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2 Chronicles 18

1 Iehoſhaphát maketh affinitie with Aháb. 10 Foure hũdreth Prophetes coũſel Aháb to go to warre. 16 Michaiáh is againſt them. 23 Zidkiáh ſmiteth him. 25 The King putteth him in priſon. 29 The effect of his prophecie.
1.ANd Iehoſhaphát had riches & honour in abundance, but he was ioyned in affinitie with Aháb.
2.And after certeine yeres he went downe to Aháb to Samaria: & Aháb ſlewe ſhepe and oxen for him in great nomber, & for the people that he had with him, and entiſed him to go vp vnto Ramóth Gileád.
3.And Aháb King of Iſraél ſaid vnto Iehoſhaphát Kĩg of Iudáh, Wilt thou go with me to Ramóth Gileád? And he anſwered him, I am as thou art, & my people as thy people, & we wil ioyne wt thee in the warre.
4.And Iehoſhaphát ſaid vnto the King of Iſraél, Aſke counſel, I pray thee, at the worde of the Lord this day.
5.Therefore the King of Iſraél gathered of Prophetes foure hundreth men, and ſaid vnto them, Shal we go to Ramóth Gileád to battel, or ſhal I ceaſe? And they ſaid, Go vp: for God ſhal deliuer it into the Kings hand.
6.But Iehoſhaphát ſaid, Is there here neuer a Prophet more of the Lord yt we might inquire of him?
7.And ye King of Iſraél ſaid vnto Iehoſhaphát, There is yet one man, by whome we may aſke counſel of the Lord, but I hate him: for he doeth not prophecie good vnto me, but allway euil: it is Michaiáh the ſonne of Imlá. Thẽ Iehoſhaphát ſaid, Let not the King ſay ſo.
8.And the King of Iſraél called an eunuche, and ſaid, Call quickly Michaiah the ſonne of Imlá.
9.¶ And the King of Iſraél, and Iehoſhaphat King of Iudáh ſate ether of them on his throne clothed in their apparel: they ſate euen in the threſhing floore at the entring in of the gate of Samaria: & all the Prophetes prophecied before them.
10.And Zidkiáh the ſonne of Chenaanáh made him hornes of yron, & ſaid, Thus ſaith ye Lord, With theſe ſhalt thou puſh ye Aramites vntil thou haſt conſumed them.
11.And all the Prophetes prophecied ſo, ſaying, Go vp to Ramóth Gileád, & proſper: for the Lord ſhal deliuer it into the hand of the King.
12.¶ And the meſſenger that wēt to call Michaiah, ſpake to him, ſaying, Beholde, the wordes of the Prophetes declare good to ye King with one accorde: let thy worde therfore, I pray thee, be lyke one of theirs, and ſpeake thou good.
13.And Michaiáh ſaid, As the Lord liueth, whatſoeuer my God ſaith, yt wil I ſpeake.
14.¶ So he came to the King, and the King ſaid vnto him, Michaiáh, ſhal we go to Ramóth Gileád to battel, or ſhal I leaue of? And he ſaid, Go ye vp, and proſper, and they ſhal be deliuered into your hand.
15.And the King ſaid to him, How oft ſhal I charge thee, that thou tel me nothing but the trueth in the Name of the Lord?
16.Then he ſaid, I ſawe all Iſraél ſcatered in the mountaines, as ſhepe that haue no ſhepheard: and the Lord ſaid, Theſe haue no maſter: let thē returne euerie man to his houſe in peace.
17.And the King of Iſraél ſaid to Iehoſhaphat, Did I not tel thee, that he wolde not prophecie good vnto me, but euil?
18.Againe he ſaid, Therefore heare ye the worde of the Lord: I ſawe the Lord ſit vpon his throne, and all the hoſte of heauen ſtanding at his right hand, and at his left.
19.And the Lord ſaid, Who ſhal perſuade Aháb King of Iſraél, that he may go vp and fall at Ramóth Gileád? And one ſpake and ſaid thus, and another ſaid that.
20.Thē there came forthe a ſpirit and ſtode before the Lord, and ſaid, I wil perſuade him. And the Lord ſaid vnto him, Wherein?
21.And he ſaid, I wil go out, and be a falſe ſpirit in the mouthe of all his Prophetes. And he ſaid, Thou ſhalt perſuade, and ſhalt alſo preuaile: go forthe and do ſo.
22.Now therefore beholde, the Lord hathe put a falſe ſpirit in the mouth of theſe thy Prophetes, & the Lord hathe determined euil againſt thee.
23.Then Zidkiáh the ſonne of Chenaanáh came nere, and ſmote Michaiáh vpon the cheke, and ſaid, By what way wēt the ſpirit of ye Lord frō me, to ſpeake with thee?
24.And Michaiáh ſaid, Beholde, thou ſhalt ſe that day whē thou ſhalt go from chamber to chamber to hide thee.
25.And the King of Iſraél ſaid, Take ye Michaiáh, and carie him to Amón the gouernour of the citie, & to Ioáſh the Kings ſonne,
26.And ſay, Thus ſaith the King, Put this man in the priſon houſe, & fede him with bread of affliction and with water of affliction vntil I returne in peace.
27.And Michaiah ſaid, If thou returne in peace, the Lord hathe not ſpoken by me. And she ſaid, Heare, all ye people.
28.So the King of Iſraél and Iehoſhaphat the King of Iudáh wēt vp to Ramóth Gileád.
29.And the King of Iſraél ſaid vnto Iehoſhaphat, I wil change my ſelfe, and entre into the battel: but put thou on thine apparel. So the King of Iſraél chāged him ſelfe, and they went into the battel.
30.And the King of Arám had commanded the captaines of the charets that were with him, ſaying, Fight you not with ſmall nor great, but againſt ye King of Iſraél onely.
31.And when the captaines of the charets ſawe Iehoſhaphat, they ſaid, It is the King of Iſraél: and they compaſſed about him to fight. But Iehoſhaphat cryed, & ye Lord helped him & moued them to departe from him.
32.For when the captaines of the charets ſawe that he was not the King of Iſraél, they turned backe from him.
33.Then a certeine man drewe a bowe mightely, & ſmote the King of Iſrael betwene the ioyntes of his brigandine: therefore he ſaid to his charetman, Turne thine hand, and carie me out of the hoſte: for I am hurt.
34.And the battel increaſed that day: and the King of Iſraél ſtode ſtil in his charet againſt the Aramites vntil euen, and dyed at the time of ye ſunne going downe.

Notes

1:*.
1 King 22,2.
1:a.
For Iorám Iehoſhaphats ſonne maried Ahábs daughter
2:b.
That is, the third yere, 1 King 22,2
2:c.
To recouer it out of the hands of the Syrians.
4:d.
Heare the aduiſe of ſome Prophet, to knowe whether it be Gods wil.
5:e.
Which were the Prophetes of Báal, ſignifying that the wicked eſteme not but flatterers and ſuche as wil beare with their inordinate affections.
8:f.
Yet the true miniſters of God ought not to ceaſe to do their ductie, thogh the wicked magiſtrates can not abide them to ſpeake the trueth.
8:g.
Meaning, yt he oght not to refuſe to heare one that was of God.
9:h.
That is, in their maieſtie and royal apparel.
10:*.
1. King. 22.11.
12:k.
Thinking, yt where as foure hundreth Prophetes had agreed in one thing, that he being but one man, and in leaſt eſtimation durſt not gaineſay it.
14:l.
He ſpake this by deriſion of the falſe Prophetes, as the King wel perceiued.
16:m.
He prophecieth how the people ſhulde be diſperſed & Aháb ſlayne.
18:n.
Meaning, his Angels.
19:".
Or, deceiue.
21:o.
That is, the Lord.
22:p.
So they that wil not beleue ye trueth, God ſendeth ſtrong deluſion, that they ſhulde beleue lyes, 2. Theſſ. 2, 10.
23:q.
By this crueltie his ambicion and hypocrifie was diſcouered: the hypocrites boaſt of ye Spirit which they haue not, and declare their malice againſt thē, in whome the true Spirit is.
26:r.
Kepe him ſtraitely in priſon and let him ſele hungre and thirſt.
27:".
Or, Michaiáh.
29:s.
Thus ye wicked thinke by their owne ſubtiltie to eſcape Gods iudgements, wc he threateneth by his worde.
31:t.
He cryed to the Lord by acknowledging his faute in going with this wicked King to warre againſt the worde of the Lord by his Prophet, and alſo by deſiring mercie for the ſame.
33:".
Ebr. in his ſimplicite, or ignorantly.
33:".
Or, betwene the habergen.
34:u.
He diſſembled his hurt, that his ſouldiers might fight more couragiouſly.