The In-Dept Study of the Bible
Chronicles 18
1 Now Jehoshaphathad riches andhonor
in abundance; and he allied himself with
Ahab.
2 After some years, he went down to
Ahab to Samaria. Ahab killed sheep and
cattle for him in abundance, and for the
people who were with him, and moved
him to go up with him to Ramoth Gilead.
3 Ahab king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat
king of Judah, “Will you go with me to
Ramoth Gilead?”
He answered him, “I am as you are, and
my people as your people. We will be with
you in the war.”
4 Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel,
“Please inquire first for Yahweh’s word.”
5 Then the king of Israel gathered the
prophets together, four hundred men, and
said to them, “Shall we go toRamoth Gilead
to battle, or shall I forbear?”
They said, “Go up, for God will deliver it
into the hand of the king.”
6 But Jehoshaphat said, “Isn’t there here
a prophet of Yahweh besides, that we may
inquire of him?”
7 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat,
“There is yet one man by whom we may
inquire of Yahweh; but I hate him, for he
never prophesies good concerning me, but
always evil. He is Micaiah the son of Imla.”
Jehoshaphat said, “Don’t let the king say
so.”
8 Then the king of Israel called an officer,
and said, “Get Micaiah the son of Imla
quickly.”
9 Now the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat
the king of Judah each sat on his throne,
arrayed in their robes, and they were sitting in an open place at the entrance of the
gate of Samaria; and all the prophets were
prophesying before them.
10 Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made
himself horns of iron and said, “Yahweh
says, ‘With these you shall push the Syrians, until they are consumed.’ ”
11 All the prophets prophesied so, saying,
“Go up to Ramoth Gilead, and prosper; for
Yahweh will deliver it into the hand of the
king.”
12 The messenger who went to call Micaiah spoke to him, saying, “Behold, the
words of the prophets declare good to the
king with one mouth. Let your word therefore, please be like one of theirs, and speak
good.”
13 Micaiah said, “As Yahweh lives, I will
say what my God says.”
14 When he had come to the king, the
king said to him, “Micaiah, shall we go
to Ramoth Gilead to battle, or shall I forbear?”
He said, “Go up, and prosper. They shall
be delivered into your hand.”
15 The king saidtohim, “Howmany times
shall I adjure you that you speak to me
nothing but the truth in Yahweh’s name?”
16 He said, “I saw all Israel scattered
on the mountains, as sheep that have no
shepherd. Yahweh said, ‘These have no
master. Let them each return to his house
in peace.’ ”
17 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat,
“Didn’t I tell you that he would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil?”
18 Micaiah said, “Therefore hear Yahweh’s word: I saw Yahweh sitting on his throne,
and all the army of heaven standing on his right hand and on his left.
19 Yahweh said, ‘Who will entice Ahab
king of Israel, that he may go up and fall at
Ramoth Gilead?’ One spoke saying in this
way, and another saying in that way.
20 A spirit came out, stood before Yahweh, and said, ‘I will entice him.’
“Yahweh said to him, ‘How?’
21 “He said, ‘I will go, and will be a lying
spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’
“He said, ‘You will entice him, and will
prevail also. Go and do so.’
22 “Now therefore, behold, Yahweh has
put a lying spirit in the mouth of these
your prophets; and Yahweh has spoken
evil concerning you.”
23 Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah
came near, and struck Micaiah on the
cheek, and said, “Which way did Yahweh’s
Spirit go from me to speak to you?”
24 Micaiah said, “Behold, you shall see on
that day, when you go into an inner room
to hide yourself.”
25 The king of Israel said, “Take Micaiah,
and carry him back to Amon the governor
of the city, and to Joash the king’s son;
26 and say, ‘The king says, “Putthis fellow
in the prison, and feed him with bread of
affliction and with water of affliction, until
I return in peace.”
27 Micaiah said, “If you return at all in
peace, Yahweh has not spoken by me.” He
said, “Listen, you people, all of you!”
28 So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat
the king of Judah went up to Ramoth
Gilead.
29 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat,
“I will disguise myself, and go into the
battle; but you put on your robes.” So the
king of Israel disguised himself; and they
went into the battle.
30 Now the king of Syria had commanded
the captains of his chariots, saying, “Don’t
fight with small nor great, except only with
the king of Israel.”
31 When the captains of the chariots saw
Jehoshaphat, they said, “It is the king of
Israel!” Therefore they turned around to
fight against him. But Jehoshaphat cried
out, and Yahweh helped him; and God
moved them to depart from him.
32 When the captains of the chariots saw
that it was not the king of Israel, they
turned back from pursuing him.
33 A certain man drew his bow at random, and struck the king of Israel between
the joints of the armor. Therefore he said
to the driver of the chariot, “Turn around
and carry me out of the battle, for I am
severely wounded.”
34 The battle increased that day. However, the king of Israel propped himself up
in his chariot against the Syrians until the
evening; and at about sunset, he died.