1 Kings 22:14-53

14But Micaiah said, “1As the Lord lives, whatever 2the Lord says to me, I shall speak it.”

15When he came to the king, the king said to him, “Micaiah, should we go to battle against Ramoth-gilead, or should we refrain?” And he said, “3Go up and succeed, for the Lord will hand it over to the king!” 16Then the king said to him, “How many times must I make you swear that you will tell me nothing but the truth in the name of the Lord?” 17So he said, “I saw all Israel Scattered on the mountains, 4Like sheep that have no shepherd. And the Lord said, ‘These people have no master. Each of them is to return to his house in peace.’” 18Then the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “5Did I not tell you that he would not prophesy anything good regarding me, but only bad?”

19And Micaiah said, “Therefore, hear the word of the Lord. 6I saw the Lord sitting on His throne, and 7all the 8angels of heaven standing by Him on His right and on His left. 20And the Lord said, ‘Who will 9entice Ahab to go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?’ And one spirit said this, while another said that. 21Then a spirit came forward and stood before the Lord, and said, ‘I will 10entice him.’ 22And the Lord said to him, ‘How?’ And he said, ‘I will go out and 11be a deceiving spirit in the mouths of all his prophets.’ Then He said, ‘You shall 12entice him, and you will also prevail. Go and do so.’ 23Now then, behold, 13the Lord has put a deceiving spirit in the mouth of all these prophets of yours; and the Lord has declared disaster against you.”

24Then 14Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah approached and struck Micaiah on the cheek; and he said, “15How did the Spirit of the Lord pass from me to speak to you?” 25And Micaiah said, “Behold, you are going to see how on that day when you 16go from one inner room to 17another trying 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, ‘This is what the king says: “18Put this man in prison, and feed him enough bread and water to survive until I 19return safely.”’” 28But Micaiah said, “20If you actually return 21safely, the Lord has not spoken by me.” And he said, “22Listen, all you people!”

29So 23the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah went up against Ramoth-gilead. 30And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “24I 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 25the king of Aram had commanded the thirty-two commanders of his chariots, saying, “Do not fight with the small or great, but only with the king of Israel.” 32So when the commanders of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, they said, “Surely he is the king of Israel!” And they turned aside to fight against him, and Jehoshaphat cried out. 33Then, when the commanders of the chariots saw that it was not the king of Israel, they turned back from pursuing him.

34Now one man drew his bow at random and struck the king of Israel 26in a joint of the armor. So he said to the driver of his chariot, “Turn 27around and take me out of the battle, 28for I am severely wounded.” 35The battle 29raged on that day, and the king was propped up in his chariot in front of the Arameans, and he died at evening, and the blood from the wound ran into the bottom of the chariot. 3630Then the word passed throughout the army close to sunset, saying, “Every man to his city, and every man to his 31country!”

37So the king died and was brought to Samaria, and they buried the king in Samaria. 38They washed out the chariot by the pool of Samaria, and the dogs licked up his blood (it was there that the prostitutes bathed themselves) 32in accordance with the word of the Lord which He had spoken. 39Now as for the rest of the acts of Ahab and everything that he did, and 33the 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 34lay down with his fathers, and his son Ahaziah became king in his place.

4135Now 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 for twenty-five years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi. 4336He walked 37entirely in the way of his father Asa; he did not turn aside from it, doing what was right in the sight of the Lord. 38However, the high places were not taken away; the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places. 4439Jehoshaphat also made peace with the king of Israel.

45Now as for the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, and his might which he showed and how he made war, are they not written 40in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? 46And the remnant of 41the cult prostitutes who remained in the days of his father Asa, he eliminated from the land.

47Now 42there was no king in Edom; a governor served as king. 48Jehoshaphat built 43ships of Tarshish to go to 44Ophir for gold, but 45they did not go, because the ships were destroyed at 46Ezion-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. 5047And Jehoshaphat 48lay down with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of his father David, and his son Jehoram became king in his place.

51Ahaziah the son of Ahab 49became king over Israel in Samaria in the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and he reigned over Israel for two years. 52He did evil in the sight of the Lord and 50walked in the way of his father and in the way of his mother, and in the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who misled Israel into sin. 5351So he served Baal and worshiped him, and provoked the Lord God of Israel to anger, according to all that his father had done.