SECOND CHRONICLES

 

2 Chronicles Chapter 18

1 ¶ Now Jehoshaphat had great wealth and honor, and allied himself with Ahab.

2 And after some years he went down to Ahab in Samaria. And Ahab killed many sheep and oxen for him, and for the people that he had with him, and persuaded him to go up with him to Ramoth-gilead.

3 And Ahab king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat king of Judah, Will you go with me to Ramoth-gilead? And he replied, I will be like you, and my people like your people; and we will be with you in the war.

4 ¶ Then Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, Enquire first, I pray you, for the word of the LORD today.

5 Therefore the king of Israel gathered together the prophets, four hundred men, and said to them, Shall we go to fight against Ramoth-gilead, or should I refrain? And they said, Go up; for God will deliver it into the king’s hand.

6 But Jehoshaphat said, Is there not also a prophet of the LORD here, that we might enquire of him?

7 And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, There is yet one man, by whom we may enquire of the LORD: but I hate him; for he never prophesied good to me, but always evil: the same is Micaiah the son of Imla. And Jehoshaphat said, The king should not say that.

8 And the king of Israel called for one of his officers, and said, hurry bring Micaiah the son of Imla.

9 And the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah each sat on his throne, clothed in their robes, and they sat in a open place at the entrance to the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets prophesied before them.

10 And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah had made himself horns of iron, and said, Thus says the LORD, With these you will push Syria until they are consumed.

11 And all the prophets prophesied the same, saying, Go up to Ramoth-gilead, and prosper: for the LORD will deliver it into the hand of the king.

12 And the messenger that went to call Micaiah spoke to him, saying, Behold, the words of the prophets are in unison in foretelling good to the king; therefore let your word be like theirs, and speak good.

13 And Micaiah said, As the LORD lives, whatever my God says, that will I speak.

14 And when he came to the king, the king said to him, Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall I refrain? And he said, Go up, and prosper, and they will be delivered into your hand.

15 And the king said to him, How many times must I warn you to say nothing but the truth to me in the name of the LORD?

16 Then he said, I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd: and the LORD said, These have no master; therefore let each of them return to his house in peace.

17 And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, Did I not tell you that he would not prophesy good for me, but evil?

18 Micaiah continued, Therefore hear 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.

19 And the LORD said, Who will entice Ahab the king of Israel, so that he will go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead? And one said this thing, and another that.

20 Then a spirit came out, and stood before the LORD, and said, I will entice him. And the LORD said to him, How?

21 And he said, I will go out, and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And the LORD said, You will entice him, and you will also succeed: go out, and do so.

22 Now therefore, behold, the LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouth of these your prophets, and the LORD has spoken evil against you.

23 Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah came near, and hit Micaiah on the cheek, and said, Which way did the Spirit of the LORD go, when he left me to speak to you?

24 And Micaiah said, Behold, you will see on the day when you shall go into an inner room to hide.

25 Then 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, Put this fellow in the prison, and feed him with bread of affliction and with water of affliction, until I return in peace.

27 And Micaiah said, If you return at all in peace, then the LORD has not spoken by me. And he said, Listen, all you people.

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

29 And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, I will disguise myself, before going into battle; but you put on your robes. So the king of Israel disguised himself; and they went to the battle.

30 Now the king of Syria had commanded the captains of the chariots that were with him, saying, Do not fight with anyone small or great, but only with the king of Israel.

31 And when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, they said, It is the king of Israel. Therefore they surrounded him to fight: but Jehoshaphat cried out, and the LORD helped him; and God moved them to depart from him.

32 For when the captains of the chariots perceived that he was not the king of Israel, they turned back from pursuing him.

33 And a certain man drew a bow by chance, and struck the king of Israel between the joints of the armor: therefore he said to his chariot driver, Turn, and take me away from the troops; for I am wounded.

34 And the battle increased that day: however the king of Israel propped himself up in his chariot over against the Syrians until the evening: and he died about the time the sun went down.