The First Book of Kings, starting at chapter 22
{22:1} They continued three years without war between Syria and
Israel. {22:2} It happened in the third year, that Jehoshaphat the
king of Judah came down to the king of Israel. {22:3} The king of
Israel said to his servants, "You know that Ramoth Gilead is ours, and
we are still, and don't take it out of the hand of the king of Syria?"
{22:4} He said to Jehoshaphat, Will you go with me to battle to Ramoth
Gilead? Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, I am as you are, my
people as your people, my horses as your horses. {22:5} Jehoshaphat
said to the king of Israel, Please inquire first for the word of
Yahweh. {22:6} Then 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 forbear? They said, Go up; for the Lord
will deliver it into the hand of the king. {22:7} But Jehoshaphat
said, Isn't there here a prophet of Yahweh besides, that we may
inquire of him? {22:8} The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, there
is yet one man by whom we may inquire of Yahweh, Micaiah the son of
Imlah: but I hate him; for he does not prophesy good concerning me,
but evil. Jehoshaphat said, "Don't let the king say so." {22:9} Then
the king of Israel called an officer, and said, Get quickly Micaiah
the son of Imlah. {22:10} Now the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the
king of Judah were sitting each on his throne, arrayed in their robes,
in an open place at the entrance of the gate of Samaria; and all the
prophets were prophesying before them. {22:11} Zedekiah the son of
Chenaanah made him horns of iron, and said, Thus says Yahweh, With
these shall you push the Syrians, until they be consumed. {22:12} All
the prophets prophesied so, saying, Go up to Ramoth Gilead, and
prosper; for Yahweh will deliver it into the hand of the king. {22:13}
The messenger who went to call Micaiah spoke to him, saying, See now,
the words of the prophets [declare] good to the king with one mouth:
please let your word be like the word of one of them, and speak you
good. {22:14} Micaiah said, As Yahweh lives, what Yahweh says to me,
that will I speak. {22:15} When he was come to the king, the king said
to him, Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth Gilead to battle, or shall we
forbear? He answered him, Go up and prosper; and Yahweh will deliver
it into the hand of the king. {22:16} The king said to him, How many
times shall I adjure you that you speak to me nothing but the truth in
the name of Yahweh? {22:17} He said, I saw all Israel scattered on the
mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd: and Yahweh said, These have
no master; let them return every man to his house in peace. {22:18}
The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, Didn't I tell you that he
would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil? {22:19} [Micaiah]
said, "Therefore hear the word of Yahweh: I saw Yahweh sitting on his
throne, and all the army of heaven standing by him on his right hand
and on his left. {22:20} Yahweh said, 'Who shall entice Ahab, that he
may go up and fall at Ramoth Gilead?' One said on this manner; and
another said on that manner. {22:21} There came forth a spirit, and
stood before Yahweh, and said, 'I will entice him.' {22:22} Yahweh
said to him, 'How?' He said, 'I will go forth, and will be a lying
spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.' He said, 'You shall entice
him, and shall prevail also: go forth, and do so.' {22:23} Now
therefore, behold, Yahweh has put a lying spirit in the mouth of all
these your prophets; and Yahweh has spoken evil concerning you."
{22:24} Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah came near, and struck
Micaiah on the cheek, and said, Which way went the Spirit of Yahweh
from me to speak to you? {22:25} Micaiah said, Behold, you shall see
on that day, when you shall go into an inner chamber to hide yourself.
{22:26} 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; {22:27}
and say, Thus says the king, Put this fellow in the prison, and feed
him with bread of affliction and with water of affliction, until I
come in peace. {22:28} Micaiah said, If you return at all in peace,
Yahweh has not spoken by me. He said, Hear, you peoples, all of you.
{22:29} So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went
up to Ramoth Gilead. {22:30} The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, I
will disguise myself, and go into the battle; but put you on your
robes. The king of Israel disguised himself, and went into the battle.
{22:31} Now the king of Syria had commanded the thirty-two captains of
his chariots, saying, Fight neither with small nor great, save only
with the king of Israel. {22:32} It happened, when the captains of the
chariots saw Jehoshaphat, that they said, Surely it is the king of
Israel; and they turned aside to fight against him: and Jehoshaphat
cried out. {22:33} It happened, when the captains of the chariots saw
that it was not the king of Israel, that they turned back from
pursuing him. {22:34} A certain man drew his bow at a venture, and
struck the king of Israel between the joints of the armor: therefore
he said to the driver of his chariot, Turn your hand, and carry me out
of the army; for I am severely wounded. {22:35} The battle increased
that day: and the king was stayed up in his chariot against the
Syrians, and died at even; and the blood ran out of the wound into the
bottom of the chariot. {22:36} There went a cry throughout the army
about the going down of the sun, saying, Every man to his city, and
every man to his country. {22:37} So the king died, and was brought to
Samaria; and they buried the king in Samaria. {22:38} They washed the
chariot by the pool of Samaria; and the dogs licked up his blood (now
the prostitutes washed themselves [there]); according to the word of
Yahweh which he spoke. {22:39} Now the rest of the acts of Ahab, and
all that he did, and the ivory house which he built, and all the
cities that he built, aren't they written in the book of the
chronicles of the kings of Israel? {22:40} So Ahab slept with his
fathers; and Ahaziah his son reigned in his place. {22:41} Jehoshaphat
the son of Asa began to reign over Judah in the fourth year of Ahab
king of Israel. {22:42} Jehoshaphat was thirty-five years old when he
began to reign; and he reigned twenty-five years in Jerusalem. His
mother's name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi. {22:43} He walked in
all the way of Asa his father; He didn't turn aside from it, doing
that which was right in the eyes of Yahweh: however the high places
were not taken away; the people still sacrificed and burnt incense in
the high places. {22:44} Jehoshaphat made peace with the king of
Israel. {22:45} Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, and his might
that he shown, and how he warred, aren't they written in the book of
the chronicles of the kings of Judah? {22:46} The remnant of the
sodomites, that remained in the days of his father Asa, he put away
out of the land. {22:47} There was no king in Edom: a deputy was king.
{22:48} Jehoshaphat made ships of Tarshish to go to Ophir for gold:
but they didn't go; for the ships were broken at Ezion Geber. {22:49}
Then said Ahaziah the son of Ahab to Jehoshaphat, Let my servants go
with your servants in the ships. But Jehoshaphat would not. {22:50}
Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in
the city of David his father; Jehoram his son reigned in his place.
{22:51} Ahaziah the son of Ahab began to reign over Israel in Samaria
in the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and he reigned
two years over Israel. {22:52} He did that which was evil in the sight
of Yahweh, 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, in which he made
Israel to sin. {22:53} He served Baal, and worshiped him, and provoked
to anger Yahweh, the God of Israel, according to all that his father
had done.
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