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Ahab Dies in Battle
22 There was no war between Syria and Israel for three years.[a] 2 In the third year King Jehoshaphat of Judah came down to visit[b] the king of Israel. 3 The king of Israel said to his servants, “Surely you recognize that Ramoth Gilead belongs to us, though we are hesitant to reclaim it from the king of Syria.”[c] 4 Then he said to Jehoshaphat, “Will you go with me to attack Ramoth Gilead?” Jehoshaphat replied to the king of Israel, “I will support you; my army and horses are at your disposal.”[d] 5 But then Jehoshaphat said to Israel’s king, “Please seek a message from the Lord this very day.”[e] 6 So the king of Israel assembled about 400 prophets and asked them, “Should I attack Ramoth Gilead or not?”[f] They said, “Attack! The Sovereign One[g] will hand it over to the king.” 7 But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there not a prophet of the Lord still here, that we may ask him?” 8 The king of Israel answered Jehoshaphat, “There is still one man through whom we can seek the Lord’s will.[h] But I despise[i] him because he does not prophesy prosperity for me, but disaster. His name is Micaiah son of Imlah.”[j] Jehoshaphat said, “The king should not say such things.” 9 The king of Israel summoned an official and said, “Quickly bring Micaiah son of Imlah.”
10 Now the king of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah were sitting on their respective thrones,[k] dressed in their robes, at the threshing floor at the entrance of the gate of Samaria. All the prophets were prophesying before them. 11 Zedekiah son of Kenaanah made iron horns and said, “This is what the Lord has said, ‘With these you will gore Syria until they are destroyed.’” 12 All the prophets were prophesying the same, saying, “Attack Ramoth Gilead! You will succeed; the Lord will hand it over to the king.” 13 Now the messenger who went to summon Micaiah said to him, “Look, the prophets are in complete agreement that the king will succeed.[l] Your words must agree with theirs; you must predict success.”[m] 14 But Micaiah said, “As certainly as the Lord lives, I will say what the Lord tells me to say.”
15 When he came before the king, the king asked him, “Micaiah, should we attack Ramoth Gilead or not?” He answered him, “Attack! You will succeed; the Lord will hand it over to the king.”[n] 16 The king said to him, “How many times must I make you solemnly promise in[o] the name of the Lord to tell me only the truth?” 17 Micaiah[p] said, “I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains like sheep that have no shepherd. Then the Lord said, ‘They have no master. They should go home in peace.’” 18 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Didn’t I tell you he does not prophesy prosperity for me, but disaster?” 19 Micaiah[q] said, “That being the case, listen to the Lord’s message. I saw the Lord sitting on his throne, with all the heavenly assembly standing beside him on his right and on his left. 20 The Lord said, ‘Who will deceive Ahab, so he will attack Ramoth Gilead and die[r] there?’ One said this and another that. 21 Then a spirit[s] stepped forward and stood before the Lord. He said, ‘I will deceive him.’ 22 The Lord asked him, ‘How?’ He replied, ‘I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouths of all his prophets.’ The Lord[t] said, ‘Deceive and overpower him.[u] Go out and do as you have proposed.’ 23 So now, look, the Lord has placed a lying spirit in the mouths of all these prophets of yours, but the Lord has decreed disaster for you.” 24 Zedekiah son of Kenaanah approached, hit Micaiah on the jaw, and said, “Which way did the Lord’s Spirit go when he went from me to speak to you?” 25 Micaiah replied, “Look, you will see in the day when you go into an inner room to hide.” 26 Then the king of Israel said, “Take Micaiah and return him to Amon the city official and Joash the king’s son. 27 Say, ‘This is what the king says, “Put this man in prison. Give him only a little bread and water[v] until I safely return.”’”[w] 28 Micaiah said, “If you really do safely return, then the Lord has not spoken through me.” Then he added, “Take note,[x] all you people.”
29 The king of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah attacked Ramoth Gilead. 30 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “I will disguise myself and then enter[y] into the battle, but you wear your royal robes.” So the king of Israel disguised himself and then entered into the battle. 31 Now the king of Syria had ordered his thirty-two chariot commanders, “Do not fight common soldiers or high-ranking officers;[z] fight only the king of Israel.” 32 When the chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat, they said, “He must be the king of Israel.” So they turned and attacked him, but Jehoshaphat cried out. 33 When the chariot commanders realized he was not the king of Israel, they turned away from him. 34 Now an archer shot an arrow at random,[aa] and it struck the king of Israel between the plates of his armor. The king[ab] ordered his charioteer, “Turn around and take me from the battle line,[ac] because I’m wounded.” 35 While the battle raged throughout the day, the king stood propped up in his chariot opposite the Syrians. He died in the evening; the blood from the wound ran down into the bottom of the chariot. 36 As the sun was setting, a cry went through the camp, “Each one should return to his city and to his homeland.” 37 So the king died and was taken to Samaria, where they buried him.[ad] 38 They washed off the chariot at the pool of Samaria. Then the dogs licked his blood, while the prostitutes bathed, in keeping with the Lord’s message that he had spoken.[ae]
39 The rest of the events of Ahab’s reign, including a record of his accomplishments and how he built a luxurious palace and various cities, are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the Kings of Israel.[af] 40 Ahab passed away.[ag] His son Ahaziah replaced him as king.
Jehoshaphat’s Reign over Judah
41 In the fourth year of Ahab’s reign over Israel, Asa’s son Jehoshaphat became king over Judah. 42 Jehoshaphat was thirty-five years old when he became king and he reigned for twenty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother was Azubah, the daughter of Shilhi. 43 He followed in his father Asa’s footsteps and was careful to do what the Lord approved.[ah] (22:44)[ai] However, the high places were not eliminated; the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense on the high places. 44 (22:45) Jehoshaphat was also at peace with the king of Israel.
45 The rest of the events of Jehoshaphat’s reign, including his successes and military exploits, are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the Kings of Judah.[aj] 46 He removed from the land any male cultic prostitutes who had managed to survive the reign of his father Asa.[ak] 47 There was no king in Edom at this time; a governor ruled. 48 Jehoshaphat built a fleet of large merchant ships[al] to travel to Ophir for gold, but they never made the voyage because they were shipwrecked in Ezion Geber. 49 Then Ahaziah son of Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, “Let my sailors join yours in the fleet,”[am] but Jehoshaphat refused.
50 Jehoshaphat passed away[an] and was buried with his ancestors in the city of his ancestor[ao] David. His son Jehoram replaced him as king.
Ahaziah’s Reign over Israel
51 In the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat’s reign over Judah, Ahab’s son Ahaziah became king over Israel in Samaria. He ruled for two years over Israel. 52 He did evil in the sight of[ap] the Lord and followed in the footsteps[aq] of his father and mother; like Jeroboam son of Nebat, he encouraged Israel to sin.[ar] 53 He worshiped and bowed down to Baal,[as] angering the Lord God of Israel just as his father had done.[at]
16 So Paul stood up,[a] gestured[b] with his hand and said,
“Men of Israel,[c] and you Gentiles who fear God,[d] listen: 17 The God of this people Israel[e] chose our ancestors[f] and made the people great[g] during their stay as foreigners[h] in the country[i] of Egypt, and with uplifted arm[j] he led them out of it. 18 For[k] a period of about forty years he put up with[l] them in the wilderness.[m] 19 After[n] he had destroyed[o] seven nations[p] in the land of Canaan, he gave his people their land as an inheritance.[q] 20 All this took[r] about 450 years. After this[s] he gave them judges until the time of[t] Samuel the prophet. 21 Then they asked for a king, and God gave them Saul son of Kish, a man from the tribe of Benjamin, who ruled[u] forty years. 22 After removing him, God[v] raised up[w] David their king. He testified about him:[x] ‘I have found David[y] the son of Jesse to be a man after my heart,[z] who will accomplish everything I want him to do.’[aa] 23 From the descendants[ab] of this man[ac] God brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, just as he promised.[ad] 24 Before[ae] Jesus[af] arrived, John[ag] had proclaimed a baptism for repentance[ah] to all the people of Israel. 25 But while John was completing his mission,[ai] he said repeatedly,[aj] ‘What do you think I am? I am not he. But look, one is coming after me. I am not worthy to untie the sandals on his feet!’[ak] 26 Brothers,[al] descendants[am] of Abraham’s family,[an] and those Gentiles among you who fear God,[ao] the message[ap] of this salvation has been sent to us. 27 For the people who live in Jerusalem and their rulers did not recognize[aq] him,[ar] and they fulfilled the sayings[as] of the prophets that are read every Sabbath by condemning[at] him.[au] 28 Though[av] they found[aw] no basis[ax] for a death sentence,[ay] they asked Pilate to have him executed. 29 When they had accomplished[az] everything that was written[ba] about him, they took him down[bb] from the cross[bc] and placed him[bd] in a tomb. 30 But God raised[be] him from the dead, 31 and[bf] for many days he appeared to those who had accompanied[bg] him from Galilee to Jerusalem. These[bh] are now his witnesses to the people. 32 And we proclaim to you the good news about the promise to our ancestors,[bi] 33 that this promise[bj] God has fulfilled to us, their children, by raising[bk] Jesus, as also it is written in the second psalm, ‘You are my Son;[bl] today I have fathered you.’[bm] 34 But regarding the fact that he has raised Jesus[bn] from the dead, never[bo] again to be[bp] in a state of decay, God[bq] has spoken in this way: ‘I will give you[br] the holy and trustworthy promises[bs] made to David.’[bt] 35 Therefore he also says in another psalm,[bu] ‘You will not permit your Holy One[bv] to experience[bw] decay.’[bx] 36 For David, after he had served[by] God’s purpose in his own generation, died,[bz] was buried with his ancestors,[ca] and experienced[cb] decay, 37 but the one[cc] whom God raised up did not experience[cd] decay. 38 Therefore let it be known to you, brothers, that through this one[ce] forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, 39 and by this one[cf] everyone who believes is justified[cg] from everything from which the law of Moses could not justify[ch] you.[ci] 40 Watch out,[cj] then, that what is spoken about by[ck] the prophets does not happen to you:
Psalm 138[a]
By David.
138 I will give you thanks with all my heart;
before the heavenly assembly[b] I will sing praises to you.
2 I will bow down toward your holy temple,
and give thanks to your name,
because of your loyal love and faithfulness,
for you have exalted your promise above the entire sky.[c]
3 When[d] I cried out for help, you answered me.
You made me bold and energized me.[e]
4 Let all the kings of the earth give thanks[f] to you, O Lord,
when they hear the words you speak.[g]
5 Let them sing about the Lord’s deeds,[h]
for the Lord’s splendor is magnificent.[i]
6 Though the Lord is exalted, he looks after the lowly,
and from far away humbles[j] the proud.
7 Even when I must walk in the midst of danger,[k] you revive me.
You oppose my angry enemies,[l]
and your right hand delivers me.
8 The Lord avenges me.[m]
O Lord, your loyal love endures.
Do not abandon those whom you have made.[n]
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