Old/New Testament
17 And Yehoshaphat bno reigned in his place, and strengthened himself against Yisroel.
2 And he placed troops in all the fortified cities of Yehudah, and set netzivim (garrisons) in Eretz Yehudah, and in the towns of Ephrayim, which Asa Aviv had captured.
3 And Hashem was with Yehoshaphat, because he walked in the darkhei Dovid Aviv harishonim, and sought not unto Ba’alim;
4 But sought Hashem Elohei Aviv, and walked in His mitzvot, and not after the ma’asei Yisroel.
5 Therefore Hashem established the Mamlachah in his yad; and all Yehudah brought to Yehoshaphat minchah; and he had osher and kavod in abundance.
6 And his lev was elevated in the darkhei Hashem; moreover he removed the high places and Asherim from Yehudah.
7 Also in the third year of his reign he sent to his sarim (officials), even to Ben-Chayil, and to Ovadyah, and to Zecharyah, and to Netanel, and to Michayahu, to teach in the cities of Yehudah.
8 And with them he sent Levi’im, even Shemayahu, and Netanyahu, and Zevadyahu, and Asahel, and Shemiramot, and Yehonatan, and Adoniyahu, and Tuviyahu, and Tov Adoniyah, Levi’im; and with them Elishama and Yehoram, Kohanim.
9 And they taught in Yehudah, and had with them the Sefer Torat Hashem, and went about throughout all the cities of Yehudah, and taught HaAm.
10 And the Pachad Hashem fell upon all the kingdoms of the lands that were surrounding Yehudah, so that they made no war against Yehoshaphat.
11 Also some of the Pelishtim (Philistines) brought Yehoshaphat minchah, and kesef massa (tribute); and the Arabs brought him tzon, seven thousand seven hundred rams, and seven thousand seven hundred goats.
12 And Yehoshaphat grew great exceedingly; and he built in Yehudah fortresses and storage cities.
13 And he had melachah rabbah in the cities of Yehudah; and the anshei milchamah, gibborei chayil were in Yerushalayim.
14 And these are the pekuddat (enrollment numbers) of them according to the Bais Avoteihem: of Yehudah, the sarei alafim; Adnah HaSar, and with him gibborei chayil three hundred elef.
15 And next to him was Yehochanan HaSar, and with him two hundred and fourscore elef.
16 And next to him was Amasyah ben Zichri, who volunteered unto Hashem, and with him two hundred elef gibbor chayil.
17 And from Binyamin, Elyada a gibbor chayil, and with him armed men with keshet and mogen two hundred elef.
18 And next to him was Yehozavad, and with him a hundred and fourscore elef battle-ready.
19 These waited on HaMelech, beside those whom HaMelech put in the fortified cities throughout all Yehudah.
18 Now Yehoshaphat had osher and kavod in abundance, and allied himself with Ach’av.
2 And l’ketz shanim he went down to Ach’av in Shomron. And Ach’av killed tzon and bakar for him in abundance, and for HaAm that he had with him, and persuaded him to go up with him to Ramot Gil’ad.
3 And Ach’av Melech Yisroel said unto Yehoshaphat Melech Yehudah, Wilt thou go with me to Ramot Gil’ad? And he answered him, I am as thou art, and my people as thy people; and we will be with thee in the milchamah.
4 And Yehoshaphat said unto the Melech Yisroel, Inquire, now at the Devar Hashem today.
5 Therefore the Melech Yisroel gathered together of nevi’im four hundred men, and said unto them, Shall we go to war against Ramot Gil’ad, or shall I forbear? And they said, Go up; for HaElohim will deliver it into the yad HaMelech.
6 But Yehoshaphat said, Is there not here a navi of Hashem, that we might inquire of him?
7 And the Melech Yisroel said unto Yehoshaphat, There is yet ish echad (one man), by whom we may inquire of Hashem, but I hate him because he never prophesied for tov about me, but always ra’ah; the same is Mikhay’hu ben Imla. And Yehoshaphat said, HaMelech should not say that.
8 And the Melech Yisroel called for one of his officials, and said, Bring at once Mikhay’hu ben Imla.
9 And the Melech Yisroel and Yehoshaphat Melech Yehudah sat either of them on his kisse, clothed in their begadim, and they sat in the goren (threshing floor) at the petach (entrance) Sha’ar Shomron; and all the nevi’im prophesied before them.
10 And Tzidkiyahu ben Kena’anah had made him karnayim of barzel, and said, Thus saith Hashem, With these thou shalt gore Aram (Syria) until they be consumed.
11 And all the nevi’im prophesied so, saying, Go up to Ramot Gil’ad, and be victorious, for Hashem shall deliver it into the yad HaMelech.
12 And the malach that went to call Mikhay’hu spoke to him, saying, Hinei, the divrei hanevi’im declare tov to HaMelech with peh echad (one mouth); let thy word therefore, now, be like one of theirs, and speak thou tov.
13 And Mikhay’hu said, As Hashem liveth, only what Elohai saith, that will I speak.
14 And when he was come to HaMelech, HaMelech said unto him, Mikhay’hu, shall we go to war against Ramot Gil’ad, or shall I forbear? And he said, Go ye up, and be victorious, and they shall be delivered into your yad.
15 And HaMelech said to him, How many times shall I adjure thee that thou say nothing but the emes to me in the Shem of Hashem?
16 Then he said, I saw kol Yisroel scattered upon the mountains, like tzon that have no ro’eh, and Hashem said, These have no adonim; let them return therefore every ish to his bais in shalom.
17 And the Melech Yisroel said to Yehoshaphat, Did I not tell thee that he would not prophesy tov unto me, but rah?
18 Again he said, Therefore hear the Devar Hashem: I saw Hashem sitting upon His Kisse, and all Tzva HaShomayim standing on his right and on his left.
19 And Hashem said, Who shall entice Ach’av Melech Yisroel, that he may go up and fall at Ramot Gil’ad? And one spoke saying after this manner, and another saying after that manner.
20 Then there came out a ruach, and stood before Hashem, and said, I will entice him. And Hashem said unto him, How?
21 And he said, I will go out, and be a ruach sheker (lying spirit) in the mouth of all his nevi’im. And Hashem said, Thou shalt entice him, and thou shalt also succeed; go out, and do even so.
22 Now therefore, hinei, Hashem hath put a ruach sheker in the mouth of these thy nevi’im, and Hashem hath decreed ra’ah against thee.
23 Then Tzidkiyahu ben Kena’anah came near, and struck Mikhay’hu upon the lechi (cheek), and said, Which way went the Ruach Hashem from me to speak unto thee?
24 And Mikhay’hu said, Thou shalt find out on that yom when thou shalt go into cheder b’cheder (inner chamber) to hide thyself.
25 Then the Melech Yisroel said, Take ye Mikhay’hu, and carry him back to Amon Sar HaIr, and to Yoash ben HaMelech,
26 And say, Thus saith HaMelech, Put this in the bais hakeleh, and feed him with only a scanty prison diet of lechem and only mayim, until I return b’shalom.
27 And Mikhay’hu said, If thou certainly return in shalom, then hath not Hashem spoken by me. And he said, Mark words, all ye people.
28 So the Melech Yisroel and Yehoshaphat Melech Yehudah went up to Ramot Gil’ad.
29 And the Melech Yisroel said unto Yehoshaphat, I will disguise myself, and I will go to the milchamah; but put thou on thy robes. So the Melech Yisroel disguised himself; and they went to the milchamah.
30 Now Melech Aram had commanded the commanders of the chariots that were with him, saying, Fight ye not with katon or gadol, only with the Melech Yisroel.
31 And it came to pass, when the commanders of the chariots saw Yehoshaphat, that they said, It is the Melech Yisroel. Therefore they surrounded him to fight, but Yehoshaphat cried out, and Hashem helped him; and Elohim moved them away from him.
32 For it came to pass, that, when the commanders of the chariots perceived that it was not Melech Yisroel, they turned back from pursuing him.
33 And an ish drew a keshet at random, and struck Melech Yisroel between the devakim (joints) of the shiryon (armor); therefore he said to his chariot driver, Turn thine yad, that thou mayest take me out of the machaneh, for I am wounded.
34 And the milchamah increased that day. Howbeit the Melech Yisroel propped himself up in his merkavah facing Aram (the Syrians) until the erev; and about the time of the shemesh going down he died. [T.N. This story illustrates the great difficulty in being a preacher that people will listen to: they want to hear what they want to hear, and, being set in their ways, have decided to mold the House of G-d to their stubbornness, rather than change or grow in the L-rd]
13 Now before the Chag (Feast) of the Pesach, Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach, having da’as that his sha’ah (hour, time) had come, his sha’ah when he should pass from the Olam Hazeh to HaAv, having had ahavah for his own in the Olam Hazeh, he had ahavah for them to HaKetz.
2 And seudah taking place, Hasatan already having put into the lev of Yehuda Ben Shimon from K’riot that he should betray him,
3 And Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach having had da’as that HaAv had given into his hands all things, and that from Hashem Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach came forth and to Hashem he is going,
4 He rises from the seudah and put aside his kaftan, and having girded himself with a towel,
5 He puts mayim (water) into the basin and began to wash the raglei hatalmidim and to wipe them with the towel with which he had been girded.
6 Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach comes then to Shimon Kefa. Kefa says to Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach, Adoni, you wash my feet?
7 In reply, Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach says to him, Of what I am doing you do not have da’as now, but you will receive binah after these things.
8 Kefa says to him, Never will you wash my feet l’Olam! Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach answered him, Unless I wash you, you do not have a chelek [alloted portion of inheritance] with me. [DEVARIM 12:12; YESHAYAH 53:10; VAYIKRA 5:15-16]
9 Shimon Kefa says to Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach, Adoni, then not my feet only but also my hands and my head.
10 Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach says to him, The one having been bathed does not have need except his feet to wash, but is wholly tahor, and you are tehorim, though not all.
11 For Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach had da’as of the one betraying him. Therefore, he said, Not all are tehorim.
12 Therefore, when he washed their feet and resuited himself into his kaftan, Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach reclined at tish again and said to them, Do you have da’as of what I have done for you?
13 You call me Rabbeinu and Adoneinu, and you say well, for Ani Hu.
14 If, therefore, I, being Rebbe and Adon, washed your feet, you ought to wash the feet of one another also.
15 For I gave you a mofet that as I did to you, you may do also.
16 Omein, omein, I say to you, an eved is not greater than his Adon, nor is a shliach (one sent) greater than his Meshalle’ach (Sender).
17 If you have da’as of these things, happy are you, if you put them into practice.
18 I do not speak about all of you—I have da’as of whom I chose—But it is to fulfill the Kitvei Hakodesh, OKHEL LAKHEMI HIGDIL ALAI AKEV (the one eating my bread he lifted up his heel against me. [TEHILLIM 41:9 (10)]
19 From now on I tell you before the occurrence that you may have emunah (faith) when it occurs, that Ani Hu. [YESHAYAH 41:4; 46:10; 43:10]
20 Omein, omein, I say to you, the one receiving whomever I may send receives me, and the one receiving me [Moshiach], receives the One having sent me [Hashem].
Copyright © 2002, 2003, 2008, 2010, 2011 by Artists for Israel International