Immerse: Chronicles Full Volume - Flipbook - Page 85
2C
| 18:24–19:7
C hronicles – E Z R A – N E H E M I A H
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And Micaiah replied, “You will find out soon enough when you are trying to hide in some secret room!”
“Arrest him!” the king of Israel ordered. “Take him back to Amon, the
governor of the city, and to my son Joash. Give them this order from the
king: ‘Put this man in prison, and feed him nothing but bread and water
until I return safely from the battle!’”
But Micaiah replied, “If you return safely, it will mean that the Lord
has not spoken through me!” Then he added to those standing around,
“Everyone mark my words!”
So King Ahab of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah led their armies
against R
amoth-gilead. The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “As we go
into battle, I will disguise myself so no one will recognize me, but you
wear your royal robes.” So the king of Israel disguised himself, and they
went into battle.
Meanwhile, the king of Aram had issued these orders to his chariot commanders: “Attack only the king of Israel! Don’t bother with anyone else.”
So when the Aramean chario t commanders saw Jehoshaphat in his royal
robes, they went after him. “There is the king of Israel!” they shouted.
But Jehoshaphat called out, and the Lord saved him. God helped him by
turning the attackers away from him. As soon as the chariot commanders
realized he was not the king of Israel, they stopped chasing him.
An Aramean soldier, however, randomly shot an arrow at the Israelite
troops and hit the king of Israel between the joints of his armor. “Turn the
horses and get me out of here!” Ahab groaned to the driver of the chariot.
“I’m badly wounded!”
The battle raged all that day, and the king of Israel propped himself up
in his chariot facing the Arameans. In the evening, just as the sun was setting, he died.
When King Jehoshaphat of Judah arrived safely home in Jerusalem, Jehu
son of Hanani the seer went out to meet him. “Why should you help the
wicked and love those who hate the Lord?” he asked the king. “Because
of what you have done, the Lord is very angry with you. Even so, there is
some good in you, for you have removed the Asherah poles throughout
the land, and you have committed yourself to seeking God.”
Jehoshaphat lived in Jerusalem, but he went out among the people,
traveling from Beersheba to the hill country of Ephraim, encouraging the
people to return to the Lord, the God of their ancestors. He appointed
judges throughout the nation in all the fortified towns, and he said to
them, “Always think carefully before pronouncing judgment. Remember
that you do not judge to please people but to please the Lord. He will be
with you when you render the verdict in each case. Fear the Lord and
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