Jehoshaphat Allies with Ahab (1 Kings 22:1–12)
1 DRA Now Josaphat was rich and very glorious, and was joined by affinity to Achab. BSB BSB: Now Jehoshaphat had an abundance of riches and honor, and he allied himself with Ahab by marriage.
2 DRA And he went down to him after some years to Samaria: and Achab at his coming killed sheep and oxen in abundance for him and the people that came with him: and he persuaded him to go up to Ramoth Galaad. 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 DRA And Achab king of Israel said to Josaphat king of Juda: Come with me to Ramoth Galaad. And he answered him: Thou art as I am, and my people as thy people, and we will be with thee in the war. 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 DRA And Josaphat said to the king of Israel: Inquire, I beseech thee, at present the word of the Lord. BSB BSB: But Jehoshaphat also said to the king of Israel, “Please inquire first for the word of the LORD.”
5 DRA So the king of Israel gathered together of the prophets four hundred men, and he said to them: Shall we go to Ramoth Galaad to fight, or shall we forbear? But they said: Go up, and God will deliver it into the king’s hand. 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 DRA And Josaphat said: Is there not here a prophet of the Lord, that we may inquire also of him? BSB BSB: But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there not still a prophet of the LORD here of whom we can inquire?”
7 DRA And the king of Israel said to Josaphat: There is one man, of whom we may ask the will of the Lord: but I hate him, for he never prophesieth good to me, but always evil: and it is Micheas the son of Jemla. And Josaphat said: Speak not thus, O king. 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 DRA And the king of Israel called one of the eunuchs, and said to him: Call quickly Micheas the son of Jemla. BSB BSB: So the king of Israel called one of his officials and said, “Bring Micaiah son of Imlah at once.”
9 DRA Now the king of Israel, and Josaphat king of Juda, both sat on their thrones, clothed in royal robes, and they sat in the open court by the gate of Samaria, and all the prophets prophesied before 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 DRA And Sedecias the son of Chanaana made him horns of iron, and said: Thus saith the Lord: With these shalt thou push Syria, till thou destroy it. 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 DRA And all the prophets prophesied in like manner, and said: Go up to Ramoth Galaad, and thou shalt prosper, and the Lord will deliver them into the king’s hand. 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.”
Micaiah Prophesies against Ahab (1 Kings 22:13–28)
12 DRA And the messenger that went to call Micheas, said to him: Behold the words of all the prophets with one mouth declare good to the king: I beseech thee therefore let not thy word disagree with them, and speak thou also good success. 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 DRA And Micheas answered him: As the Lord liveth, whatsoever my God shall say to me, that will I speak. BSB BSB: But Micaiah said, “As surely as the LORD lives, I will speak whatever my God tells me.”
14 DRA So he came to the king: and the king said to him: Micheas, shall we go to Ramoth Galaad to fight, or forbear? And he answered him: Go up, for all shall succeed prosperously, and the enemies shall be delivered into your hands. 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 DRA And the king said: I adjure thee again and again to say nothing but the truth to me, in the name of the Lord. 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 DRA Then he said: I saw all Israel scattered in the mountains, like sheep without a shepherd: and the Lord said: These have no masters: let every man return to his own house in peace. 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 DRA And the king of Israel said to Josaphat: Did I not tell thee that this man would not prophesy me any good, but evil? 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 DRA Then he said: Hear ye therefore the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on his throne, and all the army of heaven standing by him on the right hand and on the left. 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 DRA And the Lord said: Who shall deceive Achab king of Israel, that he may go up and fall in Ramoth Galaad? And when one spoke in this manner, and another otherwise: 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 DRA There came forth a spirit, and stood before the Lord, and said: I will deceive him. And the Lord said to him: By what means wilt thou deceive him? BSB BSB: Then a spirit came forward, stood before the LORD, and said, ‘I will entice him.’ ‘By what means?’ asked the LORD.
21 DRA And he answered: I will go out, and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And the Lord said: Thou shalt deceive, and shalt prevail: go out, and do so. 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 DRA Now therefore behold the Lord hath put a spirit of lying in the mouth of all thy prophets, and the Lord hath spoken evil against thee. 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 DRA And Sedecias the son of Chanaana came, and struck Micheas on the cheek and said: Which way went the spirit of the Lord from me, to speak to thee? 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 DRA And Micheas said: Thou thyself shalt see in that day, when thou shalt go in from chamber to chamber, to hide thyself. BSB BSB: Micaiah replied, “You will soon see, on that day when you go and hide in an inner room.”
25 DRA And the king of Israel commanded, saying: Take Micheas, and carry him to Amen the governor of the city, and to Joas the son of Amelech, 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 DRA And say: Thus saith the king: Put this fellow in prison, and give him bread and water in a small quantity till I return in peace. 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 DRA And Micheas said: If thou return in peace, the Lord hath not spoken by me. And he said: Hear, all ye people. 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!”
Ahab’s Defeat and Death (1 Kings 22:29–40)
28 DRA So the king of Israel and Josaphat king of Juda went up to Ramoth Galaad. BSB BSB: So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah went up to Ramoth-gilead.
29 DRA And the king of Israel said to Josaphat: I will change my dress, and so I will go to the battle, but put thou on thy own garments. And the king of Israel having changed his dress, went to 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 DRA Now the king of Syria had commanded the captains of his cavalry, saying: Fight ye not with small, or great, but with the king of Israel only. 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 DRA So when the captains of the cavalry saw Josaphat, they said: This is the king of Israel. And they surrounded him to attack him: but he cried to the Lord, and he helped him, and turned them away from him. 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 DRA For when the captains of the cavalry saw, that he was not the king of Israel, they left him. BSB BSB: And when the chariot commanders saw that he was not the king of Israel, they turned back from pursuing him.
33 DRA And it happened that one of the people shot an arrow at a venture, and struck the king of Israel between the neck and the shoulders, and he said to his chariot man: Turn thy hand, and carry me out of the battle, for I am 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 DRA And the fight was ended that day: but the king of Israel stood in his chariot against the Syrians until the evening, and died at the sunset. 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.
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