HelpFinder Bible - Flipbook - Page 694
1 KIN G S 2 2
is what the Lord says: Wasn’t it enough that you
killed Naboth? Must you rob him, too? Because
you have done this, dogs will lick your blood
at the very place where they licked the blood
of Naboth!’”
20 “So, my enemy, you have found me!” Ahab
exclaimed to Elijah.
“Yes,” Elijah answered, “I have come because you have sold yourself to what is evil
in the Lord’s sight. 21 So now the Lord says,*
‘I will bring disaster on you and consume you.
I will destroy every one of your male descendants, slave and free alike, anywhere in Israel!
22 I am going to destroy your family as I did the
family of Jeroboam son of Nebat and the family
of Baasha son of Ahijah, for you have made me
very angry and have led Israel into sin.’
23 “And regarding Jezebel, the Lord says,
‘Dogs will eat Jezebel’s body at the plot of land
in Jezreel.*’
24 “The members of Ahab’s family who die in
the city will be eaten by dogs, and those who die
in the field will be eaten by vultures.”
25 (No one else so completely sold himself to
what was evil in the Lord’s sight as Ahab did
under the influence of his wife Jezebel. 26 His worst
outrage was worshiping idols* just as the Amorites had done—the people whom the Lord had
driven out from the land ahead of the Israelites.)
27 But when Ahab heard this message, he tore
his clothing, dressed in burlap, and fasted. He
even slept in burlap and went about in deep
mourning.
28 Then another message from the Lord came
to Elijah: 29 “Do you see how Ahab has humbled
himself before me? Because he has done this,
I will not do what I promised during his lifetime. It will happen to his sons; I will destroy
his dynasty.”
Jehoshaphat and Ahab
For three years there was no war between Aram and Israel. 2 Then during
the third year, King Jehoshaphat of Judah went
to visit King Ahab of Israel. 3 During the visit,
the king of Israel said to his officials, “Do you
realize that the town of Ramoth-gilead belongs
to us? And yet we’ve done nothing to recapture
it from the king of Aram!”
4 Then he turned to Jehoshaphat and asked,
“Will you join me in battle to recover Ramothgilead?”
Jehoshaphat replied to the king of Israel,
“Why, of course! You and I are as one. My
troops are your troops, and my horses are your
horses.” 5 Then Jehoshaphat added, “But first
let’s find out what the Lord says.”
6 So the king of Israel summoned the prophets,
about 400 of them, and asked them, “Should I
go to war against Ramoth-gilead, or should I
hold back?”
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They all replied, “Yes, go right ahead! The
Lord will give the king victory.”
7 But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there not also a
prophet of the Lord here? We should ask him
the same question.”
8 The king of Israel replied to Jehoshaphat,
“There is one more man who could consult the
Lord for us, but I hate him. He never prophesies
anything but trouble for me! His name is Micaiah son of Imlah.”
Jehoshaphat replied, “That’s not the way a
king should talk! Let’s hear what he has to say.”
9 So the king of Israel called one of his officials
and said, “Quick! Bring Micaiah son of Imlah.”
Micaiah Prophesies against Ahab
10 King Ahab of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah, dressed in their royal robes, were sitting on
thrones at the threshing floor near the gate of Samaria. All of Ahab’s prophets were prophesying
there in front of them. 11 One of them, Zedekiah
son of Kenaanah, made some iron horns and proclaimed, “This is what the Lord says: With these
horns you will gore the Arameans to death!”
12 All the other prophets agreed. “Yes,” they
said, “go up to Ramoth-gilead and be victorious, for the Lord will give the king victory!”
13 Meanwhile, the messenger who went to get
Micaiah said to him, “Look, all the prophets are
promising victory for the king. Be sure that you
agree with them and promise success.”
14 But Micaiah replied, “As surely as the Lord
lives, I will say only what the Lord tells me to say.”
15 When Micaiah arrived before the king, Ahab
asked him, “Micaiah, should we go to war against
Ramoth-gilead, or should we hold back?”
Micaiah replied sarcastically, “Yes, go up and
be victorious, for the Lord will give the king
victory!”
16 But the king replied sharply, “How many
times must I demand that you speak only the
truth to me when you speak for the Lord?”
17 Then Micaiah told him, “In a vision I saw
all Israel scattered on the mountains, like sheep
without a shepherd. And the Lord said, ‘Their
master has been killed.* Send them home in
peace.’”
18 “Didn’t I tell you?” the king of Israel exclaimed to Jehoshaphat. “He never prophesies
anything but trouble for me.”
19 Then Micaiah continued, “Listen to what
the Lord says! I saw the Lord sitting on his
throne with all the armies of heaven around
him, on his right and on his left. 20 And the Lord
said, ‘Who can entice Ahab to go into battle
against Ramoth-gilead so he can be killed?’
21:21 As in Greek version; Hebrew lacks So now the Lord says.
21:23 As in several Hebrew manuscripts, Syriac, and Latin
Vulgate (see also 2 Kgs 9:26, 36); most Hebrew manuscripts
read at the city wall. 21:26 The Hebrew term (literally round
things) probably alludes to dung. 22:17 Hebrew These people
have no master.