King Ahab Asks Micaiah if He Should Go to Battle |
2 Chronicles 18:1-34 2 Chronicles in [Smaller Chunks] |
Jehoshaphat now had an abundance of riches & honor & [had made an alliance] with Ahab. After [some years, Jehoshaphat] went down to Ahab [in] Samaria. Ahab killed [lots] of sheep & oxen for [Jehoshaphat] & the people with him. |
And [Ahab] persuaded [Jehoshaphat] to go with him up to Ramoth Gilead. Ahab, [Israel’s] king, said to Jehoshaphat, [Judah’s] king, Will you go to Ramoth Gilead with me? |
[Jehoshaphat] answered, I am as you are & my people [are like] your people & we will be with you in war. Jehoshaphat said to [Israel’s] king, I pray [that] you [inquire for] the Word of the Lord today. |
[Therefore,] king [Ahab] of Israel, gathered 400 prophets together & said to them, Shall we go to Ramoth Gilead to battle or shall I [hold back from doing so?] And they said, Go up; for God will deliver it into the king’s hand. |
Jehoshaphat [asked,] Isn’t there [still] a prophet of the Lord besides [them, so] that we might [inquire] of him? [Ahab, Israel’s] king said, There is [still] 1 man, by whom we may [inquire] of the Lord, but I hate him. He never prophesies good to me, but always [bad.] [It’s] Micaiah, [Imla’s] son. Jehoshaphat said, |
[Don’t] let the king say so. And [Ahab] called for 1 of his officers & said, Quickly [get & bring] Micaiah, Imla’s] son. |
And [Ahab, Israel’s] king & Jehoshaphat, [Judah’s] king, [each] sat on their throne, clothed in their robes, in [an empty] place at the [entrance] gate of Samaria & all the prophets prophesied [in front of] them. |
Zedekiah, [Chenaanah’s] son, had made him horns of iron & said, The Lord says [this,] With these [horns] you shall push Syria until the [are destroyed.] And all the [other] prophets prophesied saying, Go up to Ramoth Gilead & prosper. For the Lord shall deliver it into the hand of the king. |
The messengers [who] went to Micaiah [said] to [Micaiah,] The words of the prophets [are united in declaring] good to the king. Therefore, let your word be like theirs & [say] good. |
And Micaiah said, as the Lord lives, I will [only say] what my God [says.] When [Micaiah] came to the king, [Ahab] said, Michaiah, shall we go to battle in Ramoth Gilead or shall we [refrain?] |
[Micaiah] said, You go up & prosper & they shall be delivered into your hand. King [Ahab] said to [Micaiah,] How many times shall I [make you swear] that you say nothing, but the truth to me in the Name of the Lord? |
Then, [Micaiah] said, I did see all [of] Israel scattered on the mountains [like] sheep with no shepherd. The Lord said, These have no master, therefore let every man return to his house in peace. King [Ahab] of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, [Didn’t] I tell you he [wouldn’t] prophesy good to me, [only bad.] |
Again, [Micaiah] said, Therefore, hear the Word of the Lord. I saw the Lord sitting on His throne & all the host of heaven standing on His right hand [side] & on His left. The Lord said, Who shall [convince] Ahab, [Israel’s] kin, [so] that he may go up & fall at Ramoth Gilead? |
[The host of heaven said one thing and another.] Then a spirit came [forward] & stood [in front of] the Lord & said, I will [convince] him. The Lord [asked, How?] [The spirit] said, I will go out & be a lying spirit in the [mouths] of all [Ahab’s] prophets. And the Lord said, [You shall convince] him & you shall prevail. |
Go out & do so. Therefore, the Lord has put a lying spirit in your [prophet’s mouths] & the Lord has [declared disaster] against you. Then Zedekiah, [Chenaanah’s] son, came [close & hit] Micaiah on [his] cheek & said, Which way [did] the Spirit of the Lord [go] from me to speak to you? |
Micaiah said, [Watch,] you shall see on the day when you shall go & hide [yourself] in an inner [room.] King [Ahab] of Israel said, Take Micaiah & carry him back to Ammon, the [city’s] governor & to Jossh, the king’s son. |
Say, The king said, Put this [man] in the prison & feed him with the bread & water of affliction, until I return in peace. Micaiah said, If you return in peace, then the Lord [hasn’t] spoken by me. [Pay attention,] all you people. |
So, [Ahab, Israel’s] king & Jehoshaphat, [Judah’s] king, went up to Ramoth Gilead. [Ahab, Israel’s] king said to Jehoshaphat, I will disguise myself & I will go to battle, but you put on your [royal robe.] |
So, [Israel’s] king disguised himself & they went to the battle. Now, [Syria’s] king had commanded the chariot captains with him, saying, [Don’t] fight with [the] small or [the important, but] only [Ahab, Israel’s] king. |
It [happened] when the chariot captains saw Jehoshaphat, they said, [It’s] the king of Israel & they [surrounded] him to fight. But Jehoshaphat cried out & the Lord helped him & God moved [the soldiers to leave] from [Jehoshaphat.] |
It [happened] when the chariot captains [realized it wasn’t Israel’s] king, they [stopped] pursuing him. A certain man drew a bow [on a hunch & struck Israel’s] king between the joints of [his] armor. |
Therefore, [Ahab] said to his man [in the] chariot, [Return] your hand, so you may carry me out of the [army;] for I am wounded. And the battle increased that day. [However, Israel’s] king [propped] himself up in his chariot against the Syrians until the [evening:] & about the time of the [sunset, Ahab] died. |