Profeten Mika advarer kong Ahab
1.Kong. 22,1-28
1Som sagt var Joshafat både rig og højt agtet. Han besluttede nu at indgå en alliance med kong Ahab af Israel ved at lade sin søn gifte sig med Ahabs datter.
2Nogle år senere rejste han til Samaria for at besøge Ahab. Til ære for Joshafat og hans ledsagere arrangerede Israels konge en fest og slagtede i den anledning et stort antal småkvæg og hornkvæg. Under festen søgte han at overtale Joshafat til at hjælpe sig med at erobre byen Ramot-Gilead. 3„Vil du hjælpe mig med at befri Ramot-Gilead?” spurgte han Joshafat. „Selvfølgelig!” svarede Joshafat. „Vi er jo forbundsfæller, du og jeg. Mine folk vil kæmpe sammen med dine.” 4Men så tilføjede han: „Vi bør dog først spørge Herren til råds.”
5Derpå tilkaldte kong Ahab sine 400 profeter og spurgte dem: „Skal jeg gå til angreb på Ramot-Gilead eller ej?” „Du skal gå til angreb,” svarede de. „Gud vil give dig sejr!”
6Men kong Joshafat var ikke tilfreds. „Er der ikke en af Herrens profeter, vi kan spørge til råds?” spurgte han. 7„Jo, en enkelt,” svarede Ahab, „men jeg bryder mig ikke om ham, for han profeterer altid ulykke for mig, aldrig noget godt. Manden hedder Mika, søn af Jimla.” „Sådan bør du ikke tale!” indvendte Joshafat. 8Kong Ahab gav derefter ordre til, at Mika straks skulle hentes.
9I mellemtiden fortsatte Ahabs profeter med at profetere for de to konger, der sad klædt i deres kongekåber på hver sin trone på tærskepladsen nær ved byporten. 10En af profeterne ved navn Zidkija, søn af Kena’ana, lavede nogle horn af jern og erklærede: „Herren siger: Du skal stange den aramæiske hær sønder og sammen med disse horn og udrydde den totalt!” 11De andre profeter sagde det samme. „Gå kun til angreb på Ramot-Gilead. Herren vil give dig sejr!”
12Kongens tjener, som var blevet sendt for at hente Mika, fortalte ham, hvad de andre profeter havde sagt, og opfordrede ham til at sige det samme. 13Men Mika svarede: „Så sandt Herren lever: Jeg kan ikke sige andet, end det min Gud fortæller mig!”
14Da Mika ankom, spurgte kong Ahab: „Mika, skal vi angribe Ramot-Gilead eller ej?” „Ja, tag endelig af sted!” svarede Mika. „Lykken er med dig. Herren vil give dig sejr!” 15„Hør nu her,” sagde Ahab. „Hvor mange gange skal jeg få dig til at sværge på, at du kun siger sandheden, når du taler i Herrens navn?”
16Så sagde Mika: „Jeg så Israels folk spredt ud over bjergene som får, der ingen hyrde har! Og Herren sagde: Kongen er død! Send folket hjem!” 17Kongen vendte sig beklagende til Joshafat. „Sagde jeg det ikke nok! Aldrig profeterer han noget godt. Evigt og altid kun dårlige budskaber.”
18„Så hør da Herrens ord!” afbrød Mika. „Jeg så Herren sidde på sin trone, og en hær af engle var samlet omkring ham. 19Så sagde Herren: ‚Hvem vil lokke Ahab i fælden, så han dør i Ramot-Gilead?’ Og efter at adskillige planer var blevet foreslået, 20trådte en af ånderne frem og sagde: ‚Det vil jeg gøre!’ ‚Men hvordan?’ spurgte Herren. 21Ånden svarede: ‚Jeg vil være en løgneånd i alle hans profeters mund!’ ‚Du kan klare opgaven,’ sagde Herren. ‚Gå bare i gang!’ ”
22Mika fortsatte: „Kong Ahab, kan du ikke gennemskue dine profeter? Herren har jo fyldt dem alle med en løgnens ånd, og i virkeligheden har han planer om at få ram på dig.”
23Ved de ord gik profeten Zidkija hen til Mika og gav ham en lussing. „Vil du måske påstå, at Herrens Ånd kun taler gennem dig og ikke gennem mig?” snerrede han. 24Mika svarede: „Svaret på det spørgsmål får du, den dag du rædselsslagen prøver at gemme dig i et baglokale i et hus.”
25Efter det ordskifte gav kong Ahab ordre til at arrestere Mika. „Før ham til Amon, byens borgmester, og til min søn Joash,” sagde han. 26„Giv dem besked om at kaste ham i fængsel og sætte ham på vand og brød, til jeg kommer uskadt tilbage fra slaget.” 27„Hvis du kommer tilbage, har Herren ikke talt gennem mig!” sagde Mika. „Har I hørt det alle sammen?”
Kong Ahabs død
1.Kong. 22,29-35
28Derefter førte kong Ahab af Israel og kong Joshafat af Juda deres hære mod Ramot-Gilead, 29men Ahab sagde til Joshafat: „Før jeg kaster mig ud i kampen, vil jeg forklæde mig som en menig soldat. Men behold du bare din kongelige rustning på.” Så forklædte kong Ahab sig og slaget begyndte.
30Den aramæiske konge havde imidlertid givet sine vognstyrere ordre til at være på udkig efter kong Ahab og koncentrere sig om at fælde ham. 31-32Da de fik øje på kong Joshafat, tænkte de: „Dér er han!” og vendte om for at få fat i ham. Men Joshafat råbte til Herren om hjælp, og Herren hjalp ham. Gud sørgede for, at de lod ham være, for da de forstod, at han ikke var Israels konge, trak de sig tilbage. 33Men en af bueskytterne skød en tilfældig pil af sted, og pilen borede sig ind mellem remmene i kong Ahabs brynje.
„Lad os komme væk fra fronten!” stønnede Ahab til sin vognstyrer. „Jeg er alvorligt såret.”
34Kampen trak i langdrag og blev mere og mere intens. Kong Ahab holdt øje med kampen på afstand, men kunne dårligt holde sig oprejst i vognen. Ved solnedgang døde han.
1Now Jehoshaphat had riches and honour in abundance, and joined affinity with Ahab. 2And after certain years he went down to Ahab to Samaria. And Ahab killed sheep and oxen for him in abundance, and for the people that he had with him, and persuaded him to go up with him to Ramoth-gilead.18.2 after…: Heb. at the end of years 3And Ahab king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat king of Judah, Wilt thou go with me to Ramoth-gilead? And he answered him, I am as thou art, and my people as thy people; and we will be with thee in the war.
4¶ And Jehoshaphat said unto the king of Israel, Enquire, I pray thee, at the word of the LORD to day. 5Therefore the king of Israel gathered together of prophets four hundred men, and said unto them, Shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall I forbear? And they said, Go up; for God will deliver it into the king’s hand. 6But Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of the LORD besides, that we might enquire of him?18.6 besides: Heb. yet, or, more 7And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, There is yet one man, by whom we may enquire of the LORD: but I hate him; for he never prophesied good unto me, but always evil: the same is Micaiah the son of Imla. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say so. 8And the king of Israel called for one of his officers, and said, Fetch quickly Micaiah the son of Imla.18.8 officers: or, eunuchs18.8 Fetch…: Heb. Hasten 9And the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah sat either of them on his throne, clothed in their robes, and they sat in a void place at the entering in of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets prophesied before them.18.9 void…: or, floor 10And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah had made him horns of iron, and said, Thus saith the LORD, With these thou shalt push Syria until they be consumed.18.10 they…: Heb. thou consume them 11And all the prophets prophesied so, saying, Go up to Ramoth-gilead, and prosper: for the LORD shall deliver it into the hand of the king. 12And the messenger that went to call Micaiah spake to him, saying, Behold, the words of the prophets declare good to the king with one assent; let thy word therefore, I pray thee, be like one of theirs, and speak thou good.18.12 with…: Heb. with one mouth 13And Micaiah said, As the LORD liveth, even what my God saith, that will I speak. 14And when he was come to the king, the king said unto him, Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall I forbear? And he said, Go ye up, and prosper, and they shall be delivered into your hand. 15And the king said to him, How many times shall I adjure thee that thou say nothing but the truth to me in the name of the LORD? 16Then he said, I did see all Israel scattered upon the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd: and the LORD said, These have no master; let them return therefore every man to his house in peace. 17And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, Did I not tell thee that he would not prophesy good unto me, but evil?18.17 but evil: or, but for evil 18Again he said, Therefore hear the word of the LORD; I saw the LORD sitting upon his throne, and all the host of heaven standing on his right hand and on his left. 19And the LORD said, Who shall entice Ahab king of Israel, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead? And one spake saying after this manner, and another saying after that manner. 20Then there came out a spirit, and stood before the LORD, and said, I will entice him. And the LORD said unto him, Wherewith? 21And he said, I will go out, and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And the Lord said, Thou shalt entice him, and thou shalt also prevail: go out, and do even so. 22Now therefore, behold, the LORD hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of these thy prophets, and the LORD hath spoken evil against thee. 23Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah came near, and smote Micaiah upon the cheek, and said, Which way went the Spirit of the LORD from me to speak unto thee? 24And Micaiah said, Behold, thou shalt see on that day when thou shalt go into an inner chamber to hide thyself.18.24 into…: or, from chamber to chamber: Heb. a chamber in a chamber 25Then the king of Israel said, Take ye Micaiah, and carry him back to Amon the governor of the city, and to Joash the king’s son; 26And say, Thus saith the king, Put this fellow in the prison, and feed him with bread of affliction and with water of affliction, until I return in peace. 27And Micaiah said, If thou certainly return in peace, then hath not the LORD spoken by me. And he said, Hearken, all ye people.
28So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went up to Ramoth-gilead. 29And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, I will disguise myself, and will go to the battle; but put thou on thy robes. So the king of Israel disguised himself; and they went to the battle. 30Now the king of Syria had commanded the captains of the chariots that were with him, saying, Fight ye not with small or great, save only with the king of Israel. 31And it came to pass, when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, that they said, It is the king of Israel. Therefore they compassed about him to fight: but Jehoshaphat cried out, and the LORD helped him; and God moved them to depart from him. 32For it came to pass, that, when the captains of the chariots perceived that it was not the king of Israel, they turned back again from pursuing him.18.32 from…: Heb. from after him 33And a certain man drew a bow at a venture, and smote the king of Israel between the joints of the harness: therefore he said to his chariot man, Turn thine hand, that thou mayest carry me out of the host; for I am wounded.18.33 at a venture: Heb. in his simplicity18.33 between…: Heb. between the joints and between the breastplate18.33 wounded: Heb. made sick 34And the battle increased that day: howbeit the king of Israel stayed himself up in his chariot against the Syrians until the even: and about the time of the sun going down he died.
