Micaiah Prophesies Against Ahab
1Now Jehoshaphat had great wealth and honor, and he allied himself with Ahab by marriage. 2Some years later he went down to see Ahab in Samaria. Ahab slaughtered many sheep and cattle for him and the people with him and urged him to attack Ramoth Gilead. 3Ahab king of Israel asked Jehoshaphat king of Judah, “Will you go with me against Ramoth Gilead?”
Jehoshaphat replied, “I am as you are, and my people as your people; we will join you in the war.” 4But Jehoshaphat also said to the king of Israel, “First seek the counsel of the Lord.”
5So the king of Israel brought together the prophets—four hundred men—and asked them, “Shall we go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or shall I not?”
“Go,” they answered, “for God will give it into the king’s hand.”
6But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there no longer a prophet of the Lord here whom we can inquire of?”
7The king of Israel answered Jehoshaphat, “There is still one prophet through whom we can inquire of the Lord, but I hate him because he never prophesies anything good about me, but always bad. He is Micaiah son of Imlah.”
“The king should not say such a thing,” Jehoshaphat replied.
8So the king of Israel called one of his officials and said, “Bring Micaiah son of Imlah at once.”
9Dressed in their royal robes, 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 Zedekiah son of Kenaanah had made iron horns, and he declared, “This is what the Lord says: ‘With these you will gore the Arameans until they are destroyed.’ ”
11All the other prophets were prophesying the same thing. “Attack Ramoth Gilead and be victorious,” they said, “for the Lord will give it into the king’s hand.”
12The messenger who had gone to summon Micaiah said to him, “Look, the other prophets without exception are predicting success for the king. Let your word agree with theirs, and speak favorably.”
13But Micaiah said, “As surely as the Lord lives, I can tell him only what my God says.”
14When he arrived, the king asked him, “Micaiah, shall we go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or shall I not?”
“Attack and be victorious,” he answered, “for they will be given into your hand.”
15The king said to him, “How many times must I make you swear to tell me nothing but the truth in the name of the Lord?”
16Then Micaiah answered, “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 go home in peace.’ ”
17The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Didn’t I tell you that he never prophesies anything good about me, but only bad?”
18Micaiah continued, “Therefore hear the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on his throne with all the multitudes of heaven standing on his right and on his left. 19And the Lord said, ‘Who will entice Ahab king of Israel into attacking Ramoth Gilead and going to his death there?’
“One suggested this, and another that. 20Finally, a spirit came forward, stood before the Lord and said, ‘I will entice him.’
“ ‘By what means?’ the Lord asked.
21“ ‘I will go and be a deceiving spirit in the mouths of all his prophets,’ he said.
“ ‘You will succeed in enticing him,’ said the Lord. ‘Go and do it.’
22“So now the Lord has put a deceiving spirit in the mouths of these prophets of yours. The Lord has decreed disaster for you.”
23Then Zedekiah son of Kenaanah went up and slapped Micaiah in the face. “Which way did the spirit from18:23 Or Spirit of the Lord go when he went from me to speak to you?” he asked.
24Micaiah replied, “You will find out on the day you go to hide in an inner room.”
25The king of Israel then ordered, “Take Micaiah and send him back to Amon the ruler of the city and to Joash the king’s son, 26and say, ‘This is what the king says: Put this fellow in prison and give him nothing but bread and water until I return safely.’ ”
27Micaiah declared, “If you ever return safely, the Lord has not spoken through me.” Then he added, “Mark my words, all you people!”
Ahab Killed at Ramoth Gilead
28So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah went up to Ramoth Gilead. 29The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “I will enter the battle in disguise, but you wear your royal robes.” So the king of Israel disguised himself and went into battle.
30Now the king of Aram had ordered his chariot commanders, “Do not fight with anyone, small or great, except the king of Israel.” 31When the chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat, they thought, “This is the king of Israel.” So they turned to attack him, but Jehoshaphat cried out, and the Lord helped him. God drew them away from him, 32for when the chariot commanders saw that he was not the king of Israel, they stopped pursuing him.
33But someone drew his bow at random and hit the king of Israel between the breastplate and the scale armor. The king told the chariot driver, “Wheel around and get me out of the fighting. I’ve been wounded.” 34All day long the battle raged, and the king of Israel propped himself up in his chariot facing the Arameans until evening. Then at sunset he died.
Mikaaya Ayogera Ebyobunnabbi Akabu
118:1 a 2By 17:5 b 2By 19:1-3; 22:3 c 2By 21:6Yekosafaati yali mugagga nnyo era nga wa kitiibwa kinene nnyo, ate nga mukoddomi wa Akabu. 2Bwe waayitawo emyaka, n’aserengeta okugenda okulaba ku Akabu e Samaliya. Akabu n’amuteekerateekera ekijjulo eky’amaanyi n’amuttira endiga nnyingi n’ente nnyingi, ye n’abantu be yagenda nabo, era n’amusendasenda okulumba Lamosugireyaadi. 3Akabu kabaka wa Isirayiri n’abuuza Yekosafaati kabaka wa Yuda nti, “Onoogenda nange okulumba Lamosugireyaadi?” Yekosafaati n’addamu nti, “Ky’oli kye ndi, era n’abantu bo be bantu bange, tujja kukwegattako mu lutalo.” 4Naye Yekosafaati n’alabula kabaka wa Isirayiri nti, “Sooka weebuuze ku Mukama.”
5Awo kabaka wa Isirayiri n’akuŋŋaanya bannabbi bonna awamu; baali abasajja ebikumi bina, n’ababuuza nti, “Tugende tulumbe Lamosugireyaadi nantiki tulekeyo?” Ne bamuddamu nti, “Tugende, kubanga Mukama anaakigabula mu mukono gwa kabaka.” 6Naye Yekosafaati n’abuuza nti, “Tewaliwo wano nnabbi wa Mukama gwe tuyinza okwebuuzaako?”
7Awo kabaka wa Isirayiri n’addamu Yekosafaati nti, “Waliyo omusajja omulala gwe tuyinza okwebuuzaako ku Mukama, ye Mikaaya mutabani wa Imula, naye namukyawa kubanga tandagulako birungi, wabula ebibi ebyereere.” Yekosafaati n’ayogera nti, “Kabaka teyandiyogedde bw’atyo.” 8Kabaka wa Isirayiri n’alyoka alagira omu ku bakungu be nti, “Kima Mikaaya mutabani wa Imula ku bwangu.”
9Awo kabaka wa Isirayiri ne Yekosafaati kabaka wa Yuda ne batuula ku ntebe zaabwe ez’obwakabaka mu gguuliro ku mulyango gwa wankaaki w’e Samaliya, nga bambadde ebyambalo byabwe, nga ne bannabbi bonna balagulira mu maaso gaabwe. 10Zeddekiya mutabani wa Kenaana yali yeeweesereza amayembe ag’ekyuma, n’ayogera nti, “Bw’ati bw’ayogera Mukama nti, ‘Abasuuli balitomerwa na gano okutuusa lwe balimalibwawo.’ ”
1118:11 2By 22:5Era ne bannabbi abalala bonna baalagulanga kye kimu nti, “Yambuka olumbe Lamosugireyaadi onoowangula kubanga Mukama anaakiwaayo mu mukono gwa kabaka.”
12Awo omubaka eyali agenze okuyita Mikaaya, n’amugamba nti, “Laba, ebigambo ebya bannabbi bali abalala byogera kyekimu, kale naawe ba bumu nabo.”
1318:13 Kbl 22:18, 20, 35Naye Mikaaya n’ayogera nti, “Nga Mukama bw’ali omulamu Katonda ky’anaŋŋamba ekyo kye nnaayogera.”
14Awo bwe yatuuka ewa kabaka, kabaka n’amubuuza nti, “Mikaaya tulumbe Lamosugireyaadi, oba tulekeyo?” N’amuddamu nti, “Mugende mukirumbe, munaakiwangula, kubanga banaaweebwayo mu mukono gwo.”
15Naye kabaka n’amugamba nti, “Nnaakulayizanga emirundi emeka, obutannimbanga wabula okuntegeezanga amazima mu linnya lya Mukama?”
1618:16 a 1By 9:1 b Kbl 27:17; Ez 34:5-8Awo Mikaaya n’addamu nti, “Nalaba Isirayiri yenna, nga basaasaanye ku nsozi ng’endiga ezitalina musumba, Mukama n’ayogera nti, ‘Abantu bano tebalina abakulembera, buli omu addeyo ewaabwe mirembe.’ ”
17Kabaka wa Isirayiri n’agamba Yekosafaati nti, “Sakugambye nti talina kirungi ky’andagulako, okuggyako ebibi?”
1818:18 Dan 7:9Mikaaya n’ayongerako na bino nti, “Noolwekyo muwulire ekigambo kya Mukama: Nalaba Mukama ng’atudde ku ntebe ye ey’obwakabaka n’eggye lyonna ery’omu ggulu nga liyimiridde okumwetooloola ku mukono gwe ogwa kkono. 19Awo Mukama n’abuuza nti, ‘Ani anasendasenda Akabu kabaka wa Isirayiri okulumba Lamosugireyaadi n’oluvannyuma afiire eyo?’
“Omu ku bo n’ateesa kino, n’omulala kiri. 20Ku nkomerero, omwoyo ogumu ne gusembera, ne guyimirira mu maaso ga Mukama ne gwogera nti, ‘Nze nzija kumusendasenda.’
“Mukama n’agubuuza nti, ‘Ekyo onookikola otya?’
2118:21 1By 21:1; Yob 1:6; Zek 3:1; Yk 8:44“Ne guddamu nti, ‘Nzija kugenda, mbeere omwoyo omulimba mu kamwa ka buli nnabbi we.’
“Mukama n’agugamba nti, ‘Ggwe onoosobola okumusendasenda, era genda okole bw’otyo.’
2218:22 Yob 12:16; Is 19:14; Ez 14:9“Kale nno Mukama atadde omwoyo ogw’obulimba mu kamwa ka bannabbi bo, era Mukama akwogeddeko kabi keereere.”
2318:23 Yer 20:2; Mak 14:65; Bik 23:2Awo Zeddekiya mutabani wa Kenaana n’asembera okumpi ne Mikaaya we yali n’amukuba oluyi mu maaso, n’amubuuza nti, “Omwoyo wa Mukama yampiseeko wa okwogera naawe?”
24Mikaaya n’amuddamu nti, “Laba, ekyo olikimanya ku lunaku lw’oligenda okwekweka mu kisenge eky’omunda.”
25Awo kabaka wa Isirayiri n’alagira nti, “Mukwate Mikaaya mumuzzeeyo ewa Amoni ew’omukulu w’ekibuga n’ewa Yowaasi omulangira, 2618:26 2By 16:10; Beb 11:36mwogere nti, ‘Bw’ati bw’ayogera kabaka nti, Omuntu ono mumuteeke mu kkomera, temumuwa kintu kyonna wabula omugaati omutono n’amazzi amatono, okutuusa lwe ndikomawo mirembe.’ ”
27Awo Mikaaya n’alangirira nti, “Bw’olikomawo mirembe, Mukama nga tayogeredde mu nze,” ate n’ayongerako na kino nti, “Mmwe mwenna, mwekuume ebigambo byange.”
Akabu Afiira e Lamosugireyaadi
28Awo kabaka wa Isirayiri ne Yekosafaati kabaka wa Yuda ne bambuka e Lamosugireyaadi. 2918:29 1Sa 28:8Kabaka wa Isirayiri n’agamba Yekosafaati nti, “Nze nzija kugenda mu lutalo nga nneefudde ng’omuntu omulala, naye ggwe yambala ebyambalo byo.” Awo kabaka wa Isirayiri ne yeefuula ng’omuntu omulala, ne bagenda mu lutalo.
30Naye kabaka w’e Busuuli yali alagidde abaduumizi ab’amagaali ge nti, “Temulwanagananga na muntu yenna, oba wa kitiibwa oba si wa kitiibwa, okuggyako kabaka wa Isirayiri.” 3118:31 2By 13:14Awo abaduumizi ab’amagaali bwe balaba Yekosafaati, ne boogera nti, “Oyo ye kabaka wa Isirayiri.” Ne bakyuka ne bamulumba, naye Yekosafaati n’ayogera mu ddoboozi ery’omwanguka, Mukama n’amubeera, era Katonda n’abaziyiza, n’okubaggyawo n’abaggyawo. 32Abaduumizi ab’amagaali bwe baakizuula nti si ye kabaka wa Isirayiri, ne balekeraawo okumugoba.
33Naye omu ku basajja n’amala ganaanuula omutego gwe, n’alasa kabaka wa Isirayiri mu kifo ekimu ebyambalo bye eby’olutalo we byegattira. Kabaka n’agamba omugoba w’eggaali lye nti, “Kyusa onzigye mu lutalo kubanga nfumitiddwa.” 3418:34 2By 22:5Olutalo ne lukanya olunaku lwonna, kyokka kabaka wa Isirayiri ne yeewaliriza okusigala mu gaali lye ng’atunuulidde Abasuuli okutuusa akawungeezi, era enjuba bwe yali ng’egwa n’afa.
