doing nothing to take it back from the king of Aram?”

4 Then he asked Jehoshaphat, “Will you go with me to fight at Ramoth in Gilead?”
Jehoshaphat told the king of Israel, “I will do what you do. My troops will do what your troops do. My horses will do what your horses do.”

5 Then Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “But first, find out what the word of the Lord is in this matter.”
6 So the king of Israel called 400 prophets together. He asked them, “Should I go to war against Ramoth in Gilead or not?”“Go,” they said. “The Lordt will hand over Ramoth to you.”7 But Jehoshaphat asked, “Isn’t there a prophet of the Lord whom we could ask?”8 The king of Israel told Jehoshaphat, “We can ask the Lord through Micaiah, son of Imlah, but I hate him. He doesn’t prophesy anything good about me, only evil.”Jehoshaphat answered, “The king must not say that.”9 The king of Israel called for an officer and said, “Quick! Get Micaiah, son of Imlah!”10 The king of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah were dressed in royal robes and seated on thrones. They were on the threshing floort at the entrance to the gate of Samaria. All the prophets were prophesying in front of them.11 Zedekiah, son of Chenaanah, made iron horns and said, “This is what the Lord says: With these horns you will push the Arameans to their destruction.”

12 All the other prophets made the same prophecy. They said, “Attack Ramoth in Gilead, and you will win. The Lord will hand it over to you.”
13 The messenger who went to call Micaiah told him, “The prophets have all told the king the same good message. Make your message agree with their message. Say something good.”14 Micaiah answered, “I solemnly swear, as the Lord lives, I will tell him whatever the Lord tells me.”15 When he came to the king, the king asked him, “Micaiah, should we go to war against Ramoth in Gilead or not?”Micaiah said to him, “Attack and you will win. The Lord will hand it over to you.”16 The king asked him, “How many times must I make you take an oath in the Lord’s name to tell me nothing but the truth?”17 So Micaiah said, “I saw Israel’s troops scattered in the hills like sheep without a shepherd. The Lord said, ‘These sheep have no master. Let each one go home in peace.’ ”18 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Didn’t I tell you he wouldn’t prophesy anything good about me, only evil?”19 Micaiah added, “Then hear the word of the Lord. I saw the Lord sitting on his throne, and the entire army of heaven was standing near him on his right and his left.

20 The Lord asked, ‘Who will deceive Ahab so that he will attack and be killed at Ramoth in Gilead?’ Some answered one way, while others said something else.
21 “Then the Spirit stepped forward, stood in front of the Lord, and said, ‘I will deceive him.’“ ‘How?’ the Lord asked.22 “The Spirit answered, ‘I will go out and be a spirit that tells lies through the mouths of all of Ahab’s prophets.’“The Lord said, ‘You will succeed in deceiving him. Go and do it.’23 “So, the Lord has put into the mouths of all these prophets of yours a spirit that makes them tell lies. The Lord has spoken evil about you.”24 Then Zedekiah, son of Chenaanah, went to Micaiah and struck him on the cheek. “How did the Lord’s Spirit leave me to talk to you?” he asked.25 Micaiah answered, “You will find out on the day you go into an inner room to hide.”26 The king of Israel then said, “Send Micaiah back to Amon, the governor of the city, and to Joash, the prince.

27 Say, ‘This is what the king says: Put this man in prison, and feed him nothing but bread and water until I come home safely.’ ”
28 Micaiah said, “If you really do come back safely, then the Lord wasn’t speaking through me. Pay attention to this, everyone!”29 So the king of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah went to Ramoth in Gilead.

30 The king of Israel told Jehoshaphat, “I will disguise myself and go into battle, but you should wear your royal robes.” So the king of Israel disguised himself and went into battle.
31 The king of Aram had given orders to the 32 chariot commanders. He said, “Don’t fight anyone except the king of Israel.”32 When the chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat, they said, “He must be the king of Israel.” So they turned to fight him. But when Jehoshaphat cried out,

33 the chariot commanders realized that he wasn’t the king of Israel. They turned away from him.
34 One man aimed his bow at random and hit the king of Israel between his scale armor and his breastplate. Ahab told his chariot driver, “Turn around, and get me away from these troops. I’m badly wounded.”35 But the battle got worse that day, and the king was kept propped up in his chariot facing the Arameans. He died that evening. The blood from the wound had flowed into the chariot.

36 At sundown a cry went through the army, “Every man to his own city! Every man to his own property!”
37 When the king was dead, he was brought to Samaria to be buried.

38 His chariot was washed at the pool of Samaria, where the prostitutes bathed. The dogs licked up his blood, as the Lord had predicted.
39 Isn’t everything else about Ahab—everything he did, the ivory palace he built, and all the cities he fortified—written in the official records of the kings of Israel?

40 Ahab lay down in death with his ancestors. His son Ahaziah succeeded him as king.

King Jehoshaphat of Judah—2 Chronicles 20:31–21:1

41 Jehoshaphat, son of Asa, became king of Judah in Ahab’s fourth year as king of Israel.42 Jehoshaphat was 35 years old when he began to rule, and he ruled for 25 years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Azubah, daughter of Shilhi.43 Jehoshaphat carefully followed the example his father Asa had set and did what the Lord considered right.

44 But the illegal worship sites were not torn down. The people continued to sacrifice and burn incense at these worship sites.t Jehoshaphat made peace with the king of Israel.
45 Isn’t everything else about Jehoshaphat—the heroic acts he did and the wars he fought—written in the official records of the kings of Judah?46 He rid the land of the male temple prostitutes who were left there from the time of his father Asa.

47 There was no king in Edom; instead, a deputy ruled.
48 Jehoshaphat made Tarshish-style ships to go to Ophir for gold. But they didn’t go because the ships were wrecked at Ezion Geber.

49 Then Ahaziah, son of Ahab, said to Jehoshaphat, “Let my servants go with your servants in the ships.” But Jehoshaphat refused.
50 Jehoshaphat lay down in death with his ancestors and was buried with them in the city of his ancestor David. His son Jehoram succeeded him as king.

King Ahaziah of Israel

51 Ahaziah, son of Ahab, became king of Israel in Samaria during Jehoshaphat’s seventeenth year as king of Judah. Ahaziah ruled Israel for two years.52 He did what the Lord considered evil. He followed the example of his father and mother and of Jeroboam (Nebat’s son) who led Israel to sin.

53 Ahaziah served Baal, worshiped him, and made the Lord God of Israel furious, as 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