| Berean Study Bible | Christian Standard Bible |
| 1Now Jehoshaphat had riches and honor in abundance, and he allied himself with Ahab by marriage. | 1Now Jehoshaphat had riches and honor in abundance, and he made an alliance with Ahab through marriage. |
| 2And some years later he went down to visit Ahab in Samaria, where Ahab sacrificed many sheep and cattle for him and the people with him, and urged him to march up to Ramoth-gilead. | 2Then after some years, he went down to visit Ahab in Samaria. Ahab sacrificed many sheep, goats, and cattle for him and for the people who were with him. Then he persuaded him to attack Ramoth-gilead, |
| 3Ahab king of Israel asked Jehoshaphat king of Judah, “Will you go with me against Ramoth-gilead?” And Jehoshaphat replied, “I am like you, and my people are your people; we will join you in the war.” | 3for Israel's King Ahab asked Judah's King Jehoshaphat, "Will you go with me to Ramoth-gilead?" He replied to him, "I am as you are, my people as your people; we will be with you in the battle." |
| 4But Jehoshaphat also said to the king of Israel, “Please inquire first for the word of the LORD.” | 4But Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, "First, please ask what the LORD's will is." |
| 5So the king of Israel assembled the prophets, four hundred men, and asked them, “Should we go to war against Ramoth-gilead, or should we refrain?” “Go up,” they replied, “and God will deliver it into the hand of the king.” | 5So the king of Israel gathered the prophets, four hundred men, and asked them, "Should we go to Ramoth-gilead for war or should I refrain?" They replied, "March up, and God will hand it over to the king." |
| 6But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there not still a prophet of the LORD here of whom we can inquire?” | 6But Jehoshaphat asked, "Isn't there a prophet of the LORD here anymore? Let's ask him." |
| 7The king of Israel answered, “There is still one man who can ask the LORD, but I hate him because he never prophesies anything good for me, but only bad. He is Micaiah son of Imlah.” “The king should not say that!” Jehoshaphat replied. | 7The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "There is still one man who can inquire of the LORD, but I hate him because he never prophesies good about me, but only disaster. He is Micaiah son of Imlah." "The king shouldn't say that," Jehoshaphat replied. |
| 8So the king of Israel called one of his officials and said, “Bring Micaiah son of Imlah at once.” | 8So the king of Israel called an officer and said, "Hurry and get Micaiah son of Imlah!" |
| 9Dressed in royal attire, the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah were sitting on their thrones at the threshing floor by the entrance of the gate of Samaria, with all the prophets prophesying before them. | 9Now the king of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah, clothed in royal attire, were each sitting on his own throne. They were sitting on the threshing floor at the entrance to Samaria's gate, and all the prophets were prophesying in front of them. |
| 10Now Zedekiah son of Chenaanah had made for himself iron horns and declared, “This is what the LORD says: ‘With these you shall gore the Arameans until they are finished off.’ ” | 10Then Zedekiah son of Chenaanah made iron horns and said, "This is what the LORD says: 'You will gore the Arameans with these until they are finished off.'" |
| 11And all the prophets were prophesying the same, saying, “Go up to Ramoth-gilead and prosper, for the LORD will deliver it into the hand of the king.” | 11And all the prophets were prophesying the same, saying, "March up to Ramoth-gilead and succeed, for the LORD will hand it over to the king." |
| 12Then the messenger who had gone to call Micaiah instructed him, “Behold, with one accord the words of the prophets are favorable to the king. So please let your words be like theirs, and speak favorably.” | 12The messenger who went to call Micaiah instructed him, "Look, the words of the prophets are unanimously favorable for the king. So let your words be like theirs, and speak favorably." |
| 13But Micaiah said, “As surely as the LORD lives, I will speak whatever my God tells me.” | 13But Micaiah said, "As the LORD lives, I will say whatever my God says." |
| 14When Micaiah arrived, the king asked him, “Micaiah, should we go to war against Ramoth-gilead, or should we refrain?” “Go up and triumph,” Micaiah replied, “for they will be given into your hand.” | 14So he went to the king, and the king asked him, "Micaiah, should we go to Ramoth-gilead for war, or should I refrain?" Micaiah said, "March up and succeed, for they will be handed over to you." |
| 15But the king said to him, “How many times must I make you swear not to tell me anything but the truth in the name of the LORD?” | 15But the king said to him, "How many times must I make you swear not to tell me anything but the truth in the name of the LORD?" |
| 16So Micaiah declared: “I saw all Israel scattered on the hills like sheep without a shepherd. And the LORD said, ‘These people have no master; let each one return home in peace.’ ” | 16So Micaiah said: I saw all Israel scattered on the hills like sheep without a shepherd. And the LORD said, "They have no master; let each return home in peace." |
| 17Then the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Did I not tell you that he never prophesies good for me, but only bad?” | 17So the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "Didn't I tell you he never prophesies good about me, but only disaster?" |
| 18Micaiah continued, “Therefore hear the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing on His right and on His left. | 18Then Micaiah said, "Therefore, hear the word of the LORD. I saw the LORD sitting on his throne, and the whole heavenly army was standing at his right hand and at his left hand. |
| 19And the LORD said, ‘Who will entice Ahab king of Israel to march up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?’ And one suggested this, and another that. | 19And the LORD said, 'Who will entice King Ahab of Israel to march up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?' So one was saying this and another was saying that. |
| 20Then a spirit came forward, stood before the LORD, and said, ‘I will entice him.’ ‘By what means?’ asked the LORD. | 20"Then a spirit came forward, stood before the LORD, and said, 'I will entice him.' "The LORD asked him, 'How?' |
| 21And he replied, ‘I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouths of all his prophets.’ ‘You will surely entice him and prevail,’ said the LORD. ‘Go and do it.’ | 21"So he said, 'I will go and become a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.' "Then he said, 'You will entice him and also prevail. Go and do that.' |
| 22So you see, the LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouths of these prophets of yours, and the LORD has pronounced disaster against you.” | 22"Now, you see, the LORD has put a lying spirit into the mouth of these prophets of yours, and the LORD has pronounced disaster against you." |
| 23Then Zedekiah son of Chenaanah went up, struck Micaiah in the face, and demanded, “Which way did the Spirit of the LORD go when He departed from me to speak with you?” | 23Then Zedekiah son of Chenaanah came up, hit Micaiah on the cheek, and demanded, "Which way did the spirit from the LORD leave me to speak to you?" |
| 24Micaiah replied, “You will soon see, on that day when you go and hide in an inner room.” | 24Micaiah replied, "You will soon see when you go to hide in an inner chamber on that day." |
| 25And the king of Israel declared, “Take Micaiah and return him to Amon the governor of the city and to Joash the king’s son, | 25Then the king of Israel ordered, "Take Micaiah and return him to Amon, the governor of the city, and to Joash, the king's son, |
| 26and tell them that this is what the king says: ‘Put this man in prison and feed him only bread and water until I return safely.’ ” | 26and say, 'This is what the king says: Put this guy in prison and feed him only a little bread and water until I come back safely.'" |
| 27But Micaiah replied, “If you ever return safely, the LORD has not spoken through me.” Then he added, “Take heed, all you people!” | 27But Micaiah said, "If you ever return safely, the LORD has not spoken through me." Then he said, "Listen, all you people!" |
| 28So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah went up to Ramoth-gilead. | 28Then the king of Israel and Judah's King Jehoshaphat 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 royal robes.” So the king of Israel disguised himself and went into battle. | 29But the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "I will disguise myself and go into battle, but you wear your royal attire." So the king of Israel disguised himself, and they went into battle. |
| 30Now the king of Aram had ordered his chariot commanders, “Do not fight with anyone, small or great, except the king of Israel.” | 30Now the king of Aram had ordered his chariot commanders, "Do not fight with anyone at all except the king of Israel." |
| 31When the chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat, they said, “This is the king of Israel!” So they turned to fight against him, but Jehoshaphat cried out, and the LORD helped him. God drew them away from him. | 31When the chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat, they shouted, "He must be the king of Israel!" So they turned to attack him, but Jehoshaphat cried out and the LORD helped him. God drew them away from him. |
| 32And when the chariot commanders saw that he was not the king of Israel, they turned back from pursuing him. | 32When the chariot commanders saw that he was not the king of Israel, they turned back from pursuing him. |
| 33However, a certain man drew his bow without taking special aim, and he struck the king of Israel between the joints of his armor. So the king said to his charioteer, “Turn around and take me out of the battle, for I am badly wounded!” | 33But a man drew his bow without taking special aim and struck the king of Israel through the joints of his armor. So he said to the charioteer, "Turn around and take me out of the battle, for I am badly wounded!" |
| 34The battle raged throughout that day, and the king of Israel propped himself up in his chariot facing the Arameans until evening. And at sunset he died. | 34The battle raged throughout that day, and the king of Israel propped himself up in his chariot facing the Arameans until evening. Then he died at sunset. |
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