2 Crônicas 18

¹ Jehoshaphat was wealthy and honorable. He became Ahab’s in-law.

² After that he went to visit Ahab in Samaria. Ahab slaughtered many sheep and cattle for a banquet in honor of Jehoshaphat and the people who were with him. Ahab persuaded Jehoshaphat to attack Ramoth in Gilead with him.

³ He asked: »Will you go with me to attack Ramoth?« Jehoshaphat replied: »I am ready when you are. My army is ready. We will join you.«

⁴ He added: »But first let us consult Jehovah.«

⁵ Ahab called in about four hundred prophets. He asked them: »Should I go and attack Ramoth, or not?« »Attack it,« they answered. »God will give you victory.«

⁶ Jehoshaphat asked: »Is there another prophet through whom we can consult Jehovah?«

⁷ Ahab answered: »There is one more. He is Micaiah son of Imlah. But I hate him because he never prophesies anything good for me. It is always something bad.« Jehoshaphat replied: »You should not say that.«

⁸ Consequently King Ahab called in a court official and told him to go and get Micaiah at once.

⁹ The two kings, dressed in their royal robes, sat on their thrones at the threshing place just outside the gate of Samaria. All the prophets were prophesying in front of them.

¹⁰ One of them, Zedekiah son of Chenaanah, made iron horns and said to Ahab: This is what Jehovah says: »With these you will fight the Syrians and totally defeat them.«

¹¹ All the other prophets said the same thing. »March against Ramoth and you will win,« they said. Jehovah will give you victory.

¹² The official who had gone to get Micaiah said to him: All the other prophets have prophesied success for the king. You had better do the same.

¹³ But Micaiah answered: »By the living God Jehovah I will say what my God tells me to say.«

¹⁴ When he appeared before King Ahab, the king asked him: »Micaiah, should King Jehoshaphat and I go and attack Ramoth, or not?« »Attack!« Micaiah answered. »You will win! Jehovah will give you victory.«

¹⁵ Ahab replied: »When you speak to me in the name of Jehovah, tell the truth! How many times do I have to tell you that?«

¹⁶ Micaiah answered: »I can see the army of Israel scattered over the hills like sheep without a shepherd.« Jehovah said: »These men have no leader. Let them go home in peace.«

¹⁷ Ahab said to Jehoshaphat: »I told you that he never prophesies anything good for me. It is always something bad!«

¹⁸ Micaiah continued: »Now listen to what Jehovah says! I saw Jehovah sitting on his throne in heaven. All his angels were standing beside him.«

¹⁹ Jehovah asked: »Who will deceive Ahab so that he will go and get killed at Ramoth? Some of the angels said one thing, and others said something else,

²⁰ until a spirit stepped forward, approached Jehovah,« and said: »I will deceive him.« »How?« Jehovah asked.

²¹ The spirit replied: »I will go and make all of Ahab’s prophets tell lies.« Jehovah said: »Go and deceive him. You will succeed.«

²² Micaiah concluded: »This is what has happened. Jehovah made these prophets of yours lie to you. But he has decreed that you will meet with disaster!«

²³ Then the prophet Zedekiah went up to Micaiah and slapped his face. He asked: »Since when did Jehovah’s spirit leave me and speak to you?«

²⁴ »You will find out when you go into some back room to hide,« Micaiah replied.

²⁵ Then King Ahab ordered one of his officers: »Arrest Micaiah and take him to Amon, the governor of the city, and to Prince Joash.«

²⁶ Say: »This is what the king says: ‘Put this man in prison, and feed him nothing but bread and water until I return home safely.’«

²⁷ Micaiah said: »If you really do come back safely, then Jehovah was not speaking through me. Pay attention to this, everyone!«

²⁸ Thus the king of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah went to Ramoth in Gilead.

²⁹ The king of Israel told Jehoshaphat: »I will disguise myself and go into battle. You, however, should wear your royal robes.« So the king of Israel disguised himself and went into battle.

³⁰ The king of Aram gave orders to the chariot commanders. He said: »Do not fight anyone except the king of Israel.«

³¹ When the chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat, they said: »He must be the king of Israel.« So they surrounded him in order to fight him. When Jehoshaphat cried out Jehovah helped him. God drew them away from him.

³² Soon the chariot commanders realized that Jehoshaphat was not the king of Israel. Then they turned away from him.

³³ One man aimed his bow at random and hit the king of Israel between his scale armor and his breastplate. Ahab told the chariot driver: »Turn around, and get me away from these troops for I am badly wounded.«

³⁴ The battle raged on and King Ahab remained propped up in his chariot, facing the Syrians. At sunset he died.