1 Kings 22

1Three years passed without war between Syria and Israel.

2In the third year Jehoshaphat king of Judah visited the king of Israel.

3The king of Israel said to his servants, "Don't you know Ramoth-gilead belongs to us, yet we hold back and fail to reclaim it from the king of Syria?"

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

5Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, "Seek Yahweh's word first."

6The king of Israel assembled about four hundred prophets and asked them, "Should I march against Ramoth-gilead for battle, or hold back?" They replied, "March ahead, for Yahweh will hand it over to the king."

7Jehoshaphat said, "Isn't there a prophet of Yahweh here whom we can consult?"

8The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "Yet one man remains by whom we may inquire of Yahweh, Micaiah son of Imlah; but I hate him, for he does not prophesy good concerning me, but evil." Jehoshaphat said, "Do not let the king say so."

9The king of Israel summoned an officer and said, "Fetch Micaiah son of Imlah quickly."

10The king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah sat on their thrones, dressed in robes, in the open square at Samaria's gate entrance, while all the prophets delivered oracles before them.

11Zedekiah son of Chenaanah fashioned iron horns and declared, "Yahweh proclaims: With these you will gore the Arameans until you annihilate them."

12All the prophets prophesied alike, declaring, "March up to Ramoth-gilead and succeed, for Yahweh will hand it over to the king."

13The messenger who went to call Micaiah spoke to him, saying, "Look now, all the prophets declare good to the king with one mouth; please let your word be like the word of one of them, and speak good."

14Micaiah said, "As Yahweh lives, whatever he tells me, that I will declare."

15When he came to the king, the king asked him, "Micaiah, should we march against Ramoth-gilead for battle, or hold back?" He replied, "March ahead and succeed—Yahweh will hand it over to the king."

16The king said to him, "How many times must I charge you to speak only truth to me in Yahweh's name?"

17He said, "I saw all Israel scattered across the mountains like sheep without a shepherd. Yahweh said, 'These have no master—let each return to his house in peace.'"

18The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "Didn't I tell you he would not prophesy good for me, but evil?"

19He said, "Therefore hear Yahweh's word: I saw Yahweh seated on his throne, with the whole heavenly host standing beside him to his right and to his left."

20Yahweh said, "Who will deceive Ahab into going up to Ramoth-Gilead and falling there?" One suggested one approach, and another suggested a different one.

21A spirit stepped forward, stood before Yahweh, and said, "I will deceive him."

22Yahweh said to him, "How?" He replied, "I will go out and become a false spirit in the mouths of all his prophets." Yahweh said, "You will deceive him and succeed too; go and do it."

23He said, “I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.” And he said, “You will entice and also prevail; go out and do so.”

24Now see, Yahweh has put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these prophets of yours, and Yahweh has spoken calamity against you.

25Zedekiah son of Chenaanah approached, struck Micaiah across the cheek, and said, "Which way has this spirit of Yahweh gone from me to speak to you?"

26Micaiah said, "Look, you will see on that day when you enter an inner chamber to hide."

27The king of Israel said, "Take Micaiah and bring him back to Amon, ruler of the city, and to Joash, son of the king."

28Say, "Thus says the king: Put this one in the house of confinement, and feed him bread of distress and water of distress until I come in peace."

29Micaiah said, "If ever you return safely, Yahweh has not spoken through me." He said, "Hear, all peoples!"

30The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "I will disguise myself and enter the battle, but you wear your robes." The king of Israel disguised himself and entered the battle.

31The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "I will disguise myself and enter the battle, but you put on your garments," and the king of Israel disguised himself and entered the battle.

32And the king of Aram commanded the captains of his chariots, the thirty-two, saying, “Do not fight small or great, except only the king of Israel alone.”

33When the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, they said, "Surely he is the king of Israel," and turned aside against him to fight, and Jehoshaphat cried out.

34When the captains of the chariots saw that he was not Israel's king, they turned back from behind him.

35A certain man drew the bow to full and struck Israel's king between the joints and the breastplate. He said to his chariot driver, "Turn your hand and carry me out from the army, for I have been wounded."

36The battle intensified that day with the king standing in his chariot facing Aram; he died at evening, and blood from the wound poured into the floor of the chariot.

37The ringing cry passed through the camp as the sun set, saying, "Every man to his city, and every man to his land!"

38The king died and was carried to Samaria, and they buried the king in Samaria.

39They washed the chariot at the pool of Samaria, the dogs licked his blood, and the prostitutes bathed, according to the word of Yahweh which he spoke.

40The rest of Ahab's deeds, all that he accomplished, the house of ivory he built, and every city he built—are they not recorded in the book of daily events for Israel's kings?

41Ahab lay down with his fathers, and Ahaziah his son reigned in his place.

42Jehoshaphat, Asa’s son, reigned over Judah in the fourth year of Ahab, king of Israel.

43Jehoshaphat 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.

44Jehoshaphat walked in all the way of his father Asa without turning aside from it, doing the right in Yahweh's eyes, and made peace with Israel's king.

46He expelled from the land the remnant of the sodomites that remained in the days of his father Asa.

47Edom had no king; a deputy was king.

48Jehoshaphat made ten Tarshish ships to sail to Ophir seeking gold, but they never set out, since the ships broke apart at Ezion-geber.

49Then Ahaziah, Ahab's son, said to Jehoshaphat, "Let my servants go with your servants in the ships." But Jehoshaphat would not.

50Jehoshaphat lay down with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father, and Jehoram his son reigned 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 behaved wickedly in the sight of Yahweh and followed his father's path, his mother's path, and the path of Jeroboam son of Nebat, who caused Israel to sin.

53He served Baal and worshiped him, provoking the anger of Yahweh, God of Israel, just as his father had done.