1
And they continuedthreeyears without war between Syria and Israel.
2
And it came to pass in the thirdyear, that Jehoshaphat the king of Judah came down to the king of Israel.
3
And the king of Israelsaid 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?
4
And he said unto Jehoshaphat, Wilt thougo with me to battle to Ramothgilead? And Jehoshaphatsaid to the king of Israel, I am as thou art, my people as thy people, my horses as thy horses.
5
And Jehoshaphatsaid unto the king of Israel, Enquire, I pray thee, at the word of the LORD to day.
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Then the king of Israelgathered the prophetstogether, about fourhundredmen, and said unto them, Shall I go against Ramothgilead to battle, or shall I forbear? And they said, Goup; for the Lord shall deliver it into the hand of the king.
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And Jehoshaphatsaid, Is there not here a prophet of the LORDbesides, that we might enquire of him?
8
And the king of Israelsaid unto Jehoshaphat, There is yet oneman, Micaiah the son of Imlah, by whom we may enquire of the LORD: but I hate him; for he doth not prophesygood concerning me, but evil. And Jehoshaphatsaid, Let not the kingsay so.
9
Then the king of Israelcalledanofficer, and said, Hasten hither Micaiah the son of Imlah.
10
And the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judahsateachon his throne, having put on their robes, in a void place in the entrance of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophetsprophesiedbefore them.
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And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanahmade him horns of iron: and he said, Thus saith the LORD, With these shalt thou push the Syrians, until thou have consumed them.
12
And all the prophetsprophesied so, saying, Go up to Ramothgilead, and prosper: for the LORD shall deliver it into the king's hand.
13
And the messenger that was gone to callMicaiahspake unto him, saying, Behold now, the words of the prophets declare good unto the king with onemouth: let thy word, I pray thee, be like the word of one of them, and speak that which is good.
14
And Micaiahsaid, As the LORDliveth, what the LORDsaith unto me, that will I speak.
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So he came to the king. And the kingsaid unto him, Micaiah, shall we go against Ramothgilead 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.
16
And the kingsaid 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?
17
And he said, I saw all Israelscattered upon the hills, as sheep that have not a shepherd: and the LORDsaid, These have no master: let them return every man to his house in peace.
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And the king of Israelsaid unto Jehoshaphat, Did I not tell thee that he would prophesy no good concerning me, but evil?
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And he said, Hear thou therefore the word of the LORD: I saw the LORDsitting on his throne, and all the host of heavenstanding by him on his right hand and on his left.
20
And the LORDsaid, Who shall persuadeAhab, that he may go up and fall at Ramothgilead? And one said on this manner, and another said on that manner.
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And there came forth a spirit, and stoodbefore the LORD, and said, I will persuade him.
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And the LORDsaid unto him, Wherewith? And he said, I will go forth, and I will be a lyingspirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And he said, Thou shalt persuade him, and prevail also: go forth, and do so.
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Now therefore, behold, the LORD hath put a lyingspirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets, and the LORD hath spokenevil concerning thee.
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But Zedekiah the son of Chenaanahwentnear, and smoteMicaiah on the cheek, and said, Which waywent the Spirit of the LORD from me to speak unto thee?
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And Micaiahsaid, Behold, thou shalt see in that day, when thou shalt go into an innerchamber to hide thyself.
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And the king of Israelsaid, TakeMicaiah, and carry him back unto Amon the governor of the city, and to Joash the king's son;
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And 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.
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And Micaiahsaid, If thou return at all in peace, the LORD hath not spoken by me. And he said, Hearken, O people, every one of you.
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So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went up to Ramothgilead.
30
And the king of Israelsaid unto Jehoshaphat, I will disguise myself, and enter into the battle; but put thou on thy robes. And the king of Israeldisguised himself, and went into the battle.
31
But the king of Syriacommanded his thirty and twocaptains that had rule over his chariots, saying, Fight neither with small nor great, save only with the king of Israel.
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And it came to pass, when the captains of the chariotssawJehoshaphat, that they said, Surely it is the king of Israel. And they turned aside to fight against him: and Jehoshaphat cried out.
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And it came to pass, when the captains of the chariotsperceived that it was not the king of Israel, that they turned back from pursuing him.
34
And a certain mandrew 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.
35
And the battleincreased that day: and the king was stayed up in his chariotagainst the Syrians, and died at even: and the blood ran out of the wound into the midst of the chariot.
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And 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.
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So the kingdied, and was brought to Samaria; and they buried the king in Samaria.
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And 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.
39
Now the rest of the acts of Ahab, and all that he did, and the ivoryhouse 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?
40
So Ahabslept with his fathers; and Ahaziah his sonreigned in his stead.
41
And Jehoshaphat the son of Asa began to reign over Judah in the fourthyear of Ahabking of Israel.
42Jehoshaphat was thirty and fiveyearsold when he began to reign; and he reignedtwenty and fiveyears in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi.
43
And 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 peopleoffered and burnt incense yet in the high places.
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And Jehoshaphat made peace with the king of Israel.
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Now 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?
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And the remnant of the sodomites, which remained in the days of his fatherAsa, he took out of the land.
47
There was then no king in Edom: a deputy was king.
48Jehoshaphatmadeships of Tharshish to go to Ophir for gold: but they went not; for the ships were broken at Eziongeber.
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Then saidAhaziah the son of Ahab unto Jehoshaphat, Let my servantsgo with thy servants in the ships. But Jehoshaphatwould not.
50
And Jehoshaphatslept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father: and Jehoram his sonreigned in his stead.
51Ahaziah the son of Ahab began to reign over Israel in Samaria the seventeenthyear of Jehoshaphatking of Judah, and reigned two years over Israel.
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And he didevil 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:
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For he servedBaal, and worshipped him, and provoked to anger the LORDGod of Israel, according to all that his father had done.