Read the Modern Pastor’s Version

Three years passed without war between Syria and Israel. In the third year, King Jehoshaphat of Judah came down to visit King Ahab of Israel.

The king said to his servants, "You know that Ramoth in Gilead is ours, but we've been doing nothing about it. The king of Syria still controls it." Ahab turned to Jehoshaphat and asked, "Will you go with me to battle at Ramoth-gilead?" Jehoshaphat replied, "I'm as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses."

Jehoshaphat said to the king, "Please inquire first about the word of the Lord today." Ahab gathered 400 prophets and asked them, "Shall I go to battle against Ramoth-gilead, or should I hold back?" They all said, "Go up; the Lord will deliver it into your hand."

Jehoshaphat said, "Is there not here a prophet of the Lord besides whom we might inquire of him?" Ahab replied, "There's still one man, Micaiah son of Imlah. We can ask him about the word of the Lord, but I despise him because he never prophesies good for me." Jehoshaphat cautioned, "Don't say that."

Ahab called an officer and said, "Bring me Micaiah son of Imlah right away." The king and Jehoshaphat sat on their thrones at the city gate in Samaria. Ahab wore his royal robes, as did Jehoshaphat. The 400 prophets prophesied before them, saying, "Go up to Ramoth-gilead and be successful, for the Lord will deliver it into your hand."

One prophet, Zedekiah son of Chenaanah, made iron horns for Ahab and said, "This is what the Lord says: With these you'll gore the Syrians until you've destroyed them." All the prophets prophesied in agreement, urging Ahab to go up to Ramoth-gilead.

The officer who had gone to get Micaiah told him, "Listen, all the other prophets are saying good things about the king. Please speak something good too." Micaiah replied, "As the Lord lives, I'll tell you what He has said to me."

Micaiah came before Ahab and asked if they should go up to Ramoth-gilead to battle or hold back. The prophet answered, "Go ahead and prosper, for the Lord will deliver it into your hand." But Ahab pressed Micaiah, saying, "How many times must I call you to speak only what's true in the name of the Lord?" Micaiah saw a vision of all Israel scattered on the hills like sheep without a shepherd. The Lord said, "They have no master; let each return home in peace."

Ahab turned to Jehoshaphat and sneered, "Didn't I tell you he'd prophesy evil about me?" Ahab asked Micaiah again, "Hear then the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on His throne with all heaven's host standing around Him." The Lord asked, "Who will persuade Ahab to go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?"

A spirit answered, "I'll do it," saying he'd be a deceiving spirit in the mouths of Ahab's prophets. The Lord said to him, "You'll persuade him and also prevail; go out and do so." Micaiah revealed that the Lord had put a lying spirit in all those prophets, causing them to prophesy evil about Ahab.

Zedekiah struck Micaiah on the cheek, saying, "Where did the Spirit of the Lord leave me to speak to you?" Micaiah replied, "You'll see that day when you hide yourself in fear."

Ahab ordered his officials to put Micaiah in prison and feed him bread of hardship and water of affliction until he returned from battle. Ahab instructed them to say, "If you return at all in peace, the Lord hasn't spoken through me." The king turned to Jehoshaphat and said, "I'll disguise myself, and you wear your royal robes into battle."

Ahab went into battle with Jehoshaphat by his side. Meanwhile, the king of Syria instructed his 32 chariot captains, saying, "Fight against the king of Israel alone; leave no small or great force unscathed." When the captains saw Jehoshaphat, they thought it was Ahab and turned to fight him.

The captains soon realized their mistake when they saw it wasn't Ahab. They retreated from pursuing Jehoshaphat. In the chaos, a random archer struck Ahab between his armor's joints with an arrow. The king said to his charioteer, "Turn back; I'm wounded."

As the battle raged on, Ahab remained seated in his chariot until sunset when blood flowed from his wound into the chariot. When night fell, a proclamation went out throughout the host for everyone to return home.

Ahab's body was brought to Samaria and buried there. The chariot he rode was washed in Samaria's pool, with dogs licking up his blood as they cleaned his armor according to the Lord's prophecy.

The rest of Ahab's life is recorded in the book of Israel's kings. He built an ivory palace and founded cities. After his death, Ahaziah, his son, succeeded him on the throne.

Jehoshaphat began his reign over Judah in the fourth year of Ahab's rule. At thirty-five years old, he reigned twenty-five more years. Jehoshaphat followed Asa his father's ways and did what was right in God's eyes, but the high places remained because the people offered sacrifices there.

Jehoshaphat made peace with Ahab's son Ahaziah, king of Israel. The rest of Jehoshaphat's achievements are recorded in Judah's chronicles. He removed the remaining sodomites from his land and built ships to sail to Ophir for gold but they were wrecked at Eziongeber.

When Ahaziah asked Jehoshaphat to let him join the ships, Jehoshaphat refused. Jehoshaphat was buried with his ancestors in David's city, and Jehoram succeeded him as king. Ahaziah began ruling Israel in Samaria during Jehoshaphat's seventeenth year, reigning for two years before doing evil in God's sight like his father and mother.

Ahaziah served Baal and provoked the Lord, following Jeroboam's path that led Israel astray.