2 Chronicles 18–36

CHAPTER 18

Jehoshaphat Allies with Ahab

¹Now ^aJehoshaphat had riches and honor in abundance; and he allied himself by marriage with Ahab.

^2aAnd some years later he went down to Ahab at Samaria. And Ahab sacrificed sheep and oxen in abundance for him and the people who were with him, and incited him to go up against Ramoth-gilead.

³And Ahab king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat king of Judah, “Will you go with me against Ramoth-gilead?” And he said to him, “I am as you are, and my people as your people, and we will be with you in the battle.”

⁴Moreover, Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “Please inquire ¹first for the word of Yahweh.”

⁵Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets, four hundred men, and said to them, “Shall we go against Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall I refrain?” And they said, “Go up, for God will give it into the hand of the king.”

⁶But Jehoshaphat said, “Is there not yet a prophet of Yahweh here that we may inquire of him?”

⁷And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of Yahweh, but I hate him, because he never prophesies good concerning me but always evil. He is Micaiah, son of Imla.” But Jehoshaphat said, “Let not the king say so.”

Micaiah Prophesies Against Ahab

⁸Then the king of Israel called an officer and said, “Hasten to bring Micaiah son of Imla.”

⁹Now the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah were sitting each on his throne, clothed in their royal garments, and they were sitting ^aat the threshing floor at the entrance of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets were prophesying before them.

¹⁰And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made horns of iron for himself and said, “Thus says Yahweh, ‘With these you shall gore the Arameans until they are consumed.’”

¹¹All the prophets were also prophesying thus, saying, “Go up to Ramoth-gilead and succeed, and Yahweh will give it into the hand of the king.”

¹²Now the messenger who went to summon Micaiah spoke to him saying, “Behold, the words of the prophets, as if from one mouth, are good to the king. So please let your word be like one of them and speak that which is good.”

¹³But Micaiah said, “As Yahweh lives, ^awhat my God says, that I shall speak.”

¹⁴Then he came to the king, and the king said to him, “Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall I refrain?” And he said, “Go up and succeed, and they will be given into your hand.”

¹⁵Then the king said to him, “How many times must I make you swear to speak to me nothing but the truth in the name of Yahweh?”

¹⁶So he said,

“I saw all Israel

Scattered on the mountains,

^aLike sheep which have no shepherd;

And Yahweh said,

‘These have no master.

Let each of them return to his house in peace.’”

¹⁷So the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Did I not say to you that he would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil?”

¹⁸Then Micaiah said, “Therefore, hear the word of Yahweh. ^aI saw Yahweh sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing on His right and on His left.

¹⁹“And Yahweh said, ‘Who will entice Ahab king of Israel so that he will go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?’ And one said this while another said that.

²⁰“Then a ^aspirit came forward and stood before Yahweh and said, ‘I will entice him.’ And Yahweh said to him, ‘How?’

²¹“And he said, ‘I will go out and be ^aa lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ Then He said, ‘You shall entice him and also prevail. Go out and do so.’

²²“So now, behold, ^aYahweh has put a lying spirit in the mouth of these your prophets, but Yahweh has spoken calamity against you.”

²³Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah approached and ^astruck Micaiah on the cheek and said, “¹How did the Spirit of Yahweh pass from me to speak to you?”

²⁴And Micaiah said, “Behold, you will see on that day when you enter an inner room to hide.”

²⁵Then the king of Israel said, “^aTake Micaiah and return him to Amon ^bthe ruler of the city and to Joash the king’s son;

²⁶and say, ‘Thus says the king, “^aPut this man in prison and feed him ¹sparingly with bread and water until I return safely.” ’ ”

²⁷And Micaiah said, “If you indeed return safely, Yahweh has not spoken by me.” And he said, “^aListen, all you people.”

The Death of Ahab

²⁸So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah went up against Ramoth-gilead.

²⁹And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “I will disguise myself and go into battle, but you put on your garments.” So the king of Israel disguised himself, and they went into battle.

³⁰Now the king of Aram had commanded the commanders of his chariots, saying, “Do not fight with small or great, but with the king of Israel alone.”

³¹Now it happened that when the commanders of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, they said, “It is the king of Israel,” and they turned to fight against him. But Jehoshaphat ^acried out, and Yahweh helped him, and God incited them away from him.

³²So it happened that when the commanders of the chariots saw that it was not the king of Israel, they turned back from pursuing him.

³³Now a certain man drew his bow at random and struck the king of Israel ¹in a joint of the armor. So he said to the driver of the chariot, “Turn ²around and take me out of the ³fight, for I am severely wounded.”

³⁴Now the battle raged that day, and the king of Israel propped himself up in his chariot in front of the Arameans until the evening; and at sunset he died.

CHAPTER 19

Jehoshaphat Returns to Jerusalem

¹Then Jehoshaphat the king of Judah returned in peace to his house in Jerusalem.

^2aAnd Jehu the son of Hanani the seer went out to meet him to his face and said to King Jehoshaphat, “^bShould you help the wicked and love those who hate Yahweh and ^1cso bring wrath on yourself from Yahweh?

³“But ^asome good has been found in you, for ^byou have purged the ¹Asheroth from the land and you ^chave set your heart to seek God.”

⁴So Jehoshaphat lived in Jerusalem. Indeed, he returned and went out among the people from Beersheba to the hill country of Ephraim and ^acaused them to return back to Yahweh, the God of their fathers.

Jehoshaphat Appoints Judges

⁵And he appointed ^ajudges in the land in all the fortified cities of Judah, in each city.

⁶And he said to the judges, “Consider what you are doing, for ^ayou do not judge for man but for Yahweh who is with you ¹when you render judgment.

⁷“So now then let the dread of Yahweh be upon you; ¹be careful what you do, because ²with Yahweh our God ^athere is no unrighteousness ^bor partiality or the taking of a bribe.”

⁸In Jerusalem also Jehoshaphat appointed some ^aof the Levites and priests, and some of the heads of the fathers’ households of Israel, for the judgment of Yahweh and to judge ¹disputes. So they returned to Jerusalem.

⁹Then he commanded them saying, “Thus you shall do in the fear of Yahweh, faithfully and wholeheartedly.

¹⁰“^aWhenever any dispute comes to you from your brothers who live in their cities, between blood and blood, between law and commandment, statutes and judgments, you shall warn them so that they may not be guilty before Yahweh and ^bwrath may not come on you and your brothers. Thus you shall do, and you will not be guilty.

¹¹“And behold, Amariah the chief priest will be over you in ^1aall that pertains to Yahweh, and Zebadiah the son of Ishmael, the ruler of the house of Judah, in ²all that pertains to the king. Also the Levites shall be officers before you. ^bBe strong and act, and Yahweh be with the one who is good.”

CHAPTER 20

War Against Judah

¹Now it happened after this, that the sons of Moab and the sons of Ammon, together with some of the ^1aAmmonites, came to make war against Jehoshaphat.

²Then some came and told Jehoshaphat, saying, “A great multitude is coming against you from beyond the sea, out of ¹Aram and behold, they are in ^aHazazon-tamar (that is Engedi).”

³And Jehoshaphat was afraid and ^1aset his face to seek Yahweh, and ^bcalled for a fast throughout all Judah.

⁴So Judah gathered together to ^aseek help from Yahweh; they even came from all the cities of Judah to seek Yahweh.

Jehoshaphat Before the Assembly

⁵Then Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of Yahweh before the new court,

⁶and he said, “O Yahweh, the God of our fathers, ^aare You not God in the heavens? And ^bare You not ruler over all the kingdoms of the nations? Power and might are in Your hand so that no one can take their stand against You.

⁷“Did You not, O our God, dispossess the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel and ^agive it to the seed of ^bAbraham Your friend forever?

⁸“And they have lived in it, and have built You a sanctuary there for Your name, saying,

⁹‘^aShould evil come upon us, the sword, or judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we will stand before this house and before You (for ^bYour name is in this house) and cry to You in our distress, and You will hear and save us.’

¹⁰“So now, behold, ^athe sons of Ammon and Moab and ¹Mount Seir, ^bwhom You did not let Israel invade when they came out of the land of Egypt (they turned aside from them and did not destroy them),

¹¹and behold, they are rewarding us by ^acoming to drive us out from Your possession which You have caused us to possess.

¹²“O our God, ^awill You not judge them? For we are powerless before this great multitude who are coming against us; and we do not know what we should do, but ^bour eyes are on You.”

¹³Now all Judah was standing before Yahweh, with their little ones, their wives, and their children.

Yahweh’s Spirit Comes upon Jahaziel

¹⁴Then in the midst of the assembly ^athe Spirit of Yahweh came upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, the Levite of the sons of Asaph;

¹⁵and he said, “Pay attention, all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Jehoshaphat: thus says Yahweh to you, ‘^aDo not fear or be dismayed because of this great multitude, for ^bthe battle is not yours but God’s.

¹⁶‘Tomorrow go down against them. Behold, they will come up by the ascent of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the…