1 ARST Jehoshaphat became very wealthy and was greatly honored. But then he arranged for one of his family to marry someone from the family of King Ahab of Israel. BSB BSB: Now Jehoshaphat had an abundance of riches and honor, and he allied himself with Ahab by marriage.
2 ARST Several years later, he went down from Jerusalem to Samaria to visit Ahab. Ahab welcomed him, and the people who had come with him by slaughtering many sheep and cattle for a feast. BSB BSB: And some years later he went down to visit Ahab in Samaria, where Ahab sacrificed many sheep and cattle for him and the people with him and urged him to march up to Ramoth-gilead.
3 ARST Then he asked Jehoshaphat, “Will you and your army go with my army to attack the city of Ramoth in the region of Gilead?” Jehoshaphat replied, “My soldiers and I are at your orders. We will go to war when you tell us to go.” BSB BSB: Ahab king of Israel asked Jehoshaphat king of Judah, “Will you go with me against Ramoth-gilead?” And Jehoshaphat replied, “I am as you are, and my people are your people; we will join you in the war.”
4 ARST Then he added, “But we should ask Yahweh first, to find out what he wants us to do.” BSB BSB: But Jehoshaphat also said to the king of Israel, “Please inquire first for the word of the LORD.”
5 ARST So the king of Israel gathered all his four hundred prophets and asked them, “Should we go to fight the people of Ramoth, or should we not?” They replied, “Yes, go and attack them because God will enable your army to defeat them.” BSB BSB: So the king of Israel assembled the prophets, four hundred men, and asked them, “Should we go to war against Ramoth-gilead, or should we refrain?” “Go up,” they replied, “and God will deliver it into the hand of the king.”
6 ARST But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there no prophet of Yahweh here whom we can ask?” BSB BSB: But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there not still a prophet of the LORD here of whom we can inquire?”
7 ARST The king of Israel replied, “There is still one man here, whom we can ask to find out what Yahweh wants, His name is Micaiah son of Imlah. But I hate him because he never says that anything good about me. He always predicts that bad things will happen to me.” Jehoshaphat replied, “King Ahab, you should not say that!” BSB BSB: The king of Israel answered, “There is still one man through whom we can inquire of the LORD, but I hate him because he never prophesies anything good for me, but only bad. He is Micaiah son of Imlah.” “The king should not say that!” Jehoshaphat replied.
8 ARST So the king of Israel told one of his officials to summon Micaiah immediately. BSB BSB: So the king of Israel called one of his officials and said, “Bring Micaiah son of Imlah at once.”
9 ARST Now the king of Israel and the king of Judah were sitting there on thrones, wearing their royal robes. They were sitting by the gate of Samaria, and all the prophets were busy saying words of prophecy to them. BSB BSB: Dressed in royal attire, the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah were sitting on their thrones at the threshing floor by the entrance of the gate of Samaria, with all the prophets prophesying before them.
10 ARST One of them whose name was Zedekiah son of Kenaanah, had made from iron something that resembled the horns of a bull. He proclaimed to Ahab, “This is what Yahweh says: ‘With horns like these, your army will keep attacking the army of Aram like a bull attacks another animal, until you completely destroy them.’” BSB BSB: Now Zedekiah son of Chenaanah had made for himself iron horns and declared, “This is what the LORD says: ‘With these you shall gore the Arameans until they are finished off.’”
11 ARST All the other prophets of Ahab agreed. They said, “Yes! If you attack Ramoth in Gilead, you will be successful, because Yahweh will enable you to defeat them.” BSB BSB: And all the prophets were prophesying the same, saying, “Go up to Ramoth-gilead and triumph, for the LORD will deliver it into the hand of the king.”
12 ARST The messenger who went to summon Micaiah said to him, “Listen to me! All the other prophets are predicting the same thing. You had better do as they are doing!” BSB BSB: Then the messenger who had gone to call Micaiah instructed him, “Behold, with one accord the words of the prophets are favorable to the king. So please let your words be like theirs, and speak favorably.”
13 ARST But Micaiah said, “As surely as Yahweh lives, I will tell him only what he tells me to say.” BSB BSB: But Micaiah said, “As surely as the LORD lives, I will speak whatever my God tells me.”
14 ARST When Micaiah arrived, the king of Israel asked him, “Should we go to attack Ramoth, or not?” Micaiah replied, “Sure, go! Yahweh will enable your army to defeat them!” BSB BSB: When Micaiah arrived, the king asked him, “Micaiah, should we go to war against Ramoth-gilead, or should we refrain?” “Go up and triumph,” Micaiah replied, “for they will be delivered into your hand.”
15 ARST But King Ahab wished to appear reverent toward Yahweh in front of Jehoshaphat. He said to Miciaiah, “I keep telling you to say only what Yahweh tells you to say!” BSB BSB: But the king said to him, “How many times must I make you swear not to tell me anything but the truth in the name of the LORD?”
16 ARST Then Micaiah replied, “The truth is that in a vision I saw all the troops of Israel scattered on the mountains. They seemed to be like sheep that did not have a shepherd. And Yahweh said, ‘Their master has been killed. So tell them all to go home peacefully.’” BSB BSB: So Micaiah declared: “I saw all Israel scattered on the hills like sheep without a shepherd. And the LORD said, ‘These people have no master; let each one return home in peace.’”
17 ARST Ahab turned to Jehoshaphat and said, “I told you that Micaiah never says anything good will happen to me! He only predicts bad things for me.” BSB BSB: Then the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Did I not tell you that he never prophesies good for me, but only bad?”
18 ARST But Micaiah continued, saying, “Listen to what Yahweh showed to me! In a vision I saw Yahweh sitting on his throne, with all the armies of heaven standing around him, on his right side and on his left side. BSB BSB: Micaiah continued, “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 and on His left.
19 ARST And Yahweh said, ‘Who can persuade Ahab, the king of Israel, to go to fight against the people of Ramoth, in order that he may be killed there?’ Some suggested one thing, and others suggested something else. BSB BSB: And the LORD said, ‘Who will entice Ahab king of Israel to march up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?’ And one suggested this, and another that.
20 ARST Finally one spirit forward and said, ‘I can do it!’ Yahweh asked him, ‘How will you do it?’ BSB BSB: Then a spirit came forward, stood before the LORD, and said, ‘I will entice him.’ ‘By what means?’ asked the LORD.
21 ARST The spirit replied, ‘I will go and inspire all of Ahab’s prophets to tell lies.’ Yahweh said, ‘You will be successful; go and do it!’ BSB BSB: And he replied, ‘I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouths of all his prophets.’ ‘You will surely entice him and prevail,’ said the LORD. ‘Go and do it.’
22 ARST So now I tell you that Yahweh has caused your prophets to lie to you. Yahweh has decided that something terrible will happen to you.” BSB BSB: So you see, the LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouths of these prophets of yours, and the LORD has pronounced disaster against you.”
23 ARST Then Zedekiah walked over to Micaiah and slapped him on his face. He said, “Do you think that Yahweh’s spirit left me in order to speak to you?” BSB BSB: Then Zedekiah son of Chenaanah went up, struck Micaiah in the face, and demanded, “Which way did the Spirit of the LORD go when He departed from me to speak with you?”
24 ARST Micaiah replied, “You will find out for yourself to which of us Yahweh’s spirit has truly spoken on the day when you go into a room of some house to hide from the Aramean soldiers!” BSB BSB: Micaiah replied, “You will soon see, on that day when you go and hide in an inner room.”
25 ARST King Ahab commanded his soldiers, “Arrest Micaiah and take him to Amon, the governor of this city, and to my son Joash. BSB BSB: And the king of Israel declared, “Take Micaiah and return him to Amon the governor of the city and to Joash the king’s son,
26 ARST Tell them that I have commanded that they should put this man in prison and give him only bread and water. Do not give him anything else to eat until I return safely from the battle!” BSB BSB: and tell them that this is what the king says: ‘Put this man in prison and feed him only bread and water until I return safely.’”
27 ARST Micaiah replied, “If you return safely, it will be clear that it was not Yahweh who told me what to say to you!” Then he said to all those who were standing there, “Do not forget what I have said to King Ahab!” BSB BSB: But Micaiah replied, “If you ever return safely, the LORD has not spoken through me.” Then he added, “Take heed, all you people!”
28 ARST So the king of Israel and the king of Judah led their armies to Ramoth in Gilead. BSB BSB: So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah went up to Ramoth-gilead.
29 ARST King Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, “I will put on different clothes, in order that no one will recognize that I am the king. But you should wear your royal robe.” So the king of Israel disguised himself, and they both went into the battle. BSB BSB: And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “I will disguise myself and go into battle, but you wear your royal robes.” So the king of Israel disguised himself and went into battle.
30 ARST The king of Aram had told his soldiers who were driving the chariots, “Attack only the king of Israel! Do not attack anyone else.” BSB BSB: Now the king of Aram had ordered his chariot commanders, “Do not fight with anyone, small or great, except the king of Israel.”
31 ARST So when the soldiers who were driving the Aramean chariots saw Jehoshaphat wearing the royal robes, they thought, “He must be the king of Israel!” BSB BSB: When the chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat, they said, “This is the king of Israel!” So they turned to fight against him, but Jehoshaphat cried out, and the LORD helped him. God drew them away from him.
32 ARST So they turned to attack him. But when Jehoshaphat cried out, Yahweh helped him, and they realized that he was not the king of Israel. And God caused them to stop pursuing him. BSB BSB: And when the chariot commanders saw that he was not the king of Israel, they turned back from pursuing him.
33 ARST But one Aramean soldier shot an arrow at Ahab, without knowing who he was. The arrow struck Ahab between the places where the parts of his armor joined together. Ahab told the driver of his chariot, “Turn the chariot around and take me out of here! I have been severely wounded!” BSB BSB: However, a certain man drew his bow without taking special aim, and he struck the king of Israel between the joints of his armor. So the king said to his charioteer, “Turn around and take me out of the battle, for I am badly wounded!”
34 ARST The battle continued all the day. Ahab was sitting propped up in his chariot, facing the Aramean soldiers. And late in the afternoon, when the sun was setting, he died. BSB BSB: The battle raged throughout that day, and the king of Israel propped himself up in his chariot facing the Arameans until evening. And at sunset he died.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.