2 Chronicles 18

NEW JERUSALEM	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 Although Jehoshaphat enjoyed great wealth and honour, he al ied himself by marriage to Ahab.	1 Therefore, Jehoshaphat was wealthy and very famous, and he was joined by affinity to Ahab.
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 And after some years, he descended to him in Samaria. And upon his arrival, Ahab slaughtered very many sheep and oxen, for him and for the people who had arrived with him. And he persuaded him that he should ascend 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 And Ahab, the king of Israel, said to Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, “Come with me to Ramoth Gilead.” And he answered him: “As I am, so also are you. As your people are, so also are my people. And we will be with you in war.”
4 Jehoshaphat, however, said to the king of Israel, 'First, please consult the word of Yahweh.'	4 And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “Consult, I beg you, the word of the Lord for the present circumstances.”
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 And so the king of Israel gathered together four hundred men of the prophets, and he said to them: “Should we go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or should we be quieted?” But they said, “Ascend, and God will deliver into the hand of the king.”
6 Jehoshaphat, however, said, 'Is there no other prophet of Yahweh here, for us to consult?'	6 And Jehoshaphat said, “Is there not a prophet of the Lord here, so that we may inquire of him as well?”
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 And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat: “There is one man, from whom we would be able to ask the will of the Lord. But I hate him, for he never prophesies good to me, but at all times evil. And it is Micaiah, the son of Imlah.” And Jehoshaphat said, “You should not speak in this manner, O king.”
8 The king of Israel then summoned a court official and said, 'Bring Micaiah son of Imlah immediately.'	8 Therefore, the king of Israel called one of the eunuchs, and said to him: “Quickly, summon Micaiah, the son of Imlah.”
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 Now the king of Israel, and Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, were both sitting upon their thrones, clothed in royal vestments. And they were sitting in an open area, beside 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 Truly, 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 crush it.”
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 And all the prophets prophesied similarly, and they said: “Ascend against Ramoth Gilead, and you shall prosper, and the Lord will deliver them into the hand of 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 Then the messenger who had gone to summon Micaiah said to him: “Lo, the words of all the prophets, with one mouth, announce good to the king. Therefore, I ask you that you not dissent from them in your word, and that you speak prosperity.”
13 Micaiah said, 'As Yahweh lives, I shal speak exactly as Yahweh tells me!'	13 And Micaiah responded to him, “As the Lord lives, whatever my God will say to me, the same shall I speak.”
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 Therefore, he went to the king. And the king said to him, “Micaiah, should we go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or should we be quieted?” And he responded to him: “Ascend. For everything will come to prosperity, and the enemies will be delivered into your hands.”
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 And the king said, “Again and again, I bind you by an oath, so that you will not speak to me except what is true 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 he said: “I saw all of Israel scattered amid the mountains, like sheep without a shepherd. And the Lord said: ‘These have no masters. Let each one return in peace to his own house.’ ”
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 And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat: “Did I not tell you that this one would not prophesy to me anything good, but only what is 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 Then he said: “Therefore, 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, on the right and on the 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 And the Lord said: ‘Who will deceive Ahab, the king of Israel, so that he may ascend and fall at Ramoth Gilead?’ And when one spoke in one way, and another in another way,
20 A spirit then came forward and stood before Yahweh and said, "I wil entice him." "How?" Yahweh asked.	20 there came forward a spirit, and he stood before the Lord and said, ‘I will deceive him.’ And the Lord said to him, ‘In what way will you deceive him?’
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 And he responded, ‘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 and prevail. Go forth and do so.’
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 Therefore now, behold: the Lord gave a lying spirit to the mouth of all your prophets, and the Lord has spoken evil about 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 Then Zedekiah, the son of Chenaanah, approached, and he struck Micaiah on the jaw, and he said: “In what way did the Spirit of the Lord depart from me, so that he would 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 And Micaiah said: “You yourself shall see it, in that day, when you will enter a room within a room, so that you may be hidden.”
25 The king of Israel said, 'Seize Micaiah and hand him over to Amon governor of the city, and Joashthe king's son,	25 Then the king of Israel instructed, saying: “Take Micaiah, and lead him to Amon, the leader of the city, and to Joash, the son of Amalech.
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 you shall say: ‘Thus says the king: Send this man to prison, and give to him a little bread and a little water, until I return in peace.’ ”
27 Micaiah said, 'If you ever do get home safely, Yahweh has not spoken through me.'	27 And Micaiah said, “If you will have returned in peace, the Lord has not spoken by me.” And he said, “May all the people listen.”
28 The king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah marched on Ramoth-Gilead.	28 And so, the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, ascended against 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 change my clothing, and in this way I will go into battle. But you should be clothed in your own garments.” And the king of Israel, having changed his clothing, went to war.
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 Now the king of Syria had instructed the commanders of his horsemen, saying, “You shall not fight against the least or the greatest, but only against 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 And so, when the leaders of the horsemen had seen Jehoshaphat, they said, “This one is the king of Israel.” And while fighting, they surrounded him. But he cried out to the Lord, and he assisted him, and he turned them away from him.
32 for the chariot commanders, realising that he was not the king of Israel, broke off their pursuit.	32 For when the commanders of the horsemen had seen that he was not the king of Israel, they left 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 Then it happened that one of the people shot an arrow indiscriminately, and it struck the king of Israel between the neck and the shoulder. And so he said to his chariot driver: “Turn your hand, and lead me away from the battle line. For I have been wounded.”
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 And the fight ended on that day. But the king of Israel was standing in his chariot facing the Syrians, even until evening. And he died when the sun set.