Micaiah Warns Ahab about Disaster
(2 Chronicles 18.2-27)1 For the next three years there was peace between Israel and Syria. 2 During the third year King Jehoshaphat of Judah went to visit King Ahab of Israel.
3 Ahab asked his officials, “Why haven't we tried to get Ramoth in Gilead back from the Syrians? It belongs to us.” 4 Then he asked Jehoshaphat, “Would you go to Ramoth with me and attack the Syrians?”
“Just tell me what to do,” Jehoshaphat answered. “My army and horses are at your command. 5 But first, let's ask the Lord.”
6 Ahab sent for about 400 prophets and asked, “Should I attack the Syrians at Ramoth?”
“Yes!” the prophets answered. “The Lord will help you defeat them.”
7 But Jehoshaphat said, “Just to make sure, is there another of the Lord's prophets we can ask?”
8 “We could ask Micaiah son of Imlah,” Ahab said. “But I hate Micaiah. He always has bad news for me.”
“Don't say that!” Jehoshaphat replied. 9 Then Ahab sent someone to bring Micaiah as soon as possible.
10 All this time, Ahab and Jehoshaphat were dressed in their royal robes and were seated on their thrones at the threshing place near the gate of Samaria. They were listening to the prophets tell them what the Lord had said.
11 Zedekiah son of Chenaanah was one of the prophets. He had made some horns out of iron and shouted, “Ahab, the Lord says you will attack the Syrians like a bull with iron horns and wipe them out!”
12 All the prophets agreed that Ahab should attack the Syrians at Ramoth, and they promised that the Lord would help him defeat them.
13 Meanwhile, the messenger who went to get Micaiah whispered, “Micaiah, all the prophets have good news for Ahab. Now go and say the same thing.”
14 “I'll say whatever the living Lord tells me to say,” Micaiah replied.
15 Then Micaiah went to Ahab, and Ahab asked, “Micaiah, should I attack the Syrians at Ramoth?”
“Yes!” Micaiah answered. “The Lord will help you defeat them.”
16 “Micaiah, I've told you over and over to tell me the truth!” Ahab shouted. “What does the Lord really say?”
17 He answered, “In a vision I saw Israelite soldiers walking around in the hills like sheep without a shepherd to guide them. The Lord said, ‘This army has no leader. They should go home and not fight.’ ”
18 Ahab turned to Jehoshaphat and said, “I told you he would bring bad news!”
19 Micaiah replied:
Listen to this! I also saw the Lord seated on his throne with every creature in heaven gathered around him. 20 The Lord asked, “Who can trick Ahab and make him go to Ramoth where he will be killed?”
They talked about it for a while, 21 then finally a spirit came forward and said to the Lord, “I can trick Ahab.”
“How?” the Lord asked.
22 “I'll make Ahab's prophets lie to him.”
“Good!” the Lord replied. “Now go and do it.”
23 This is exactly what has happened, Ahab. The Lord made all your prophets lie to you, and he knows you will soon be destroyed.
24 Zedekiah walked up to Micaiah and slapped him on the face. Then he asked, “Do you really think the Lord would speak to you and not to me?”
25 Micaiah answered, “You'll find out on the day you have to hide in the back room of some house.”
26 Ahab shouted, “Arrest Micaiah! Take him to Prince Joash and Governor Amon of Samaria. 27 Tell them to put him in prison and to give him nothing but bread and water until I come back safely.”
28 Micaiah said, “If you do come back, I was wrong about what the Lord wanted me to say.” Then he told the crowd, “Don't forget what I said!”
Ahab Dies at Ramoth
(2 Chronicles 18.28-34)29 Ahab and Jehoshaphat led their armies to Ramoth in Gilead. 30 Before they went into battle, Ahab said, “Jehoshaphat, I'll disguise myself, but you wear your royal robe.” Then Ahab disguised himself and went into battle.
31 The king of Syria had ordered his 32 chariot commanders to attack only Ahab. 32 So when they saw Jehoshaphat in his robe, they thought he was Ahab and started to attack him. But when Jehoshaphat shouted out to them, 33 they realized he wasn't Ahab, and they left him alone.
34 However, during the fighting a soldier shot an arrow without even aiming, and it hit Ahab where two pieces of his armor joined. He shouted to his chariot driver, “I've been hit! Get me out of here!”
35 The fighting lasted all day, with Ahab propped up in his chariot so he could see the Syrian troops. He bled so much that the bottom of the chariot was covered with blood, and by evening he was dead.
36 As the sun was going down, someone in Israel's army shouted to the others, “Retreat! Go back home!”
37 Ahab's body was taken to Samaria and buried there. 38 Some workers washed his chariot near a spring in Samaria, and prostitutes washed themselves in his blood. Dogs licked Ahab's blood off the ground, just as the Lord had warned.
39 Everything else Ahab did while he was king, including the towns he strengthened and the palace he built and furnished with ivory, is written in The History of the Kings of Israel. 40 Ahab died, and his son Ahaziah became king.
King Jehoshaphat of Judah
(2 Chronicles 20.31—21.1)41 Jehoshaphat son of Asa became king of Judah in Ahab's fourth year as king of Israel. 42 Jehoshaphat was 35 years old when he became king, and he ruled from Jerusalem for 25 years. His mother was Azubah daughter of Shilhi.
43-46 Jehoshaphat obeyed the Lord, just as his father Asa had done, and during his rule he was at peace with the king of Israel.
He got rid of the rest of the prostitutes from the local shrines, but he did not destroy the shrines, and they were still used as places for offering sacrifices.
Everything else Jehoshaphat did while he was king, including his brave deeds and military victories, is written in The History of the Kings of Judah.
47 The country of Edom had no king at the time, so a lower official ruled the land.
48 Jehoshaphat had seagoing ships built to sail to Ophir for gold. But they were wrecked at Ezion-Geber and never sailed. 49 Ahaziah son of Ahab offered to let his sailors go with Jehoshaphat's sailors, but Jehoshaphat refused.
50 Jehoshaphat died and was buried beside his ancestors in Jerusalem, and his son Jehoram became king.
King Ahaziah of Israel
51 Ahaziah son of Ahab became king of Israel in the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat's rule in Judah, and he ruled two years from Samaria.
52 Ahaziah disobeyed the Lord, just as his father, his mother, and Jeroboam had done. They all led Israel to sin. 53 Ahaziah worshiped Baal and made the Lord God of Israel very angry, just as his father had done.
1 And they continued three yeere without warre betweene Aram and Israel. 2 And in the third yeere did Iehoshaphat the King of Iudah come downe to ye King of Israel. 3 (Then the King of Israel saide vnto his seruants, Knowe yee not that Ramoth Gilead was ours? and wee stay, and take it not out of ye hand of the King of Aram?) 4 And he sayde vnto Iehoshaphat, Wilt thou goe with mee to battel against Ramoth Gilead? And Iehoshaphat saide vnto the King of Israel, I am as thou art, my people as thy people, and mine horses as thine horses. 5 Then Iehoshaphat saide vnto the King of Israel, Aske counsaile, I pray thee, of the Lord to day. 6 Then the King of Israel gathered the prophets vpon a foure hundreth men, and said vnto them, Shal I go against Ramoth Gilead to battel, or shall I let it alone? And they said, Go vp: for ye Lord shall deliuer it into the hands of the King. 7 And Iehoshaphat said, Is there here neuer a Prophet of the Lord more, that we might inquire of him? 8 And the King of Israel said vnto Iehoshaphat, There is yet one man (Michaiah the sonne of Imlah) by whom we may aske counsel of the Lord, but I hate him: for he doeth not prophecie good vnto me, but euill. And Iehoshaphat sayd, Let not the King say so. 9 Then the King of Israel called an Eunuche, and sayde, Call quickely Michaiah the sonne of Imlah. 10 And the King of Israel and Iehoshaphat the King of Iudah sate either of them on his throne in their apparell in the voyde place at the entring in of the gate of Samaria, and all the prophets prophecied before them. 11 And Zidkiiah the sonne of Chenaanah made him hornes of yron, and sayd, Thus sayth the Lord, With these shalt thou push the Aramites, vntill thou hast consumed them. 12 And all the prophets prophecied so, saying, Goe vp to Ramoth Gilead, and prosper: for the Lord shall deliuer it into the Kings hand. 13 And the messenger that was gone to call Michaiah spake vnto him, saying, Beholde now, the wordes of the prophets declare good vnto the King with one accorde: let thy word therefore, I pray thee, be like the worde of one of them, and speake thou good. 14 And Michaiah saide, As the Lord liueth, whatsoeuer the Lord sayth vnto me, that will I speake. 15 So he came to the King, and the King said vnto him, Michaiah, shall we go against Ramoth Gilead to battel, or shall we leaue off? And he answered him, Goe vp, and prosper: and the Lord shall deliuer it into the hand of the King. 16 And the King said vnto him, How oft shall I charge thee, that thou tell me nothing but that which is true in the Name of the Lord? 17 Then he said, I sawe all Israel scattered vpon the mountaines, as sheepe that had no shepheard. And the Lord sayde, These haue no master, let euery man returne vnto his house in peace. 18 (And the King of Israel saide vnto Iehoshaphat, Did I not tell thee, that he would prophecie no good vnto me, but euill?) 19 Againe he said, Heare thou therefore the worde of the Lord. I sawe the Lord sit on his throne, and all the hoste of heauen stood about him on his right hand and on his left hand. 20 And the Lord sayd, Who shall entise Ahab that he may go and fall at Ramoth Gilead? And one said on this maner, and another sayd on that maner. 21 Then there came forth a spirit, and stoode before the Lord, and sayd, I wil entise him. And the Lord sayd vnto him, Wherewith? 22 And he sayd, I will goe out, and be a false spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. Then he sayd, Thou shalt entise him, and shalt also preuayle: goe forth, and doe so. 23 Now therefore behold, the Lord hath put a lying spirite in the mouth of all these thy prophets, and the Lord hath appoynted euill against thee. 24 Then Zidkiiah the sonne of Chenaanah came neere, and smote Michaiah on the cheeke and sayd, When went the Spirite of the Lord from me, to speake vnto thee? 25 And Michaiah saide, Behold, thou shalt see in that day, when thou shalt goe from chamber to chamber to hide thee. 26 And the King of Israel sayd, Take Michaiah, and cary him vnto Amon the gouernour of the citie, and vnto Ioash the Kings sonne, 27 And say, Thus saith the King, Put this man in the prison house, and feede him with bread of affliction, and with water of affliction, vntill I returne in peace. 28 And Michaiah sayde, If thou returne in peace, the Lord hath not spoken by me. And he sayd, Hearken all ye people. 29 So the King of Israel and Iehoshaphat the King of Iudah went vp to Ramoth Gilead. 30 And the King of Israel sayde to Iehoshaphat, I will change mine apparell, and will enter into the battell, but put thou on thine apparell. And the King of Israel changed himselfe, and went into the battel. 31 And the King of Aram commanded his two and thirtie captaines ouer his charets, saying, Fight neither with small, nor great, saue onely against the King of Israel. 32 And when the captaines of the charets saw Iehoshaphat, they sayd, Surely it is the King of Israel, and they turned to fight against him: and Iehoshaphat cryed. 33 And when the captaines of the charets saw that he was not the King of Israel, they turned backe from him. 34 Then a certaine man drewe a bow mightily and smote the King of Israel betweene the ioyntes of his brigandine. Wherefore he sayde vnto his charet man, Turne thine hand and cary me out of the hoste: for I am hurt. 35 And the battel encreased that day, and the King stoode still in his charet against the Aramites, and dyed at euen: and the blood ran out of the wound into the middes of the charet. 36 And there went a proclamation thorowout the hoste about the going downe of the sunne, saying, Euery man to his citie, and euery man to his owne countrey. 37 So the King died, and was brought to Samaria, and they buried the King in Samaria. 38 And one washed the charet in the poole of Samaria, and the dogs licked vp his blood (and they washed his armour) according vnto the word of the Lord which he spake. 39 Concerning the rest of the actes of Ahab and all that he did, and the yuorie house which he built, and all the cities that he built, are they not written in the booke of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? 40 So Ahab slept with his fathers, and Ahaziah his sonne reigned in his stead. 41 And Iehoshaphat the sonne of Asa began to reigne vpon Iudah in the fourth yeere of Ahab King of Israel. 42 Iehoshaphat was fiue and thirty yere olde, when he began to reigne, and reigned fiue and twentie yeere in Ierusalem. And his mothers name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi. 43 And he walked in all the wayes of Asa his father, and declined not therefrom, but did that which was right in the eyes of the Lord. Neuerthelesse the hie places were not taken away: for the people offred still and burnt incense in the hie places. 44 And Iehoshaphat made peace with the King of Israel. 45 Concerning the rest of the actes of Iehoshaphat, and his worthy deedes that he did, and his battels which he fought, are they not written in the booke of the Chronicles of the Kings of Iudah? 46 And the Sodomites, which remayned in the dayes of his father Asa, he put cleane out of the land. 47 There was then no King in Edom: the deputie was King. 48 Iehoshaphat made shippes of Tharshish to sayle to Ophir for golde, but they went not, for the shippes were broken at Ezion Gaber. 49 Then sayde Ahaziah the sonne of Ahab vnto Iehoshaphat, Let my seruants goe with thy seruants in the ships, But Iehoshaphat would not. 50 And Iehoshaphat did sleepe with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the citie of Dauid his father, and Iehoram his sonne reigned in his stead. 51 Ahaziah the sonne of Ahab began to reigne ouer Israel in Samaria, the seuenteenth yeere of Iehoshaphat King of Iudah, and reigned two yeeres ouer Israel. 52 But he did euill in the sight of the Lord, and walked in the way of his father, and in the way of his mother, and in the way of Ieroboam the sonne of Nebat, which made Israel to sinne. 53 For he serued Baal and worshipped him, and prouoked the Lord God of Israel vnto wrath, according vnto all that his father had done.