Divrey Hayamim Bais 18

Orthodox Jewish Bible

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]