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,
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, "Quickly
get 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 you
shall push the Syrians, until they are 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 the prophets declare good to the king with one mouth.
Please let your word be like the word of one of them, and speak good."
{22:14} Micaiah said, "As Yahweh lives, what Yahweh says to me, that
I will speak."
{22:15} When he had 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
do I have to 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. Yahweh said, 'These have no master. Let
them each return 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
one thing; and another said another. {22:21} A spirit came out and
stood before Yahweh, and said, 'I will entice him.' {22:22} Yahweh
said to him, 'How?' He said, 'I will go out and will be a lying spirit
in the mouth of all his prophets.' He said, 'You will entice him, and
will also prevail. Go out 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 did the Spirit of Yahweh go
from me to speak to you?"
{22:25} Micaiah said, "Behold, you will see on that day, when you 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}
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, "Listen, all you people!"
{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 you put 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, except
only with the king of Israel. {22:32} It happened, when the captains
of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, that they said, "Surely that is the
king of Israel!" and they turned aside to fight against him.
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 random, 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 battle; for I am severely wounded." {22:35} The battle
increased that day. The king was propped up in his chariot facing the
Syrians, and died at evening. The blood ran out of the wound into the
bottom of the chariot. {22:36} A cry went 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 where the
prostitutes washed themselves; 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 showed, 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 Ahaziah the son of Ahab said
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.
________________________________________________________________________
The World English Bible is dedicated to the Public Domain by the
translators and editors. It is not copyrighted. "World English Bible"
and the World English Bible logo are a trademarks of Rainbow Missions,
Inc. They may only be used to identify this translation of the Holy
Bible as published by Rainbow Missions, Inc., and faithful copies and
quotations. "Faithful copies" include copies converted to other formats
(i. e. HTML, PDF, etc.) or typeset differently, without altering the
text of the Scriptures. Use of the markings of direct quotes of Jesus
Christ for different rendition (i. e. red text) is optional. Comments
and typo reports are welcome at
http://WorldEnglishBible.org/cgi-bin/comment.cgi. Please see
http://eBible.org/web/ for updates, revision status, free downloads,
and printed edition purchase information.
___
To cancel this free email subscription, please send
email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with
unsubscribe bible
in the body of the message OR use the form at http://ebible.org/subscribe.htm
