1ThreeyearspassedwithoutwarbetweenAram and Israel.
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1In the thirdyear2Jehoshaphat the king of Judahcamedown to the king of Israel.
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Now the king of Israelsaid to his servants, "Do you know that 3Ramoth-gilead belongs to us, and we are stilldoingnothing to take it out of the hand of the king of Aram?"
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And he said to Jehoshaphat, "Will you go with me to battle at Ramoth-gilead?" And Jehoshaphatsaid to the king of Israel, "4I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses."
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Moreover, Jehoshaphatsaid to the king of Israel, "Pleaseinquirefirst for the word of the LORD."
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Then 5the king of Israelgathered the prophets together, about fourhundredmen, and said to them, "Shall I goagainstRamoth-gilead to battleor shall I refrain?" And they said, "Go up, for the Lord will give it into the hand of the king."
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But 6Jehoshaphatsaid, "Is there not yet a prophet of the LORDhere that we may inquire of him?"
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The king of Israelsaid to Jehoshaphat, "There is yetoneman by whom we may inquire of the LORD, but I hate him, because he does not prophesygoodconcerning me, but evil. He is Micaiahson of Imlah." But Jehoshaphatsaid, "Let not the kingsayso."
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Then the king of Israelcalled an officer and said, "BringquicklyMicaiahson of Imlah."
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Now the king of Israel and Jehoshaphatking of Judah were sittingeach on his throne, arrayed in their robes, at the threshingfloor at the entrance of the gate of Samaria; and 7all the prophets were prophesyingbefore them.
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Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanahmade8horns of iron for himself and said, "Thussays the LORD, '9With these you will gore the Arameansuntil they are consumed.' "
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All the prophets were prophesyingthus, saying, "Go up to Ramoth-gilead and prosper, for the LORD will give it into the hand of the king."
Micaiah Predicts Defeat
13 Then the messengerwhowent to summonMicaiahspoke to him saying, "Beholdnow, the words of the prophets are uniformly*favorable to the king. Please let your word be like the word of one of them, and speakfavorably."
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But Micaiahsaid, "10As the LORDlives, what*11the LORDsays to me, that I shall speak."
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When he came to the king, the kingsaid to him, "Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall we refrain?" And he answered him, "12Go up and succeed, and the LORD will give it into the hand of the king."
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Then the kingsaid to him, "How*many*times must I adjure you to speak to me nothing but the truth in the name of the LORD?"
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So he said, "I sawallIsraelScattered on the mountains, 13Like sheepwhichhavenoshepherd. And the LORDsaid, 'These have nomaster. Let each of them return to his house in peace.' "
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Then the king of Israelsaid to Jehoshaphat, "14Did I not tell you that he would not prophesygoodconcerning me, but evil?"
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Micaiah said, "Therefore, hear the word of the LORD. 15I saw the LORDsitting on His throne, and 16all the host of heavenstanding by Him on His right and on His left.
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"The LORDsaid, 'Who will enticeAhab to go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?' And onesaidthis while anothersaid that.
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"Then a spiritcameforward and stoodbefore the LORD and said, 'I will entice him.'
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"The LORDsaid to him, 'How?' And he said, 'I will go out and 17be a deceivingspirit in the mouth of all his prophets.' Then He said, 'You are to entice him and alsoprevail. Go and doso.'
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"Now therefore, behold, 18the LORD has put a deceivingspirit in the mouth of allthese your prophets; and the LORD has proclaimeddisasteragainst you."
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Then 19Zedekiah the son of Chenaanahcamenear and struckMicaiah on the cheek and said, "20How* did the Spirit of the LORDpass from me to speak to you?"
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Micaiahsaid, "Behold, you shall see on that daywhen you 21enter an innerroom to hide yourself."
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Then the king of Israelsaid, "TakeMicaiah and return him to Amon the governor of the city and to Joash the king'sson;
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and say, 'Thussays the king, "22Putthis man in prison* and feed him sparingly with bread and wateruntil I returnsafely.""'
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Micaiahsaid, "23If you indeedreturnsafely the LORD has not spoken by me." And he said, "24Listen, all you people."
Defeat and Death of Ahab
29 So 25the king of Israel and Jehoshaphatking of Judahwent up against Ramoth-gilead.
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The king of Israelsaid to Jehoshaphat, "26I will disguise myself and go into the battle, but you put on your robes." So the king of Israeldisguised himself and went into the battle.
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Now 27the king of Aram had commanded the thirty-two*captains of his chariots, saying, "Do not fight with small or great, but with the king of Israelalone."
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So when the captains of the chariotssawJehoshaphat, they said, "Surely it is the king of Israel," and they turnedaside to fightagainst him, and Jehoshaphatcried out.
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When the captains of the chariotssaw that it was not the king of Israel, they turnedback from pursuing him.
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Now a certain mandrew his bow at random and struck the king of Israel in a joint of the armor. So he said to the driver of his chariot, "Turnaround and take me out of the fight; 28for I amseverelywounded."
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The battleraged that day, and the king was propped up in his chariot in front of the Arameans, and died at evening, and the blood from the woundran into the bottom of the chariot.
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29Then a crypassedthroughout the army close to sunset*, saying, "Everyman to his city and everyman to his country."
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So the kingdied and was brought to Samaria, and they buried the king in Samaria.
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They washed the chariot by the pool of Samaria, and the dogslicked up his blood (now the harlotsbathed themselves there), 30according to the word of the LORDwhich He spoke.
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Now the rest of the acts of Ahab and all that he did and 31the ivoryhousewhich he built and all the citieswhich he built, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles* of the Kings of Israel?
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So Ahabslept with his fathers, and Ahaziah his sonbecameking in his place.
The New Rulers
4132Now Jehoshaphat the son of AsabecamekingoverJudah in the fourthyear of Ahabking of Israel.
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Jehoshaphat was thirty-five*yearsold when he becameking, and he reignedtwenty-five*years in Jerusalem. And his mother'sname was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi.
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33He walked in all the way of Asa his father; he did not turnaside from it, doingright in the sight of the LORD. 34However, the highplaces were not takenaway; the peoplestillsacrificed and burntincense on the highplaces.
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35Jehoshaphat also madepeace with the king of Israel.
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Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, and his mightwhich he showed and how he warred, are they not written36in the Book of the Chronicles* of the Kings of Judah?
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The remnant of 37the sodomiteswhoremained in the days of his fatherAsa, he expelled from the land.
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Now 38there was noking in Edom; a deputy was king.
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Jehoshaphatmade39ships of Tarshish to go to 40Ophir for gold, but 41they did not go for the ships were broken at 42Ezion-geber.
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ThenAhaziah the son of Ahabsaid to Jehoshaphat, "Let my servantsgo with your servants in the ships." But Jehoshaphat was not willing.
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43And Jehoshaphatslept with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of his fatherDavid, and Jehoram his sonbecameking in his place.
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Ahaziah the son of Ahab44becamekingoverIsrael in Samaria in the seventeenth*year of Jehoshaphatking of Judah, and he reigned two yearsoverIsrael.
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He didevil in the sight of the LORD and 45walked in the way of his father and in the way of his mother and in the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who caused Israel to sin.
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46So he servedBaal and worshiped him and provoked the LORDGod of Israel to anger, according to all that his father had done.