1 Kings 22

Ahab’s Third Campaign against Aram

1Three 1years passed without war between Aram and Israel. 22In the third year 3Jehoshaphat the king of Judah came down to the king of Israel. 3Now the king of Israel said to his servants, “Do you know that 4Ramoth-gilead belongs to us, and we 5are still doing nothing to take it out of the hand of the king of Aram?” 4And he said to Jehoshaphat, “Will you go with me to battle at Ramoth-gilead?” And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “6I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses.”

5Moreover, Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “Please inquire 7first for the word of the Lord.” 6Then 8the 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 9Jehoshaphat said, “Is there not yet a prophet of the Lord here that we may inquire of him?” 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.” 9Then the king of Israel called an officer and said, “10Bring quickly Micaiah son of Imlah.” 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 11all the prophets were prophesying before them. 11Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made 12horns of iron for himself and said, “Thus says the Lord, ‘13With these you will gore the Arameans until they are consumed.’” 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.”

Micaiah Predicts Defeat

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, “14As the Lord lives, what 15the Lord says to me, that I shall speak.”

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 16answered him, “17Go up and succeed, and the Lord will give it into the hand of the king.” 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?” 17So he said, “I saw all Israel Scattered on the mountains, 18Like sheep which have no shepherd. And the Lord said, ‘These have no master. Let each of them return to his house in peace.’” 18Then the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “19Did I not tell you that he would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil?”

1920Micaiah said, “Therefore, hear the word of the Lord. 21I saw the Lord sitting on His throne, and 22all the host of heaven standing by Him on His right and on His left. 20The 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 came forward and stood before the Lord and said, ‘I will entice him.’ 22The Lord said to him, ‘How?’ And he said, ‘I will go out and 23be 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.’ 23Now therefore, behold, 24the Lord has put a deceiving spirit in the mouth of all these your prophets; and the Lord has proclaimed disaster against you.”

24Then 25Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah came near and struck Micaiah on the cheek and said, “26How did the Spirit of the Lord pass from me to speak to you?” 25Micaiah said, “Behold, you shall see on that day when you 27enter an inner room to hide yourself.” 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; 27and say, ‘Thus says the king, “28Put this man in prison and feed him 29sparingly with bread and water until I return safely.”’” 28Micaiah said, “30If you indeed return safely the Lord has not spoken by me.” And he said, “31Listen, all you people.”

Defeat and Death of Ahab

29So 32the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah went up against Ramoth-gilead. 30The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “33I 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 34the 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.” 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 captains of the chariots saw that it was not the king of Israel, they turned back from pursuing him.

34Now a certain man drew his bow at random and struck the king of Israel 35in a joint of the armor. So he said to the driver of his chariot, “Turn 36around and take me out of the 37fight; 38for I am severely wounded.” 35The battle 39raged 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. 3640Then a cry passed throughout the army close to sunset, saying, “Every man to his city and every man to his 41country.”

37So the king died and was brought to Samaria, and they buried the king in Samaria. 38They washed the chariot by the pool of Samaria, and the dogs licked up his blood (now the harlots bathed themselves there), 42according to the word of the Lord which He spoke. 39Now the rest of the acts of Ahab and all that he did and 43the 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? 40So Ahab slept with his fathers, and Ahaziah his son became king in his place.

The New Rulers

4144Now 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 twenty-five years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi. 4345He walked in all the way of Asa his father; he did not turn aside from it, doing right in the sight of the Lord. 46However, the high places were not taken away; the people still sacrificed and burnt incense on the high places. 4447Jehoshaphat also made peace with the king of Israel.

45Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, and his might which he showed and how he warred, are they not written 48in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? 46The remnant of 49the sodomites who remained in the days of his father Asa, he 50expelled from the land.

47Now 51there was no king in Edom; a deputy was king. 48Jehoshaphat made 52ships of Tarshish to go to 53Ophir for gold, but 54they did not go for the ships were broken at 55Ezion-geber. 49Then Ahaziah the son of Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, “Let my servants go with your servants in the ships.” But Jehoshaphat was not willing. 5056And 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.

51Ahaziah the son of Ahab 57became 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 58walked 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. 5359So he served Baal and worshiped him and provoked the Lord God of Israel to anger, according to all that his father had done.