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Ahab’s Third Campaign against Aram
22 Three [a]years passed without war between Aram and Israel. 2 (A)In the third year (B)Jehoshaphat the king of Judah came down to the king of Israel. 3 Now the king of Israel said to his servants, “Do you know that (C)Ramoth-gilead belongs to us, and we [b]are still doing nothing to take it out of the hand of the king of Aram?” 4 And he said to Jehoshaphat, “Will you go with me to battle at Ramoth-gilead?” And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “(D)I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses.”
5 Moreover, Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “Please inquire [c]first for the word of the Lord.” 6 Then (E)the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, about four hundred men, and said to them, “Shall I go against Ramoth-gilead to battle or shall I refrain?” And they said, “Go up, for the Lord will give it into the hand of the king.” 7 But (F)Jehoshaphat said, “Is there not yet a prophet of the Lord here that we may inquire of him?” 8 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of the Lord, but I hate him, because he does not prophesy good concerning me, but evil. He is Micaiah son of Imlah.” But Jehoshaphat said, “Let not the king say so.” 9 Then the king of Israel called an officer and said, “[d]Bring quickly Micaiah son of Imlah.” 10 Now the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah were sitting each on his throne, arrayed in their robes, at the threshing floor at the entrance of the gate of Samaria; and (G)all the prophets were prophesying before them. 11 Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made (H)horns of iron for himself and said, “Thus says the Lord, ‘(I)With these you will gore the Arameans until they are consumed.’” 12 All the prophets were prophesying thus, saying, “Go up to Ramoth-gilead and prosper, for the Lord will give it into the hand of the king.”
Micaiah Predicts Defeat
13 Then the messenger who went to summon Micaiah spoke to him saying, “Behold now, the words of the prophets are uniformly favorable to the king. Please let your word be like the word of one of them, and speak favorably.” 14 But Micaiah said, “(J)As the Lord lives, what (K)the Lord says to me, that I shall speak.”
15 When he came to the king, the king said to him, “Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall we refrain?” And he [e]answered him, “(L)Go up and succeed, and the Lord will give it into the hand of the king.” 16 Then the king said to him, “How many times must I adjure you to speak to me nothing but the truth in the name of the Lord?” 17 So he said,
“I saw all Israel
Scattered on the mountains,
(M)Like sheep which have no shepherd.
And the Lord said, ‘These have no master.
Let each of them return to his house in peace.’”
18 Then the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “(N)Did I not tell you that he would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil?”
19 [f]Micaiah said, “Therefore, hear the word of the Lord. (O)I saw the Lord sitting on His throne, and (P)all the host of heaven standing by Him on His right and on His left. 20 The Lord said, ‘Who will entice Ahab to go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?’ And one said this while another said that. 21 Then a spirit came forward and stood before the Lord and said, ‘I will entice him.’ 22 The Lord said to him, ‘How?’ And he said, ‘I will go out and (Q)be a deceiving spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ Then He said, ‘You are to entice him and also prevail. Go and do so.’ 23 Now therefore, behold, (R)the Lord has put a deceiving spirit in the mouth of all these your prophets; and the Lord has proclaimed disaster against you.”
24 Then (S)Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah came near and struck Micaiah on the cheek and said, “(T)How did the Spirit of the Lord pass from me to speak to you?” 25 Micaiah said, “Behold, you shall see on that day when you (U)enter an inner room to hide yourself.” 26 Then the king of Israel said, “Take Micaiah and return him to Amon the governor of the city and to Joash the king’s son; 27 and say, ‘Thus says the king, “(V)Put this man in prison and feed him [g]sparingly with bread and water until I return safely.”’” 28 Micaiah said, “(W)If you indeed return safely the Lord has not spoken by me.” And he said, “(X)Listen, all you people.”
Defeat and Death of Ahab
29 So (Y)the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah went up against Ramoth-gilead. 30 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “(Z)I will disguise myself and go into the battle, but you put on your robes.” So the king of Israel disguised himself and went into the battle. 31 Now (AA)the king of Aram had commanded the thirty-two captains of his chariots, saying, “Do not fight with small or great, but with the king of Israel alone.” 32 So when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, they said, “Surely it is the king of Israel,” and they turned aside to fight against him, and Jehoshaphat cried out. 33 When the captains of the chariots saw that it was not the king of Israel, they turned back from pursuing him.
34 Now a certain man drew his bow at random and struck the king of Israel [h]in a joint of the armor. So he said to the driver of his chariot, “Turn [i]around and take me out of the [j]fight; (AB)for I am severely wounded.” 35 The battle [k]raged that day, and the king was propped up in his chariot in front of the Arameans, and died at evening, and the blood from the wound ran into the bottom of the chariot. 36 (AC)Then a cry passed throughout the army close to sunset, saying, “Every man to his city and every man to his [l]country.”
37 So the king died and was brought to Samaria, and they buried the king in Samaria. 38 They washed the chariot by the pool of Samaria, and the dogs licked up his blood (now the harlots bathed themselves there), (AD)according to the word of the Lord which He spoke. 39 Now the rest of the acts of Ahab and all that he did and (AE)the ivory house which he built and all the cities which he built, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? 40 So Ahab slept with his fathers, and Ahaziah his son became king in his place.
The New Rulers
41 (AF)Now Jehoshaphat the son of Asa became king over Judah in the fourth year of Ahab king of Israel. 42 Jehoshaphat was thirty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-five years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi. 43 (AG)He walked in all the way of Asa his father; he did not turn aside from it, doing right in the sight of the Lord. (AH)However, the high places were not taken away; the people still sacrificed and burnt incense on the high places. 44 (AI)Jehoshaphat also made peace with the king of Israel.
45 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, and his might which he showed and how he warred, are they not written (AJ)in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? 46 The remnant of (AK)the sodomites who remained in the days of his father Asa, he [m]expelled from the land.
47 Now (AL)there was no king in Edom; a deputy was king. 48 Jehoshaphat made (AM)ships of Tarshish to go to (AN)Ophir for gold, but (AO)they did not go for the ships were broken at (AP)Ezion-geber. 49 Then Ahaziah the son of Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, “Let my servants go with your servants in the ships.” But Jehoshaphat was not willing. 50 (AQ)And Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of his father David, and Jehoram his son became king in his place.
51 Ahaziah the son of Ahab (AR)became king over Israel in Samaria in the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and he reigned two years over Israel. 52 He did evil in the sight of the Lord and (AS)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 caused Israel to sin. 53 (AT)So he served Baal and worshiped him and provoked the Lord God of Israel to anger, according to all that his father had done.
16 Paul stood up, and (A)motioning with his hand said,
“Men of Israel, and (B)you who fear God, listen: 17 The God of this people Israel (C)chose our fathers and [a](D)made the people great during their stay in the land of Egypt, and with an uplifted arm (E)He led them out from it. 18 For (F)a period of about forty years (G)He put up with them in the wilderness. 19 (H)When He had destroyed (I)seven nations in the land of Canaan, He (J)distributed their land as an inheritance—all of which took (K)about four hundred and fifty years. 20 After these things He (L)gave them judges until (M)Samuel the prophet. 21 Then they (N)asked for a king, and God gave them (O)Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years. 22 After He had (P)removed him, He raised up David to be their king, concerning whom He also testified and said, ‘(Q)I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My heart, who will do all My [b]will.’ 23 (R)From the descendants of this man, (S)according to promise, God has brought to Israel (T)a Savior, Jesus, 24 after (U)John had proclaimed before [c]His coming a (V)baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. 25 And while John (W)was completing his course, (X)he kept saying, ‘What do you suppose that I am? I am not He. But behold, one is coming after me the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to untie.’
26 “Brethren, sons of Abraham’s family, and those among you who fear God, to us the message of (Y)this salvation has been sent. 27 For those who live in Jerusalem, and their (Z)rulers, (AA)recognizing neither Him nor the [d]utterances of (AB)the prophets which are (AC)read every Sabbath, fulfilled these by condemning Him. 28 And though they found no ground for putting Him to death, they (AD)asked Pilate that He be [e]executed. 29 When they had (AE)carried out all that was written concerning Him, (AF)they took Him down from (AG)the [f]cross and (AH)laid Him in a tomb. 30 But God (AI)raised Him from the dead; 31 and for many days (AJ)He appeared to those who came up with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem, the very ones who are now (AK)His witnesses to the people. 32 And we (AL)preach to you the good news of (AM)the promise made to the fathers, 33 that God has fulfilled this promise [g]to our children in that He (AN)raised up Jesus, as it is also written in the second Psalm, ‘(AO)You are My Son; today i have begotten You.’ 34 As for the fact that He (AP)raised Him up from the dead, no longer to return to decay, He has spoken in this way: ‘(AQ)I will give you the holy and [h]sure blessings of David.’ 35 Therefore He also says in another Psalm, ‘(AR)You will not [i]allow Your [j]Holy One to [k]undergo decay.’ 36 For (AS)David, after he had [l]served (AT)the purpose of God in his own generation, (AU)fell asleep, and was laid among his fathers and [m]underwent decay; 37 but He whom God (AV)raised did not [n]undergo decay. 38 Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that (AW)through [o]Him forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, 39 and [p]through Him (AX)everyone who believes is [q]freed [r]from all things, from which you could not be [s]freed [t]through the Law of Moses. 40 Therefore take heed, so that the thing spoken of (AY)in the Prophets may not come upon you:
Thanksgiving for the Lord’s Favor.
A Psalm of David.
138 (A)I will give You thanks with all my heart;
I will sing praises to You before the (B)gods.
2 I will bow down (C)toward Your holy temple
And (D)give thanks to Your name for Your lovingkindness and Your [a]truth;
For You have (E)magnified Your [b]word [c]according to all Your name.
3 On the day I (F)called, You answered me;
You made me bold with (G)strength in my soul.
4 (H)All the kings of the earth will give thanks to You, O Lord,
When they have heard the words of Your mouth.
5 And they will (I)sing of the ways of the Lord,
For (J)great is the glory of the Lord.
6 For (K)though the Lord is exalted,
Yet He (L)regards the lowly,
But the (M)haughty He knows from afar.
7 Though I (N)walk in the midst of trouble, You will [d](O)revive me;
You will (P)stretch forth Your hand against the wrath of my enemies,
And Your right hand will (Q)save me.
8 The Lord will (R)accomplish what concerns me;
Your (S)lovingkindness, O Lord, is everlasting;
(T)Do not forsake the (U)works of Your hands.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.