Parallel Bible results for "1 kings 22"

1 Kings 22

New Living Translation NLT

1 For three years there was no war between Aram and Israel.

2 Then during the third year, King Jehoshaphat of Judah went to visit King Ahab of Israel.

3 During the visit, the king of Israel said to his officials, “Do you realize that the town of Ramoth-gilead belongs to us? And yet we’ve done nothing to recapture it from the king of Aram!”

4 Then he turned to Jehoshaphat and asked, “Will you join me in battle to recover Ramoth-gilead?” Jehoshaphat replied to the king of Israel, “Why, of course! You and I are as one. My troops are your troops, and my horses are your horses.”

5 Then Jehoshaphat added, “But first let’s find out what the LORD says.”

6 So the king of Israel summoned the prophets, about 400 of them, and asked them, “Should I go to war against Ramoth-gilead, or should I hold back?” They all replied, “Yes, go right ahead! The Lord will give the king victory.”

7 But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there not also a prophet of the LORD here? We should ask him the same question.”

8 The king of Israel replied to Jehoshaphat, “There is one more man who could consult the LORD for us, but I hate him. He never prophesies anything but trouble for me! His name is Micaiah son of Imlah.” Jehoshaphat replied, “That’s not the way a king should talk! Let’s hear what he has to say.”

9 So the king of Israel called one of his officials and said, “Quick! Bring Micaiah son of Imlah.”

10 King Ahab of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah, dressed in their royal robes, were sitting on thrones at the threshing floor near the gate of Samaria. All of Ahab’s prophets were prophesying there in front of them.

11 One of them, Zedekiah son of Kenaanah, made some iron horns and proclaimed, “This is what the LORD says: With these horns you will gore the Arameans to death!”

12 All the other prophets agreed. “Yes,” they said, “go up to Ramoth-gilead and be victorious, for the LORD will give the king victory!”

13 Meanwhile, the messenger who went to get Micaiah said to him, “Look, all the prophets are promising victory for the king. Be sure that you agree with them and promise success.”

14 But Micaiah replied, “As surely as the LORD lives, I will say only what the LORD tells me to say.”

15 When Micaiah arrived before the king, Ahab asked him, “Micaiah, should we go to war against Ramoth-gilead, or should we hold back?” Micaiah replied sarcastically, “Yes, go up and be victorious, for the LORD will give the king victory!”

16 But the king replied sharply, “How many times must I demand that you speak only the truth to me when you speak for the LORD ?”

17 Then Micaiah told him, “In a vision I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains, like sheep without a shepherd. And the LORD said, ‘Their master has been killed. Send them home in peace.’”

18 “Didn’t I tell you?” the king of Israel exclaimed to Jehoshaphat. “He never prophesies anything but trouble for me.”

19 Then Micaiah continued, “Listen to what the LORD says! I saw the LORD sitting on his throne with all the armies of heaven around him, on his right and on his left.

20 And the LORD said, ‘Who can entice Ahab to go into battle against Ramoth-gilead so he can be killed?’ “There were many suggestions,

21 and finally a spirit approached the LORD and said, ‘I can do it!’

22 “‘How will you do this?’ the LORD asked. “And the spirit replied, ‘I will go out and inspire all of Ahab’s prophets to speak lies.’ “‘You will succeed,’ said the LORD . ‘Go ahead and do it.’

23 “So you see, the LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouths of all your prophets. For the LORD has pronounced your doom.”

24 Then Zedekiah son of Kenaanah walked up to Micaiah and slapped him across the face. “Since when did the Spirit of the LORD leave me to speak to you?” he demanded.

25 And Micaiah replied, “You will find out soon enough when you are trying to hide in some secret room!”

26 “Arrest him!” the king of Israel ordered. “Take him back to Amon, the governor of the city, and to my son Joash.

27 Give them this order from the king: ‘Put this man in prison, and feed him nothing but bread and water until I return safely from the battle!’”

28 But Micaiah replied, “If you return safely, it will mean that the LORD has not spoken through me!” Then he added to those standing around, “Everyone mark my words!”

29 So King Ahab of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah led their armies against Ramoth-gilead.

30 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “As we go into battle, I will disguise myself so no one will recognize me, but you wear your royal robes.” So the king of Israel disguised himself, and they went into battle.

31 Meanwhile, the king of Aram had issued these orders to his thirty-two chariot commanders: “Attack only the king of Israel. Don’t bother with anyone else!”

32 So when the Aramean chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat in his royal robes, they went after him. “There is the king of Israel!” they shouted. But when Jehoshaphat called out,

33 the chariot commanders realized he was not the king of Israel, and they stopped chasing him.

34 An Aramean soldier, however, randomly shot an arrow at the Israelite troops and hit the king of Israel between the joints of his armor. “Turn the horses and get me out of here!” Ahab groaned to the driver of his chariot. “I’m badly wounded!”

35 The battle raged all that day, and the king remained propped up in his chariot facing the Arameans. The blood from his wound ran down to the floor of his chariot, and as evening arrived he died.

36 Just as the sun was setting, the cry ran through his troops: “We’re done for! Run for your lives!”

37 So the king died, and his body was taken to Samaria and buried there.

38 Then his chariot was washed beside the pool of Samaria, and dogs came and licked his blood at the place where the prostitutes bathed, just as the LORD had promised.

39 The rest of the events in Ahab’s reign and everything he did, including the story of the ivory palace and the towns he built, are recorded in

40 So Ahab died, and his son Ahaziah became the next king.

41 Jehoshaphat son of Asa began to rule over Judah in the fourth year of King Ahab’s reign in Israel.

42 Jehoshaphat was thirty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-five years. His mother was Azubah, the daughter of Shilhi.

43 Jehoshaphat was a good king, following the example of his father, Asa. He did what was pleasing in the LORD ’s sight. During his reign, however, he failed to remove all the pagan shrines, and the people still offered sacrifices and burned incense there.

44 Jehoshaphat also made peace with the king of Israel.

45 The rest of the events in Jehoshaphat’s reign, the extent of his power, and the wars he waged are recorded in

46 He banished from the land the rest of the male and female shrine prostitutes, who still continued their practices from the days of his father, Asa.

47 (There was no king in Edom at that time, only a deputy.)

48 Jehoshaphat also built a fleet of trading ships to sail to Ophir for gold. But the ships never set sail, for they met with disaster in their home port of Ezion-geber.

49 At one time Ahaziah son of Ahab had proposed to Jehoshaphat, “Let my men sail with your men in the ships.” But Jehoshaphat refused the request.

50 When Jehoshaphat died, he was buried with his ancestors in the City of David. Then his son Jehoram became the next king.

51 Ahaziah son of Ahab began to rule over Israel in the seventeenth year of King Jehoshaphat’s reign in Judah. He reigned in Samaria two years.

52 But he did what was evil in the LORD ’s sight, following the example of his father and mother and the example of Jeroboam son of Nebat, who had led Israel to sin.

53 He served Baal and worshiped him, provoking the anger of the LORD, the God of Israel, just as his father had done.

The Message Bible MSG

1 They enjoyed three years of peace - no fighting between Aram and Israel.

2 In the third year, Jehoshaphat king of Judah had a meeting with the king of Israel.

3 Israel's king remarked to his aides, "Do you realize that Ramoth Gilead belongs to us, and we're sitting around on our hands instead of taking it back from the king of Aram?"

4 He turned to Jehoshaphat and said, "Will you join me in fighting for Ramoth Gilead?"

5 He then continued, "But before you do anything, ask God for guidance."

6 The king of Israel got the prophets together - all four hundred of them - and put the question to them: "Should I attack Ramoth Gilead? Or should I hold back?" "Go for it," they said. "God will hand it over to the king."

7 But Jehoshaphat dragged his heels: "Is there still another prophet of God around here we can consult?"

8 The king of Israel told Jehoshaphat, "As a matter of fact, there is still one such man. But I hate him. He never preaches anything good to me, only doom, doom, doom - Micaiah son of Imlah." "The king shouldn't talk about a prophet like that," said Jehoshaphat.

9 So the king of Israel ordered one of his men, "On the double! Get Micaiah son of Imlah."

10 Meanwhile, the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat were seated on their thrones, dressed in their royal robes, resplendent in front of the Samaria city gates. All the prophets were staging a prophecy-performance for their benefit.

11 Zedekiah son of Kenaanah had even made a set of iron horns, and brandishing them called out, "God's word! With these horns you'll gore Aram until there's nothing left of him!"

12 All the prophets chimed in, "Yes! Go for Ramoth Gilead! An easy victory! God's gift to the king!"

13 The messenger who went to get Micaiah said, "The prophets have all said Yes to the king. Make it unanimous - vote Yes!"

14 But Micaiah said, "As surely as God lives, what God says, I'll say."

15 With Micaiah before him, the king asked him, "So Micaiah - do we attack Ramoth Gilead, or do we hold back?" "Go ahead," he said. "An easy victory. God's gift to the king."

16 "Not so fast," said the king. "How many times have I made you promise under oath to tell me the truth and nothing but the truth?"

17 "All right," said Micaiah, "since you insist. I saw all of Israel scattered over the hills, sheep with no shepherd. Then God spoke: 'These poor people have no one to tell them what to do. Let them go home and do the best they can for themselves.'"

18 Then the king of Israel turned to Jehoshaphat, "See! What did I tell you? He never has a good word for me from God, only doom."

19 Micaiah kept on: "I'm not done yet; listen to God's word: I saw God enthroned, and all the angel armies of heaven Standing at attention ranged on his right and his left.

20 And God said, 'How can we seduce Ahab into attacking Ramoth Gilead?' Some said this, and some said that.

21 Then a bold angel stepped out, stood before God, and said, 'I'll seduce him.' 'And how will you do it?' said God.

22 'Easy,' said the angel, 'I'll get all the prophets to lie.' 'That should do it,' said God. 'On your way - seduce him!'

23 "And that's what has happened. God filled the mouths of your puppet prophets with seductive lies. God has pronounced your doom."

24 Just then Zedekiah son of Kenaanah came up and punched Micaiah in the nose, saying, "Since when did the Spirit of God leave me and take up with you?"

25 Micaiah said, "You'll know soon enough; you'll know it when you're frantically and futilely looking for a place to hide."

26 The king of Israel had heard enough: "Get Micaiah out of here! Turn him over to Amon the city magistrate and to Joash the king's son

27 with this message, 'King's orders: Lock him up in jail; keep him on bread and water until I'm back in one piece.'"

28 Micaiah said, "If you ever get back in one piece, I'm no prophet of God." He added,"When it happens, O people, remember where you heard it!"

29 The king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah attacked Ramoth Gilead.

30 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "Wear my kingly robe; I'm going into battle disguised." So the king of Israel entered the battle in disguise.

31 Meanwhile, the king of Aram had ordered his chariot commanders (there were thirty-two of them): "Don't bother with anyone, whether small or great; go after the king of Israel and him only."

32 When the chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat they said, "There he is! The king of Israel!" and took after him. Jehoshaphat yelled out,

33 and the chariot commanders realized they had the wrong man - it wasn't the king of Israel after all. They let him go.

34 Just then someone, without aiming, shot an arrow randomly into the crowd and hit the king of Israel in the chink of his armor. The king told his charioteer, "Turn back! Get me out of here - I'm wounded."

35 All day the fighting continued, hot and heavy. Propped up in his chariot, the king watched from the sidelines. He died that evening. Blood from his wound pooled in the chariot.

36 As the sun went down, shouts reverberated through the ranks, "Abandon camp! Head for home!

37 The king is dead!"

38 They washed down the chariot at the pool of Samaria where the town whores bathed, and the dogs lapped up the blood, just as God's word had said.

39 The rest of Ahab's life - everything he did, the ivory palace he built, the towns he founded, and the defense system he built up - is all written up in The Chronicles of the Kings of Israel.

40 He was buried in the family cemetery and his son Ahaziah was the next king.

41 Jehoshaphat son of Asa became king of Judah in the fourth year of Ahab king of Israel.

42 Jehoshaphat was thirty-five years old when he became king and he ruled for twenty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother was Azubah daughter of Shilhi.

43 He continued the kind of life characteristic of his father Asa - no detours, no dead ends - pleasing God with his life. But he failed to get rid of the neighborhood sex-and-religion shrines. People continued to pray and worship at these idolatrous shrines.

44 And he kept on good terms with the king of Israel.

45 The rest of Jehoshaphat's life, his achievements and his battles, is all written in The Chronicles of the Kings of Judah.

46 Also, he got rid of the sacred prostitutes left over from the days of his father Asa.

47 Edom was kingless during his reign; a deputy was in charge.

48 Jehoshaphat built ocean-going ships to sail to Ophir for gold. But they never made it; they shipwrecked at Ezion Geber.

49 During that time Ahaziah son of Ahab proposed a joint shipping venture, but Jehoshaphat wouldn't go in with him.

50 Then Jehoshaphat died and was buried in the family cemetery in the City of David his ancestor. Jehoram his son was the next king.

51 Ahaziah son of Ahab became king over Israel in Samaria in the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah. He ruled Israel for two years.

52 As far as God was concerned, he lived an evil life, reproducing the bad life of his father and mother, repeating the pattern set down by Jeroboam son of Nebat, who led Israel into a life of sin.

53 Worshiping at the Baal shrines, he made God, the God of Israel, angry, oh, so angry. If anything, he was worse than his father.