Ahab and the False Prophets (2 Chronicles 18:1–11)
1 UST For the next three years, the kingdoms of Aram and Israel did not fight any wars against each other. BSB BSB: Then three years passed without war between Aram and Israel.
2 UST Then King Jehoshaphat, who ruled Judah, went to visit King Ahab, who ruled Israel. BSB BSB: However, in the third year, Jehoshaphat king of Judah went down to visit the king of Israel,
3 UST { While they were talking,} Ahab said to his officials,“The city of Ramoth in the region of Gilead really belongs to us, but the Arameans are still occupying it. We ought to do something to recapture that city.” BSB BSB: who said to his servants, “Do you not know that Ramoth-gilead is ours, but we have failed to take it from the hand of the king of Aram?”
4 UST Then Ahab turned toward Jehoshaphat and asked,“Will you lead your army and join me as I lead my army to fight to recapture Ramoth Gilead?” Jehoshaphat replied,“Yes, I will lead my army and join you as you lead your army. My soldiers and their horses will fight alongside your soldiers and their horses.” BSB BSB: So he asked Jehoshaphat, “Will you go with me to fight against Ramoth-gilead?” Jehoshaphat answered the king of Israel, “I am as you are, my people are your people, and my horses are your horses.”
5 UST Then Jehoshaphat added,“But we should first ask Yahweh whether we should attack Ramoth Gilead.” BSB BSB: But Jehoshaphat also said to the king of Israel, “Please inquire first for the word of the LORD.”
6 UST So Ahab summoned his prophets. There were about 400 of them. He asked them,“Should I lead my army to fight to recapture Ramoth Gilead, or should I not do that?” They answered,“Yes, go and attack them, because God will enable your army to recapture the city so that it will belong to you again.” BSB BSB: So the king of Israel assembled the prophets, about four hundred men, and asked them, “Should I go to war against Ramoth-gilead, or should I refrain?” “Go up,” they replied, “and the Lord will deliver it into the hand of the king.”
7 UST But Jehoshaphat asked,“Is there still a prophet of Yahweh here whom we could ask about this?” BSB BSB: But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there not still a prophet of the LORD here of whom we can inquire?”
8 UST King Ahab replied,“There is still one prophet whom we can ask to tell us what Yahweh says. His name is Micaiah son of Imlah. But I hate him, because whenever he prophesies about me, he never says that anything good will happen to me. He always predicts that bad things will happen to me.” Jehoshaphat replied,“I do not feel that you should assume he will do 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.
9 UST So King Ahab told one of his officers 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.”
10 UST Ahab, the king of Israel, and Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, were both wearing their royal robes. They were each sitting on thrones in an open square just inside one of the gates in the wall of Samaria. Many prophets were standing in front of them and speaking messages that they said were from God. 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.
11 UST One of those prophets was Zedekiah son of Kenaanah. He used iron to make some horns{ like the horns that bulls have}. Then he proclaimed to Ahab,“Here is a message for you from Yahweh. He says,‘Your army will keep defeating the Arameans until you have completely destroyed them, just as a bull keeps goring another animal until it has killed 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.’”
12 UST The other prophets who were there said the same thing. They told Ahab,“If you go and attack Ramoth Gilead, you will succeed in conquering it, because Yahweh will enable you to defeat its defenders!” 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 (2 Chronicles 18:12–27)
13 UST Meanwhile, the messenger who went to summon Micaiah told him,“Listen to me! All the other prophets are predicting that King Ahab will defeat the Arameans with his army. So be sure that you say the same thing and also predict that he will defeat them.” BSB BSB: Then the messenger who had gone to call Micaiah instructed him, “Behold now, with one accord the words of the prophets are favorable to the king. So please let your words be like theirs, and speak favorably.”
14 UST But Micaiah replied,“I swear by Yahweh that I will tell Ahab exactly what Yahweh tells me to say.” BSB BSB: But Micaiah said, “As surely as the LORD lives, I will speak whatever the LORD tells me.”
15 UST When Micaiah came to Ahab, Ahab asked him,“Micaiah, should I lead my army to fight to recapture Ramoth Gilead, or should I not do that?” Micaiah replied,“If you go and attack Ramoth Gilead, you will succeed in conquering it, because Yahweh will enable you to defeat its defenders.” 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 the LORD will deliver it into the hand of the king.”
16 UST But King Ahab{ realized that Micaiah did not really mean what he was saying, so he} told Micaiah,“I have told you many times that you must always speak truthfully when you say what Yahweh has revealed to you about me!” 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?”
17 UST So Micaiah said to him,“{ The truth is that in a vision} I saw that the Israelite soldiers had scattered on the hills, the way sheep scatter when they do not have a shepherd. And Yahweh said,‘Their master is dead. So let them all stop fighting and go home.’” 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.’”
18 UST Then Ahab said to Jehoshaphat,“I told you that he never says that anything good will happen to me. He always predicts that bad things will happen to 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?”
19 UST Then Micaiah continued, saying,“Let me tell you what Yahweh showed to me!{ In a vision} I saw Yahweh sitting on his throne. The angels of heaven were standing on both sides of him. 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 by Him on His right and on His left.
20 UST And Yahweh asked,‘Who can persuade Ahab to lead his army to attack Ramoth Gilead so that he will die in battle there?’ Some said to do that in one way, while others said to do it in a different way. BSB BSB: And the LORD said, ‘Who will entice Ahab to march up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?’ And one suggested this, and another that.
21 UST Finally a spirit came forward and told Yahweh,‘I will deceive him!’ Yahweh asked him,‘How will you do that?’ BSB BSB: Then a spirit came forward, stood before the LORD, and said, ‘I will entice him.’ ‘By what means?’ asked the LORD.
22 UST The spirit replied,‘I will go and inspire all of Ahab’ s prophets to tell lies.’ Yahweh said,‘You will be successful in getting them to tell lies. Go and do that!’ 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.’
23 UST So I am telling you that Yahweh has caused all of your prophets to lie to you. Yahweh has{ done that because he has} decided that something terrible is going to happen to you.” BSB BSB: So you see, the LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouths of all these prophets of yours, and the LORD has pronounced disaster against you.”
24 UST Then Zedekiah walked over to Micaiah and slapped him on his face. He said,“You have said something outrageous! Yahweh’ s Spirit has not 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?”
25 UST Micaiah replied,“You will find out for yourself{ to which of us Yahweh’ s Spirit has truly spoken} on the day when you hide in the back room of a house!” BSB BSB: Micaiah replied, “You will soon see, on that day when you go and hide in an inner room.”
26 UST King Ahab commanded his soldiers,“Seize 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,
27 UST Tell them that I am commanding them to put this man in prison and give him only a little food to eat and a little water to drink each day 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.’”
28 UST Micaiah replied,“If you actually return safely, it will be clear that I was not speaking a message from Yahweh” Then he said to all those who were standing there,“All of you, pay attention to what I have told 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!”
Ahab’s Defeat and Death (2 Chronicles 18:28–34)
29 UST So King Ahab of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah led their armies to attack Ramoth Gilead. BSB BSB: So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah went up to Ramoth-gilead.
30 UST King Ahab said to Jehoshaphat,“When I lead my army into battle, I will wear different clothes{ so that no one will recognize that I am the king of Israel}. But you should wear your royal robes.” So Ahab put on different clothes, and they both led their armies 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.
31 UST The king of Aram had told the 32 men who commanded his chariot forces,“Find the king of Israel and pursue and kill only him. Do not pursue anyone else.” BSB BSB: Now the king of Aram had ordered his thirty-two chariot commanders, “Do not fight with anyone, small or great, except the king of Israel.”
32 UST So when the commanders of the Aramean chariot forces saw Jehoshaphat{ wearing his royal robes}, they shouted,“There is the king of Israel!” They started chasing him to attack him. But when Jehoshaphat shouted out, BSB BSB: When the chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat, they said, “Surely this is the king of Israel!” So they turned to fight against him, but Jehoshaphat cried out.
33 UST they realized that he was not the king of Israel. So they stopped pursuing him. BSB BSB: And when the chariot commanders saw that he was not the king of Israel, they turned back from pursuing him.
34 UST But one Aramean soldier shot an arrow at the Israelite soldiers without aiming at anyone in particular. The arrow struck Ahab where the parts of his armor joined together{ and so it went through the armor and into his body}. Ahab told the driver of his chariot,“This arrow has wounded me! So turn the chariot around and get me out of the midst of the fighting!” 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!”
35 UST The Israelites and Arameans fought desperately throughout that day. Ahab’ s soldiers helped him keep standing up in his chariot facing the Aramean troops. The blood from his wound ran down onto the floor of the chariot. At the end of the day, he died. BSB BSB: The battle raged throughout that day, and the king was propped up in his chariot facing the Arameans. And the blood from his wound ran out onto the floor of the chariot, and that evening he died.
36 UST Just as the sun was setting, the Israelite troops began shouting to each other,“{ Since the king has died, we should stop fighting and} all return home!” BSB BSB: As the sun was setting, the cry rang out in the army: “Every man to his own city, and every man to his own land!”
37 UST After King Ahab died, his soldiers brought his body back to Samaria and buried it there. BSB BSB: So the king died and was brought to Samaria, where they buried him.
38 UST They washed his chariot at the pool in Samaria, the same pool where the prostitutes of the city bathed. Dogs came and licked up the king’ s blood, just as Yahweh had said would happen. BSB BSB: And the chariot was washed at the pool of Samaria where the prostitutes bathed, and the dogs licked up Ahab’s blood, according to the word that the LORD had spoken.
40 UST When Ahab died, his son Ahaziah became the next king. BSB BSB: And Ahab rested with his fathers, and his son Ahaziah reigned in his place.
Jehoshaphat Reigns in Judah (2 Chronicles 20:31–34)
41 UST Earlier, when Ahab had been ruling in Israel for four years, Jehoshaphat son of Asa started to rule Judah. BSB BSB: In the fourth year of Ahab’s reign over Israel, Jehoshaphat son of Asa became king of Judah.
42 UST Jehoshaphat was 35 years old when he started to rule, and he ruled in Jerusalem for 25 years. His mother was Azubah daughter of Shilhi. BSB BSB: Jehoshaphat was thirty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-five years. His mother’s name was Azubah daughter of Shilhi.
43 UST Jehoshaphat was a good king, just as his father Asa had been. Throughout his life, he did things that Yahweh had told the Israelites were good to do. However, he did not order his servants to destroy the shrines for worship on the top of hills. So the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense at those shrines. BSB BSB: And Jehoshaphat walked in all the ways of his father Asa; he did not turn away from them, but did what was right in the eyes of the LORD. The high places, however, were not removed; the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places.
44 UST Jehoshaphat also made a peace treaty with the king of Israel. BSB BSB: Jehoshaphat also made peace with the king of Israel.
45 UST The book in which the kings of Judah recorded what happened during their reigns describes further things that Jehoshaphat did. It describes the great things that he did and the victories that his troops won. BSB BSB: As for the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, along with the might he exercised and how he waged war, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah?
46 UST Jehoshaphat’ s father Asa had ordered the male prostitutes to leave the kingdom of Judah, but some had not left. Jehoshaphat forced all the remaining ones to leave. BSB BSB: He banished from the land the male shrine prostitutes who remained from the days of his father Asa.
47 UST At that time, Edom did not have a king. A deputy{ whom Jehoshaphat appointed} ruled the Edomites. BSB BSB: And there was no king in Edom; a deputy served as king.
48 UST Jehoshaphat had his workers build at Ezion Geber a fleet of ships that were able to sail out on the sea. He wanted them to sail to Ophir to get gold. But a storm wrecked them there, so the ships never sailed to Ophir. BSB BSB: Jehoshaphat built ships of Tarshish to go to Ophir for gold, but they never set sail, because they were wrecked at Ezion-geber.
49 UST Then Ahaziah son of Ahab suggested to Jehoshaphat,“Allow my sailors to go in the ships with your sailors,” but Jehoshaphat refused. BSB BSB: At that time Ahaziah son of Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, “Let my servants sail with your servants,” but Jehoshaphat refused.
50 UST When Jehoshaphat died, the Judeans buried him where they had buried his ancestors, in the part of Jerusalem that people called the City of David. His son Jehoram became the next king of Judah. BSB BSB: And Jehoshaphat rested with his fathers and was buried with them in the city of his father David. And his son Jehoram reigned in his place.
Ahaziah Reigns in Israel (2 Kings 1:1–16)
51 UST Earlier, Ahaziah son of Ahab had begun to rule Israel from the city of Samaria when Jehoshaphat had been ruling in Judah for 17 years. Ahaziah ruled Israel for two years. BSB BSB: In the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat’s reign over Judah, Ahaziah son of Ahab became king of Israel, and he reigned in Samaria two years.
52 UST Ahaziah did many things that Yahweh had told the Israelites were evil. He did the same evil things that his father and mother had done. And he did the same evil things that Jeroboam had done. Jeroboam was the king who had led the Israelites to sin by worshiping idols. BSB BSB: And he did evil in the sight of the LORD and walked in the ways of his father and mother and of Jeroboam son of Nebat, who had caused Israel to sin.
53 UST Ahaziah worshiped Baal and even bowed down to an idol of Baal. That made Yahweh, the God whom the Israelites were supposed to worship, very angry. Ahaziah angered Yahweh just as much as his father Ahab had angered him. BSB BSB: Ahaziah served and worshiped Baal, provoking the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger, just as his father had done.
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