2 Chronicles 18

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 Although Jehoshaphat enjoyed great wealth and honour, he al ied himself by marriage to Ahab.	1 Jehoshaphat therefore had wealth and glory in abundance; but he became related to Ahab by marriage.
2 After some years he paid a visit to Ahab in Samaria. Ahab slaughtered an immense number of sheepand oxen for him and his retinue, to induce him to attack Ramoth-Gilead.	2 After some years he went down to Ahab at Samaria; Ahab offered numerous sheep and oxen for him and the people with him, and persuaded him to go up against Ramoth-gilead.
3 Ahab king of Israel then said to Jehoshaphat king of Judah, 'Wil you come with me to Ramoth-Gilead?' He replied, 'I wil share in battle with you, my men with yours.'	3 Ahab, king of Israel, asked Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, "Will you come with me to Ramoth-gilead?" "You and I are as one," was his answer; "your people and my people as well. We will be with you in the battle."
4 Jehoshaphat, however, said to the king of Israel, 'First, please consult the word of Yahweh.'	4 But Jehoshaphat also said to the king of Israel, "Seek the word of the LORD at once."
5 So the king of Israel cal ed the prophets together, four hundred of them. 'Should we go and attackRamoth-Gilead,' he asked, 'or should I hold back?' 'March,' they replied, 'for God wil deliver it into the king'spower.'	5 The king of Israel gathered his prophets, four hundred in number, and asked them, "Shall we go to attack Ramoth-gilead, or shall I refrain?" "Go up," they answered. "God will deliver it over to the king."
6 Jehoshaphat, however, said, 'Is there no other prophet of Yahweh here, for us to consult?'	6 But Jehoshaphat said, "Is there no other prophet of the LORD here whom we may consult?"
7 The king of Israel answered Jehoshaphat, 'There is one more man through whom we can consultYahweh, but I hate him because he never has a favourable prophecy for me, always unfavourable ones; he isMicaiah son of Imlah.' 'The king should not say such things,' said Jehoshaphat.	7 The king of Israel answered Jehoshaphat, "There is still another through whom we may consult the LORD, but I hate him, for he prophesies not good but always evil about me. That is Micaiah, son of Imlah." Jeshoshaphat said, "Let not your Majesty speak of evil against you."
8 The king of Israel then summoned a court official and said, 'Bring Micaiah son of Imlah immediately.'	8 So the king of Israel called an official, to whom he said, "Get Micaiah, son of Imlah, at once."
9 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 prophesying before them,	9 The king of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah were seated each on his throne, clothed in their robes of state on a threshing floor at the entrance of the gate of Samaria, and all the prophets were prophesying before them.
10 Zedekiah son of Chenaanah, who had made himself some iron horns, said, 'Yahweh says, "Withhorns like these, you will gore the Aramaeans til you make an end of them." '	10 Zedekiah, son of Chenaanah, made iron horns for himself and said: "The LORD says, 'With these you shall gore Aram until you have destroyed them.'"
11 And al the prophets prophesied in the same vein, saying, 'March on Ramoth-Gilead! Success issure, for Yahweh has already given it to the king!'	11 The other prophets prophesied in the same vein, saying: "Go up to Ramoth-gilead. You shall succeed; the LORD will deliver it over to the king."
12 The messenger who had gone to summon Micaiah said to him, 'Look! What the prophets are sayingis uniformly favourable to the king. So I hope you wil say the same as they do and speak favourably.'	12 The messenger who had gone to call Micaiah said to him: "Look now, the prophets unanimously predict good for the king. Let your word, like each of theirs, predict good."
13 Micaiah said, 'As Yahweh lives, I shal speak exactly as Yahweh tells me!'	13 "As the LORD lives," Micaiah answered, "I will say what my God tells me."
14 When he came to the king, the king said, 'Micaiah, should we march to attack Ramoth-Gilead, orshould I hold back?' He replied, 'Go and conquer, Yahweh wil deliver them into your power!'	14 When he came to the king, the king said to him, "Micaiah, shall we go to fight against Ramoth-gilead, or shall I refrain?" "Go up," he answered, "and succeed; they will be delivered into your power."
15 The king went on, 'How often must I put you on oath to tel me nothing but the truth in the name ofYahweh?'	15 But the king said to him, "How many times must I adjure you to tell me nothing but the truth in the name of the LORD?"
16 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 peaceful y home!'	16 Then Micaiah answered: "I see all Israel scattered on the mountains, like sheep without a shepherd, and the LORD saying, 'These have no master!' Let each of them go back home in peace.'"
17 At this the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, 'Did I not tell you that he never gives me favourableprophecies, but only unfavourable ones?'	17 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "Did I not tell you that he prophesies no good about me, but only evil?"
18 Micaiah went on, 'Now listen to the word of Yahweh. I saw Yahweh seated on his throne with thewhole array of heaven standing on his right and on his left.	18 But Micaiah continued: "Therefore hear the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD seated on his throne, with the whole host of heaven standing by to his right and to his left.
19 Yahweh said, "Who will entice Ahab king of Israel into marching to his death at Ramoth-Gilead?" Atwhich some answered one way, and some another.	19 The LORD asked, 'Who will deceive Ahab, king of Israel, so that he will go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?' And one said this, another that,
20 A spirit then came forward and stood before Yahweh and said, "I wil entice him." "How?" Yahweh asked.	20 until a spirit came forward and presented himself to the LORD, saying, 'I will deceive him.' The LORD asked, 'How?'
21 He replied, "I shall go and be a deceptive spirit in the mouths of all his prophets." Yahweh said, "You wil succeed in enticing him. Go and do it."	21 He answered, 'I will go forth and become a lying spirit in the mouths of all his prophets.' The LORD agreed: 'You shall succeed in deceiving him. Go forth and do this.'
22 And now, you see, Yahweh has put a deceptive spirit into the mouths of your prophets here, for infact Yahweh has pronounced disaster on you.'	22 So now the LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouths of these your prophets, but the LORD himself has decreed evil against you."
23 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?'	23 Thereupon Zedekiah, son of Chenaanah, came up and slapped Micaiah on the cheek, saying, "Which way did the spirit of the LORD go when he left me to speak to you?"
24 'That is what you wil find out,' Micaiah retorted, 'the day you go from room to room, trying to hide.'	24 "You shall find out," Micaiah replied, "on that day when you enter an innermost chamber to hide."
25 The king of Israel said, 'Seize Micaiah and hand him over to Amon governor of the city, and Joashthe king's son,	25 The king of Israel then said: "Seize Micaiah and take him back to Amon, prefect of the city, and to Joash the king's son,
26 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." '	26 and say, 'This is the king's order: Put this man in prison and feed him scanty rations of bread and water until I return in safety!'"
27 Micaiah said, 'If you ever do get home safely, Yahweh has not spoken through me.'	27 But Micaiah said, "If ever you return in safety, the LORD has not spoken through me." And he said, "Hear, O peoples, all of you!"
28 The king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah marched on Ramoth-Gilead.	28 The king of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah went up to Ramoth-gilead
29 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, 'I shall disguise myself to go into battle, but you put on yourrobes.' So the king of Israel disguised himself, and they went into battle.	29 and the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "I will go into battle disguised, but you put on your own clothes." So the king of Israel disguised himself and they entered the fray.
30 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.'	30 Meanwhile, the king of Aram had given his chariot commanders the order, "Fight with no one, small or great, except the king of Israel."
31 So, when the chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat, they thought, 'That is the king of Israel,' andsurrounded him to attack. But when Jehoshaphat shouted his war cry, Yahweh came to his help, God drew themaway from him,	31 When the commanders saw Jehoshaphat, they exclaimed, "That must be the king of Israel!" and shifted to fight him. But Jehoshaphat cried out and the LORD helped him; God induced them to leave him.
32 for the chariot commanders, realising that he was not the king of Israel, broke off their pursuit.	32 The chariot commanders became aware that he was not the king of Israel and gave up their pursuit of him.
33 Someone, however, drawing his bow without any special aim, shot the king of Israel between thejoints of his armour. 'Turn about!' he said to his charioteer. 'Get me out of the fighting; I am col apsing.'	33 Someone, however, drew his bow at random and hit the king of Israel between the joints of his breastplate. He ordered his charioteer, "Rein about and take me out of the ranks, for I am disabled."
34 But the battle grew fiercer as the day went on, and the king of Israel had to be held upright in hischariot facing the Aramaeans until the evening, and at sunset he died.	34 The battle grew fierce during the day, and the king of Israel braced himself up on his chariot facing the Arameans until evening. He died as the sun was setting.