2 Chronicles 18

Chapter 18

Jehoshaphat and Ahab

1 Jehoshaphat enjoyed great riches and high esteem, and he made an alliance with Ahab of Israel by having his son marry Ahab’s daughter.

2 A few years later he went to Samaria to visit Ahab, who prepared a great banquet for him and his officials. They butchered great numbers of sheep, goats, and cattle for the feast. Then Ahab enticed Jehoshaphat to join forces with him to recover Ramoth-gilead.

3 “Will you go with me to Ramoth-gilead?” King Ahab of Israel asked King Jehoshaphat of Judah.

Jehoshaphat replied, “Why, of course! You and I are as one, and my troops are your troops. We will certainly join you in battle.”

4 Then Jehoshaphat added, “But first let’s find out what the LORD says.”

5 So the king of Israel summoned the prophets, 400 of them, and asked them, “Should we go to war against Ramoth-gilead, or should I hold back?”
They all replied, “Yes, go right ahead! God will give the king victory.”

6 But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there not also a prophet of the LORD here? We should ask him the same question.”

7 The king of Israel replied to Jehoshaphat, “There is one more man who could consult the LORD for us, but I hate him. He never prophesies anything but trouble for me! His name is Micaiah son of Imlah.”
Jehoshaphat replied, “That’s not the way a king should talk! Let’s hear what he has to say.”

8 So the king of Israel called one of his officials and said, “Quick! Bring Micaiah son of Imlah.”

Micaiah Prophesies against Ahab

9 King Ahab of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah, dressed in their royal robes, were sitting on thrones at the threshing floor near the gate of Samaria. All of Ahab’s prophets were prophesying there in front of them.

10 One of them, Zedekiah son of Kenaanah, made some iron horns and proclaimed, “This is what the LORD says: With these horns you will gore the Arameans to death!”

11 All the other prophets agreed. “Yes,” they said, “go up to Ramoth-gilead and be victorious, for the LORD will give the king victory!”

12 Meanwhile, the messenger who went to get Micaiah said to him, “Look, all the prophets are promising victory for the king. Be sure that you agree with them and promise success.”

13 But Micaiah replied, “As surely as the LORD lives, I will say only what my God says.”

14 When Micaiah arrived before the king, Ahab asked him, “Micaiah, should we go to war against Ramoth-gilead, or should I hold back?”
Micaiah replied sarcastically, “Yes, go up and be victorious, for you will have victory over them!”

15 But the king replied sharply, “How many times must I demand that you speak only the truth to me when you speak for the LORD?”

16 Then Micaiah told him, “In a vision I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains, like sheep without a shepherd. And the LORD said, ‘Their master has been killed.t Send them home in peace.’”

17 “Didn’t I tell you?” the king of Israel exclaimed to Jehoshaphat. “He never prophesies anything but trouble for me.”
18 Then Micaiah continued, “Listen to what the LORD says! I saw the LORD sitting on his throne with all the armies of heaven around him, on his right and on his left.

19 And the LORD said, ‘Who can entice King Ahab of Israel to go into battle against Ramoth-gilead so he can be killed?’

“There were many suggestions,

20 and finally a spirit approached the LORD and said, ‘I can do it!’
“‘How will you do this?’ the LORD asked.

21 “And the spirit replied, ‘I will go out and inspire all of Ahab’s prophets to speak lies.’
“‘You will succeed,’ said the LORD. ‘Go ahead and do it.’

22 “So you see, the LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouths of your prophets. For the LORD has pronounced your doom.”

23 Then Zedekiah son of Kenaanah walked up to Micaiah and slapped him across the face. “Since when did the Spirit of the LORD leave me to speak to you?” he demanded.

24 And Micaiah replied, “You will find out soon enough when you are trying to hide in some secret room!”
25 “Arrest him!” the king of Israel ordered. “Take him back to Amon, the governor of the city, and to my son Joash.

26 Give them this order from the king: ‘Put this man in prison, and feed him nothing but bread and water until I return safely from the battle!’”

27 But Micaiah replied, “If you return safely, it will mean that the LORD has not spoken through me!” Then he added to those standing around, “Everyone mark my words!”

The Death of Ahab

28 So King Ahab of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah led their armies against Ramoth-gilead.

29 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “As we go into battle, I will disguise myself so no one will recognize me, but you wear your royal robes.” So the king of Israel disguised himself, and they went into battle.
30 Meanwhile, the king of Aram had issued these orders to his chariot commanders: “Attack only the king of Israel! Don’t bother with anyone else.”31 So when the Aramean chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat in his royal robes, they went after him. “There is the king of Israel!” they shouted. But Jehoshaphat called out, and the LORD saved him. God helped him by turning the attackers away from him.

32 As soon as the chariot commanders realized he was not the king of Israel, they stopped chasing him.

33 An Aramean soldier, however, randomly shot an arrow at the Israelite troops and hit the king of Israel between the joints of his armor. “Turn the horsest and get me out of here!” Ahab groaned to the driver of the chariot. “I’m badly wounded!”

34 The battle raged all that day, and the king of Israel propped himself up in his chariot facing the Arameans. In the evening, just as the sun was setting, he died.

2 CHRONICLES 18

Micaiah Warns King Ahab //of Israel

(1 Kings 22.1-28)

1 Jehoshaphat was now very rich and famous. He signed a treaty with King Ahab of Israel by arranging the marriage of his son and Ahab's daughter.
2 One day, Jehoshaphat went to visit Ahab in his capital city of Samaria. Ahab slaughtered sheep and cattle and prepared a big feast to honor Jehoshaphat and the officials with him. Ahab talked about attacking the city of Ramoth in Gilead, t

3 and finally asked, “Jehoshaphat, would you go with me to attack Ramoth?”
“Yes,” Jehoshaphat answered. “My army is at your command.

4 But first let's ask the [Lord] what to do.”

5 Ahab sent for 400 prophets and asked, “Should I attack the city of Ramoth?”
“Yes!” the prophets answered. “God will help you capture the city.”

6 But Jehoshaphat said, “Just to make sure, is there another of the [Lord]'s prophets we can ask?”

7 “We could ask Micaiah son of Imlah,” Ahab said. “But I hate Micaiah. He always has bad news for me.”
“Don't say that!” Jehoshaphat replied.

8 Then Ahab sent someone to bring Micaiah as soon as possible.

9 All this time, Ahab and Jehoshaphat were dressed in their royal robes and were seated on their thrones at the threshing place near the gate of Samaria, listening to the prophets tell them what the [Lord] had said.

10 Zedekiah son of Chenaanah was one of the prophets. He had made some horns out of iron and shouted, “Ahab, the [Lord] says you will attack the Syrians like a bull with iron horns and wipe them out!”

11 All the prophets agreed that Ahab should attack the Syrians at Ramoth and promised that the [Lord] would help him defeat them.

12 Meanwhile, the messenger who went to get Micaiah whispered, “Micaiah, all the prophets have good news for Ahab. Now go and say the same thing.”

13 “I'll say whatever the living [Lord] my God tells me to say,” Micaiah replied.

14 Then Micaiah went up to Ahab, who asked, “Micaiah, should we attack Ramoth?”
“Yes!” Micaiah answered. “The [Lord] will help you capture the city.”

15 Ahab shouted, “Micaiah, I've told you over and over to tell me the truth! What does the [Lord] really say?”

16  t Micaiah answered, “In a visiont I saw Israelite soldiers wandering around, lost in the hills like sheep without a shepherd. The [Lord] said, ‘These troops have no leader. They should go home and not fight.’ ”

17 Ahab turned to Jehoshaphat and said, “I told you he would bring me bad news!”

18 Micaiah replied:
I then saw the [Lord] seated on his throne with every creature in heaven gathered around him.

19 The [Lord] asked, “Who can trick Ahab and make him go to Ramoth where he will be killed?”
They talked about it for a while,

20 then finally a spirit came forward and said to the [Lord], “I can trick Ahab.”
“How?” the [Lord] asked.

21 “I'll make Ahab's prophets lie to him.”
“Good!” the [Lord] replied. “Now go and do it. You will be successful.”

22 Ahab, this is exactly what has happened. The [Lord] made all your prophets lie to you, and he knows you will soon be destroyed.

23 Zedekiah walked over and slapped Micaiah on the face. Then he asked, “Do you really think the [Lord] would speak to you and not to me?”

24 Micaiah answered, “You'll find out on the day you have to hide in the back room of some house.”
25 Ahab shouted, “Arrest Micaiah! Take him to Prince Joash and Governor Amon of Samaria.

26 Tell them to put him in prison and to give him nothing but bread and water until I come back safely.”

27 Micaiah said, “If you do come back, I was wrong about what the [Lord] wanted me to say.” Then he told the crowd, “Don't forget what I said!”

Ahab Dies at Ramoth

(1 Kings 22.29-35)

29 Before they went into battle, Ahab said, “Jehoshaphat, I'll disguise myself, but you wear your royal robe.” Ahab disguised himself and went into battle.
30 The king of Syria had ordered his chariot commanders to attack only Ahab. 31 So when they saw Jehoshaphat in his robe, they thought he was Ahab and started to attack him. But Jehoshaphat prayed, and the [Lord] made the Syrian soldiers stop.

32 And when they realized he wasn't Ahab, they left him alone.

33 However, during the fighting a soldier shot an arrow without even aiming, and it hit Ahab between two pieces of his armor. He shouted to his chariot driver, “I've been hit! Get me out of here!”
34 The fighting lasted all day, with Ahab propped up in his chariot so he could see the Syrian troops. He stayed there until evening, and by sundown he was dead.