| Berean Study Bible | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1Then three years passed without war between Aram and Israel. | 1There was a lull of three years without war between Aram and Israel. |
| 2However, in the third year, Jehoshaphat king of Judah went down to visit the king of Israel, | 2However, in the third year, Jehoshaphat king of Judah went to visit the king of Israel. |
| 3who said to his servants, “Do you not know that Ramoth-gilead is ours, but we have failed to take it from the hand of the king of Aram?” | 3The king of Israel had said to his servants, "Don't you know that Ramoth-gilead is ours, but we have failed to take it from the hand of the king of Aram?" |
| 4So he asked Jehoshaphat, “Will you go with me to fight against Ramoth-gilead?” Jehoshaphat answered the king of Israel, “I am like you, my people are your people, and my horses are 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." |
| 5But Jehoshaphat also said to the king of Israel, “Please 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." |
| 6So the king of Israel assembled the prophets, about four hundred men, and asked them, “Should I go to war against Ramoth-gilead, or should I refrain?” “Go up,” they replied, “and the Lord will deliver it into the hand of the king.” | 6So the king of Israel gathered the prophets, about 400 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 asked, “Is there not still a prophet of the LORD here of whom we can inquire?” | 7But Jehoshaphat asked, "Isn't there a prophet of Yahweh here anymore? Let's ask him." |
| 8The 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. | 8The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "There is still one man who can ask Yahweh, 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. |
| 9So the king of Israel called one of his officials and said, “Bring Micaiah son of Imlah at once.” | 9So the king of Israel called an officer and said, "Hurry and get Micaiah son of Imlah!" |
| 10Dressed 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. | 10Now the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah, clothed in royal attire, were each sitting on his own throne. They were on the threshing floor at the entrance to Samaria's gate, and all the prophets were prophesying in front of them. |
| 11Now 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.’ ” | 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 were prophesying the same, saying, “Go up to Ramoth-gilead and prosper, for the LORD will deliver 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." |
| 13Then the messenger who had gone to call Micaiah instructed him, “Behold now, with one accord the words of the prophets are favorable to the king. So please let your words be like theirs, 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 surely as the LORD lives, I will speak whatever the LORD tells me.” | 14But Micaiah said, "As the LORD lives, I will say whatever the LORD says to me." |
| 15When 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 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. Yahweh will hand it over to the king." |
| 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?” | 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 Yahweh?" |
| 17So 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.’ ” | 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." |
| 18Then the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Did I not tell you that he never prophesies good for me, but only bad?” | 18So the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "Didn't I tell you he never prophesies good about me, but only disaster?" |
| 19Micaiah continued, “Therefore hear the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing by Him on His right 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 host was standing by Him at His right hand and at His left hand. |
| 20And the LORD said, ‘Who will entice Ahab to march up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?’ And one suggested this, and another that. | 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, stood before the LORD, and said, ‘I will entice him.’ ‘By what means?’ asked the LORD. | 21Then a spirit came forward, stood before the LORD, and said, 'I will entice him.'" |
| 22And 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.’ | 22The 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.'" |
| 23So you see, the LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouths of all these prophets of yours, and the LORD has pronounced disaster against you.” | 23You 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 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?” | 24Then Zedekiah son of Chenaanah came up, hit Micaiah in the face, and demanded, "Did the Spirit of the LORD leave me to speak to you?" |
| 25Micaiah replied, “You will soon see, on that day when you go and hide in an inner room.” | 25Micaiah replied, "You will soon see when you go to hide yourself in an inner chamber on that day." |
| 26And the king of Israel declared, “Take Micaiah and return him 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 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.’ ” | 27and say, 'This is what the king says: Put this guy in prison and feed him only bread and water until I come back safely.'" |
| 28But Micaiah replied, “If you ever return safely, the LORD has not spoken through me.” Then he added, “Take heed, all you people!” | 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 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 royal robes.” So 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 Aram had ordered his thirty-two chariot commanders, “Do not fight with anyone, small or great, except the king of Israel.” | 31Now the king of Aram had ordered his 32 chariot commanders, "Do not fight with anyone at all except the king of Israel." |
| 32When the chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat, they said, “Surely this is the king of Israel!” So they turned to fight against him, but 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 chariot commanders saw that he 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. |
| 34However, 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!” | 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!" |
| 35The battle raged throughout that day, and the king was propped up in his chariot facing the Arameans. And the blood from his wound ran out onto the floor of the chariot, and that evening he died. | 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. |
| 36As the sun was setting, the cry rang out in the army: “Every man to his own city, and every man to his own land!” | 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, where they buried him. | 37So the king died and was brought to Samaria. They buried the king in Samaria. |
| 38And the chariot was washed at the pool of Samaria where the prostitutes bathed, and the dogs licked up Ahab’s blood, according to the word that the LORD 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. |
| 39As for the rest of the acts of Ahab, along with all his accomplishments and the ivory palace and all the cities 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. |
| 40And Ahab rested with his fathers, and his son Ahaziah reigned in his place. | 40Ahab rested with his fathers, and his son Ahaziah became king in his place. |
| 41In the fourth year of Ahab’s reign over Israel, Jehoshaphat son of Asa became king of Judah. | 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 became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-five years. His mother’s name was Azubah daughter of Shilhi. | 42Jehoshaphat was 35 years old when he became king; he reigned 25 years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Azubah daughter of Shilhi. |
| 43And Jehoshaphat walked in all the ways of his father Asa; he did not turn away from them, but did what was right in the eyes of the LORD. The high places, however, were not removed; the people still sacrificed and burned incense 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. |
| 45As for the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, along with the might he exercised and how he waged war, 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. |
| 46He banished from the land the male shrine prostitutes who remained from the days of his father Asa. | 46He removed from the land the rest of the male cult prostitutes who were left from the days of his father Asa. |
| 47And there was no king in Edom; a deputy served as king. | 47There was no king in Edom; a deputy served as king. |
| 48Jehoshaphat built ships of Tarshish to go to Ophir for gold, but they never set sail, because they 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. |
| 49At that time Ahaziah son of Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, “Let my servants sail with your servants,” but Jehoshaphat refused. | 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 rested with his fathers and was buried with them in the city of his father David. And his son Jehoram 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. |
| 51In the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat’s reign over Judah, Ahaziah son of Ahab became king of Israel, and he reigned in Samaria two years. | 51Ahaziah son of Ahab became king over Israel in Samaria in the seventeenth year of Judah's King Jehoshaphat and reigned over Israel two years. |
| 52And he did evil in the sight of the LORD and walked in the ways of his father and mother and of Jeroboam son of Nebat, who had caused Israel to sin. | 52He did what was evil in the LORD's sight. He walked in the way of his father, in the way of his mother, and in the way of Jeroboam son of Nebat, who had caused Israel to sin. |
| 53Ahaziah served and worshiped Baal, provoking the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger, just as his father had done. | 53He served Baal and worshiped him. He provoked the LORD God of Israel just as his father had done. |
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