2 Chronicles 18182 ChroniclesThe kings of JudahJPS Tanakh 1917

JPS Tanakh 1917Berean Standard Bible

1. Jehoshaphat Allies with Ahab

   (1 Kings 22:1–12)

2. 1JPSNow Jehoshaphat had riches and honour in abundance; and he allied himself with Ahab by marriage.BSBBSB: Now Jehoshaphat had an abundance of riches and honor, and he allied himself with Ahab by marriage.
3. 2JPSAnd after a lapse of years he went down to Ahab to Samaria. And Ahab killed sheep and oxen for him in abundance, and for the people that were with him, and persuaded him to go up with him to Ramoth-gilead.BSBBSB: 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.
4. 3JPSAnd Ahab king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat king of Judah: 'Wilt thou go with me to Ramoth-gilead?' And he answered him: 'I am as thou art, and my people as thy people; and we will be with thee in the war.'BSBBSB: 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.”
5. 4JPSAnd Jehoshaphat said unto the king of Israel: 'Inquire, I pray thee, at the word of the LORD today.'BSBBSB: But Jehoshaphat also said to the king of Israel, “Please inquire first for the word of the LORD.”
6. 5JPSThen the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, four hundred men, and said unto them: 'Shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall I forbear?' And they said: 'Go up; for God will deliver it into the hand of the king.'BSBBSB: 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.”
7. 6JPSBut Jehoshaphat said: 'Is there not here besides a prophet of the LORD, that we might inquire of him?'BSBBSB: But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there not still a prophet of the LORD here of whom we can inquire?”
8. 7JPSAnd the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat: 'There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of the LORD; but I hate him; for he never prophesieth good concerning me, but always evil; the same is Micaiah the son of Imla.' And Jehoshaphat said: 'Let not the king say so.'BSBBSB: 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. 8JPSThen the king of Israel called an officer, and said: 'Fetch quickly Micaiah the son of Imla.'BSBBSB: So the king of Israel called one of his officials and said, “Bring Micaiah son of Imlah at once.”
10. 9JPSNow the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah sat each on his throne, arrayed in their robes, and they sat in a threshing-floor at the entrance of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets were prophesying before them.BSBBSB: 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. 10JPSAnd Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made him horns of iron, and said: 'Thus saith the LORD: With these shalt thou gore the Arameans, until they be consumed.'BSBBSB: 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. 11JPSAnd all the prophets prophesied so, saying: 'Go up to Ramoth-gilead, and prosper; for the LORD will deliver it into the hand of the king.'BSBBSB: 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.”

13. Micaiah Prophesies against Ahab

    (1 Kings 22:13–28)

14. 12JPSAnd the messenger that went to call Micaiah spoke to him, saying: 'Behold, the words of the prophets declare good to the king with one mouth; let thy word therefore, I pray thee, be like one of theirs, and speak thou good.'BSBBSB: 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.”
15. 13JPSAnd Micaiah said: 'As the LORD liveth, what my God saith, that will I speak.'BSBBSB: But Micaiah said, “As surely as the LORD lives, I will speak whatever my God tells me.”
16. 14JPSAnd when he was come to the king, the king said unto him: 'Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall I forbear?' And he said: 'Go ye up, and prosper; and they shall be delivered into your hand.'BSBBSB: 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.”
17. 15JPSAnd the king said to him: 'How many times shall I adjure thee that thou speak unto me nothing but the truth in the name of the LORD.'BSBBSB: 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?”
18. 16JPSAnd he said: 'I saw all Israel scattered upon the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd; and the LORD said: These have no master, let them return every man to his house in peace.'BSBBSB: 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.’”
19. 17JPSAnd the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat: 'Did I not tell thee that he would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil?'BSBBSB: Then the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Did I not tell you that he never prophesies good for me, but only bad?”
20. 18JPSAnd he said: 'Therefore hear ye the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting upon His throne, and all the host of heaven standing on His right hand and on His left.BSBBSB: 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.
21. 19JPSAnd the LORD said: who shall entice Ahab king of Israel, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead? And one spoke saying after this manner, and another saying after that manner.BSBBSB: 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.
22. 20JPSAnd there came forth the spirit, and stood before the LORD, and said: I will entice him. And the LORD said unto him: Wherewith?BSBBSB: Then a spirit came forward, stood before the LORD, and said, ‘I will entice him.’ ‘By what means?’ asked the LORD.
23. 21JPSAnd he said: I will go forth, and will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And He said: Thou shalt entice him, and shalt prevail also; go forth, and do so.BSBBSB: 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.’
24. 22JPSNow therefore, behold, the LORD hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of these thy prophets; and the LORD hath spoken evil concerning thee.'BSBBSB: 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.”
25. 23JPSThen Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah came near, and smote Micaiah upon the check, and said: 'Which way went the spirit of the LORD from me to speak unto thee?'BSBBSB: 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?”
26. 24JPSAnd Micaiah said: 'Behold, thou shalt see on that day, when thou shalt go into an inner chamber to hide thyself.'BSBBSB: Micaiah replied, “You will soon see, on that day when you go and hide in an inner room.”
27. 25JPSAnd the king of Israel said: 'Take ye Micaiah; and carry him back unto Amon the governor of the city, and to Joash the king's son;BSBBSB: 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,
28. 26JPSand say: Thus saith the king: Put this fellow in the prison, and feed him with scant bread and with scant water, until I return in peace.'BSBBSB: 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.’”
29. 27JPSAnd Micaiah said: 'If thou return at all in peace, the LORD hath not spoken by me.' And he said: 'Hear, ye peoples, all of you.'BSBBSB: But Micaiah replied, “If you ever return safely, the LORD has not spoken through me.” Then he added, “Take heed, all you people!”

30. Ahab’s Defeat and Death

    (1 Kings 22:29–40)

31. 28JPSSo the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the kind of Judah went up to Ramoth-gilead.BSBBSB: So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah went up to Ramoth-gilead.
32. 29JPSAnd the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat: 'I will disguise myself, and go into the battle; but put thou on thy robes.' So the king of Israel disguised himself; and they went into the battle.BSBBSB: 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.
33. 30JPSNow the king of Aram had commanded the captains of his chariots, saying: 'Fight neither with small nor great, save only with the king of Israel.'BSBBSB: Now the king of Aram had ordered his chariot commanders, “Do not fight with anyone, small or great, except the king of Israel.”
34. 31JPSAnd it came to pass, when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, that they said: 'It is the king of Israel.' Therefore they turned about to fight against him; but Jehoshaphat cried out, and the LORD helped him; and God moved them to depart from him.BSBBSB: 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.
35. 32JPSAnd it came to pass, when the captains of the chariots saw that it was not the king of Israel, that they turned back from pursuing him.BSBBSB: And when the chariot commanders saw that he was not the king of Israel, they turned back from pursuing him.
36. 33JPSAnd a certain man drew his bow at a venture, and smote the king of Israel between the lower armour and the breastplate; wherefore he said to the driver of the chariot: 'Turn thy hand, and carry me out of the host; for I am sore wounded.'BSBBSB: 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!”
37. 34JPSAnd the battle increased that day; howbeit the king of Israel stayed himself up in his chariot against the Arameans until the even; and about the time of the going down of the sun he died.BSBBSB: 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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