Old Testament

New Testament

1 Kings 22:27-43 New International Reader's Version (NIRV)

27. Tell him, 'The king says, "Put this fellow in prison. Don't give him anything but bread and water until I return safely." ' "

28. Micaiah announced, "Do you really think you will return safely? If you do, the Lord hasn't spoken through me." He continued, "All of you people, remember what I've said!"

29. So the king of Israel went up to Ramoth Gilead. Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, went there too.

30. The king of Israel spoke to Jehoshaphat. He said, "I'll go into battle wearing different clothes. Then people won't recognize me. But you wear your royal robes." So the king of Israel put on different clothes. Then he went into battle.

31. The king of Aram had given an order to his 32 chariot commanders. He had said, "Fight only against the king of Israel. Don't fight against anyone else."

32. The chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat. They thought, "That has to be the king of Israel." So they turned to attack him. But Jehoshaphat cried out.

33. Then the commanders saw he wasn't the king of Israel after all. So they stopped chasing him.

34. But someone shot an arrow without taking aim. The arrow hit the king of Israel between the parts of his armor. The king told his chariot driver, "Turn the chariot around. Get me out of this battle. I've been wounded."

35. All day long the battle continued. The king kept himself standing up by leaning against the inside of his chariot. He kept his face toward the men of Aram. The blood from his wound ran down onto the floor of the chariot. That evening he died.

36. As the sun was setting, a cry spread through the army. "Every man must go to his own town!" they said. "Everyone must go to his own land!"

37. So the king died. He was brought to Samaria. They buried his body there.

38. They washed the chariot at a pool in Samaria. It was where the prostitutes took baths. The dogs licked up Ahab's blood. It happened exactly as the Lord had said it would.

39. The other events of Ahab's rule are written down. Everything he did is written down. That includes the palace he built and decorated with ivory. It also includes the cities he built up and put high walls around. All of those things are written in the official records of the kings of Israel.

40. Ahab joined the members of his family who had already died. His son Ahaziah became the next king after him.

41. Jehoshaphat began to rule over Judah. It was in the fourth year that Ahab was king of Israel. Jehoshaphat was the son of Asa.

42. Jehoshaphat was 35 years old when he became king. He ruled in Jerusalem for 25 years. His mother's name was Azubah. She was the daughter of Shilhi.

43. Jehoshaphat followed all of the ways of his father Asa. He didn't wander away from them. He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. But the high places weren't removed. The people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense at them.

Read complete chapter 1 Kings 22