1 Kings

And they continued three years without war between Syria and Israel.

1For three years there was no war between Syria and Israel.

2And it came to pass in the third year, that Jehoshaphat the king of Judah came down to the king of Israel.

2In the third year, Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, came to visit the king of Israel.

3And the king of Israel said unto his servants, Know ye that Ramoth in Gilead is ours, and we be still, and take it not out of the hand of the king of Syria?

3The king of Israel said to his servants, "You know the town of Ramoth in Gilead belongs to us. But we sit still. We have not taken it back from the king of Syria."

4And he said unto Jehoshaphat, Wilt thou go with me to battle to Ramothgilead? And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, I am as thou art, my people as thy people, my horses as thy horses.

4He asked Jehoshaphat, "Will you go fight with me at Ramoth-gilead?" Jehoshaphat said, "I am with you. My people are your people. My horses are your horses."

5And Jehoshaphat said unto the king of Israel, Enquire, I pray thee, at the word of the LORD to day.

5But Jehoshaphat also said to the king of Israel, "Please ask the LORD first what He says."

6Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, about four hundred men, and said unto them, Shall I go against Ramothgilead to battle, or shall I forbear? And they said, Go up; for the LORD shall deliver it into the hand of the king.

6So the king of Israel called his prophets together, about four hundred men. Prophets were people who told others what God said. He asked them, "Should I go fight at Ramoth-gilead, or should I stay home?" They said, "Go. The Lord will hand the town to the king."

7And Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of the LORD besides, that we might enquire of him?

7But Jehoshaphat asked, "Is there no prophet of the LORD here too? We could ask him."

8And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, There is yet one man, Micaiah the son of Imlah, by whom we may enquire of the LORD: but I hate him; for he doth not prophesy good concerning me, but evil. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say so.

8The king of Israel said, "There is one more man, Micaiah son of Imlah. We can ask the LORD through him. But I hate him. He never says good things about me, only bad." Jehoshaphat said, "The king should not talk like that."

9Then the king of Israel called an officer, and said, Hasten hither Micaiah the son of Imlah.

9So the king of Israel called one of his officers. He said, "Bring Micaiah son of Imlah here quickly."

10And the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah sat each on his throne, having put on their robes, in a void place in the entrance of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets prophesied before them.

10The king of Israel and Jehoshaphat sat on their thrones in their royal robes. They were in an open place by the gate of the city of Samaria. All the prophets were giving their messages in front of them.

11And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made him horns of iron: and he said, Thus saith the LORD, With these shalt thou push the Syrians, until thou have consumed them.

11Zedekiah son of Chenaanah had made horns out of iron, like a bull's horns. He said, "The LORD says this: with these you will push the Syrians until they are all gone."

12And all the prophets prophesied so, saying, Go up to Ramothgilead, and prosper: for the LORD shall deliver it into the king’s hand.

12All the other prophets said the same thing. "Go up to Ramoth-gilead and win. The LORD will hand it to the king."

13And the messenger that was gone to call Micaiah spake unto him, saying, Behold now, the words of the prophets declare good unto the king with one mouth: let thy word, I pray thee, be like the word of one of them, and speak that which is good.

13The messenger who went to get Micaiah spoke to him. "Listen. All the prophets are saying good things to the king. Please say what they say. Say something good."

14And Micaiah said, As the LORD liveth, what the LORD saith unto me, that will I speak.

14But Micaiah said, "As surely as the LORD lives, I will say only what the LORD tells me."

15So he came to the king. And the king said unto him, Micaiah, shall we go against Ramothgilead to battle, or shall we forbear? And he answered him, Go, and prosper: for the LORD shall deliver it into the hand of the king.

15So he came to the king. The king asked, "Micaiah, should we go fight at Ramoth-gilead, or should we stay home?" Micaiah answered, "Go and win. The LORD will hand it to the king."

16And the king said unto him, How many times shall I adjure thee that thou tell me nothing but that which is true in the name of the LORD?

16The king said to him, "How many times must I make you promise? Tell me only the truth in the name of the LORD."

17And he said, I saw all Israel scattered upon the hills, as sheep that have not a shepherd: and the LORD said, These have no master: let them return every man to his house in peace.

17So Micaiah said, "I saw all Israel spread out on the hills. They were like sheep with no shepherd. And the LORD said, 'These people have no leader. Let each man go home in peace.'"

18And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, Did I not tell thee that he would prophesy no good concerning me, but evil?

18The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "See? I told you. He never says anything good about me, only bad."

19And he said, Hear thou therefore the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven standing by him on his right hand and on his left.

19Micaiah said, "Then listen to the word of the LORD. I saw the LORD sitting on His throne. All the armies of heaven stood beside Him, on His right and His left.

20And the LORD said, Who shall persuade Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramothgilead? And one said on this manner, and another said on that manner.

20The LORD said, 'Who will talk Ahab into going up to Ramoth-gilead, so he falls there?' One spoke up one way, and another spoke up another way.

21And there came forth a spirit, and stood before the LORD, and said, I will persuade him.

21Then a spirit came out and stood in front of the LORD. The spirit said, 'I will talk him into it.'

22And the LORD said unto him, Wherewith? And he said, I will go forth, and I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And he said, Thou shalt persuade him, and prevail also: go forth, and do so.

22The LORD asked, 'How will you do it?' The spirit said, 'I will go out and make all his prophets speak lies.' The LORD said, 'You will talk him into it. It will work. Go and do it.'

23Now therefore, behold, the LORD hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets, and the LORD hath spoken evil concerning thee.

23So now the LORD has put lies in the mouths of all these prophets of yours. And the LORD has said that trouble is coming to you."

24But Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah went near, and smote Micaiah on the cheek, and said, Which way went the Spirit of the LORD from me to speak unto thee?

24Then Zedekiah son of Chenaanah walked up and hit Micaiah on the cheek. He said, "Which way did the Spirit of the LORD go? Did He leave me to speak to you?"

25And Micaiah said, Behold, thou shalt see in that day, when thou shalt go into an inner chamber to hide thyself.

25Micaiah said, "You will see it on the day you run and hide in a back room."

26And the king of Israel said, Take Micaiah, and carry him back unto Amon the governor of the city, and to Joash the king’s son;

26The king of Israel said, "Take Micaiah back to Amon, the ruler of the city. Take him to Joash, the king's son.

27And say, Thus saith the king, Put this fellow in the prison, and feed him with bread of affliction and with water of affliction, until I come in peace.

27Tell them the king says this: Put this man in prison. Give him nothing but bread and water until I come home safely."

NoteThe KJV says "bread of affliction and water of affliction." That means plain prison food: only bread and water, nothing else.

28And Micaiah said, If thou return at all in peace, the LORD hath not spoken by me. And he said, Hearken, O people, every one of you.

28Micaiah said, "If you ever come home safely, then the LORD has not spoken through me." Then he said, "Listen to this, all you people!"

29So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went up to Ramothgilead.

29So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, went up to Ramoth-gilead.

30And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, I will disguise myself, and enter into the battle; but put thou on thy robes. And the king of Israel disguised himself, and went into the battle.

30The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "I will change my clothes so no one knows me. You wear your royal robes." So the king of Israel went into the battle in a disguise.

31But the king of Syria commanded his thirty and two captains that had rule over his chariots, saying, Fight neither with small nor great, save only with the king of Israel.

31The king of Syria had thirty-two leaders over his chariots, which are war carts pulled by horses. He told them, "Do not fight anyone, big or small. Fight only the king of Israel."

32And it came to pass, when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, that they said, Surely it is the king of Israel. And they turned aside to fight against him: and Jehoshaphat cried out.

32When the chariot leaders saw Jehoshaphat, they said, "That must be the king of Israel." So they turned to fight him. Then Jehoshaphat cried out.

33And it came to pass, when the captains of the chariots perceived that it was not the king of Israel, that they turned back from pursuing him.

33When the chariot leaders saw that he was not the king of Israel, they stopped chasing him.

34And a certain man drew a bow at a venture, and smote the king of Israel between the joints of the harness: wherefore he said unto the driver of his chariot, Turn thine hand, and carry me out of the host; for I am wounded.

34A man shot an arrow without aiming at anyone. It hit the king of Israel in a gap in his armor. The king told his chariot driver, "Turn around. Take me out of the fight. I am hurt badly."

NoteThe KJV says the man shot "at a venture." That means he shot without picking out anyone to hit.

35And the battle increased that day: and the king was stayed up in his chariot against the Syrians, and died at even: and the blood ran out of the wound into the midst of the chariot.

35The fighting grew worse all that day. The king was propped up in his chariot, facing the Syrians. Blood ran from his wound onto the floor of the chariot. That evening he died.

36And there went a proclamation throughout the host about the going down of the sun, saying, Every man to his city, and every man to his own country.

36As the sun went down, a call went out through the army. "Every man go to his own city. Every man go to his own land."

37So the king died, and was brought to Samaria; and they buried the king in Samaria.

37So the king died. They brought him to Samaria and buried him there.

38And one washed the chariot in the pool of Samaria; and the dogs licked up his blood; and they washed his armour; according unto the word of the LORD which he spake.

38Someone washed the chariot at the pool of Samaria. The dogs licked up his blood. They washed his armor there too. It all happened just as the LORD had said.

39Now the rest of the acts of Ahab, and all that he did, and the ivory house which he made, and all the cities that he built, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

39The rest of Ahab's story is written down in another book. It tells all he did, the palace he made from ivory, and the cities he built. That book is the history of the kings of Israel.

40So Ahab slept with his fathers; and Ahaziah his son reigned in his stead.

40So Ahab died, as his fathers had died before him. His son Ahaziah became king in his place.

Note"Slept with his fathers" is an old way of saying someone died, like the family members who lived before him.

41And Jehoshaphat the son of Asa began to reign over Judah in the fourth year of Ahab king of Israel.

41Jehoshaphat son of Asa became king of Judah. This was in the fourth year that Ahab was king of Israel.

42Jehoshaphat was thirty and five years old when he began to reign; and he reigned twenty and five years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi.

42Jehoshaphat was thirty-five years old when he became king. He ruled twenty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother was Azubah, the daughter of Shilhi.

43And he walked in all the ways of Asa his father; he turned not aside from it, doing that which was right in the eyes of the LORD: nevertheless the high places were not taken away; for the people offered and burnt incense yet in the high places.

43He lived the way his father Asa had lived. He did not turn away from it. He did what was right to the LORD. But the high places were left standing. The people still gave offerings and burned incense there.

Note"High places" were spots on hills where people set up altars and gave gifts to God or to other gods.

44And Jehoshaphat made peace with the king of Israel.

44Jehoshaphat also made peace with the king of Israel.

45Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, and his might that he shewed, and how he warred, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?

45The rest of Jehoshaphat's story is written down in another book. It tells how strong he was and the wars he fought. That book is the history of the kings of Judah.

46And the remnant of the sodomites, which remained in the days of his father Asa, he took out of the land.

46Some men sold their bodies at the places where false gods were served. A few were left from the days of his father Asa. Jehoshaphat sent them all out of the land.

47There was then no king in Edom: a deputy was king.

47At that time the land of Edom had no king of its own. A deputy ruled it instead.

48Jehoshaphat made ships of Tharshish to go to Ophir for gold: but they went not; for the ships were broken at Eziongeber.

48Jehoshaphat built big trading ships to sail to Ophir for gold. But they never sailed. They were wrecked at Ezion-geber.

49Then said Ahaziah the son of Ahab unto Jehoshaphat, Let my servants go with thy servants in the ships. But Jehoshaphat would not.

49Then Ahaziah son of Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, "Let my men sail with your men." But Jehoshaphat said no.

50And Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father: and Jehoram his son reigned in his stead.

50Then Jehoshaphat died, as his fathers had died before him. He was buried with them in the city of David. His son Jehoram became king in his place.

51Ahaziah the son of Ahab began to reign over Israel in Samaria the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and reigned two years over Israel.

51Ahaziah son of Ahab became king of Israel in Samaria. This was in Jehoshaphat's seventeenth year as king of Judah. Ahaziah ruled Israel for two years.

52And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the way of his father, and in the way of his mother, and in the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin:

52He did what was evil to the LORD. He lived like his father and his mother. He also lived like Jeroboam son of Nebat, who led Israel into sin.

53For he served Baal, and worshipped him, and provoked to anger the LORD God of Israel, according to all that his father had done.

53He served Baal, a false god, and bowed down to him. This made the LORD, the God of Israel, angry. He did just what his father had done.