1 Kings 22

NEW JERUSALEM	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 There was a lul of three years, with no fighting between Aram and Israel.	1 Then three years passed without war between Syria and Israel.
2 Then, in the third year, Jehoshaphat king of Judah paid a visit to the king of Israel.	2 But in the third year, Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, descended to the king of Israel.
3 The king of Israel said to his officers, 'You are aware that Ramoth in Gilead belongs to us? And yet wedo nothing to wrest it away from the king of Aram.'	3 And the king of Israel said to his servants, “Are you ignorant that Ramoth Gilead is ours, and that we have neglected to take it from the hand of the king of Syria?”
4 He said to Jehoshaphat, 'Wil you come with me to attack Ramoth in Gilead?' Jehoshaphat replied tothe king of Israel, 'I will be as you, my men as yours, my horses as yours.'	4 And so he said to Jehoshaphat, “Will you come to the battle with me at Ramoth Gilead?”
5 Jehoshaphat, however, said to the king of Israel, 'First, please enquire what the word of Yahweh is.'	5 And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel: “As I am, so also are you. My people and your people are one. And my horsemen are your horsemen.” And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “I beg you to inquire today of the word of the Lord.”
6 The king of Israel then cal ed the prophets together, about four hundred of them. 'Should I go andattack Ramoth in Gilead,' he asked, 'or should I hold back?' 'Go ahead,' they replied, 'for Yahweh has alreadygiven it to the king.'	6 Therefore, the king of Israel gathered together the prophets, about four hundred men, and he said to them, “Should I go to Ramoth Gilead to make war, or should I be at peace?” They responded, “Ascend, and the Lord will give it into the hand of the king.”
7 Jehoshaphat, however, said, 'Is there no other prophet of Yahweh here, so that we can enquirethrough him?'	7 Then Jehoshaphat said, “Is there not here a particular prophet of the Lord, so that we may inquire by him?”
8 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, 'There is one more man through whom we can consultYahweh, but I hate him because he never has a favourable prophecy for me, only unfavourable ones; he isMicaiah son of Imlah.' 'I hope the king's words are unjustified,' said Jehoshaphat.	8 And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat: “One man remains, by whom we may be able to inquire of the Lord: Micaiah, the son of Imlah. But I hate him. For he does not prophecy good to me, but evil.” And Jehoshaphat said, “You should not speak in this way, O king.”
9 The king of Israel then summoned a court official and said, 'Bring Micaiah son of Imlah immediately.'	9 Therefore, the king of Israel called a certain eunuch, and he said to him, “Hurry to bring here Micaiah, the son of Imlah.”
10 The king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah were sitting each on his throne, wearing their robes,in an open space just outside the gate of Samaria, with al the prophets in a state of ecstasy before them.	10 Now the king of Israel, and Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, were each sitting upon his own throne, clothed in the habit of royal vestments, in a courtyard beside the entrance of the gate of Samaria. And all the prophets were prophesying in their sight.
11 Zedekiah son of Kenaanah, who had made himself some iron horns, said, 'Yahweh says, "With hornslike these you wil gore the Aramaeans til you make an end of them." '	11 Also, Zedekiah, the son of Chenaanah, made for himself horns of iron, and he said, “Thus says the Lord: With these, you shall threaten Syria, until you destroy it.”
12 And all the prophets cried ecstatical y in the same vein, saying, 'March on Ramoth in Gilead! Success is sure, for Yahweh has already given it to the king!'	12 And all the prophets were prophesying similarly, saying: “Ascend to Ramoth Gilead, and go forth to success. For the Lord will deliver it into the hands of the king.”
13 The messenger who had gone to summon Micaiah said to him, 'Look here, what the prophets aresaying is uniformly favourable to the king. I hope you wil say the same as they do and speak favourably.'	13 Then truly, the messenger who had gone to summon Micaiah spoke to him, saying: “Behold, the words of the prophets, as if with one mouth, are predicting good to the king. Therefore, let your word be like theirs, and speak what is good.”
14 Micaiah said, 'As Yahweh lives, I shal speak as Yahweh tel s me!'	14 But Micaiah said to him, “As the Lord lives, whatever the Lord will have said to me, this shall I speak.”
15 When he came to the king, the king said, 'Micaiah, should we go and attack Ramoth in Gilead, orshould we hold back?' He replied, 'Go ahead! Success is sure, for Yahweh has already given it to the king!'	15 And so he went to the king. And the king said to him, “Micaiah, should we go to Ramoth Gilead to do battle, or should we cease?” And he responded to him, “Ascend, and go forth to success, and the Lord will deliver it into the hands of the king.”
16 The king then said, 'How often must I put you on oath to tell me nothing but the truth in the name ofYahweh?'	16 But the king said to him, “I require you under oath, again and again, that you not say to me anything except what is true, in the name of the Lord.”
17 Then he spoke out: I saw al Israel scattered on the mountains like sheep without a shepherd. AndYahweh said, 'These have no master, let them all go safely home!'	17 And he said: “I saw all of Israel scattered among the hills, like sheep that have no shepherd. And the Lord said: ‘These have no master. Let each of them return to his own house in peace.’ ”
18 At this the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, 'Did I not tell you that he never gives me favourableprophecies, but only unfavourable ones?'	18 Therefore, the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat: “Did I not tell you that he prophesies nothing good to me, but always evil?”
19 Micaiah went on, 'Now listen to the word of Yahweh. I saw Yahweh seated on his throne with thewhole array of heaven standing by him, on his right and on his left.	19 Yet truly, continuing, he said: “Because of his, listen to the word of the Lord. I saw the Lord sitting upon his throne. And the entire army of heaven was standing beside him, to the right and to the left.
20 Yahweh said, "Who will entice Ahab into marching to his death at Ramoth in Gilead?" At which someanswered one way, and some another.	20 And the Lord said, ‘Who will mislead Ahab, the king of Israel, so that he may ascend and fall at Ramoth Gilead?’ And one spoke words in this manner, and another spoke otherwise.
21 A spirit then came forward and stood before Yahweh and said, "I wil entice him."	21 But then a spirit went out and stood before the Lord. And he said, ‘I will mislead him.’ And the Lord said to him, ‘By what means?’
22 "How?" Yahweh asked. He replied, "I shal go and be a deceptive spirit in the mouths of al hisprophets." Yahweh said, "You wil succeed in enticing him. Go and do it."	22 And he said, ‘I will go forth, and I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ And the Lord said: ‘You will deceive him, and you will prevail. Go forth, and do so.’
23 And now, you see, Yahweh has put a deceptive spirit into the mouths of al your prophets here, for infact Yahweh has pronounced disaster on you.'	23 So now, behold: the Lord has given a lying spirit into the mouth of all your prophets who are here. And the Lord has spoken evil against you.”
24 Zedekiah son of Chenaanah then came up, struck Micaiah on the cheek and said, 'Which way didYahweh's spirit leave me, to speak to you?'	24 Then Zedekiah, the son of Chenaanah, drew near and struck Micaiah on the jaw, and he said, “So then, has the Spirit of the Lord left me, and spoken to you?”
25 'That is what you will find out,' Micaiah retorted, 'the day you go from room to room, trying to hide.'	25 And Micaiah said, “You shall see in the day when you will enter into a room within a room, so that you may conceal yourself.”
26 The king of Israel said, 'Seize Micaiah and hand him over to Amon, governor of the city, and Joash,the king's son,	26 And the king of Israel said: “Take Micaiah, and let him dwell with Amon, the ruler of the city, and with Joash, the son of Amalech.
27 and say, "These are the king's orders: Put this man in prison and feed him on nothing but bread andwater until I am safely home." '	27 And tell them: ‘Thus says the king: Put this man in prison, and sustain him with the bread of affliction, and with the water of distress, until I return in peace.’ ”
28 Micaiah said, 'If you ever do get home safely, Yahweh has not spoken through me.'	28 And Micaiah said, “If you will have returned in peace, the Lord has not spoken through me.” And he said, “May all the people hear it.”
29 The king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah marched on Ramoth in Gilead.	29 And so, the king of Israel, and Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, ascended to Ramoth Gilead.
30 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, 'I shal disguise myself to go into battle, but you put on yourrobes.' So the king of Israel disguised himself and went into battle.	30 Then the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat: “Take up your armor, and enter the battle. And be clothed in your own garments.” But the king of Israel changed his clothing, and he entered the war.
31 Now, the king of Aram had given his chariot commanders the fol owing order, 'Do not attack anyoneof whatever rank, except the king of Israel.'	31 Now the king of Syria had instructed the thirty-two commanders of the chariots, saying, “You shall not fight against anyone, small or great, except against the king of Israel alone.”
32 So, when the chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat, they thought, 'That is obviously the king ofIsrael,' and surrounded him to attack. But when Jehoshaphat shouted his war cry	32 Therefore, when the commanders of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, they suspected that he was the king of Israel. And making a violent assault, they fought against him. And Jehoshaphat cried out.
33 the chariot commanders, realising that he was not the king of Israel, broke off their pursuit.	33 And the commanders of the chariots understood that he was not the king of Israel, and so they turned away from him.
34 Someone, however, drawing his bow without any special aim, shot the king of Israel between thejoints of his armour. 'Turn about!' said the king to his charioteer. 'Get me out of the fighting; I am col apsing.'	34 But a certain man bent his bow, aiming the arrow without certitude, and by chance he struck the king of Israel, between the lungs and the stomach. Then he said to the driver of his chariot, “Turn your hand, and carry me away from the army, for I have been grievously wounded.”
35 But the battle grew fiercer as the day went on and the king had to be held upright in his chariot facingthe Aramaeans, the blood from the wound running into the bottom of the chariot, until in the evening he died.	35 Then the battle was undertaken throughout that day. And the king of Israel was standing on his chariot opposite the Syrians, and he died in the evening. For the blood was flowing from the wound into the joints of the chariot.
36 At sundown a shout ran through the ranks, 'Every man back to his town, every man back to hiscountry!	36 And a herald proclaimed throughout the entire army, before the setting of the sun, saying: “Let each one return to his own city, and to his own land.”
37 The king is dead.' He was taken to Samaria and in Samaria the king was buried.	37 Then the king died, and he was carried into Samaria. And they buried the king in Samaria.
38 They washed the chariot at the Pool of Samaria; the dogs licked up the blood, and the prostituteswashed in it, in accordance with the word which Yahweh had spoken.	38 And they washed his chariot in the pool of Samaria. And the dogs licked up his blood. And they washed the reins, in accord with the word of the Lord which he had spoken.
39 The rest of the history of Ahab, his entire career, the ivory house he erected, al the towns he built, isthis not recorded in the Book of the Annals of the Kings of Israel?	39 But the rest of the words of Ahab, and all that he did, and the house of ivory that he built, and all the cities that he constructed, were these not written in the book of the words of the days of the kings of Israel?
40 When Ahab fel asleep with his ancestors, his son Ahaziah succeeded him.	40 And so, Ahab slept with his fathers. And Ahaziah, his son, reigned in his place.
41 Jehoshaphat son of Asa became king of Judah in the fourth year of Ahab king of Israel.	41 Yet truly, Jehoshaphat, the son of Asa, had begun to reign over Judah in the fourth year of Ahab, the king of Israel.
42 Jehoshaphat was thirty-five years old when he came to the throne, and he reigned for twenty-fiveyears in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Azubah daughter of Shilhi.	42 He was thirty-five years old when he had begun to reign, and he reigned for twenty-five years in Jerusalem. The name of his mother was Azubah, the daughter of Shilhi.
43 In every way he followed the example of his father Asa undeviatingly, doing what is pleasing toYahweh.	43 And he walked in the entire way of Asa, his father, and he did not decline from it. And he did what was right in the sight of the Lord.
44 The high places, however, were not abolished; the people stil offered sacrifice and incense on thehigh places.	44 Yet truly, he did not take away the high places. For still the people were sacrificing and burning incense in the high places.
45 Jehoshaphat was at peace with the king of Israel.	45 And Jehoshaphat had peace with the king of Israel.
46 The rest of the history of Jehoshaphat, the valour he showed, the wars he waged, is this not recordedin the Book of the Annals of the Kings of Judah?	46 But the rest of the words of Jehoshaphat, and his works that he did, and the battles, were these not written in the book of the words of the days of the kings of Judah?
47 The few male sacred prostitutes left over from the days of his father Asa, he expel ed from thecountry.	47 Then, too, the remnant of the effeminate, who had remained in the days of Asa, his father, he took away from the land.
48 At the time, Edom had no king, and King	48 At that time, there was no king appointed in Idumea.
49 Jehoshaphat built ships of Tarshish to go to Ophir for gold, but they never made the voyage since theships were wrecked at Ezion-Geber.	49 Yet truly, king Jehoshaphat had made a navy on the sea, which would sail to Ophir for gold. But they were unable to go, because the ships were broken down at Eziongeber.
50 Ahaziah son of Ahab then proposed to Jehoshaphat, 'Let my men go to sea with yours.' ButJehoshaphat would not agree.	50 Then Ahaziah, the son of Ahab, said to Jehoshaphat, “Let my servants go with your servants on the ships.” But Jehoshaphat was not willing.
51 When Jehoshaphat fel asleep with his ancestors he was buried in the City of his ancestor, David; hisson Jehoram succeeded him.	51 And Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers, and he was buried with them in the city of David, his father. And Jehoram, his son, reigned in his place.
52 Ahaziah son of Ahab became king of Israel in Samaria in the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat king ofJudah, and reigned over Israel for two years.	52 Then Ahaziah, the son of Ahab, began to reign over Israel, in Samaria, in the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah. And he reigned over Israel for two years.
53 He did what is displeasing to Yahweh, by following the example of his father and mother, and ofJeroboam son of Nebat who had led Israel into sin.	53 And he did evil in the sight of the Lord. And he walked in the way of his father and his mother, and in the way of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, who caused Israel to sin.
54 He served Baal and worshipped him, and provoked the anger of Yahweh God of Israel just as hisfather had done.	54 Also, he served Baal, and he adored him, and he provoked the Lord, the God of Israel, in accord with all that his father had done.