2Ch 18 | ABEn | STEP | And there came to Jehoshaphat still [ 2 riches 3 and 4 glory 1 much]. And he was allied by marriage with the house of Ahab.

2 Chronicles 18

CHAPTER 18 Jehoshaphat and Ahab Allied in Marriage

1 And there came to Jehoshaphat still [²riches ³and ⁴glory ¹much]. And he was allied by marriage with the house of Ahab. 2 And he went down at the end of years to Ahab in Samaria. And [²sacrificed ³to him ¹Ahab] sheep and calves in abundance, and to the people with him; and he persuaded him to go up with him unto Ramoth Gilead. 3 And [⁴said ¹Ahab ²king ³of Israel] to Jehoshaphat king of Judah, Will you go with me to Ramoth of Gilead? And he said to him, As you, so also I; and as your people, also my people; even with you for war. 4 And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, Let us seek indeed today the word of the lord! 5 And [⁴gathered ¹the ²king ³of Israel] the prophets -- four hundred men. And he said to them, Shall I go to Ramoth Gilead for war, or should I wait? And they said, Ascend! and God shall give them into the hands of the king. 6 And Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of the lord yet, that we shall seek anxiously by him? 7 And [⁴said ¹the ²the king ³of Israel] to Jehoshaphat, There is [²man ¹one] to seek the lord through him, and I detest him; for he is not prophesying [³concerning ⁴me ¹for ²good things], for all his days are for bad things. He is Michaiah son of Imla. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not [³speak ¹the ²king] thus! 8 And [⁴called ¹the ²king ³of Israel ⁶eunuch ⁵one], and said, Quickly call Michaiah son of Imla! 9 And the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah were sitting each upon his throne, being clothed with robes; they sat down in the broad space at the door of Samaria, and all the prophets were prophesying before them. 10 And [⁴made ⁵for himself ¹Zedekiah ²son ³of Chenaanah] horns of iron, and he said, Thus says the lord; With these you shall gore the Syrian until whenever he should be finished off entirely. 11 And all the prophets prophesied thus, saying, Ascend unto Ramoth Gilead! and you shall prosper in the way, and the lord will give it into the hands of the king. 12 And the messenger, the one going to call Michaiah, spoke to him, saying, Behold, [³spoke ¹the ²prophets ⁵with ⁷mouth ⁶one ⁴good things] concerning the king. And let [³be ²indeed ¹your words] as one of them! and you shall speak good things.

Michaiah Prophecies before Ahab

13 And Michaiah said, As the lord lives, that what ever God should say to me, it I shall speak. 14 And he came to the king. And [³said ⁴to him ¹the ²king], Michaiah, Shall I go to Ramoth Gilead for war, or should I wait? And he said, Ascend! and your way shall prosper, and they shall be given into your hands. 15 And [³said ⁴to him ¹the ²king], How often shall I bind you by an oath that you should not speak to me except the truth in the name of the lord? 16 And Michaiah said, I see Israel all being scattered in the mountains, as sheep in which there is no shepherd. And the lord said, [²have no ³leader ¹These]. Let them [²return ¹each] to his house in peace. 17 And [⁴said ¹the ²king ³of Israel] to Jehoshaphat, Did I not say to you that he would not prophesy for my good things, but only bad things? 18 And Michaiah said, It is not so. Hear the word of the lord! I beheld the lord sitting upon his throne, and all the force of the heaven stood beside at his right and at his left. 19 And the lord said, Who shall deceive Ahab king of Israel, that he shall ascend, and shall fall in Ramoth Gilead? And this one spoke thus, and this other one spoke thus. 20 And came forth the spirit, and stood in the presence of the lord, and said, I shall deceive him. And the lord said, By what means? 21 And he said, I shall go forth, and I will be [²spirit ¹a lying] in the mouth of all his prophets. And he said, You shall deceive, and shall prevail. Go forth, and do so! 22 And now, behold, the lord put [²spirit ¹a lying] in the mouths of all [²your prophets ¹these], and the lord spoke against you for bad things. 23 And [⁴approached ¹Zedekiah ²son ³of Chenaanah] and struck Michaiah upon the jaw, and said to him, By what way passed the spirit of the lord from me to speak to you? 24 And Michaiah said, Behold, you shall see in that day in which you shall enter closet by closet to hide. 25 And [³said ¹the king ²of Israel], Take Michaiah and return him to Amon the ruler of the city, and to Joash the son of the king. 26 And you shall say, Thus says the king, Put this one into [²house ¹a prison], and let him eat bread of affliction and water of affliction! until my return in peace. 27 And Michaiah said, If by returning, you should return in peace, [²did not ³speak ¹the lord] by me. And he said, Hearken all peoples! 28 And [⁷ascended ¹the king ²of Israel ³and ⁴Jehoshaphat ⁵king ⁶of Judah] to Ramoth Gilead. 29 And [³said ¹the king ²of Israel] to Jehoshaphat, I shall cover up and enter into the battle; but you put on my clothes! And [³covered up ¹the king ²of Israel], and entered into the battle.

Ahab Dies in Battle

30 And the king of Syria gave charge to the heads of the chariots, to the ones with him, saying, Do not wage war with the small and the great, but the king of Israel only. 31 And it came to pass as [⁵saw ¹the ²ones in charge ³of the ⁴chariots] Jehoshaphat, that they said, [²the king ³of Israel ¹It is]. And they encircled him to do battle. And Jehoshaphat yelled, and the lord delivered him, and [²turned ³them ¹God] from him. 32 And it came to pass as [⁵saw ¹the ²ones in charge ³of the ⁴chariots] that it was not the king of Israel, that they turned from him. 33 And a man stretched tight a bow skillfully and struck the king of Israel between the lungs, and between the chest plate. And he said to the charioteer, Turn your hand, and lead me from the battle! for I am wounded. 34 And [³turned ¹the ²battle] in that day. And the king of Israel was set upon the chariot right opposite Syria until evening, and he died in the going down of the sun.