2 Chronicles 18–36

Jehoshaphat’s Alliance with Ahab

18Now Jehoshaphat had much wealth and honor, and he became son-in-law to Ahab. ²And after some years^a he went down to Ahab in Samaria. And Ahab slaughtered many sheep and cattle for him and for the people who were with him, and urged him to go up against Ramoth-Gilead. ³And Ahab the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, “Will you go up with me to Ramoth-Gilead?” And he answered him, “I am as you are, and my people are as your people with you in war.”

⁴Then Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “Seek first of all^b the word of Yahweh.” ⁵Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets, four hundred men. And he said to them, “Shall we go to Ramoth-Gilead to battle, or shall we cease?” And they said, “Go up, since God will give it into the hand of the king.” ⁶Then Jehoshaphat said, “Is there not here another prophet of Yahweh that we might inquire of him?” ⁷Then the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “There is yet one man by whom to seek Yahweh, but I hate him, because he never prophesies good concerning me, but always^c disaster. He is Micaiah the son of Imlah.” Then Jehoshaphat said, “Let not the king say thus.” ⁸Then the king of Israel called to a eunuch and said, “Quickly bring Micaiah the son of Imlah.”

⁹Now the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah were each sitting on his throne, clothed in robes. And they were sitting at the threshing floor at the entrance of the gate of Samaria, and all the prophets were prophesying before them. ¹⁰And Zedekiah the son of Kenaanah made for himself horns of iron, and he said, “Thus says Yahweh: ‘With these you will gore Aram^d to their destruction.’ ” ¹¹And all the prophets prophesied thus, saying, “Go up to Ramoth-Gilead and triumph! Yahweh will give it into the hand of the king.”

¹²Then the messenger who went to call Micaiah said to him, “Behold, the words of the prophets are good with one voice to the king. Please let your word be as one with them and speak good.” ¹³But Micaiah said, “As Yahweh lives, only what my God has said, that will I speak.”

¹⁴And when he had come to the king, the king said to him, “Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth-Gilead to war or shall I cease?” And he said, “Go up and triumph! They shall be given into your hand.” ¹⁵But the king said to him, “How many times shall I make you swear that you speak nothing except the truth in the name of Yahweh?” ¹⁶Then he said, “I saw all Israel scattered upon the mountains like sheep that had no shepherd. And Yahweh said, ‘These have no masters; let each of them return to his own house in peace.’ ” ¹⁷Then the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Did I not say to you he would not prophesy good concerning me, but only disaster?” ¹⁸Then Micaiah said, “Therefore hear the word of Yahweh: I saw Yahweh sitting upon his throne with all the host of heaven standing on his right and on his left. ¹⁹And Yahweh said, ‘Who will entice Ahab the king of Israel that he would go up and fall at Ramoth-Gilead?’ And one said this, and another said that. ²⁰Then a spirit came forth and stood before Yahweh and said, ‘I will entice him.’ Then Yahweh said to him, ‘By what means?’ ²¹Then he said, ‘I will go forth and will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ And he said, ‘You will entice him and will also succeed. Go out and do so.’ ²²So now, behold, Yahweh has put a spirit of deception into the mouths of these your prophets. Yahweh has spoken disaster against you.”

²³Then Zedekiah the son of Kenaanah came near and struck Micaiah on the cheek and said, “Which way^e did the Spirit of Yahweh come from me to speak to you?” ²⁴Then Micaiah said, “Behold, you will see on that day when you go into a private room to hide yourself.” ²⁵Then the king of Israel said, “Take Micaiah and return him to Amon the commander of the city and to Jehoash the son of the king, ²⁶and say, ‘Thus says the king: “Put this one into the prison house, and let him eat a meager ration of bread and water^f until I return in peace.” ’ ” ²⁷And Micaiah said, “If you surely return in peace Yahweh has not spoken with me.” Then he said, “Hear, peoples, all of them!”

The Death of Ahab

²⁸Then the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah went up to Ramoth-Gilead. ²⁹And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “I will disguise myself and go into battle, but you, wear your garments.” So the king of Israel disguised himself, and they went to war. ³⁰Now the king of Aram^g had commanded the commanders of his chariots,^h saying, “Do not fight with the small or the great, but only with the king of Israel.” ³¹And it happened that when the commanders of the chariotsⁱ saw Jehoshaphat, then they said, “It is the king of Israel!” And they turned against him to fight. Then Jehoshaphat cried out and Yahweh helped him. God drove them away from him. ³²And it happened that when the commanders of the chariots^j saw that it was not the king of Israel, they turned back from following him. ³³Now a certain man drew the bow at random^k and struck the king of Israel between the soldering of his breastplate armor. Then he said to the chariot driver, “Turn around;^l get me away from the war camp, for I am wounded.” ³⁴And the battle went on that day, and the king of Israel was propped up in the chariot facing Aram^m until the evening. And he died at the time of the going down of the sun.

Jehoshaphat’s Reforms

19Then Jehoshaphat king of Judah returned to his house in peace to Jerusalem. ²And Jehu son of Hanani the seer went out to meet him. And he said to King Jehoshaphat, “Should you be a help to the wicked and love those who hate Yahweh? On account of this, wrath has come against you from Yahweh. ³Nevertheless some good things have been found in regard to you, for you burned the Asherahs out of the land and set your heart to seek God.”

⁴And Jehoshaphat lived in Jerusalem and returned and went out among the people from Beersheba to the hill country of Ephraim and brought them back to Yahweh, the God of their ancestors.^{a 5}And he appointed judges in the land and in all the fortified cities of Judah, city by city. ⁶And he said to the judges, “Consider what you are doing, for you are not judging for a man but for Yahweh. Now he is with you in speaking justice. ⁷So now, let the fear of Yahweh be upon you all. Be careful what you do,^b for there is neither wickedness nor showing partiality^c and taking bribes with Yahweh our God.”

⁸Moreover, Jehoshaphat appointed in Jerusalem some of the Levites and the priests and heads of the families^d of Israel as judges and to decide legal disputes for Yahweh. And they sat^e in Jerusalem. ⁹And he commanded them, saying, “Thus you must do in the fear of Yahweh in faithfulness and with a whole heart. ¹⁰Any legal dispute that comes before you from your brothers who live in their cities concerning bloodguilt, law, commandment, statutes, and justice, you must warn them, so that they do not incur guilt before Yahweh, and that wrath may not come upon you and your brothers. Thus you must do that you do not incur guilt. ¹¹And behold, Amariah the chief priest is over you in all matters of Yahweh, and Zebadiah the son of Ishmael, the governor of the house of Judah, in all matters of the king, and the Levites shall be before you as officials. Be strong and do well! May Yahweh be with the upright.”

The Prayer of Jehoshaphat

20And it happened that afterward, the Moabites,^a the Ammonites,^b and some of the Meunites^c came against Jehoshaphat for war. ²And they came and reported it to Jehoshaphat, saying, “A great multitude from beyond the sea, from Aram,^d is coming against you. Now behold, they are in Hazazon Tamar” (that is, En Gedi). ³Then Jehoshaphat was afraid and set his face to seek Yahweh. And he called for a fast through all Judah. ⁴And Judah assembled to seek after Yahweh; even from all the cities of Judah they came to seek Yahweh.

⁵Then Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem in the house of Yahweh before the new courtyard. ⁶And he said, “O Yahweh, God of our ancestors,^e are you not God in heaven? Now you rule in all the kingdoms of the nations, and in your hand are power and might, and there is none who can resist against you. ⁷O, our God, did you yourself not drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel and give it to the descendants^f of Abraham your friend forever? ⁸And they lived in it and built for you a sanctuary for your name in it, saying, ⁹‘If disaster, a sword, punishment, disease, or famine come upon us, we shall stand before this house and before you—for your name is in this house—and cry out to you out of our trouble, then you will hear and save us.’ ¹⁰And now, look, the people^g of Moab and Ammon and Mount Seir whom you did not allow Israel to come against when they came from Egypt, from whom they turned aside and did not destroy, ¹¹now behold, they are rewarding us by coming to dispossess us from your possession which you gave us as an inheritance. ¹²O our God, will you not judge them, for there is no power in us before this great multitude that is coming against us. Now we do not know what we shall do, for our eyes are upon you.”

¹³And all Judah was standing before Yahweh, and also their little children, their wives, and their children. ¹⁴Then the Spirit of Yahweh came upon Jahaziel, the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, the Levite from the descendants^h of Asaph, in the midst of the assembly. ¹⁵And he said, “Listen, all Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Jehoshaphat, thus says Yahweh to you: ‘Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed before this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s. ¹⁶Tomorrow go down against them. Behold, they are coming up the ascent of Ziz. And you will find them at the end of the valley facing the desert of Jeruel. ¹⁷There will be no need for you to fight in this battle. Take your stand! Stand and see the deliverance of Yahweh…