NET Bible

New American Standard Bible 1995

1There was no war between Syria and Israel for three years.

1Three years passed without war between Aram and Israel.

2In the third year King Jehoshaphat of Judah came down to visit the king of Israel.

2In the third year Jehoshaphat the king of Judah came down to the king of Israel.

3The king of Israel said to his servants, "Surely you recognize that Ramoth Gilead belongs to us, though we are hesitant to reclaim it from the king of Syria."

3Now the king of Israel said to his servants, "Do you know that Ramoth-gilead belongs to us, and we are still doing nothing to take it out of the hand of the king of Aram?"

4Then he said to Jehoshaphat, "Will you go with me to attack Ramoth Gilead?" Jehoshaphat replied to the king of Israel, "I will support you; my army and horses are at your disposal."

4And he said to Jehoshaphat, "Will you go with me to battle at Ramoth-gilead?" And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, "I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses."

5Then Jehoshaphat added, "First seek an oracle from the LORD."

5Moreover, Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, "Please inquire first for the word of the LORD."

6So the king of Israel assembled about four hundred prophets and asked them, "Should I attack Ramoth Gilead or not?" They said, "Attack! The sovereign one will hand it over to the king."

6Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, about four hundred men, and said to them, "Shall I go against Ramoth-gilead to battle or shall I refrain?" And they said, "Go up, for the Lord will give it into the hand of the king."

7But Jehoshaphat asked, "Is there not a prophet of the LORD still here, that we may ask him?"

7But Jehoshaphat said, "Is there not yet a prophet of the LORD here that we may inquire of him?"

8The king of Israel answered Jehoshaphat, "There is still one man through whom we can seek the LORD's will. But I despise him because he does not prophesy prosperity for me, but disaster. His name is Micaiah son of Imlah. Jehoshaphat said, "The king should not say such things."

8The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of the LORD, but I hate him, because he does not prophesy good concerning me, but evil. He is Micaiah son of Imlah." But Jehoshaphat said, "Let not the king say so."

9The king of Israel summoned an official and said, "Quickly bring Micaiah son of Imlah."

9Then the king of Israel called an officer and said, "Bring quickly Micaiah son of Imlah."

10Now the king of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah were sitting on their respective thrones, dressed in their robes, at the threshing floor at the entrance of the gate of Samaria. All the prophets were prophesying before them.

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

11Zedekiah son of Kenaanah made iron horns and said, "This is what the LORD says, 'With these you will gore Syria until they are destroyed.'"

11Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made horns of iron for himself and said, "Thus says the LORD, 'With these you will gore the Arameans until they are consumed.'"

12All the prophets were prophesying the same, saying, "Attack Ramoth Gilead! You will succeed; the LORD will hand it over to the king."

12All the prophets were prophesying thus, saying, "Go up to Ramoth-gilead and prosper, for the LORD will give it into the hand of the king."

13Now the messenger who went to summon Micaiah said to him, "Look, the prophets are in complete agreement that the king will succeed. Your words must agree with theirs; you must predict success."

13Then the messenger who went to summon Micaiah spoke to him saying, "Behold now, the words of the prophets are uniformly favorable to the king. Please let your word be like the word of one of them, and speak favorably."

14But Micaiah said, "As certainly as the LORD lives, I will say what the LORD tells me to say."

14But Micaiah said, "As the LORD lives, what the LORD says to me, that I shall speak."

15When he came before the king, the king asked him, "Micaiah, should we attack Ramoth Gilead or not?" He answered him, "Attack! You will succeed; the LORD will hand it over to the king."

15When he came to the king, the king said to him, "Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall we refrain?" And he answered him, "Go up and succeed, and the LORD will give it into the hand of the king."

16The king said to him, "How many times must I make you solemnly promise in the name of the LORD to tell me only the truth?"

16Then the king said to him, "How many times must I adjure you to speak to me nothing but the truth in the name of the LORD?"

17Micaiah said, "I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains like sheep that have no shepherd. Then the LORD said, 'They have no master. They should go home in peace.'"

17So he said, "I saw all Israel Scattered on the mountains, Like sheep which have no shepherd. And the LORD said, 'These have no master. Let each of them return to his house in peace.'"

18The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "Didn't I tell you he does not prophesy prosperity for me, but disaster?"

18Then the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "Did I not tell you that he would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil?"

19Micaiah said, "That being the case, hear the word of the LORD. I saw the LORD sitting on his throne, with all the heavenly assembly standing on his right and on his left.

19Micaiah said, "Therefore, hear the word of the LORD. I saw the LORD sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing by Him on His right and on His left.

20The LORD said, 'Who will deceive Ahab, so he will attack Ramoth Gilead and die there?' One said this and another that.

20"The LORD said, 'Who will entice Ahab to go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?' And one said this while another said that.

21Then a spirit stepped forward and stood before the LORD. He said, 'I will deceive him.' The LORD asked him, 'How?'

21"Then a spirit came forward and stood before the LORD and said, 'I will entice him.'

22He replied, 'I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouths of all his prophets.' The LORD said, 'Deceive and overpower him. Go out and do as you have proposed.'

22"The LORD said to him, 'How?' And he said, 'I will go out and be a deceiving spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.' Then He said, 'You are to entice him and also prevail. Go and do so.'

23So now, look, the LORD has placed a lying spirit in the mouths of all these prophets of yours; but the LORD has decreed disaster for you."

23"Now therefore, behold, the LORD has put a deceiving spirit in the mouth of all these your prophets; and the LORD has proclaimed disaster against you."

24Zedekiah son of Kenaanah approached, hit Micaiah on the jaw, and said, "Which way did the LORD's spirit go when he went from me to speak to you?"

24Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah came near and struck Micaiah on the cheek and said, "How did the Spirit of the LORD pass from me to speak to you?"

25Micaiah replied, "Look, you will see in the day when you go into an inner room to hide."

25Micaiah said, "Behold, you shall see on that day when you enter an inner room to hide yourself."

26Then the king of Israel said, "Take Micaiah and return him to Amon the city official and Joash the king's son.

26Then the king of Israel said, "Take Micaiah and return him to Amon the governor of the city and to Joash the king's son;

27Say, 'This is what the king says, "Put this man in prison. Give him only a little bread and water until I safely return."'"

27and say, 'Thus says the king, "Put this man in prison and feed him sparingly with bread and water until I return safely."'"

28Micaiah said, "If you really do safely return, then the LORD has not spoken through me." Then he added, "Take note, all you people."

28Micaiah said, "If you indeed return safely the LORD has not spoken by me." And he said, "Listen, all you people."

29The king of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah attacked Ramoth Gilead.

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

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

30The 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 went into the battle.

31Now the king of Syria had ordered his thirty-two chariot commanders, "Do not fight common soldiers or high-ranking officers; fight only the king of Israel."

31Now the king of Aram had commanded the thirty-two captains of his chariots, saying, "Do not fight with small or great, but with the king of Israel alone."

32When the chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat, they said, "He must be the king of Israel." So they turned and attacked him, but Jehoshaphat cried out.

32So when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, they said, "Surely it is the king of Israel," and they turned aside to fight against him, and Jehoshaphat cried out.

33When the chariot commanders realized he was not the king of Israel, they turned away from him.

33When the captains of the chariots saw that it was not the king of Israel, they turned back from pursuing him.

34Now an archer shot an arrow at random, and it struck the king of Israel between the plates of his armor. The king ordered his charioteer, "Turn around and take me from the battle line, because I'm wounded."

34Now a certain man drew his bow at random and struck the king of Israel in a joint of the armor. So he said to the driver of his chariot, "Turn around and take me out of the fight; for I am severely wounded."

35While the battle raged throughout the day, the king stood propped up in his chariot opposite the Syrians. He died in the evening; the blood from the wound ran down into the bottom of the chariot.

35The battle raged that day, and the king was propped up in his chariot in front of the Arameans, and died at evening, and the blood from the wound ran into the bottom of the chariot.

36As the sun was setting, a cry went through the camp, "Each one should return to his city and to his homeland."

36Then a cry passed throughout the army close to sunset, saying, "Every man to his city and every man to his country."

37So the king died and was taken to Samaria, where they buried him.

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

38They washed off the chariot at the pool of Samaria (this was where the prostitutes bathed); dogs licked his blood, just as the LORD had said would happen.

38They washed the chariot by the pool of Samaria, and the dogs licked up his blood (now the harlots bathed themselves there), according to the word of the LORD which He spoke.

39The rest of the events of Ahab's reign, including a record of his accomplishments and how he built a luxurious palace and various cities, are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the Kings of Israel.

39Now the rest of the acts of Ahab and all that he did and the ivory house which he built and all the cities which he built, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?

40Ahab passed away. His son Ahaziah replaced him as king.

40So Ahab slept with his fathers, and Ahaziah his son became king in his place.

41In the fourth year of King Ahab's reign over Israel, Asa's son Jehoshaphat became king over Judah.

41Now Jehoshaphat the 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 for twenty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother was Azubah, the daughter of Shilhi.

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

43He followed in his father Asa's footsteps and was careful to do what the LORD approved. However, the high places were not eliminated; the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense on the high places.

43He walked in all the way of Asa his father; he did not turn aside from it, doing right in the sight of the LORD. However, the high places were not taken away; the people still sacrificed and burnt incense on the high places.

44Jehoshaphat was also at peace with the king of Israel.

44Jehoshaphat also made peace with the king of Israel.

45The rest of the events of Jehoshaphat's reign, including his successes and military exploits, are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the Kings of Judah.

45Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, and his might which he showed and how he warred, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah?

46He removed from the land any male cultic prostitutes who had managed to survive the reign of his father Asa.

46The remnant of the sodomites who remained in the days of his father Asa, he expelled from the land.

47There was no king in Edom at this time; a governor ruled.

47Now there was no king in Edom; a deputy was king.

48Jehoshaphat built a fleet of large merchant ships to travel to Ophir for gold, but they never made the voyage because they were shipwrecked in Ezion Geber.

48Jehoshaphat made ships of Tarshish to go to Ophir for gold, but they did not go for the ships were broken at Ezion-geber.

49Then Ahaziah son of Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, "Let my sailors join yours in the fleet," but Jehoshaphat refused.

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

50Jehoshaphat passed away and was buried with his ancestors in the city of his ancestor David. His son Jehoram replaced him as king.

50And Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of his father David, and Jehoram his son became king in his place.

51In the seventeenth year of King Jehoshaphat's reign over Judah, Ahab's son Ahaziah became king over Israel in Samaria. He ruled for two years over Israel.

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

52He did evil in the sight of the LORD and followed in the footsteps of his father and mother; like Jeroboam son of Nebat, he encouraged Israel to sin.

52He did evil 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 Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who caused Israel to sin.

53He worshiped and bowed down to Baal, angering the LORD God of Israel just as his father had done.

53So he served Baal and worshiped him and provoked the LORD God of Israel to anger, according to all that his father had done.

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