1 ① There was no war between Aram and Israel for three years. 2But in the third year, Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, came down to the king of Israel. 3The king of Israel then talked to his officers, “Have you forgotten that Ramoth-gilead belongs to us? Yet we do nothing to take it back from the Arameans.” 4So he asked Jehoshaphat, “Will you come with me to conquer Ramoth-gilead?” Jehoshaphat answered the king of Israel, “I am with you, my people are with your people, and my horses with yours.”
Micaiah and the false prophets
5 ② Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, said to the king of Israel, “Let us consult Yahweh before setting out for war.” 6So the king of Israel gathered all the prophets, numbering about four hundred men, and asked them, “Shall I go to conquer Ramoth-gilead, or shall I hold back?” They replied, “Go, for Yahweh will deliver the city into your hands.”
7Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there no other prophet of Yahweh around here whom we might ask?” 8The king of Israel answered, “There is still one through whom we may ask for Yahweh’s counsel; but I hate him, for he never prophesies good about me but only evil. It is Micaiah, son of Imlah.” Then Jehoshaphat said, “Don’t speak in this manner.” 9So the king of Israel called an official and told him, “Bring quickly Micaiah, son of Imlah.”
10Meantime, the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, were seated on their thrones, fully robed. They were both at the threshing floor by the entrance gate of Samaria where the prophets continued to prophesy before them. 11There was Zedekiah, son of Chenaanah who made for himself horns from iron and said, “Thus says Yahweh: ‘With these horns you shall strike the Arameans until they are destroyed.”
12All the prophets said the same, “Go to Ramoth-gilead and triumph. Yahweh will deliver it into the hands of the king.”
13The official who went to summon Micaiah said to him, “Look here, all the prophets agree to foretell a happy end to the king. You too agree to speak favorably.” 14But Micaiah replied, “As Yahweh lives, I will speak what Yahweh tells me to.”
15When he had come, the king asked him, “Micaiah, shall we go to conquer Ramoth-gilead or shall we hold back?” Then Micaiah answered, “Go and triumph! Yahweh will give the city into the hands of the king!” 16But the king said to him, “How many times shall I ask you to speak seriously to me and tell me the truth in the name of Yahweh?” 17Then Micaiah said, “I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains like sheep without a shepherd. Then Yahweh said: These have no master; so let each return to his home in peace.”
18So the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Did I not tell you that he would not prophesy good about me, but only evil?”
19Micaiah replied, “Listen again to this word of Yahweh. I saw Yahweh sitting on his throne with the entire host of heaven standing beside him on his right and on his left. 20Then Yahweh asked: ‘Who will deceive the king of Israel that he may go and fall at Ramoth-gilead?’ One said one thing and another, another thing. 21Then a spirit came forward and stood before Yahweh, saying: ‘I will deceive him.’ 22Yahweh then asked him, ‘What will you do?’ To this he replied: ‘I will go and make myself a lying spirit on the lips of all his prophets.’ Then Yahweh said, ‘You shall succeed. Go and do just that.’
23You must know that Yahweh has put a lying spirit in the mouths of all these prophets of yours because he willed to bring evil on you.”
24Then Zedekiah, son of Chena-anah, approached Micaiah, struck him, and said, “Has the Spirit of Yahweh left me to speak to you?” 25Micaiah replied, “You shall discover for yourself on the day you flee from house to house to hide.”
26Then the king of Israel ordered, “Seize Micaiah and take him back to Amon, governor of the city, and to Joash, the king’s son. 27Give them this order: ‘Throw this man in prison and feed him with scant fare of bread and water until I come in peace.”
28Then Micaiah said, “If you return in peace, then Yahweh has not spoken through me.”
Death of the king of Israel
29So the king of Israel went up to Ramoth-gilead together with the king of Judah. 30The king of Israel told Jehoshaphat, “I will disguise myself before the battle, but you wear your robes.” So the king of Israel disguised himself before the battle.
31Now the king of Aram had commanded the thirty-two captains of his chariots, “Attack no one, big or small, but only the king of Israel.” 32When the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, they thought, “That surely is the king of Israel.” So they turned to attack him. But when Jehoshaphat shouted his cry of war, 33the captains of the chariots saw that it was not the king of Israel and they no longer pursued him.
34In the meantime one of the Arameans drew his bow, without knowing at whom he aimed, and hit the king of Israel between the scale armor and the breastplate. The king then ordered the driver of his chariot, “Turn around and carry me out of the battle for I am wounded.” 35The battle raged fiercely on that day. Meanwhile, the king was propped up in his chariot, facing the Arameans, until the evening when he died. The blood from his wound flowed down into the bottom of the chariot. 36At about sunset, a cry went through the camp, “Everyone to his city, and everyone to his country! 37The king has died!”
The king was brought to Samaria and was buried there. 38But they washed the chariot by the pool of Samaria. So the dogs licked up his blood, while the harlots bathed in it in accordance with the word spoken by Yahweh.
39 ③ The rest of the acts of Ahab, his deeds, the ivory house he built, and the cities he restored are all written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. 40So Ahab rested with his ancestors and his son Ahaziah reigned in his place.
41Jehoshaphat, son of Asa, began to reign over Judah in the fourth year of Ahab, king of Israel. 42He was thirty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned for twenty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother was Azubah, daughter of Shilhi. 43He conducted himself like his father Asa, and did what pleased Yahweh without hesitation. 44Yet, he did not remove the high places where the people continued to sacrifice and burn incense. 45Jehoshaphat had peace with the king of Israel.
46The rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, his bravery and his war exploits are written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah. 47He also removed from the land the remaining male cult prostitutes, completing the work of his father Asa.
48There was no king in Edom but a governor ruled over it. 49Jehoshaphat had Tarshish ships go to Ophir for gold, but the venture failed when the ships were wrecked at Eziongeber. 50Then Ahaziah, son of Ahab, said to Jehoshaphat, “Let my servants go in the ships with your servants.” Jehoshaphat, however, refused. 51When Jehoshaphat rested with his fathers, he was buried with them in the city of his ancestor David and his son Jehoram reigned in his place.
52Ahaziah, son of Ahab, began to reign over Israel in Samaria in the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah. He reigned over Israel for two years. 53He did what displeased Yahweh, imitating the conduct of both his father and mother, as well as of Jeroboam, son of Nebat, who dragged Israel into sin. He served Baal and worshiped him, offending Yahweh, the God of Israel, in the same way his father had done.
- 1 K 22,1 In those times, war was something of a routine. A people could not exist without continually fighting with others. To fight, to kill and to die were but signs of life (see 2 S 11:1). For once, the kings of Israel and Judah are united, but the writer speaks very differently about the two. 1 K 22,5 This Micaiah is not to be confused with the other prophet Micah of Moresheth (see Mic 1:1). The kings were seated by the entrance gate. In those days, the entrance to the city was very often the gate of the wall surrounding the town. It was the place where people gathered, as they do today in the plaza. There, the tribunal executed judgment and cases were heard; there, the elders spent hours conversing in their seats. The present text aims to teach two things: - God's word condemning Ahab's family is realized infallibly: the lies of the prophets, the strategy of the king and unforseen events come together to accomplish what had been announced: the king will die and the dogs will lick up his blood; - the contradiction between true and false prophets. False prophets are fellows who live at the king's expense and claim to be inspired. Actually they only think of pleasing the king in order to retain their livelihood and their privileges. The true prophets instead are servants of the Word of God whatever the trials they have to endure. This is why Micah will say: I will speak what Yahweh tells me to. I saw Yahweh (v. 19). The vision of Micaiah tells us clearly that one should not trust in dreams and imaginings that come from one's own spirit. Neither should one believe blindly those who pretend to be inspired, such as politicians, theorists, businessmen and all who promise to make us happy. 1 K 22,39 This remark referring to Ahab makes one think that he died a natural death. One notes that all previous passages spoke only about the king of Israel, and mentioned Ahab only once in 22:20. Surely, this account referred in the beginning to Joram, son of Ahab (2 K 9:14-16), and in him Elijah's prophecy in 1 K 21:21 was fulfilled.
- 1 K 22,1 In those times, war was something of a routine. A people could not exist without continually fighting with others. To fight, to kill and to die were but signs of life (see 2 S 11:1). For once, the kings of Israel and Judah are united, but the writer speaks very differently about the two. 1 K 22,5 This Micaiah is not to be confused with the other prophet Micah of Moresheth (see Mic 1:1). The kings were seated by the entrance gate. In those days, the entrance to the city was very often the gate of the wall surrounding the town. It was the place where people gathered, as they do today in the plaza. There, the tribunal executed judgment and cases were heard; there, the elders spent hours conversing in their seats. The present text aims to teach two things: - God's word condemning Ahab's family is realized infallibly: the lies of the prophets, the strategy of the king and unforseen events come together to accomplish what had been announced: the king will die and the dogs will lick up his blood; - the contradiction between true and false prophets. False prophets are fellows who live at the king's expense and claim to be inspired. Actually they only think of pleasing the king in order to retain their livelihood and their privileges. The true prophets instead are servants of the Word of God whatever the trials they have to endure. This is why Micah will say: I will speak what Yahweh tells me to. I saw Yahweh (v. 19). The vision of Micaiah tells us clearly that one should not trust in dreams and imaginings that come from one's own spirit. Neither should one believe blindly those who pretend to be inspired, such as politicians, theorists, businessmen and all who promise to make us happy. 1 K 22,39 This remark referring to Ahab makes one think that he died a natural death. One notes that all previous passages spoke only about the king of Israel, and mentioned Ahab only once in 22:20. Surely, this account referred in the beginning to Joram, son of Ahab (2 K 9:14-16), and in him Elijah's prophecy in 1 K 21:21 was fulfilled.
- 1 K 22,1 In those times, war was something of a routine. A people could not exist without continually fighting with others. To fight, to kill and to die were but signs of life (see 2 S 11:1). For once, the kings of Israel and Judah are united, but the writer speaks very differently about the two. 1 K 22,5 This Micaiah is not to be confused with the other prophet Micah of Moresheth (see Mic 1:1). The kings were seated by the entrance gate. In those days, the entrance to the city was very often the gate of the wall surrounding the town. It was the place where people gathered, as they do today in the plaza. There, the tribunal executed judgment and cases were heard; there, the elders spent hours conversing in their seats. The present text aims to teach two things: - God's word condemning Ahab's family is realized infallibly: the lies of the prophets, the strategy of the king and unforseen events come together to accomplish what had been announced: the king will die and the dogs will lick up his blood; - the contradiction between true and false prophets. False prophets are fellows who live at the king's expense and claim to be inspired. Actually they only think of pleasing the king in order to retain their livelihood and their privileges. The true prophets instead are servants of the Word of God whatever the trials they have to endure. This is why Micah will say: I will speak what Yahweh tells me to. I saw Yahweh (v. 19). The vision of Micaiah tells us clearly that one should not trust in dreams and imaginings that come from one's own spirit. Neither should one believe blindly those who pretend to be inspired, such as politicians, theorists, businessmen and all who promise to make us happy. 1 K 22,39 This remark referring to Ahab makes one think that he died a natural death. One notes that all previous passages spoke only about the king of Israel, and mentioned Ahab only once in 22:20. Surely, this account referred in the beginning to Joram, son of Ahab (2 K 9:14-16), and in him Elijah's prophecy in 1 K 21:21 was fulfilled.
