1 Kings 22
All 53 verses in the Clear Bible Translation. Tap a verse to compare the KJV and read what it means.
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- 1For three years, there was no war between Syria and Israel.
- 2In the third year, King Jehoshaphat of Judah went to the king of Israel.
- 3The king of Israel said to his officials, "You know that Ramoth Gilead belongs to us, right? Why are we just sitting here doing nothing to take it back from the king of Syria?"
- 4Then he asked Jehoshaphat, "Will you go with me to fight for Ramoth Gilead?" Jehoshaphat replied to the king of Israel, "I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses."
- 5But Jehoshaphat added, "First, let's inquire of the word of the LORD today."
- 6So the king of Israel gathered about 400 prophets and asked them, "Should I attack Ramoth Gilead, or should I hold back?" They all said, "Go up, for the LORD will deliver it into the hand of the king."
- 7Jehoshaphat asked, "Is there not another prophet of the LORD here whom we can consult?"
- 8The king of Israel told Jehoshaphat, "There is one more man we could ask the LORD through — Micaiah son of Imlah. But I hate him. He never prophesies anything good about me, only evil." Jehoshaphat said, "The king should not say that."
- 9So the king of Israel called for an officer and said, "Go get Micaiah son of Imlah right away."
- 10The king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah sat each on his throne, dressed in their robes, in an open area at the entrance of the gate of Samaria, and all the prophets prophesied before them.
- 11One of them, Zedekiah son of Chenaanah, had made iron horns for himself. He declared, "This is what the LORD says: 'With these you will gore the Syrians until they are completely destroyed.'"
- 12All the prophets prophesied the same, saying, "Go up to Ramoth Gilead and prosper, for the LORD will deliver it into the king's hand."
- 13The messenger who went to get Micaiah told him, "Look, every single prophet has told the king good news. Please, just go along with them and say something positive."
- 14But Micaiah said, "As surely as the LORD lives, I will only say what the LORD tells me to say."
- 15When he arrived before the king, the king asked him, "Micaiah, should we attack Ramoth Gilead, or should we hold back?" Micaiah answered, "Go and prosper, for the LORD will deliver it into the king's hand."
- 16The king said to him, "How many times must I make you swear to tell me nothing but the truth in the name of the LORD?"
- 17Micaiah said, "I saw all Israel scattered on the hills like sheep without a shepherd. And the LORD said, 'These people have no master. Let each one return to his house in peace.'"
- 18The king of Israel turned to Jehoshaphat and said, "See? I told you — he never prophesies anything good about me, only disaster."
- 19Micaiah continued, "Then listen to the word of the LORD. I saw the LORD sitting on his throne, with the entire army of heaven standing around him on his right and his left.
- 20The LORD asked, 'Who will persuade Ahab to go up and fall at Ramoth Gilead?' One suggested this, and another suggested that.
- 21Then one spirit stepped forward, stood before the LORD, and said, 'I will persuade him.'
- 22The LORD asked, 'How?' The spirit answered, 'I'll go and be a lying spirit in the mouths of all his prophets.' The LORD said, 'You will persuade him and succeed. Go and do it.'
- 23"So here's the truth: the LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouths of all these prophets of yours. The LORD has declared disaster for you."
- 24But Zedekiah son of Chenaanah approached and struck Micaiah on the cheek, and said, 'Which way did the Spirit of the LORD go from me to speak to you?'
- 25Micaiah replied, "You will see on that day when you go into an inner room to hide."
- 26The king of Israel ordered, "Seize Micaiah and take him back to Amon, the governor of the city, and to Joash, the king's son.
- 27Tell them, 'The king says: Throw this man in prison and give him nothing but bread and water until I return safely.'"
- 28Micaiah declared, "If you return safely, then the LORD has not spoken through me." Then he called out, "Mark my words, all of you!"
- 29So the king of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah marched together to Ramoth Gilead.
- 30The king of Israel told Jehoshaphat, "I'm going to disguise myself before going into battle, but you wear your royal robes." So the king of Israel put on a disguise and rode into battle.
- 31Now the king of Syria had given strict orders to his 32 chariot commanders: "Don't bother fighting anyone else — focus only on the king of Israel."
- 32When the chariot commanders spotted Jehoshaphat, they assumed he was the king of Israel and turned to attack him. Jehoshaphat cried out.
- 33As soon as the chariot commanders realized he wasn't the king of Israel, they broke off their pursuit.
- 34But a soldier drew his bow and shot an arrow at random, hitting the king of Israel between the joints of his armor. The king told his chariot driver, "Turn around and get me out of the battle; I'm badly wounded."
- 35The battle raged on all day. The king was propped up in his chariot facing the Syrians, but he died that evening. Blood from his wound pooled in the bottom of the chariot.
- 36As the sun went down, a cry spread through the army: "Every man back to his own city! Every man back to his own land!"
- 37So the king died, and his body was brought to Samaria, where they buried him.
- 38One person washed the chariot in the pool of Samaria. The dogs licked up his blood, and they washed his armor, just as the LORD had spoken.
- 39The rest of Ahab's acts, all that he did, the ivory house he made, and all the cities he built, are recorded in the chronicles of the kings of Israel.
- 40So Ahab died, and his son Ahaziah became king in his place.
- 41Jehoshaphat son of Asa became king of Judah during the 4th year of King Ahab of Israel's reign.
- 42Jehoshaphat was 35 years old when he became king, and he ruled in Jerusalem for 25 years. His mother was Azubah daughter of Shilhi.
- 43He followed all the ways of his father Asa and did not turn aside from them, doing what was right in the eyes of the LORD. However, the high places were not removed; the people still offered sacrifices and burned incense there.
- 44Jehoshaphat also made peace with the king of Israel.
- 45Now, the rest of Jehoshaphat's deeds, the might he showed, and how he fought—are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?
- 46And he removed the remaining sodomites from the land, who had survived from the days of his father Asa.
- 47At that time, there was no king in Edom; a deputy was in charge.
- 48Jehoshaphat built ships of Tharshish to go to Ophir for gold, but they never sailed because the ships were wrecked at Ezion Geber.
- 49Ahaziah son of Ahab offered, "Let my men sail with your men on the ships." But Jehoshaphat refused.
- 50Jehoshaphat died and was buried with his ancestors in the city of David his father. His son Jehoram reigned in his place.
- 51Ahaziah son of Ahab became king of Israel in Samaria during the 17th year of King Jehoshaphat of Judah's reign, and he ruled Israel for 2 years.
- 52He did evil in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the way of his father, his mother, and Jeroboam son of Nebat, who made Israel sin.
- 53He worshiped and served Baal, provoking the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger — just as his father had done.