1 Kings 22

1For three years there was no war between Aram and Israel.

2But in the third year Jehoshaphat king of Judah went down to the king of Israel.

3The king of Israel said to his officials, “Do you not know that Ramoth-gilead belongs to us, and yet we are doing nothing to take it back from the king of Aram?”

4He said to Jehoshaphat, “Will you go with me to fight at Ramoth-gilead?” Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses.”

5But Jehoshaphat also said to the king of Israel, “First, please inquire for the word of Yahweh.”

6So the king of Israel gathered the prophets, about four hundred men, and asked them, “Should I go to war against Ramoth-gilead, or should I hold back?” “Go up,” they said, “for the Lord will hand it over to the king.”

7But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there not another prophet of Yahweh here whom we can inquire of?”

8The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “There is still one man through whom we can inquire of Yahweh, but I hate him, because he never prophesies anything good about me, only bad. He is Micaiah son of Imlah.” Jehoshaphat said, “The king should not say that.”

9So the king of Israel called an officer and said, “Bring Micaiah son of Imlah at once.”

10The king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah were sitting each on his throne, dressed in their robes, at the threshing floor by the entrance of the gate of Samaria, and all the prophets were prophesying before them.

11Zedekiah son of Chenaanah had made himself horns of iron, and he said, “This is what Yahweh says: ‘With these you will gore the Arameans until they are destroyed.’”

12All the prophets were prophesying the same thing: “Go up to Ramoth-gilead and succeed, for Yahweh will hand it over to the king.”

13The messenger who had gone to summon Micaiah said to him, “Look, the prophets are all speaking with one voice in the king’s favor. Please let your word be like the word of one of them, and speak favorably.”

14But Micaiah said, “As Yahweh lives, whatever Yahweh says to me, that is what I will speak.”

15When he came to the king, the king asked him, “Micaiah, should we go to war against Ramoth-gilead, or should we hold back?” He answered him, “Go up and succeed, for Yahweh will hand it over to the king.”

16But the king said to him, “How many times must I make you swear to tell me nothing but the truth in the name of Yahweh?”

17Then Micaiah said, “I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains like sheep that have no shepherd. Then Yahweh said, ‘These people have no master. Let each of them go home in peace.’”

18The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Did I not tell you that he never prophesies anything good about me, only bad?”

19Micaiah said, “Therefore hear the word of Yahweh: I saw Yahweh sitting on his throne, with all the host of heaven standing around him on his right and on his left.

20Yahweh said, ‘Who will entice Ahab to go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?’ One said one thing, and another said another.

21Then a spirit came forward and stood before Yahweh and said, ‘I will entice him.’

22‘How?’ Yahweh asked him. He said, ‘I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouths of all his prophets.’ Yahweh said, ‘You will entice him, and you will succeed. Go out and do it.’

23So now Yahweh has put a lying spirit in the mouths of all these prophets of yours. Yahweh has decreed disaster for you.”

24Then Zedekiah son of Chenaanah came up and struck Micaiah on the cheek and said, “Which way did the Spirit of Yahweh go when he left me to speak to you?”

25Micaiah said, “You will find out on that day when you go into an inner room to hide.”

26Then the king of Israel said, “Take Micaiah and send him back to Amon the governor of the city and to Joash the king’s son,

27and say, ‘This is what the king says: Put this man in prison and feed him scant rations of bread and water until I come back safely.’”

28Micaiah said, “If you ever come back safely, Yahweh has not spoken through me.” Then he added, “Listen, all you peoples!”

29So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah went up to Ramoth-gilead.

30The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “I will disguise myself and go into battle, but you wear your robes.” So the king of Israel disguised himself and went into battle.

31Now the king of Aram had ordered his thirty-two chariot commanders, “Do not fight with anyone, small or great, except the king of Israel alone.”

32When the chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat, they said, “Surely that is the king of Israel.” So they turned to fight against him, but Jehoshaphat cried out.

33When the chariot commanders saw that he was not the king of Israel, they stopped pursuing him.

34But someone drew his bow at random and struck the king of Israel between the plates of his armor and the breastplate. The king said to his chariot driver, “Turn around and get me out of the fighting, for I am wounded.”

35The battle raged that day, and the king was propped up in his chariot facing the Arameans. He died that evening, and the blood from his wound ran down into the floor of the chariot.

36As the sun was setting, a cry went through the army: “Every man to his town, and every man to his land!”

37So the king died and was brought to Samaria, and they buried the king in Samaria.

38They washed out the chariot at the pool of Samaria, and the dogs licked up his blood, and the prostitutes bathed there, according to the word that Yahweh had spoken.

39As for the rest of the deeds of Ahab and all that he did, the ivory palace he built, and all the cities he built, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

40Ahab rested with his ancestors, and his son Ahaziah became king in his place.

41Jehoshaphat son of Asa became king over Judah in the fourth year of Ahab king of Israel.

42Jehoshaphat was thirty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Azubah daughter of Shilhi.

43He walked in all the way of his father Asa and did not turn aside from it, doing what was right in the sight of Yahweh. But the high places were not removed; the people still offered sacrifices and burned incense on the high places.

44Jehoshaphat also made peace with the king of Israel.

45As for the rest of the deeds of Jehoshaphat, the might he showed and how he waged war, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?

46He rid the land of the rest of the male cult prostitutes who remained from the days of his father Asa.

47There was no king in Edom; a deputy ruled as king.

48Jehoshaphat built ships of Tarshish to go to Ophir for gold, but they never went, because the ships were wrecked at Ezion-geber.

49Then Ahaziah son of Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, “Let my servants go with your servants in the ships.” But Jehoshaphat was not willing.

50Jehoshaphat rested with his ancestors and was buried with his ancestors in the city of his ancestor David. His son Jehoram became king in his place.

51Ahaziah son of Ahab became king over Israel in Samaria in the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and he reigned over Israel two years.

52He did what was evil in the sight of Yahweh and walked in the way of his father and in the way of his mother and in the way of Jeroboam son of Nebat, who caused Israel to sin.

53He served Baal and bowed down to him, and he provoked Yahweh, the God of Israel, to anger, just as his father had done.