| English Standard Version | Christian Standard Bible |
| 1For three years Syria and Israel continued without war. | 1There was a lull of three years without war between Aram and Israel. |
| 2But in the third year Jehoshaphat the king of Judah came down to the king of Israel. | 2However, in the third year, King Jehoshaphat of Judah went to visit the king of Israel. |
| 3And the king of Israel said to his servants, “Do you know that Ramoth-gilead belongs to us, and we keep quiet and do not take it out of the hand of the king of Syria?” | 3The king of Israel had said to his servants, "Don't you know that Ramoth-gilead is ours, but we're doing nothing to take it from the king of Aram?" |
| 4And he said to Jehoshaphat, “Will you go with me to battle at Ramoth-gilead?” And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses.” | 4So he asked Jehoshaphat, "Will you go with me to fight Ramoth-gilead?" Jehoshaphat replied to the king of Israel, "I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses." |
| 5And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “Inquire first for the word of the LORD.” | 5But Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, "First, please ask what the LORD's will is." |
| 6Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, about four hundred men, and said to them, “Shall I go to battle against Ramoth-gilead, or shall I refrain?” And they said, “Go up, for the Lord will give it into the hand of the king.” | 6So the king of Israel gathered the prophets, about four hundred men, and asked them, "Should I go against Ramoth-gilead for war or should I refrain?" They replied, "March up, and the Lord will hand it over to the king." |
| 7But Jehoshaphat said, “Is there not here another prophet of the LORD of whom we may inquire?” | 7But Jehoshaphat asked, "Isn't there a prophet of the LORD here anymore? Let's ask him." |
| 8And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of the LORD, Micaiah the son of Imlah, but I hate him, for he never prophesies good concerning me, but evil.” And Jehoshaphat said, “Let not the king say so.” | 8The 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. |
| 9Then the king of Israel summoned an officer and said, “Bring quickly Micaiah the son of Imlah.” | 9So the king of Israel called an officer and said, "Hurry and get Micaiah son of Imlah!" |
| 10Now the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah were sitting on their thrones, arrayed in their robes, at the threshing floor at the entrance of the gate of Samaria, and all the prophets were prophesying before them. | 10Now the king of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah, clothed in royal attire, were each sitting on his own throne. They were on the threshing floor at the entrance to the gate of Samaria, and all the prophets were prophesying in front of them. |
| 11And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made for himself horns of iron and said, “Thus says the LORD, ‘With these you shall push the Syrians until they are destroyed.’” | 11Then 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.'" |
| 12And all the prophets prophesied so and said, “Go up to Ramoth-gilead and triumph; the LORD will give it into the hand of the king.” | 12And all the prophets were prophesying the same: "March up to Ramoth-gilead and succeed, for the LORD will hand it over to the king." |
| 13And the messenger who went to summon Micaiah said to him, “Behold, the words of the prophets with one accord are favorable to the king. Let your word be like the word of one of them, and speak favorably.” | 13The 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." |
| 14But Micaiah said, “As the LORD lives, what the LORD says to me, that I will speak.” | 14But Micaiah said, "As the LORD lives, I will say whatever the LORD says to me." |
| 15And when he had come to the king, the king said to him, “Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall we refrain?” And he answered him, “Go up and triumph; the LORD will give it into the hand of the king.” | 15So he went to the king, and the king asked him, "Micaiah, should we go to Ramoth-gilead for war, or should we refrain?" Micaiah told him, "March up and succeed. The LORD will hand it over to the king." |
| 16But the king said to him, “How many times shall I make you swear that you speak to me nothing but the truth in the name of the LORD?” | 16But 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?" |
| 17And he said, “I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd. And the LORD said, ‘These have no master; let each return to his home in peace.’” | 17So Micaiah said: I saw all Israel scattered on the hills like sheep without a shepherd. And the LORD said, "They have no master; let everyone return home in peace." |
| 18And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Did I not tell you that he would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil?” | 18So the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "Didn't I tell you he never prophesies good about me, but only disaster?" |
| 19And Micaiah said, “Therefore hear the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven standing beside him on his right hand and on his left; | 19Then Micaiah said, "Therefore, hear the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting on his throne, and the whole heavenly army was standing by him at his right hand and at his left hand. |
| 20and the LORD said, ‘Who will entice Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?’ And one said one thing, and another said another. | 20And the LORD said, 'Who will entice Ahab to march up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?' So one was saying this and another was saying that. |
| 21Then a spirit came forward and stood before the LORD, saying, ‘I will entice him.’ | 21"Then a spirit came forward, stood in the LORD's presence, and said, 'I will entice him.' |
| 22And the LORD said to him, ‘By what means?’ And he said, ‘I will go out, and will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ And he said, ‘You are to entice him, and you shall succeed; go out and do so.’ | 22"The LORD asked him, 'How?' "He said, 'I will go and become a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.' "Then he said, 'You will certainly entice him and prevail. Go and do that.' |
| 23Now therefore behold, the LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these your prophets; the LORD has declared disaster for you.” | 23"You see, the LORD has put a lying spirit into the mouth of all these prophets of yours, and the LORD has pronounced disaster against you." |
| 24Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah came near and struck Micaiah on the cheek and said, “How did the Spirit of the LORD go from me to speak to you?” | 24Then Zedekiah son of Chenaanah came up, hit Micaiah on the cheek, and demanded, "Did the Spirit of the LORD leave me to speak to you?" |
| 25And Micaiah said, “Behold, you shall see on that day when you go into an inner chamber to hide yourself.” | 25Micaiah replied, "You will soon see when you go to hide in an inner chamber on that day." |
| 26And the king of Israel said, “Seize Micaiah, and take him back to Amon the governor of the city and to Joash the king’s son, | 26Then the king of Israel ordered, "Take Micaiah and return him to Amon, the governor of the city, and to Joash, the king's son, |
| 27and say, ‘Thus says the king, “Put this fellow in prison and feed him meager rations of bread and water, until I come in peace.”’” | 27and 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.'" |
| 28And Micaiah said, “If you return in peace, the LORD has not spoken by me.” And he said, “Hear, all you peoples!” | 28But Micaiah said, "If you ever return safely, the LORD has not spoken through me." Then he said, "Listen, all you people!" |
| 29So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went up to Ramoth-gilead. | 29Then the king of Israel and Judah's King Jehoshaphat went up to Ramoth-gilead. |
| 30And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “I will disguise myself and go into battle, but you wear your robes.” And the king of Israel disguised himself and went into battle. | 30But 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 went into battle. |
| 31Now the king of Syria had commanded the thirty-two captains of his chariots, “Fight with neither small nor great, but only with the king of Israel.” | 31Now the king of Aram had ordered his thirty-two chariot commanders, "Do not fight with anyone at all except the king of Israel." |
| 32And when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, they said, “It is surely the king of Israel.” So they turned to fight against him. And Jehoshaphat cried out. | 32When the chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat, they shouted, "He must be the king of Israel!" So they turned to fight against him, but Jehoshaphat cried out. |
| 33And when the captains of the chariots saw that it was not the king of Israel, they turned back from pursuing him. | 33When the chariot commanders saw that he was not the king of Israel, they turned back from pursuing him. |
| 34But a certain man drew his bow at random and struck the king of Israel between the scale armor and the breastplate. Therefore he said to the driver of his chariot, “Turn around and carry me out of the battle, for I am wounded.” | 34But 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 his charioteer, "Turn around and take me out of the battle, for I am badly wounded!" |
| 35And the battle continued that day, and the king was propped up in his chariot facing the Syrians, until at evening he died. And the blood of the wound flowed into the bottom of the chariot. | 35The battle raged throughout that day, and the king was propped up in his chariot facing the Arameans. He died that evening, and blood from his wound flowed into the bottom of the chariot. |
| 36And about sunset a cry went through the army, “Every man to his city, and every man to his country!” | 36Then the cry rang out in the army as the sun set, declaring: Each man to his own city, and each man to his own land! |
| 37So the king died, and was brought to Samaria. And they buried the king in Samaria. | 37So the king died and was brought to Samaria. They buried the king in Samaria. |
| 38And they washed the chariot by the pool of Samaria, and the dogs licked up his blood, and the prostitutes washed themselves in it, according to the word of the LORD that he had spoken. | 38Then someone washed the chariot at the pool of Samaria. The dogs licked up his blood, and the prostitutes bathed in it, according to the word of the LORD that he had spoken. |
| 39Now the rest of the acts of Ahab and all that he did, and the ivory house that he built and all the cities that he built, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? | 39The rest of the events of Ahab's reign, along with all his accomplishments, including the ivory palace he built, and all the cities he built, are written in the Historical Record of Israel's Kings. |
| 40So Ahab slept with his fathers, and Ahaziah his son reigned in his place. | 40Ahab rested with his fathers, and his son Ahaziah became king in his place. |
| 41Jehoshaphat the son of Asa began to reign over Judah in the fourth year of Ahab king of Israel. | 41Jehoshaphat son of Asa became king over Judah in the fourth year of Israel's King Ahab. |
| 42Jehoshaphat was thirty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi. | 42Jehoshaphat was thirty-five years old when he became king; he reigned twenty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Azubah daughter of Shilhi. |
| 43He walked in all the way of Asa his father. He did not turn aside from it, doing what was right in the sight of the LORD. Yet the high places were not taken away, and the people still sacrificed and made offerings on the high places. | 43He walked in all the ways of his father Asa; he did not turn away from them but did what was right in the LORD's sight. However, the high places were not taken away; the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places. |
| 44Jehoshaphat also made peace with the king of Israel. | 44Jehoshaphat also made peace with the king of Israel. |
| 45Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, and his might that he showed, and how he warred, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? | 45The rest of the events of Jehoshaphat's reign, along with the might he exercised and how he waged war, are written in the Historical Record of Judah's Kings. |
| 46And from the land he exterminated the remnant of the male cult prostitutes who remained in the days of his father Asa. | 46He eradicated from the land the rest of the male cult prostitutes who were left from the days of his father Asa. |
| 47There was no king in Edom; a deputy was king. | 47There was no king in Edom; a deputy served as king. |
| 48Jehoshaphat made ships of Tarshish to go to Ophir for gold, but they did not go, for the ships were wrecked at Ezion-geber. | 48Jehoshaphat made ships of Tarshish to go to Ophir for gold, but they did not go because the ships were wrecked at Ezion-geber. |
| 49Then Ahaziah the son of Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, “Let my servants go with your servants in the ships,” but Jehoshaphat was not willing. | 49At that time, Ahaziah son of Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, "Let my servants go with your servants in the ships," but Jehoshaphat was not willing. |
| 50And Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father, and Jehoram his son reigned in his place. | 50Jehoshaphat rested with his fathers and was buried with them in the city of his ancestor David. His son Jehoram became king in his place. |
| 51Ahaziah the son of Ahab began to reign over Israel in Samaria in the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and he reigned two years over Israel. | 51Ahaziah son of Ahab became king over Israel in Samaria in the seventeenth year of Judah's King Jehoshaphat, and he reigned over Israel two years. |
| 52He did what was evil in the sight of the LORD and walked in the way of his father and in the way of his mother and in the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin. | 52He did what was evil in the LORD's sight. He walked in the ways of his father, in the ways of his mother, and in the ways of Jeroboam son of Nebat, who had caused Israel to sin. |
| 53He served Baal and worshiped him and provoked the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger in every way that his father had done. | 53He served Baal and bowed in worship to him. He angered the LORD God of Israel just as his father had done. |
| ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved. | The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. |
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