Chapter 18

¹ And Josaphat had yet great wealth and glory, and he connected himself by marriage with the house of Achaab. ² And he went down ¹after a term of years to Achaab to Samaria: and Achaab slew for him sheep and calves, in abundance, and for the people with him, and he much desired him to go up with him to Ramoth of the country of Galaad. ³ And Achaab king of Israel said to Josaphat king of Juda, Wilt thou go with me to Ramoth of the country of Galaad? And he said to him, As I am, so also art thou, as thy people, so also is my people with thee for the war.

⁴ And Josaphat said to the king of Israel, Seek, I pray thee, the Lord to-day. ⁵ And the king of Israel gathered the prophets, four hundred men, and said to them, Shall I go to Ramoth Galaad to battle, or shall I forbear? And they said, Go up, and God

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shall deliver it into the hands of the king. ⁶ And Josaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of the Lord besides, that we may enquire of him? ⁷ And the king of Israel said to Josaphat, There is yet one man by whom to enquire of the Lord; but I hate him, for he does not prophesy concerning me for good, for all his days are for evil: this is Michaias the son of Jembla. And Josaphat said, Let not the king say so.

⁸ And the king called an eunuch, and said, Fetch quickly Michaias the son of Jembla. ⁹ And the king of Israel and Josaphat king of Juda were sitting each on his throne, and clothed in their robes, sitting in the open space at the entrance of the gate of Samaria: and all the prophets were prophesying before them. ¹⁰ And Sedekias son of Chanaan made for himself iron horns, and said, Thus saith the Lord, With these thou shalt thrust Syria until it be consumed. ¹¹ And all the prophets prophesied so, saying, Go up to Ramoth Galaad, and thou shalt prosper; and the Lord shall deliver it into the hands of the king.

¹² And the messenger that went to call Michaias spoke to him, saying, Behold, the prophets have spoken favourably concerning the king with one mouth; let now, I pray thee, thy words be as the words of one of them, and ²do thou speak good things. ¹³ And Michaias said, ³As the Lord lives, whatever God shall say to me, that will I speak.

¹⁴ And he came to the king, and the king said to him, Michaias, shall I go up to Ramoth Galaad to battle, or shall I forbear? And he said, Go up, and thou shalt prosper, and they shall be given into your hands. ¹⁵ And the king said to him, How often ⁴shall I solemnly charge thee that thou speak to me nothing but truth in the name of the Lord? ¹⁶ And he said, I saw Israel scattered on the mountains, as sheep without a shepherd: and the Lord said, These have no commander; let each return to his home in peace.

¹⁷ And the king of Israel said to Josaphat, Said I not to thee, that he would not prophesy concerning me good, but evil? ¹⁸ But he said, Not so. Hear ye the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven stood by on his right hand and on his left. ¹⁹ And the Lord said, Who will deceive Achaab king of Israel, that he may go up, and fall in Ramoth Galaad? And one spoke this way, and another spoke that way. ²⁰ And there came forth a spirit, and stood before the Lord, and said, I will deceive him. And the Lord said, Whereby? ²¹ And he said, I will go forth, and will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And the Lord said, Thou shalt deceive him, and shalt prevail: go forth, and do so. ²² And now, behold, the Lord has put a false spirit in the mouth of these thy prophets, and the Lord has spoken evil against thee.

²³ Then Sedekias the son of Chanaan drew near, and smote Michaias on the cheek, and said to him, By what way passed the Spirit

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of the Lord from me to speak to thee? ²⁴ And Michaias said, Behold, thou shalt see in that day, when thou shalt go from chamber to chamber to hide thyself.

²⁵ And the king of Israel said, Take Michaias, and carry him back to Emer the governor of the city, and to Joas the captain, the king's son; ²⁶ and ye shall say, Thus said the king, Put this fellow into the prison house, and let him eat the bread of affliction, and drink the water of affliction, until I return in peace. ²⁷ And Michaias said, If thou do at all return in peace, the Lord has not spoken by me. And he said, Hear, all ye ⁵people.

²⁸ So the king of Israel, and Josaphat king of Juda, went up to Ramoth Galaad. ²⁹ And the king of Israel said to Josaphat, Disguise me, and I will enter into the battle: and do thou put on my raiment. so the king of Israel disguised himself, and entered into the battle. ³⁰ Now the king of Syria had commanded the captains of the chariots that were with him, saying, Fight neither against small nor great, but only against the king of Israel. ³¹ And it came to pass, when the captains of the chariots saw Josaphat, that they said, It is the king of Israel: and they compassed him about to fight against him: and Josaphat cried out, and the Lord delivered him; and God turned them away from him. ³² And it came to pass, when the captains of the chariots saw that it was not the king of Israel, that they turned away from him. ³³ And a man drew a bow with a good aim, and smote the king of Israel between the lungs and the breast-plate: and he said to the charioteer, Turn thine hand, drive me out of the battle, for ⁶I am wounded. ³⁴ And the battle turned in that day; and the king of Israel remained on the chariot against Syria until evening, and died at sunset.