2 Chronicles 18 | New International Reader’s Version

New International Reader’s Version

Micaiah prophesies against Ahab

1 Jehoshaphat had great wealth and honour. He joined forces with Ahab by marrying Ahab’s daughter. 2 Some years later he went down to see Ahab in Samaria. Ahab killed a lot of sheep and cattle for Jehoshaphat and the people with him. Ahab tried to get Jehoshaphat to attack Ramoth Gilead. 3 Ahab was the king of Israel. He spoke to Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah. He asked, ‘Will you go with me to fight against Ramoth Gilead?’ Jehoshaphat replied, ‘Yes. I’ll go with you. My men will also go with your men. We’ll join you in the war.’ 4 He continued, ‘First ask the LORD for advice.’ 5 So the king of Israel brought 400 prophets together. He asked them, ‘Should we go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or not?’ ‘Go’, they answered. ‘God will hand it over to you.’ 6 But Jehoshaphat asked, ‘Is there no longer a prophet of the LORD here? If there is, ask him what we should do.’ 7 The king of Israel answered Jehoshaphat. He said, ‘There is still one prophet we can go to. We can ask the LORD for advice through him. But I hate him. He never prophesies anything good about me. He only prophesies bad things. His name is Micaiah. He’s the son of Imlah.’ ‘You shouldn’t say bad things about him,’ Jehoshaphat replied. 8 So the king of Israel called for one of his officials. He told him, ‘Bring Micaiah, the son of Imlah, right away.’ 9 The king of Israel and Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, were wearing their royal robes. They were sitting on their thrones at the threshing-floor. It was near the entrance of the gate of Samaria. All the prophets were prophesying in front of them. 10 Zedekiah was the son of Kenaanah. Zedekiah had made horns out of iron. They looked like animal horns. He announced, ‘The LORD says, “With these horns you will drive back the men of Aram until they are destroyed.” ’ 11 All the other prophets were prophesying the same thing. ‘Attack Ramoth Gilead,’ they said. ‘Win the battle over it. The LORD will hand it over to you.’ 12 A messenger went to get Micaiah. He said to him, ‘Look. The other prophets agree. All of them are saying the king will have success. So agree with them. Say the same thing they do.’ 13 But Micaiah said, ‘You can be sure that the LORD lives. And you can be just as sure that I can only tell the king what my God says.’ 14 When Micaiah arrived, the king spoke to him. He asked, ‘Should we go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or not?’ ‘Attack’, he answered. ‘You will win. The people of Ramoth Gilead will be handed over to you.’ 15 The king said to him, ‘I’ve made you promise to tell the truth many times before. So don’t tell me anything but the truth in the name of the LORD.’ 16 Then Micaiah answered, ‘I saw all the Israelites scattered on the hills. They were like sheep that didn’t have a shepherd. The LORD said, “These people do not have a master. Let each of them go home in peace.” ’ 17 The king of Israel spoke to Jehoshaphat. He said, ‘Didn’t I tell you he never prophesies anything good about me? He only prophesies bad things.’ 18 Micaiah continued, ‘Listen to the LORD’s message. I saw the LORD sitting on his throne. Some of the angels of heaven were standing at his right side. The others were standing at his left side. 19 The LORD said, “Who will get Ahab, the king of Israel, to attack Ramoth Gilead? I want him to die there.” ‘One angel suggested one thing. Another suggested something else. 20 Finally, a spirit came forward and stood in front of the LORD. The spirit said, “I’ll get Ahab to do it.” ‘ “How?” the LORD asked. 21 ‘The spirit said, “I’ll go and put lies in the mouths of all his prophets.” ‘ “You will have success in getting Ahab to attack Ramoth Gilead,” said the LORD. “Go and do it.” 22 ‘So the LORD has put lies in the mouths of your prophets. He has said that great harm will come to you.’ 23 Then Zedekiah, the son of Kenaanah, went up and slapped Micaiah in the face. Zedekiah asked Micaiah, ‘Do you think the spirit sent by the LORD left me? Do you think that spirit went to speak to you?’ 24 Micaiah replied, ‘You will find out on the day you go to hide in an inside room to save your life.’ 25 Then the king of Israel gave an order. He said, ‘Take Micaiah away. Send him back to Amon. Amon is the ruler of the city of Samaria. And send Micaiah back to Joash. Joash is a member of the royal court. 26 Tell them, “The king says, ‘Put this fellow in prison. Don’t give him anything but bread and water until I return safely.’ ” ’ 27 Micaiah announced, ‘Do you really think you will return safely? If you do, the LORD hasn’t spoken through me.’ He continued, ‘All you people, remember what I’ve said!’

Ahab is killed at Ramoth Gilead

28 So the king of Israel went up to Ramoth Gilead. Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, went there too. 29 The king of Israel spoke to Jehoshaphat. He said, ‘I’ll go into battle wearing different clothes. Then people won’t recognise me. But you wear your royal robes.’ So the king of Israel put on different clothes. Then he went into battle. 30 The king of Aram had given an order to his chariot commanders. He had said, ‘Fight only against the king of Israel. Don’t fight against anyone else.’ 31 The chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat. They thought, ‘That’s the king of Israel.’ So they turned to attack him. But Jehoshaphat cried out. And the LORD helped him. God drew the commanders away from him. 32 They saw he wasn’t the king of Israel after all. So they stopped chasing him. 33 But someone shot an arrow without taking aim. The arrow hit the king of Israel between the parts of his armour. The king told the chariot driver, ‘Turn the chariot round. Get me out of this battle. I’ve been wounded.’ 34 All day long the battle continued. The king of Israel kept himself standing up by leaning against the inside of his chariot. He kept his face towards the men of Aram until evening. At sunset he died.

English Standard Version

Jehoshaphat Allies with Ahab

1 Now Jehoshaphat had great riches and honor, and he made a marriage alliance with Ahab. (2Ki 8:18; 2Ch 17:5; 2Ch 21:6) 2 After some years he went down to Ahab in Samaria. 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. (1Ki 22:2) 3 Ahab king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat 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 And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “Inquire first for the word of the Lord.” 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 refrain?” And they said, “Go up, for God will give it into the hand of the king.” 6 But Jehoshaphat said, “Is there not here another prophet of the Lord of whom we may inquire?” 7 And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of the Lord, Micaiah the son of Imlah; but I hate him, for he never prophesies good concerning me, but always evil.” And Jehoshaphat said, “Let not the king say so.” 8 Then the king of Israel summoned an officer and said, “Bring quickly Micaiah the son of Imlah.” 9 Now the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat 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 Samaria, and all the prophets were prophesying before them. (Ru 4:1) 10 And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah 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 so and said, “Go up to Ramoth-gilead and triumph. The Lord will give it into the hand of the king.” 12 And the messenger who went to summon Micaiah 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 But Micaiah said, “As the Lord lives, what my God says, that I will speak.” (Nu 22:18; Nu 24:13; 1Ki 17:1) 14 And when he had come to the king, the king said to him, “Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall I refrain?” And he answered, “Go up and triumph; they will be given into your hand.” 15 But the king said to him, “How many times shall I make you swear that you speak to me nothing but the truth in the name of the Lord?” 16 And he said, “I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd. And the Lord said, ‘These have no master; let each return to his home in peace.’” (Nu 27:17; Mt 9:36) 17 And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Did I not tell you that he would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil?” 18 And Micaiah 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. (1Ki 22:19) 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 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 And he said, ‘I will go out, 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 out and do so.’ (1Ki 22:22) 22 Now therefore behold, the Lord has put a lying spirit in the mouth of these your prophets. The Lord has declared disaster concerning you.” 23 Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah came near and struck Micaiah on the cheek and said, “Which way did the Spirit of the Lord go from me to speak to you?” (1Ki 22:24) 24 And Micaiah said, “Behold, you shall see on that day when you go into an inner chamber to hide yourself.” 25 And the king of Israel said, “Seize Micaiah and take him back to Amon the governor of the city and to Joash the king’s son, (2Ch 34:8) 26 and say, ‘Thus says the king, Put this fellow in prison and feed him with meager rations of bread and water until I return in peace.’” (2Ch 16:10) 27 And Micaiah said, “If you return in peace, the Lord has not spoken by me.” And he said, “Hear, all you peoples!” (Mic 1:2)

The Defeat and Death of Ahab

28 So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went up to Ramoth-gilead. 29 And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “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 Syria had commanded the captains of his chariots, “Fight with neither small nor great, but only with the king of Israel.” 31 As soon as the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, they said, “It is the king of Israel.” So they turned to fight against him. And Jehoshaphat cried out, and the Lord helped him; God drew them away from him. 32 For as soon as the captains of the chariots saw that it was not the king of Israel, they turned back from pursuing him. 33 But a certain man drew his bow at random^[1] and struck the king of Israel between the scale armor and the breastplate. Therefore he said to the driver of his chariot, “Turn around and carry me out of the battle, for I am wounded.” 34 And the battle continued that day, and the king of Israel was propped up in his chariot facing the Syrians until evening. Then at sunset he died.