1And they continued three years without war between Syria and Israel. 2And it came to pass in the third year, that Jehoshaphat the king of Judah came down to the king of Israel. 3And the king of Israel said unto his servants, Know ye that Ramoth in Gilead is ours, and we be still, and take it not out of the hand of the king of Syria?22.3 still…: Heb. silent from taking it 4And he said unto Jehoshaphat, Wilt thou go with me to battle to Ramoth-gilead? And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, I am as thou art, my people as thy people, my horses as thy horses. 5And Jehoshaphat said unto the king of Israel, Enquire, I pray thee, at the word of the LORD to day. 6Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, about four hundred men, and said unto them, Shall I go against Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall I forbear? And they said, Go up; for the Lord shall deliver it into the hand of the king. 7And Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of the LORD besides, that we might enquire of him? 8And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, There is yet one man, Micaiah the son of Imlah, by whom we may enquire of the LORD: but I hate him; for he doth not prophesy good concerning me, but evil. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say so. 9Then the king of Israel called an officer, and said, Hasten hither Micaiah the son of Imlah.22.9 officer: or, eunuch 10And the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah sat each on his throne, having put on their robes, in a void place in the entrance of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets prophesied before them.22.10 void…: Heb. floor 11And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made him horns of iron: and he said, Thus saith the LORD, With these shalt thou push the Syrians, until thou have consumed them. 12And all the prophets prophesied so, saying, Go up to Ramoth-gilead, and prosper: for the LORD shall deliver it into the king’s hand. 13And the messenger that was gone to call Micaiah spake unto him, saying, Behold now, the words of the prophets declare good unto the king with one mouth: let thy word, I pray thee, be like the word of one of them, and speak that which is good. 14And Micaiah said, As the LORD liveth, what the LORD saith unto me, that will I speak.
15¶ So he came to the king. And the king said unto him, Micaiah, shall we go against Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall we forbear? And he answered him, Go, and prosper: for the LORD shall deliver it into the hand of the king. 16And the king said unto him, How many times shall I adjure thee that thou tell me nothing but that which is true in the name of the LORD? 17And he said, I saw all Israel scattered upon the hills, as sheep that have not a shepherd: and the LORD said, These have no master: let them return every man to his house in peace. 18And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, Did I not tell thee that he would prophesy no good concerning me, but evil? 19And he said, Hear thou therefore 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 hand and on his left. 20And the LORD said, Who shall persuade Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead? And one said on this manner, and another said on that manner.22.20 persuade: or, deceive 21And there came forth a spirit, and stood before the LORD, and said, I will persuade him. 22And the LORD said unto him, Wherewith? And he said, I will go forth, and I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And he said, Thou shalt persuade him, and prevail also: go forth, and do so. 23Now therefore, behold, the LORD hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets, and the LORD hath spoken evil concerning thee. 24But Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah went near, and smote Micaiah on the cheek, and said, Which way went the Spirit of the LORD from me to speak unto thee? 25And Micaiah said, Behold, thou shalt see in that day, when thou shalt go into an inner chamber to hide thyself.22.25 into…: or, from chamber to chamber: Heb. a chamber in a chamber 26And the king of Israel said, Take Micaiah, and carry him back unto Amon the governor of the city, and to Joash the king’s son; 27And 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 come in peace. 28And Micaiah said, If thou return at all in peace, the LORD hath not spoken by me. And he said, Hearken, O people, every one of you.
29So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went up to Ramoth-gilead. 30And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, I will disguise myself, and enter into the battle; but put thou on thy robes. And the king of Israel disguised himself, and went into the battle.22.30 I will…: or, when he was to disguise himself, and enter into the battle 31But the king of Syria commanded his thirty and two captains that had rule over his chariots, saying, Fight neither with small nor great, save only with the king of Israel. 32And it came to pass, when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, that they said, Surely it is the king of Israel. And they turned aside to fight against him: and Jehoshaphat cried out. 33And it came to pass, when the captains of the chariots perceived that it was not the king of Israel, that they turned back from pursuing him. 34And a certain man drew a bow at a venture, and smote the king of Israel between the joints of the harness: wherefore he said unto the driver of his chariot, Turn thine hand, and carry me out of the host; for I am wounded.22.34 at a…: Heb. in his simplicity22.34 joints…: Heb. joints and the breastplate22.34 wounded: Heb. made sick 35And the battle increased that day: and the king was stayed up in his chariot against the Syrians, and died at even: and the blood ran out of the wound into the midst of the chariot.22.35 increased: Heb. ascended22.35 midst: Heb. bosom 36And there went a proclamation throughout the host about the going down of the sun, saying, Every man to his city, and every man to his own country.
37¶ So the king died, and was brought to Samaria; and they buried the king in Samaria.22.37 was brought: Heb. came 38And one washed the chariot in the pool of Samaria; and the dogs licked up his blood; and they washed his armour; according unto the word of the LORD which he spake. 39Now the rest of the acts of Ahab, and all that he did, and the ivory house which he made, and all the cities that he built, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? 40So Ahab slept with his fathers; and Ahaziah his son reigned in his stead.
41¶ And Jehoshaphat the son of Asa began to reign over Judah in the fourth year of Ahab king of Israel. 42Jehoshaphat was thirty and five years old when he began to reign; and he reigned twenty and five years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi. 43And he walked in all the ways of Asa his father; he turned not aside from it, doing that which was right in the eyes of the LORD: nevertheless the high places were not taken away; for the people offered and burnt incense yet in the high places. 44And Jehoshaphat made peace with the king of Israel. 45Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, and his might that he shewed, and how he warred, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? 46And the remnant of the sodomites, which remained in the days of his father Asa, he took out of the land. 47There was then no king in Edom: a deputy was king. 48Jehoshaphat made ships of Tharshish to go to Ophir for gold: but they went not; for the ships were broken at Ezion-geber.22.48 made…: or, had ten ships 49Then said Ahaziah the son of Ahab unto Jehoshaphat, Let my servants go with thy servants in the ships. But Jehoshaphat would not.
50¶ And Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father: and Jehoram his son reigned in his stead.
51¶ Ahaziah the son of Ahab began to reign over Israel in Samaria the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and reigned two years over Israel. 52And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the way of his father, and in the way of his mother, and in the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin: 53For he served Baal, and worshipped him, and provoked to anger the LORD God of Israel, according to all that his father had done.
米該雅先知警告亞哈王
1亞蘭和以色列之間三年無戰事。 2第三年，猶大王約沙法來見以色列王亞哈。 3以色列王對臣僕說：「你們都知道基列的拉末是我們的領土，我們豈能坐視不理，不從亞蘭王手中奪回來呢？」 4他問約沙法：「你願意跟我一起去攻打基列的拉末嗎？」約沙法回答說：「你我不分彼此，我的民就是你的民，我的馬就是你的馬。」 5約沙法又對以色列王說：「你要先求問耶和華。」
6於是，以色列王就召來了大約四百名先知，問他們：「我可以去攻打基列的拉末嗎？」他們說：「可以去，主必把那城交在王手中。」 7但約沙法問：「這裡沒有耶和華的先知供我們求問嗎？」 8以色列王回答說：「這裡還有一個人，是音拉的兒子米該雅，我們可以託他求問耶和華。可是我厭惡他，因為他給我的預言都是有凶無吉。」約沙法說：「王不要這樣說。」 9以色列王召來一名內侍，說：「你快把音拉的兒子米該雅帶來。」 10以色列王和猶大王約沙法在撒瑪利亞城門前的麥場，身穿朝服，坐在寶座上，眾先知都在他們面前說預言。 11基拿拿的兒子西底迦造了兩隻鐵角，說：「耶和華這樣說，『你必用這鐵角牴亞蘭人，直到毀滅他們。』」 12所有的先知也都預言說：「去攻打基列的拉末吧，一定得勝，耶和華必將那城交在王的手中。」
13去召米該雅的使者對米該雅說：「眾先知都異口同聲地向王說吉言，你就像他們一樣說些吉言吧。」 14米該雅回答說：「我憑永活的耶和華起誓，耶和華對我說什麼，我就說什麼。」 15米該雅來到以色列王面前，王就問他：「米該雅啊，我可不可以去攻打基列的拉末？」米該雅回答說：「上去攻打吧，一定得勝，耶和華必將那城交在王手中。」 16王卻說：「我要囑咐你多少次，你才肯奉耶和華的名對我說實話呢？」 17米該雅說：「我看見以色列人四散在山上，好像沒有牧人的羊群一樣。耶和華說，『這些人沒有主人，讓他們各自平安地回家去吧。』」 18以色列王對約沙法說：「我不是告訴過你嗎？他給我的預言都是有凶無吉。」 19米該雅說：「你要聽耶和華的話。我看見耶和華坐在寶座上，眾天軍侍立在祂左右。 20耶和華說，『誰願意去引誘亞哈到基列的拉末去送死呢？』眾天軍議論紛紛。 21後來，有一個靈站出來對耶和華說他願意去。 22耶和華問他用什麼方法，他說，『我要做謊言之靈，進入他眾先知的口中。』耶和華說，『你必能成功，就這樣做吧。』 23現在，耶和華已經把謊言之靈放進這些先知口中，耶和華已決意降禍給你。」
24基拿拿的兒子西底迦聽了米該雅的話就上前打他的臉，說：「耶和華的靈怎會離開我向你說話呢？」 25米該雅說：「你躲進密室的那天就知道了。」 26以色列王下令說：「把米該雅交給亞們總督和約阿施王子， 27告訴他們，『王說，要把這人關在監牢，只給他一些餅和水，直到我平安地回來。』」 28米該雅說：「如果你能夠平安地回來，耶和華就沒有藉著我說話。」他又說：「眾民啊，你們都記住我的話。」
亞哈之死
29以色列王和猶大王約沙法出兵攻打基列的拉末。 30以色列王對約沙法說：「我要改裝上陣，你就穿王袍吧。」以色列王就改裝上陣。 31亞蘭王已經吩咐他的三十二名戰車長不要跟對方的大小軍兵交鋒，只攻擊以色列王。 32戰車長看見約沙法，以為他一定是以色列王，便轉過來攻擊他。約沙法高聲喊叫， 33戰車長見他不是以色列王，便不再追殺他。 34有人隨手放了一箭，射進了以色列王的鎧甲縫中。王對駕車的說：「調轉車頭拉我離開戰場吧，我受了重傷。」 35那天的戰事非常激烈，亞哈王被人扶著站在車上，迎戰亞蘭人。到了黃昏，王就死了，車上流滿了血。 36太陽快要下山的時候，以色列軍中傳出號令，叫人各回本鄉本城。
37王死後，他們把王的屍體運回撒瑪利亞安葬， 38並在撒瑪利亞妓女洗浴的池邊洗他的戰車，有狗來舔他的血，正如耶和華所言。 39亞哈其他的事，他的一切所作所為和他建造的象牙宮及各城邑，都記在以色列的列王史上。 40亞哈與祖先同眠後，他兒子亞哈謝繼位。
約沙法做猶大王
41亞哈做以色列王第四年，亞撒的兒子約沙法登基做猶大王。 42約沙法三十五歲登基，在耶路撒冷執政二十五年。他母親叫阿蘇巴，是示利希的女兒。 43約沙法事事效法他父親亞撒，不偏不離，做耶和華視為正的事。但他沒有拆毀邱壇，百姓仍然在那裡獻祭燒香。 44約沙法與以色列王修好。
45約沙法其他的事，包括他的功業和戰績，都記在猶大的列王史上。 46約沙法除掉了他父親亞撒時代遺留的男廟妓。 47那時以東沒有王，由總督治理。 48約沙法又建造了一批他施船，要到俄斐去運載黃金，可是沒有成行，因為船隻在以旬·迦別失事了。 49後來，亞哈的兒子亞哈謝請求約沙法讓他的人跟約沙法的人一起出海，但約沙法拒絕了。 50約沙法與祖先同眠後葬在大衛城他的祖墳裡。他兒子約蘭繼位。
亞哈謝做以色列王
51猶大王約沙法執政第十七年，亞哈的兒子亞哈謝在撒瑪利亞登基做以色列王，執政兩年。 52他做耶和華視為惡的事，步他父母的後塵，效法使以色列人陷入罪中的尼八之子耶羅波安。 53他像他父親一樣供奉、祭拜巴力，惹以色列的上帝耶和華發怒。
