2 Chronicles 18 - 1599 Geneva Bible (GNV)

18 1 Jehoshaphat maketh affinity with Ahab. 10 Four hundred Prophets counsel Ahab to go to war. 16 Michaiah is against them. 23 Zedekiah smiteth him. 25 The king putteth him in prison. 29 The effect of his prophecy.

¹ And ^(A)Jehoshaphat had riches and honor in abundance, but he was joined in ^[a]affinity with Ahab.

² And after certain ^[b]years he went down to Ahab to Samaria: and Ahab slew sheep and oxen for him in great number, and for the people that he had with him, and enticed him to go up unto ^[c]Ramoth Gilead.

³ And 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 join with thee in the war.

⁴ And Jehoshaphat said unto the king of Israel, Ask counsel, I pray thee, at the ^[d]word of the Lord this day.

⁵ Therefore the King of Israel gathered of ^[e]Prophets four hundred men, and said unto them, Shall we go to Ramoth Gilead to battle, or shall I cease? And they said, Go up: for God shall deliver it into the king’s hand.

⁶ But Jehoshaphat said, Is there here never a Prophet more of the Lord that we might inquire of him?

⁷ And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, There is yet one man by whom we may ask counsel of the Lord: but I ^[f]hate him: for he doth not prophesy good unto me, but always evil: it is Michaiah the son of Imla. Then Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say ^[g]so.

⁸ And the king of Israel called an eunuch, and said, Call quickly Michaiah the son of Imla.

⁹ ¶ And the king of Israel, and Jehoshaphat King of Judah sat either of them on his throne clothed in their ^[h]apparel: they sat even in the threshing floor at the entering in of the gate of Samaria: and all the Prophets prophesied before them.

¹⁰ And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made him ^[i]horns of iron, and said, Thus saith the Lord, With these shalt thou push the Aramites until thou hast consumed them.

¹¹ And all the Prophets prophesied so, saying, Go up in Ramoth Gilead, and prosper: for the Lord shall deliver it unto the hand of the king.

¹² ¶ And the messenger that went to call Michaiah, spake to him, saying, Behold, the words of the Prophets declare good to the king with one ^[j]accord: let thy word therefore, I pray thee, be like one of theirs, and speak thou good.

¹³ And Michaiah said, As the Lord liveth, whatsoever my God saith, that will I speak.

¹⁴ ¶ So he came to the king, and the King said unto him, Michaiah, shall we go to Ramoth Gilead to battle, or shall I leave off? And he said, ^[k]Go ye up, and prosper, and they shall be delivered into your hand.

¹⁵ And the King said to him, How oft shall I charge thee, that thou tell me nothing but the truth in the Name of the Lord?

¹⁶ Then he said, I saw all Israel scattered in the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd: and the Lord said, ^[l]These have no master: let them return every man to his house in peace.

¹⁷ And the King of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, Did I not tell thee, that he would not prophesy good unto me, but evil?

¹⁸ Again he said, Therefore hear ye the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sit upon his throne, and all the ^[m]host of heaven standing at his right hand, and at his left.

¹⁹ And the Lord said, Who shall ^[n]persuade Ahab King of Israel, that he may go up, and fall at Ramoth Gilead? And one spake and said thus, and another said that.

²⁰ Then there came forth a spirit and stood before the Lord, and said, I will persuade him. And the Lord said unto him, Wherein?

²¹ And he said, I will go out, and be a false spirit in the mouth of all his Prophets. And ^[o]he said, Thou shalt persuade, and shalt also prevail: go forth and do so.

²² Now therefore behold, the Lord hath put a ^[p]false spirit in the mouth of these thy Prophets, and the Lord hath determined evil against thee.

²³ Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah came near, and smote Michaiah upon the ^[q]cheek, and said, By what way went the Spirit of the Lord from me, to speak with thee?

²⁴ And Michaiah said, Behold, thou shalt see that day when thou shalt go from chamber to chamber to hide thee.

²⁵ And the King of Israel said, Take ye Michaiah, and carry him to Amon the governor of the city, and to Joash the king’s son,

²⁶ And say, Thus saith the king, Put this man in the prison house, and feed him with bread of ^[r]affliction and with water of affliction, until I return in peace.

²⁷ And Michaiah said, If thou return in peace, the Lord hath not spoken by me. And ^[s]he said, Hear, all ye people.

²⁸ So the King of Israel and Jehoshaphat the King of Judah went up to Ramoth Gilead.

²⁹ And the King of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, I will ^[t]change myself, and enter into the battle: but put thou on thine apparel. So the king of Israel changed himself, and they went into the battle.

³⁰ And the king of Aram had commanded the captains of the chariots that were with him, saying, Fight you not with small nor great, but against the king of Israel only.

³¹ And when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, they said, It is the king of Israel: and they compassed about him to fight. But Jehoshaphat ^[u]cried, and the Lord helped him and moved them to depart from him.

³² For when the captains of the chariots saw that he was not the King of Israel, they turned back from him.

³³ Then a certain man drew a bow ^[v]mightily, and smote the King of Israel between the joints ^[w]of his brigandine: Therefore he said to his chariotman, Turn thine hand, and carry me out of the host: for I am hurt.

³⁴ And the battle increased that day: and the king of Israel ^[x]stood still in his chariot against the Aramites until even, and died at the time of the sun going down.

Footnotes

1. 2 Chronicles 18:1 For Joram Jehoshaphat’s son married Ahab’s daughter.
2. 2 Chronicles 18:2 That is, the third year, 1 Kings 22:2.
3. 2 Chronicles 18:2 To recover it out of the hands of the Syrians.
4. 2 Chronicles 18:4 Hear the advice of some Prophet, to know whether it be God’s will.
5. 2 Chronicles 18:5 Which were the prophets of Baal, signifying that the wicked esteem none but flatterers, and such as will bear with their inordinate affections.
6. 2 Chronicles 18:7 Yet the true ministers of God ought not to cease to do their duty, though the wicked magistrates cannot abide them to speak the truth.
7. 2 Chronicles 18:7 Meaning, that he ought not to refuse to hear any that was of God.
8. 2 Chronicles 18:9 That is, in their majesty and royal apparel.
9. 2 Chronicles 18:10 Read 1 Kings 22:11.
10. 2 Chronicles 18:12 Thinking, that whereas four hundred prophets had agreed in one thing, that he being but one man and in least estimation, durst not gainsay it.
11. 2 Chronicles 18:14 He spake this by derision of the false prophets, as the King well perceived.
12. 2 Chronicles 18:16 He prophesieth of how the people should be dispersed and Ahab slain.
13. 2 Chronicles 18:18 Meaning, his Angels.
14. 2 Chronicles 18:19 Or, deceive.
15. 2 Chronicles 18:21 That is, the Lord.
16. 2 Chronicles 18:22 To them that will not believe the truth, God sendeth strong delusion that they should believe lies, 2 Thess. 2:10.
17. 2 Chronicles 18:23 By this cruelty, his ambition and hypocrisy was discovered: thus the hypocrites boast of the Spirit which they have not, and declare their malice against them in whom the true Spirit is.
18. 2 Chronicles 18:26 Keep him straitly in prison, and let him feel hunger and thirst.
19. 2 Chronicles 18:27 Or, Micaiah.
20. 2 Chronicles 18:29 Thus the wicked think by their own subtlety to escape God’s judgments which he threateneth by his word.
21. 2 Chronicles 18:31 He cried to the Lord by acknowledging his fault in going with this wicked king to war against the word of the Lord by his Prophet, and also by desiring mercy for the same.
22. 2 Chronicles 18:33 Hebrew, in his simplicity, or ignorantly.
23. 2 Chronicles 18:33 Or, between the habergeon.
24. 2 Chronicles 18:34 He dissembled his hurt that his soldiers might fight more courageously.

Cross references

1. 2 Chronicles 18:1 : 1 Kings 22:3