2 Chronicles · Free Bible Version
2 Chronicles 18 Free Bible Version
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
1 Now Jehoshaphat was very wealthy and highly honored, and he made a marriage alliance with Ahab.
1 Now Jehoshaphat had riches and honor in abundance; and he allied himself with Ahab.
2 Some years later he went to pay Ahab a visit in Samaria. Ahab sacrificed many sheep and cattle for him and the people who accompanied him, and encouraged him to attack Ramoth-gilead.
2 After some years, he went down to Ahab to Samaria. Ahab killed sheep and cattle for him in abundance, and for the people who were with him, and moved him to go up with him to Ramoth Gilead.
3 Ahab, king of Israel, asked Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, “Would you go with me against Ramoth-gilead?” Jehoshaphat replied, “You and I are as one, and my men and your men are as one. We will join forces with you in this war.”
3 Ahab king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat king of Judah, “Will you go with me to Ramoth Gilead?” He answered him, “I am as you are, and my people as your people. We will be with you in the war.”
4 Then Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “But first though, please find out what the Lord says.”
4 Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “Please inquire first for Yahweh’s word.”
5 So the king of Israel brought out the prophets—four hundred of them—and he asked them, “Should we go up and attack Ramoth-gilead, or should I not?” “Yes, go ahead,” they replied, “for God will hand it over to the king.”
5 Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, four hundred men, and said to them, “Shall we go to Ramoth Gilead to battle, or shall I forbear?” They said, “Go up, for God will deliver it into the hand of the king.”
6 But Jehoshaphat asked, “Isn't there another prophet of the Lord here that we can ask?”
6 But Jehoshaphat said, “Isn’t there here a prophet of Yahweh besides, that we may inquire of him?”
7 “Yes, there's another man who could consult the Lord,” the king of Israel replied, “but I don't like him because he never prophesies anything good for me—it's always bad! His name is Micaiah, son of Imlah.” “You shouldn't talk like that,” said Jehoshaphat.
7 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of Yahweh; but I hate him, for he never prophesies good concerning me, but always evil. He is Micaiah the son of Imla.” Jehoshaphat said, “Don’t let the king say so.”
8 The king of Israel called over one of his officials and told him, “Bring me Micaiah, son of Imlah, right away.”
8 Then the king of Israel called an officer, and said, “Get Micaiah the son of Imla quickly.”
9 Dressed in their royal robes, the king of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah, were sitting on their thrones at the threshing floor beside the gate of Samaria, with all of the prophets prophesying in front of them.
9 Now the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah each sat on his throne, arrayed in their robes, and they were sitting in an open place at the entrance of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets were prophesying before them.
10 One of them, Zedekiah, son of Chenaanah, had made himself iron horns. He announced, “This is what the Lord says: ‘With these horns you will gore the Arameans until they're dead!’”
10 Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made himself horns of iron and said, “Yahweh says, ‘With these you shall push the Syrians, until they are consumed.’”
11 All the prophets were prophesying the same thing, saying, “Go ahead, attack Ramoth-gilead; you will be successful, for the Lord will hand it over to the king.”
11 All the prophets prophesied so, saying, “Go up to Ramoth Gilead, and prosper; for Yahweh will deliver it into the hand of the king.”
12 The messenger who went to call Micaiah told him, “Look, all the prophets are unanimous in prophesying positively to the king. So please make sure to speak positively like them.”
12 The messenger who went to call Micaiah spoke to him, saying, “Behold, the words of the prophets declare good to the king with one mouth. Let your word therefore, please be like one of theirs, and speak good.”
13 But Micaiah replied, “As the Lord lives, I can only say what my God tells me.”
13 Micaiah said, “As Yahweh lives, I will say what my God says.”
14 When he came before the king, the king asked him, “Should we go up and attack Ramoth-gilead, or should I not?” “Yes, go ahead and be victorious,” Micaiah replied, “for they will be handed over to the king.”
14 When he had come to the king, the king said to him, “Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth Gilead to battle, or shall I forbear?” He said, “Go up, and prosper. They shall be delivered into your hand.”
15 But the king said to him, “How many times must I make you swear to tell me only the truth in the name of the Lord?”
15 The king said to him, “How many times shall I adjure you that you speak to me nothing but the truth in Yahweh’s name?”
16 So Micaiah answered, “I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains like sheep without a shepherd. The Lord said, ‘These people have no master; let each of them go home in peace.’”
16 He said, “I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd. Yahweh said, ‘These have no master. Let them each return to his house in peace.’”
17 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Didn't I tell you he never prophesies anything good for me, only bad?”
17 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Didn’t I tell you that he would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil?”
18 Micaiah went on to say, “So listen to what the Lord says. I saw the Lord sitting on his throne, surrounded by the whole army of heaven standing to his right and to his left.
18 Micaiah said, “Therefore hear Yahweh’s word: I saw Yahweh sitting on his throne, and all the army of heaven standing on his right hand and on his left.
19 The Lord asked, ‘Who will trick Ahab, king of Israel, into attacking Ramoth-gilead so he will be killed there?’ One said this, another said that, and another said something else.
19 Yahweh said, ‘Who will entice Ahab king of Israel, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth Gilead?’ One spoke saying in this way, and another saying in that way.
20 Finally a spirit came and approached the Lord and said, ‘I will trick him.’ ‘How are you going to do that?’ the Lord asked.
20 A spirit came out, stood before Yahweh, and said, ‘I will entice him.’ “Yahweh said to him, ‘How?’
21 ‘I will go and be a lying spirit and make all his prophets tell lies,’ the spirit replied. ‘That will work,’ the Lord responded. ‘Go and do it.’
21 “He said, ‘I will go, and will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ “He said, ‘You will entice him, and will prevail also. Go and do so.’
22 As you see, the Lord has put a lying spirit into these prophets of yours, and the Lord has pronounced your death sentence.”
22 “Now therefore, behold, Yahweh has put a lying spirit in the mouth of these your prophets; and Yahweh has spoken evil concerning you.”
23 Then Zedekiah, son of Chenaanah, went and slapped Micaiah in the face, and demanded, “Which way did the Spirit of the Lord go when he left me to speak to you?”
23 Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah came near, and struck Micaiah on the cheek, and said, “Which way did Yahweh’s Spirit go from me to speak to you?”
24 “You'll soon find out when you try and find some secret place to hide!” Micaiah replied.
24 Micaiah said, “Behold, you shall see on that day, when you go into an inner room to hide yourself.”
25 The king of Israel ordered, “Place Micaiah under arrest and take him back to Amon the governor of the city and to my son Joash.
25 The king of Israel said, “Take Micaiah, and carry him back to Amon the governor of the city, and to Joash the king’s son;
26 Tell them these are the king's instructions: ‘Put this man in jail. Give him only bread and water until my safe return.’”
26 and say, ‘The king says, “Put this fellow in the prison, and feed him with bread of affliction and with water of affliction, until I return in peace.”’”
27 “If you do in fact return safely then the Lord has not spoken through me,” Micaiah declared. “Pay attention everyone to all I've said!”
27 Micaiah said, “If you return at all in peace, Yahweh has not spoken by me.” He said, “Listen, you people, all of you!”
28 The king of Israel and Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, went to attack Ramoth-gilead.
28 So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went up to Ramoth Gilead.
29 The king of Israel told Jehoshaphat, “When I go into battle I will be in disguise, but you should wear your royal robes.” So the king of Israel disguised himself and went into battle.
29 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “I will disguise myself, and go into the battle; but you put on your robes.” So the king of Israel disguised himself; and they went into the battle.
30 The king of Aram had already given these orders to his chariot commanders: “Head straight for the king of Israel alone. Don't fight with anyone else, whoever they are.”
30 Now the king of Syria had commanded the captains of his chariots, saying, “Don’t fight with small nor great, except only with the king of Israel.”
31 So when the chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat, they shouted, “There's the king of Israel!” So they turned to attack him, but Jehoshaphat called out for help, and the Lord did help him. God redirected them away from him,
31 When the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, they said, “It is the king of Israel!” Therefore they turned around to fight against him. But Jehoshaphat cried out, and Yahweh helped him; and God moved them to depart from him.
32 for when the chariot commanders realized that he wasn't the king of Israel, they stopped chasing him.
32 When the captains of the chariots saw that it was not the king of Israel, they turned back from pursuing him.
33 However, an enemy archer shot an arrow at random, hitting the king of Israel between the joints of his armor by his breastplate. The king told his charioteer, “Turn around and get me out of the fight, because I've been wounded!”
33 A certain man drew his bow at random, and struck the king of Israel between the joints of the armor. Therefore he said to the driver of the chariot, “Turn around and carry me out of the battle, for I am severely wounded.”
34 The battle lasted all day. The king of Israel propped himself up in his chariot to face the Arameans until the evening. But he died at sunset.
34 The battle increased that day. However, the king of Israel propped himself up in his chariot against the Syrians until the evening; and at about sunset, he died.
People & places in this chapter
From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.
People
Amon the governor of the city
The governor of the city to whom Ahab ordered Micaiah returned to be imprisoned on bread and water.
Cited in the guide: 1 Kings 22:26; 2 Chronicles 18:25
Chenaanah
Named as the father of the prophet Zedekiah who made iron horns.
Cited in the guide: 1 Kings 22:11; 1 Kings 22:24; 2 Chronicles 18:10
Imlah
Named as the father of the prophet Micaiah.
Cited in the guide: 1 Kings 22:8; 1 Kings 22:9; 2 Chronicles 18:7
Jehoshaphat
A godly king who sent teachers of the Law throughout Judah.
Cited in the guide: 1 Kings 22; 2 Chron. 17-20; Matt. 1:8
Joash the king's son
The king of Israel's son, to whom with Amon the governor Ahab ordered Micaiah returned.
Cited in the guide: 1 Kings 22:26; 2 Chronicles 18:25
Zedekiah son of Chenaanah
One of the prophets before Ahab who made iron horns, declared that Ahab would gore the Arameans with them, and struck Micaiah in the face.
Cited in the guide: 1 Kings 22:11; 1 Kings 22:24; 2 Chronicles 18:10
Cross references (34)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 2 Chronicles 17:5; 2 Chronicles 21:6; 2 Chronicles 19:2; 2 Kings 8:18; 2 Chronicles 22:2–3
- 2 2 Kings 9:1; 1 Kings 1:9; 2 Chronicles 19:2; 1 Kings 4:13; Deuteronomy 4:43
- 3 2 Kings 3:7; 1 Kings 22:4; Ephesians 5:11; 2 John 10–11; Psalm 139:21
- 4 Jeremiah 21:2; 2 Samuel 5:23; 2 Samuel 2:1; 1 Samuel 23:4; 1 Samuel 23:9–12
- 5 2 Chronicles 18:14; 2 Chronicles 18:20–21; Micah 3:11; Revelation 19:20; 1 Kings 18:19
- 6 1 Kings 22:7–9; 2 Kings 3:11–13
- 7 Micah 2:7; Amos 5:10; 1 Kings 18:17; Isaiah 30:10; 1 Kings 21:20
- 8 1 Kings 22:9; 1 Chronicles 28:1; 2 Chronicles 18:25–26; Daniel 1:7–8; Isaiah 39:7
- 9 Isaiah 14:9; 1 Kings 22:10–12; Ezekiel 26:16; Matthew 11:8; Daniel 7:9
- 10 2 Timothy 3:8; Ezekiel 13:7; Jeremiah 28:10–14; Ezekiel 22:28; Zechariah 1:18–21
- 11 2 Chronicles 18:5; Micah 3:5; Proverbs 24:24–25; Revelation 16:13–14; Revelation 19:20
- 12 Micah 2:6; Isaiah 30:10; Hosea 7:3; Joshua 9:2; Job 22:13
- 13 Numbers 22:35; Numbers 24:13; Numbers 22:18–20; 2 Corinthians 2:17; 1 Thessalonians 2:4
- 14 Matthew 26:45; Lamentations 4:21; Ecclesiastes 11:1; Amos 4:4–5; 1 Kings 22:15
- 15 1 Samuel 14:24; Matthew 26:63; Mark 5:7; Acts 19:13; 1 Kings 22:16
- 16 Matthew 9:36; Ezekiel 34:8; Numbers 27:17; 1 Kings 22:17; Ezekiel 34:5–6
- 17 Jeremiah 43:2–3; 2 Chronicles 18:7; Proverbs 29:1; 1 Kings 22:18
- 18 Daniel 7:9; Isaiah 6:1–5; Acts 7:55–56; Isaiah 39:5; Jeremiah 2:4
- 19 Ezekiel 14:9; 2 Chronicles 25:8; Isaiah 54:16; 2 Chronicles 25:19; Proverbs 11:5
- 20 Job 1:6; 2 Corinthians 11:3; Job 2:1; 2 Corinthians 11:13–15
- 21 John 8:44; 1 Kings 22:21–22; Job 2:6; Job 1:12; Psalm 109:17
- 22 Ezekiel 14:9; Isaiah 19:14; Job 12:16; Mark 14:20–21; 2 Chronicles 18:7
- 23 Mark 14:65; Jeremiah 20:2; 1 Kings 22:23–25; Isaiah 50:5–6; Micah 5:1
- 24 Jeremiah 29:21–22; Jeremiah 29:32; 1 Kings 20:30; Isaiah 26:11; Jeremiah 28:16–17
- 25 2 Chronicles 18:8; Jeremiah 38:6–7; 2 Chronicles 34:8; Acts 24:25–27; Jeremiah 37:15–21
- 26 2 Chronicles 16:10; Psalm 80:5; Matthew 12:24; Acts 22:22; Matthew 5:12
- 27 Micah 1:2; Amos 9:10; Luke 20:45–46; Acts 13:10–11; Matthew 15:10
- 28 1 Kings 22:29–33
- 29 1 Samuel 28:8; Job 24:15; Proverbs 26:25; Psalm 12:2; 1 Kings 14:2–6
- 30 2 Chronicles 15:13; 1 Kings 20:33–34; 1 Kings 20:42; Genesis 19:11; Deuteronomy 1:17
- 31 2 Chronicles 13:14; Psalm 118:13; Psalm 34:7; Nehemiah 1:11; Proverbs 21:1
- 32 1 Kings 22:33
- 33 2 Samuel 15:11; 2 Chronicles 35:23; 1 Kings 22:34–35
- 34 Proverbs 13:21; 2 Chronicles 18:27; 2 Chronicles 18:16; Proverbs 28:17; 2 Chronicles 18:19
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences