1 Kings 22:18-53
22:18 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Didn’t I tell you he does not prophesy prosperity for me, but disaster?”
22:19 Micaiah
said, “That being the case, hear the word of the
Lord. I saw the
Lord sitting on his throne, with all the heavenly assembly standing on his right and on his left.
22:20 The
Lord said, ‘Who will deceive Ahab, so he will attack Ramoth Gilead and die
there?’ One said this and another that.
22:21 Then a spirit
stepped forward and stood before the
Lord. He said, ‘I will deceive him.’ The
Lord asked him, ‘How?’
22:22 He replied, ‘I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouths of all his prophets.’ The
Lord said, ‘Deceive and overpower him.
Go out and do as you have proposed.’
22:23 So now, look, the
Lord has placed a lying spirit in the mouths of all these prophets of yours; but the
Lord has decreed disaster for you.”
22:24 Zedekiah son of Kenaanah approached, hit Micaiah on the jaw, and said, “Which way did the
Lord’s spirit go when he went from me to speak to you?”
22:25 Micaiah replied, “Look, you will see in the day when you go into an inner room to hide.”
22:26 Then the king of Israel said, “Take Micaiah and return him to Amon the city official and Joash the king’s son.
22:27 Say, ‘This is what the king says, “Put this man in prison. Give him only a little bread and water
until I safely return.”’”
22:28 Micaiah said, “If you really do safely return, then the
Lord has not spoken through me.” Then he added, “Take note,
all you people.”
22:29 The king of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah attacked Ramoth Gilead.
22:30 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “I will disguise myself and then enter into the battle; but you wear your royal robes.” So the king of Israel disguised himself and then entered into the battle.
22:31 Now the king of Syria had ordered his thirty-two chariot commanders, “Do not fight common soldiers or high-ranking officers; fight only the king of Israel.”
22:32 When the chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat, they said, “He must be the king of Israel.” So they turned and attacked him, but Jehoshaphat cried out.
22:33 When the chariot commanders realized he was not the king of Israel, they turned away from him.
22:34 Now an archer shot an arrow at random, and it struck the king of Israel between the plates of his armor. The king ordered his charioteer, “Turn around and take me from the battle line, because I’m wounded.”
22:35 While the battle raged throughout the day, the king stood propped up in his chariot opposite the Syrians. He died in the evening; the blood from the wound ran down into the bottom of the chariot.
22:36 As the sun was setting, a cry went through the camp, “Each one should return to his city and to his homeland.”
22:37 So the king died and was taken to Samaria, where they buried him.
22:38 They washed off the chariot at the pool of Samaria (this was where the prostitutes bathed); dogs licked his blood, just as the Lord had said would happen.
22:39 The rest of the events of Ahab’s reign, including a record of his accomplishments and how he built a luxurious palace and various cities, are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the Kings of Israel.
22:40 Ahab passed away. His son Ahaziah replaced him as king.
Jehoshaphat’s Reign over Judah
22:41 In the fourth year of King Ahab’s reign over Israel, Asa’s son Jehoshaphat became king over Judah.
22:42 Jehoshaphat was thirty-five years old when he became king and he reigned for twenty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother was Azubah, the daughter of Shilhi.
22:43 He followed in his father Asa’s footsteps and was careful to do what the Lord approved. (22:44) However, the high places were not eliminated; the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense on the high places.
22:44 (22:45) Jehoshaphat was also at peace with the king of Israel.
22:45 The rest of the events of Jehoshaphat’s reign, including his successes and military exploits, are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the Kings of Judah.
22:46 He removed from the land any male cultic prostitutes who had managed to survive the reign of his father Asa.
22:47 There was no king in Edom at this time; a governor ruled.
22:48 Jehoshaphat built a fleet of large merchant ships to travel to Ophir for gold, but they never made the voyage because they were shipwrecked in Ezion Geber.
22:49 Then Ahaziah son of Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, “Let my sailors join yours in the fleet,” but Jehoshaphat refused.
22:50 Jehoshaphat passed away and was buried with his ancestors in the city of his ancestor David. His son Jehoram replaced him as king.
Ahaziah’s Reign over Israel
22:51 In the seventeenth year of King Jehoshaphat’s reign over Judah, Ahab’s son Ahaziah became king over Israel in Samaria. He ruled for two years over Israel.
22:52 He did evil in the sight of the Lord and followed in the footsteps of his father and mother; like Jeroboam son of Nebat, he encouraged Israel to sin.
22:53 He worshiped and bowed down to Baal, angering the Lord God of Israel just as his father had done.