King Ahab Asks Whether He Should Go to Battle in Ramoth Gilead |
1 Kings 22:1-53 1 Kings [in Smaller Chunks] |
There [were] 3 years without war between Syria & Israel. In the 3rd year, it [happened] that Jehoshaphat, [Judah's] king, came down to [Ahab, Israel's] king. |
King [Ahab] said to his servants, You know that Ramoth in Gilead is ours & we still haven't taken it out of the hand of [Syria's] king. [Ahab] said to Jehoshaphat, Will you go with me to Ramoth Gilead to battle? |
Jehoshaphat said to [Ahab,] I am [like] you are, my people [are like] your people & my horses [are like] your horses. Jehoshaphat said to [Ahab, Israel's] king, I pray that you [ask for] the word of the Lord today. |
Then, [Ahab] gathered about 400 prophets together & said to them, Shall I go to battle against Ramoth Gilead? They said, Go up [to battle,] for the Lord shall deliver it into the hand of the king. |
And Jehosaphat said, Isn't there [another] prophet of the Lord, besides these, so we might inquire of him? [Ahab] said to Jehoshaphat, There is [still] one man, Micaiah, [Imlah's] son, by whom we may inquire of the Lord, but I hate him. He doesn't prophesy [anything] good concerning me, but [only] evil. |
Jehoshaphat said, Don't let the king say [such a thing]. [Ahab] called an officer & said, [Hurry & go] to Michiah, [Imlah's] son. |
[In their royal robes, Ahab, Israel's] king & Jehoshaphat, [Judah's] king, sat on [their royal] thrones in [an empty] place at Samaria's entrance gate [with] all the prophets [prophesying in front of] them. |
Zedekiah, [Chenaanah's] son, made iron horns for himself & said, The Lord says [this,] With these [horns] you shall push the Syrians, until you've [destroyed] them. |
All the [false] prophets [continued] to prophesy, saying, Go up to Ramoth Gilead & prosper. For the Lord shall deliver it into the king's hand. The messenger [who] was sent to call Micaiah [said] to him, Behold, the prophets [all declare] good to the king [united together with 1 voice]. |
I pray that your word be [good] like their word. Micaiah said, As the Lord lives, I will [only say] what the Lord [God] says to me. [Micaiah] went to king [Ahab who] said, Micaiah, shall we go to battle against Ramoth Gilead or shall we [decline]? |
[Micaiah] answered him, Go & prosper: for the Lord shall deliver it into the hand of the king. King [Ahab] said to him, How many times shall I [make you swear] that you [only] tell me what is true in the name of the Lord? |
[Micaiah] said, I saw all [of] Israel scattered upon the hills, [like] sheep [without] a shepherd. The Lord said, These have no master. Let every man return to his house in peace. |
[Ahab, Israel's] king said to Jehoshaphat, Didn't I tell you he wouldn't prophesy good concerning me, only evil? [Micaiah] said, Therefore, hear the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on His throne & all the hosts of heaven standing by Him on His right hand & on His left. |
The Lord said, Who shall persuade Ahab, [so] he [goes] up & falls at Ramoth Gilead? One said [this] & another said [that, about] this [matter]. A spirit came [forward] & stood [in front of] the Lord & said, I will persuade [Ahab]. |
The Lord said to him, [How]? He said, I will go [out] & I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. The [Lord] said, You shall persuade [Ahab] & prevail. Go [out] & do so. |
Therefore, the Lord has put a lying spirit in the mouth of all your prophets & the Lord has spoken evil concerning you. But Zedekiah, went [close] & struck Micaiah on the cheek & [asked,] Which way did the Spirit of the Lord go from me to speak to you? |
Micaiah said, [Watch,] you shall see [on] that day] you go into an inner [room] to hide yourself. |
King [Ahab] said, Take Micaiah & carry him back to Ammon, the [ruler] of the city & say to Joash, the king's son, King [Ahab says this,] Put [Micaiah into] prison & [afflict him & only] feed him with the bread & water, until I come in peace. |
Micaiah said, If you return at all in peace, [then] the Lord hasn't spoken by me. [Then Micaiah] said, [Listen,] O people, everyone of you. So [Ahab, Israel's] king & Jehoshaphat, [Judah's] king, went to Ramoth Gilead. |
[Ahab] said to Jehoshaphat, I will disguise myself & enter into battle; but you put on your robes. [Ahab] disguised himself & went into battle. [Syria's] king, commanded 32 of his captains [who ruled] over his chariots, Don't fight with [either] small, nor [large, but] only with [Ahab, Israel's] king. |
It [happened] when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, they said, Surely [he] is [Israel's] king & they turned aside to fight against him & Jehoshaphat cried out. |
When the captains of the chariots [realized] it wasn't [Israel's] king, they [stopped] pursuing [Jehoshaphat]. A man drew a bow & [randomly struck Ahab, Israel's] king [in] between the harness joints. |
[Ahab] said to his chariot driver, Turn [around] & carry me out of the [army]; for I am wounded. The battle increased that day & the king was [propped] up in his chariot [facing] the Syrians & died [that] evening. |
The blood ran out of the wound [onto the chariot's] floor. A proclamation went throughout the [army around sunset,] saying, Every man [return] to his own city & own country. So, king [Ahab] died & was brought to Samaria & they buried [him] in Samaria. |
The chariot was washed in the pool of Samaria & they washed his armor & the dogs licked up [Ahab's] blood, according to the word of the Lord [that Micaiah spoke on the Lord's behalf]. |
[Aren't] the rest of the [actions] of Ahab & all he did & the ivory house he made & all the cities he built, written in the Book of Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? So, Ahab [died] & slept with his [forefathers]. |
Ahaziah, [Ahab's] son, [ruled] in his [place]. Jehoshaphat, [Asa's] son, began to [rule] over Judah [during] the 4th year Ahab, [Israel's] king [ruled]. Jehoshaphat was 35 years old when he began to [rule] & he [ruled] 25 years in Jerusalem. This mother's name was Azuhbah, [Shilhi's] daughter. |
Jehoshaphat walked in all the ways of Asa, his father. [Jehoshaphat] didn't turn [away from doing them,] but did what was right in the eyes of the Lord [God]. [Still, Jehoshaphat] didn't take away the high places [used to worship false gods]. |
Jehoshaphat made peace with [Israel's] king. [Aren't] the rest of [Jehoshaphat's actions] & all his might that he showed & how he warred, written in the Book of Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? |
[Jehoshaphat] took out the [rest] of the sodomites [who] remained in the land [during] the days of his father, Asa. There wasn't a king in Edom. A deputy [served as] king. |
Jehoshaphat [had] made ships of Tarshish go to Ophir for gold, but they didn't [go,] because the ships were [wrecked] at Ezion Geber. Then, Ahaziah [Ahab's] son, said to Jehoshaphat, Let my servants go with your servants in the ships. |
But Jehoshaphat wouldn't [let them]. Jehoshaphat [died] & slept with his [forefathers] in the city of David, his [ancestor]. Jehoram, [Jehoshaphat's] son, [ruled] in his [place]. |
Ahaziah, [Ahab's] son, began to [rule] over Israel in Samaria [during] the 17th year Jehoshaphat, [Judah's] king [ruled]. |
[Ahaziah] did [wickedly] in the sight of the Lord & walked in the way of his father [Ahab] & in the way of his mother [Jezebel] & in the way of Jeroboam, [Nebat's] son, who made Israel sin [by making 2 gold calves, false gods, for the Israelites to worship rather than going to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices to the Lord God]. |
For [Ahaziah] served Baal [a false god] & worshiped him & provoked the Lord God of Israel to anger, according to all his father had done. |