| New International Version | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1For three years there was no war between Aram and Israel. | 1There was a lull of three years without war between Aram and Israel. |
| 2But in the third year Jehoshaphat king of Judah went down to see the king of Israel. | 2However, in the third year, Jehoshaphat king of Judah went to visit the king of Israel. |
| 3The king of Israel had said to his officials, "Don't you know that Ramoth Gilead belongs to us and yet we are doing nothing to retake it from the king of Aram?" | 3The king of Israel had said to his servants, "Don't you know that Ramoth-gilead is ours, but we have failed to take it from the hand of the king of Aram?" |
| 4So he asked Jehoshaphat, "Will you go with me to fight against Ramoth Gilead?" Jehoshaphat replied to the king of Israel, "I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses." | 4So he asked Jehoshaphat, "Will you go with me to fight Ramoth-gilead?" Jehoshaphat replied 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 seek the counsel of the LORD." | 5But Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, "First, please ask what the LORD's will is." |
| 6So the king of Israel brought together the prophets--about four hundred men--and asked them, "Shall I go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or shall I refrain?" "Go," they answered, "for the Lord will give it into the king's hand." | 6So the king of Israel gathered the prophets, about 400 men, and asked them, "Should I go against Ramoth-gilead for war or should I refrain?" They replied, "March up, and the Lord will hand it over to the king." |
| 7But Jehoshaphat asked, "Is there no longer a prophet of the LORD here whom we can inquire of?" | 7But Jehoshaphat asked, "Isn't there a prophet of Yahweh here anymore? Let's ask him." |
| 8The king of Israel answered Jehoshaphat, "There is still one prophet through whom we can inquire of the LORD, but I hate him because he never prophesies anything good about me, but always bad. He is Micaiah son of Imlah." "The king should not say such a thing," Jehoshaphat replied. | 8The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "There is still one man who can ask Yahweh, but I hate him because he never prophesies good about me, but only disaster. He is Micaiah son of Imlah."" The king shouldn't say that!" Jehoshaphat replied. |
| 9So the king of Israel called one of his officials and said, "Bring Micaiah son of Imlah at once." | 9So the king of Israel called an officer and said, "Hurry and get Micaiah son of Imlah!" |
| 10Dressed in their royal robes, the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah were sitting on their thrones at the threshing floor by the entrance of the gate of Samaria, with all the prophets prophesying before them. | 10Now the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah, clothed in royal attire, were each sitting on his own throne. They were on the threshing floor at the entrance to Samaria's gate, and all the prophets were prophesying in front of them. |
| 11Now Zedekiah son of Kenaanah had made iron horns and he declared, "This is what the LORD says: 'With these you will gore the Arameans until they are destroyed.'" | 11Then Zedekiah son of Chenaanah made iron horns and said, "This is what the LORD says: 'You will gore the Arameans with these until they are finished off.'" |
| 12All the other prophets were prophesying the same thing. "Attack Ramoth Gilead and be victorious," they said, "for the LORD will give it into the king's hand." | 12And all the prophets were prophesying the same: "March up to Ramoth-gilead and succeed, for the LORD will hand it over to the king." |
| 13The messenger who had gone to summon Micaiah said to him, "Look, the other prophets without exception are predicting success for the king. Let your word agree with theirs, and speak favorably." | 13The messenger who went to call Micaiah instructed him, "Look, the words of the prophets are unanimously favorable for the king. So let your words be like theirs, and speak favorably." |
| 14But Micaiah said, "As surely as the LORD lives, I can tell him only what the LORD tells me." | 14But Micaiah said, "As the LORD lives, I will say whatever the LORD says to me." |
| 15When he arrived, the king asked him, "Micaiah, shall we go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or not?" "Attack and be victorious," he answered, "for the LORD will give it into the king's hand." | 15So he went to the king, and the king asked him, "Micaiah, should we go to Ramoth-gilead for war, or should we refrain?" Micaiah told him, "March up and succeed. Yahweh will hand it over to the king." |
| 16The king said to him, "How many times must I make you swear to tell me nothing but the truth in the name of the LORD?" | 16But the king said to him, "How many times must I make you swear not to tell me anything but the truth in the name of Yahweh?" |
| 17Then Micaiah answered, "I saw all Israel scattered on the hills like sheep without a shepherd, and the LORD said, 'These people have no master. Let each one go home in peace.'" | 17So Micaiah said: I saw all Israel scattered on the hills like sheep without a shepherd. And the LORD said," They have no master; let everyone return home in peace." |
| 18The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "Didn't I tell you that he never prophesies anything good about me, but only bad?" | 18So the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "Didn't I tell you he never prophesies good about me, but only disaster?" |
| 19Micaiah continued, "Therefore hear the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting on his throne with all the multitudes of heaven standing around him on his right and on his left. | 19Then Micaiah said, "Therefore, hear the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting on His throne, and the whole heavenly host was standing by Him at His right hand and at His left hand. |
| 20And the LORD said, 'Who will entice Ahab into attacking Ramoth Gilead and going to his death there?' "One suggested this, and another that. | 20And the LORD said, 'Who will entice Ahab to march up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?' So one was saying this and another was saying that." |
| 21Finally, a spirit came forward, stood before the LORD and said, 'I will entice him.' | 21Then a spirit came forward, stood before the LORD, and said, 'I will entice him.'" |
| 22"'By what means?' the LORD asked. "'I will go out and be a deceiving spirit in the mouths of all his prophets,' he said. "'You will succeed in enticing him,' said the LORD. 'Go and do it.' | 22The LORD asked him, 'How?'" He said, 'I will go and become a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.'" Then He said, 'You will certainly entice him and prevail. Go and do that.'" |
| 23"So now the LORD has put a deceiving spirit in the mouths of all these prophets of yours. The LORD has decreed disaster for you." | 23You see, the LORD has put a lying spirit into the mouth of all these prophets of yours, and the LORD has pronounced disaster against you." |
| 24Then Zedekiah son of Kenaanah went up and slapped Micaiah in the face. "Which way did the spirit from the LORD go when he went from me to speak to you?" he asked. | 24Then Zedekiah son of Chenaanah came up, hit Micaiah in the face, and demanded, "Did the Spirit of the LORD leave me to speak to you?" |
| 25Micaiah replied, "You will find out on the day you go to hide in an inner room." | 25Micaiah replied, "You will soon see when you go to hide yourself in an inner chamber on that day." |
| 26The king of Israel then ordered, "Take Micaiah and send him back to Amon the ruler of the city and to Joash the king's son | 26Then the king of Israel ordered, "Take Micaiah and return him to Amon, the governor of the city, and to Joash, the king's son, |
| 27and say, 'This is what the king says: Put this fellow in prison and give him nothing but bread and water until I return safely.'" | 27and say, 'This is what the king says: Put this guy in prison and feed him only bread and water until I come back safely.'" |
| 28Micaiah declared, "If you ever return safely, the LORD has not spoken through me." Then he added, "Mark my words, all you people!" | 28But Micaiah said, "If you ever return safely, the LORD has not spoken through me." Then he said, "Listen, all you people!" |
| 29So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah went up to Ramoth Gilead. | 29Then the king of Israel and Judah's King Jehoshaphat went up to Ramoth-gilead. |
| 30The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "I will enter the battle in disguise, but you wear your royal robes." So the king of Israel disguised himself and went into battle. | 30But the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "I will disguise myself and go into battle, but you wear your royal attire." 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." | 31Now the king of Aram had ordered his 32 chariot commanders, "Do not fight with anyone at all except the king of Israel." |
| 32When the chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat, they thought, "Surely this is the king of Israel." So they turned to attack him, but when Jehoshaphat cried out, | 32When the chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat, they shouted, "He must be the king of Israel!" So they turned to fight against him, but Jehoshaphat cried out. |
| 33the chariot commanders saw that he was not the king of Israel and stopped pursuing him. | 33When the chariot commanders saw that he was not the king of Israel, they turned back from pursuing him. |
| 34But someone drew his bow at random and hit the king of Israel between the sections of his armor. The king told his chariot driver, "Wheel around and get me out of the fighting. I've been wounded." | 34But a man drew his bow without taking special aim and struck the king of Israel through the joints of his armor. So he said to his charioteer, "Turn around and take me out of the battle, for I am badly wounded!" |
| 35All day long the battle raged, and the king was propped up in his chariot facing the Arameans. The blood from his wound ran onto the floor of the chariot, and that evening he died. | 35The battle raged throughout that day, and the king was propped up in his chariot facing the Arameans. He died that evening, and blood from his wound flowed into the bottom of the chariot. |
| 36As the sun was setting, a cry spread through the army: "Every man to his town. Every man to his land!" | 36Then the cry rang out in the army as the sun set, declaring: Each man to his own city, and each man to his own land! |
| 37So the king died and was brought to Samaria, and they buried him there. | 37So the king died and was brought to Samaria. They buried the king in Samaria. |
| 38They washed the chariot at a pool in Samaria (where the prostitutes bathed), and the dogs licked up his blood, as the word of the LORD had declared. | 38Then someone washed the chariot at the pool of Samaria. The dogs licked up his blood, and the prostitutes bathed in it, according to the word of the LORD that He had spoken. |
| 39As for the other events of Ahab's reign, including all he did, the palace he built and adorned with ivory, and the cities he fortified, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel? | 39The rest of the events of Ahab's reign, along with all his accomplishments, including the ivory palace he built, and all the cities he built, are written in the Historical Record of Israel's Kings. |
| 40Ahab rested with his ancestors. And Ahaziah his son succeeded him as king. | 40Ahab rested with his fathers, and his son Ahaziah became king in his place. |
| 41Jehoshaphat son of Asa became king of Judah in the fourth year of Ahab king of Israel. | 41Jehoshaphat son of Asa became king over Judah in the fourth year of Israel's King Ahab. |
| 42Jehoshaphat was thirty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-five years. His mother's name was Azubah daughter of Shilhi. | 42Jehoshaphat was 35 years old when he became king; he reigned 25 years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Azubah daughter of Shilhi. |
| 43In everything he followed the ways of his father Asa and did not stray from them; he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD. The high places, however, were not removed, and the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there. | 43He walked in all the ways of his father Asa; he did not turn away from them but did what was right in the LORD's sight. However, the high places were not taken away; the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places. |
| 44Jehoshaphat was also at peace with the king of Israel. | 44Jehoshaphat also made peace with the king of Israel. |
| 45As for the other events of Jehoshaphat's reign, the things he achieved and his military exploits, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? | 45The rest of the events of Jehoshaphat's reign, along with the might he exercised and how he waged war, are written in the Historical Record of Judah's Kings. |
| 46He rid the land of the rest of the male shrine prostitutes who remained there even after the reign of his father Asa. | 46He removed from the land the rest of the male cult prostitutes who were left from the days of his father Asa. |
| 47There was then no king in Edom; a provincial governor ruled. | 47There was no king in Edom; a deputy served as king. |
| 48Now Jehoshaphat built a fleet of trading ships to go to Ophir for gold, but they never set sail--they were wrecked at Ezion Geber. | 48Jehoshaphat made ships of Tarshish to go to Ophir for gold, but they did not go because the ships were wrecked at Ezion-geber. |
| 49At that time Ahaziah son of Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, "Let my men sail with yours," but Jehoshaphat refused. | 49At that time, Ahaziah son of Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, "Let my servants go with your servants in the ships," but Jehoshaphat was not willing. |
| 50Then Jehoshaphat rested with his ancestors and was buried with them in the city of David his father. And Jehoram his son succeeded him as king. | 50Jehoshaphat rested with his fathers and was buried with them in the city of his ancestor David. His son Jehoram became king in his place. |
| 51Ahaziah son of Ahab became king of Israel in Samaria in the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and he reigned over Israel two years. | 51Ahaziah son of Ahab became king over Israel in Samaria in the seventeenth year of Judah's King Jehoshaphat and reigned over Israel two years. |
| 52He did evil in the eyes of the LORD, because he followed the ways of his father and mother and of Jeroboam son of Nebat, who caused Israel to sin. | 52He did what was evil in the LORD's sight. He walked in the way of his father, in the way of his mother, and in the way of Jeroboam son of Nebat, who had caused Israel to sin. |
| 53He served and worshiped Baal and aroused the anger of the LORD, the God of Israel, just as his father had done. | 53He served Baal and worshiped him. He provoked the LORD God of Israel just as his father had done. |
| New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. | Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. |
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