Micaiah Warns Ahab about Disaster
(2 Chronicles 18.2-27)1 For the next three years there was peace between Israel and Syria. 2 During the third year King Jehoshaphat of Judah went to visit King Ahab of Israel.
3 Ahab asked his officials, “Why haven't we tried to get Ramoth in Gilead back from the Syrians? It belongs to us.” 4 Then he asked Jehoshaphat, “Would you go to Ramoth with me and attack the Syrians?”
“Just tell me what to do,” Jehoshaphat answered. “My army and horses are at your command. 5 But first, let's ask the Lord.”
6 Ahab sent for about 400 prophets and asked, “Should I attack the Syrians at Ramoth?”
“Yes!” the prophets answered. “The Lord will help you defeat them.”
7 But Jehoshaphat said, “Just to make sure, is there another of the Lord's prophets we can ask?”
8 “We could ask Micaiah son of Imlah,” Ahab said. “But I hate Micaiah. He always has bad news for me.”
“Don't say that!” Jehoshaphat replied. 9 Then Ahab sent someone to bring Micaiah as soon as possible.
10 All this time, Ahab and Jehoshaphat were dressed in their royal robes and were seated on their thrones at the threshing place near the gate of Samaria. They were listening to the prophets tell them what the Lord had said.
11 Zedekiah son of Chenaanah was one of the prophets. He had made some horns out of iron and shouted, “Ahab, the Lord says you will attack the Syrians like a bull with iron horns and wipe them out!”
12 All the prophets agreed that Ahab should attack the Syrians at Ramoth, and they promised that the Lord would help him defeat them.
13 Meanwhile, the messenger who went to get Micaiah whispered, “Micaiah, all the prophets have good news for Ahab. Now go and say the same thing.”
14 “I'll say whatever the living Lord tells me to say,” Micaiah replied.
15 Then Micaiah went to Ahab, and Ahab asked, “Micaiah, should I attack the Syrians at Ramoth?”
“Yes!” Micaiah answered. “The Lord will help you defeat them.”
16 “Micaiah, I've told you over and over to tell me the truth!” Ahab shouted. “What does the Lord really say?”
17 He answered, “In a vision I saw Israelite soldiers walking around in the hills like sheep without a shepherd to guide them. The Lord said, ‘This army has no leader. They should go home and not fight.’ ”
18 Ahab turned to Jehoshaphat and said, “I told you he would bring bad news!”
19 Micaiah replied:
Listen to this! I also saw the Lord seated on his throne with every creature in heaven gathered around him. 20 The Lord asked, “Who can trick Ahab and make him go to Ramoth where he will be killed?”
They talked about it for a while, 21 then finally a spirit came forward and said to the Lord, “I can trick Ahab.”
“How?” the Lord asked.
22 “I'll make Ahab's prophets lie to him.”
“Good!” the Lord replied. “Now go and do it.”
23 This is exactly what has happened, Ahab. The Lord made all your prophets lie to you, and he knows you will soon be destroyed.
24 Zedekiah walked up to Micaiah and slapped him on the face. Then he asked, “Do you really think the Lord would speak to you and not to me?”
25 Micaiah answered, “You'll find out on the day you have to hide in the back room of some house.”
26 Ahab shouted, “Arrest Micaiah! Take him to Prince Joash and Governor Amon of Samaria. 27 Tell them to put him in prison and to give him nothing but bread and water until I come back safely.”
28 Micaiah said, “If you do come back, I was wrong about what the Lord wanted me to say.” Then he told the crowd, “Don't forget what I said!”
Ahab Dies at Ramoth
(2 Chronicles 18.28-34)29 Ahab and Jehoshaphat led their armies to Ramoth in Gilead. 30 Before they went into battle, Ahab said, “Jehoshaphat, I'll disguise myself, but you wear your royal robe.” Then Ahab disguised himself and went into battle.
31 The king of Syria had ordered his 32 chariot commanders to attack only Ahab. 32 So when they saw Jehoshaphat in his robe, they thought he was Ahab and started to attack him. But when Jehoshaphat shouted out to them, 33 they realized he wasn't Ahab, and they left him alone.
34 However, during the fighting a soldier shot an arrow without even aiming, and it hit Ahab where two pieces of his armor joined. He shouted to his chariot driver, “I've been hit! Get me out of here!”
35 The fighting lasted all day, with Ahab propped up in his chariot so he could see the Syrian troops. He bled so much that the bottom of the chariot was covered with blood, and by evening he was dead.
36 As the sun was going down, someone in Israel's army shouted to the others, “Retreat! Go back home!”
37 Ahab's body was taken to Samaria and buried there. 38 Some workers washed his chariot near a spring in Samaria, and prostitutes washed themselves in his blood. Dogs licked Ahab's blood off the ground, just as the Lord had warned.
39 Everything else Ahab did while he was king, including the towns he strengthened and the palace he built and furnished with ivory, is written in The History of the Kings of Israel. 40 Ahab died, and his son Ahaziah became king.
King Jehoshaphat of Judah
(2 Chronicles 20.31—21.1)41 Jehoshaphat son of Asa became king of Judah in Ahab's fourth year as king of Israel. 42 Jehoshaphat was 35 years old when he became king, and he ruled from Jerusalem for 25 years. His mother was Azubah daughter of Shilhi.
43-46 Jehoshaphat obeyed the Lord, just as his father Asa had done, and during his rule he was at peace with the king of Israel.
He got rid of the rest of the prostitutes from the local shrines, but he did not destroy the shrines, and they were still used as places for offering sacrifices.
Everything else Jehoshaphat did while he was king, including his brave deeds and military victories, is written in The History of the Kings of Judah.
47 The country of Edom had no king at the time, so a lower official ruled the land.
48 Jehoshaphat had seagoing ships built to sail to Ophir for gold. But they were wrecked at Ezion-Geber and never sailed. 49 Ahaziah son of Ahab offered to let his sailors go with Jehoshaphat's sailors, but Jehoshaphat refused.
50 Jehoshaphat died and was buried beside his ancestors in Jerusalem, and his son Jehoram became king.
King Ahaziah of Israel
51 Ahaziah son of Ahab became king of Israel in the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat's rule in Judah, and he ruled two years from Samaria.
52 Ahaziah disobeyed the Lord, just as his father, his mother, and Jeroboam had done. They all led Israel to sin. 53 Ahaziah worshiped Baal and made the Lord God of Israel very angry, just as his father had done.
Kēbo-aob Mikajab ge Axaba ra ǃkhâikhom
(2 Kroniks 18:2-27)1 ǃNona kurigu ǁaeba i ge toro-e Siriab tsî Israeli tsîkha ǁaegu ge hâ tama hâ i, 2 xawe ǃnonaǁî kurib ǃnâb ge Judab gao-aob Josafata, Israeli gao-aob Axab ǁga ge ǃgû.
3 Gao-aob Axab ge ǁîb di ǂamkhoega ǃoa ge mî: “Sago ge Gileadi ǃnâ ǂnôa ǃās Ramots a sada di ǃkhaisa ǃgâise a ǂan, xawe da ge ǁîsa Siriab gao-aoba xu hō-oas ǃaroma xū-i xare-e dī tama hâ.” 4 Tsîb ge Axaba Josafata ge dî: “ǃGûts nî tita ǀkha, Ramots ǃoagu sī nî ǃkhamse?”
Ob ge Josafata ge ǃeream: “Tita ge sats ǀkha a ǀgui, ti toroǃkhamaogu ge a sa tsî ti hāgu ge a sa, 5 xawe aibe ǃKhūb ai dî re.”
6 Ob ge gao-aob Axaba kēbo-aogu, ǁaubexa hakakaidisiga ǂgaiǀhao tsî ǁîga ge dî: “ǃKham ta sī nî Ramots ǃoagu tamas ka io ta nî ǀû?”
O gu ge ǁîga “ǃKham sī, ǃKhūb ǁîs ǂama dansa nî mā tsi xuige” ti ge ǃeream.
7 Xaweb ge Josafata “ǀNî kēbo-ao-i, ǁî-i ǃnâ-u khom ǃKhūba nî dî-e nēpa a ǀkhai?” ti ge dî.
8 Ob ge Axaba ge ǃeream: “ǀGuib ge noxopa hâ, Imlab ôab Mikajaba, xawe ta ge tita ǁîba ǁkhan hâ, tita xab ǀgui ǃgâi xū-i tsîna kēbo tama tsî tsū xūn ǀguina ra kēbo xui-ao.”
Josafati ge “Tā ǁnāti mî” ti ge ǃeream.
9 Ob ge Axaba gao-ommi di ǂamkhoeba ǂgai tsî ge mîmā, îb Mikajaba ǃhaese sī ū.
10 Gao-aob Axab tsî gao-aob Josafati tsîkha ge gao-aosi sarana ana hâse, dāǃnâǃkhais tawa, Samarias dao-ams ais ai tronra âkha ai ge ǂnôa i, tsî gu ge kēbo-aogu hoaga ǁîkha ais ai gere kēbo. 11 ǁÎgu di ǀguib Sedekiab, Kenaanab ôab ge ǂnūǀuri ǁnâkha dībasen tsî ge mî: “Nētib ge ǃKhūba ra mî: ‘Nēkha ǀkhats ge Siriaǁîn ǃoagu ǃkham tsî ǁîna hoaragase nî hîkākā.’ ” 12 Nau kēbo-aogu hoagu ge ǁnās ǁkhāsa ge mî: “Ramots Gileadi ǃnâ ǂnôas ǃoagu sī ǃkham dants nî xuige. ǃKhūb ge dansa nî mā tsi.”
13 Mikajaba ge ǂgaiǃgû sîsabeb ge ǁîb ǃoa ge mî: “Nau kēbo-aogu hoagu ge gao-aob ǃgâiba ǃoa go kēbo, xuige sats tsîna ǁnāti dī, î gao-aob ǃgâib ǃoa ǃhoa re.”
14 Xaweb ge Mikajaba “ǃKhūb a ûitsama ǃkhais ao ta ge ǃKhūb ga mîba te khami nî mî” ti ge ǃeream.
15 Tsî Mikajab ge hā, ob ge gao-aoba ǁîb ǃoa ge mî: “Mikajatse, ǃkham ge sī nî Ramots ǃoagu tamas ka io ǀû ge nî?”
“ǃKham sī, dan go nî xuige. ǃKhūb ge dansa nî mā go” tib ge Mikajaba ge ǃeream.
16 Xaweb ge gao-aoba ge mî: “Mâtikō ǃnāde ta kha nî mîba tsi, tita ǀkhats ga ǃKhūb ǀons ǃnâ ǃhoa, ots amab ǀguiba nî mîba te ǃkhaisa?”
17 Ob ge Mikajaba ge mî: “Tita ge Israeli di toroǃkhamaoga, ǃûi-ao-e ūhâ tama gūn khami gu ǃhomgu ai ǀgaruǀgaruhe hâse ge mû. Tsîb ge ǃKhūba ge mî: ‘ǁÎgu ge ǂgaeǂgui-ao-e ūhâ tama hâ, xuige ab mâb hoaba ǂkhîb ǃnâ oms âb ǁga oa.’ ”
18 Ob ge gao-aob Axaba Josafata ǃoa ge mî: “Mîba tsi tama ta hâ ǁîb tita xa ǃgâi xū-i tsîna kēbo tama tsî tsū xūn ǀguina ra kēbo ǃkhaisa.”
19 ǃAruǀîb ge Mikajaba ge mî: “ǃGâ nēsi tare-eb ǃKhūba ra mîsa. Tita ge ǃKhūba trons âb aib ǂnôase ge mû tsî ǀhomǃgāgu ge ǁîb di hoa ǀkhākha ai ge mâ i. 20 Tsîb ge ǃKhūba ge dî: ‘Tari-e Axaba nî ǃhoaǁnâdana, îb Ramots ǃoa ǃgû tsî ǁnāpa sī ǃgamhe?’ O gu ge ǀhomǃgāga nēba nēti tsî nauba nauti ge mî. 21 Ob ge ǀgui gagaba aisǀkhāb ǁga ǂoaxa tsî ǃKhūb ais ai hā mâ tsî ge mî: ‘Tita ge ǁîba nî ǃhoaǁnâdana’ 22 ‘Mâ ǀgaub ai?’ tib ge ǃKhūba a dî, ob ge gagaba ge mî: ‘Tita ge Axab kēbo-aogu hoaga sī ǂhumiba nî ǃhoa kai.’ Ob ge ǃKhūba ge mî: ‘ǃGû, î sī gāxaǃnâ bi ǁnāsats nî hōbē xuige.’ ”
23 ǃAruǀîb ge Mikajaba ge mî: “ǃKhūb ge ge dī nē kēbo-aogu sagu nî ǂhumiba tsisa, xaweb ge ǃKhūba tsūǀkhāba sats ai nî hā kai.”
24 Ob ge Sedekiaba ǀgūse sī tsî Mikajaba ais ǃnâ ǁapu tsî ge dî: “Mâ ǁaeba xub ǃKhūb di gagaba tita xu ǂoa tsî sats ǀkha ra ǃhoa?”
25 Ob ge Mikajaba “ǁNāsats ge ǂganaga hâ ǃnā-oms ǃnâts ga gaugausents nîse ǂgâ, o nî mû” ti ge ǃeream.
26 Gao-aob ge ǁîb ǂamkhoegu di ǀguiba ge mîmā: “Mikajaba ǃkhō, î ǁîba ǃās ǂgaeǂgui-aob Amonni tsî gaoǀgôab Joasi tsîkha ǁga ǃgû-ū, 27 î ǁîkha mîba, î kha ǃkhō-oms ǃnâ ǂgā tsî pere-i tsî ǁgam-i tsîn ǀguina mā bi, tita ǂuruse nî oahās kōse.”
28 Ob ge Mikajaba ge mî: “ǂUrusets nî oahās karao, ob ge ǃKhūba tita ǃnâ-u go ǃhoa tama hâ i.” Tsîb ge ǃaruǀî “Sago hoago nēsa ǁnâu re” ti ge mî.
Gao-aob Axab di ǁōb
(2 Kroniks 18:28-34)29 ǁNās khaoǃgâ kha ge Israeli gao-aob Axab tsî Judab gao-aob Josafati tsîkha Gileadi ǃnâ ǂnôa ǃās Ramots ǁga ge ǃgû, ǁîsa kha sī nî ǁnāǂamga. 30 Ob ge Axaba Josafata ǃoa “Toroǃkhams ǀkha khom nî tsoatsoas aiǃâ ta ge tita mûǃāhe ta tidese nî ǀkharaǀkharasen, xawe satsa sa gaosaraba ana” ti ge mî. ǁNātib ge Israeli gao-aoba ǀkharaǀkharasen hâse ǃkhams ǃnâ ge ǂgâ.
31 Siriab di gao-aob ge ǃnonadisi ǃkhōdana-aogu ǁîb torokunidi diga ge mîmā, î gu tā ǀnî khoe-i xare-i ǃoagu ǃkham, î gu Israeli gao-aob ǀguiba ǁnāǂam. 32 O gu ge ǁîga gao-aob Josafata gu ge mûo Israeli gao-aob ti ǂâi tsî ǁîba gere ǁnāǂam ǂgao. Xawe Josafati ge ǃau, 33 o gu ge ǁîb Israeli gao-ao tama ǃkhaisa ge ǂan tsî ǁîba sauruǃgonsa ge ǀû. 34 Xaweb ge ǀguib ǁîgu diba ǂā-eb ge ǁkhâuo, Israeli gao-aoba ǁkhaiǁkhausarab a ǂâǁaresa ǃkhaib ǃnâ-u ge ǁkhâuhō. Ob ge ǁîba torokuniǃnari-aob âb ǃoa “Tsuihe ta go xuige dabasen, î ǃkhamsa xu ūǂui te” ti ge mî.
35 Toroǃkhams ge kaise ge ǀgai tsîb ge gao-aoba Siriaǁîgu ǃoa-ai torokunis âb ǀkha ge mâǀgara. ǀHapis âba xu ra ǂoaxa ǀaob ge torokunis ǃnâ gere dâu tsîb ge ǃuia ge ǁō. 36 Tsî sores ǂgâb aiǃâ i ge mîmā-e Israeli toroǂnubis ǃnâ ge ǂgaiǂuihe: “Ab mâ khoeb hoaba ǁîb di ǃhūb tsî ǃās ǁga oa.”
37 ǁNātib ge gao-aoba ge ǁō tsîs ge ǁîb sorosa Samarias tawa sī-ūhe tsî ǁnāpa ge ǁkhōhe. 38 ǁÎb di torokunis ge Samarias di ǀaus tawa a ǁāǃnâhe, on ge arina ǁîb ǀaoba gere tsā tsî di ge ǀai-aodi tsîna ǁnāpa gere ǁāsen. Nēs ge ǃKhūb ge ǀnai mî hâ i khami ge ī.
39 Nau ǃnaeǃkhaidi Axab didi, dīb ge xūn hoan, ǁîb ommi ǂkhoaǁgûgu ǀkha ge anisa ib tsî ǃādi hîab ge kurudi tsîn ge ǃNaeǃkhaidi ǂKhanis Israeli Gao-aogu dis ǃnâ a xoamâisa. 40 Axab ǁōb khaoǃgâb ge ǁîb ôab Ahasiaba ǁîb soas ǃnâ ge gao-ao kai.
Judab gao-aob Josafati
(2 Kroniks 20:31—21:1)41 Hakaǁî kurib Israeli gao-aob Axab ǂgaeǂguis dib ǃnâb ge Asab ôab Josafata ge Judab gao-ao kai. 42 Josafati ge ǃnonadisikoroǀa kurixab a hîa ge gao-ao kai tsî ǀgamdisikoroǀa kuriga Jerusalems ǃnâ gere ǂgaeǂgui. ǁÎb îs ge Asubas, Silhib ôasa. 43 ǁÎb ge ǁîb îb Asab ǁkhāb khami ǃKhūb mûǁae ǂhanuna gere dī, xawe di ge ǀgapigu ai hâ ǀgoreǀîǃkhaide ge hîkākāhe tama hâ i tsîn ge khoena noxopa ǁnāpa gere ǁguiba. 44 Tsî Josafati ge Israeli gao-aob ǀkha ǂkhîba ge dī.
45 Josafati ge dī xūn, ǁîb di ǁkhoaǂgaoxa dīgu tsî torogu hîab ge ǃkhamgu tsîn hoan ge ǃNaeǃkhaidi ǂKhanis Judab Gao-aogu dis ǃnâ a xoamâisa. 46 ǁÎb ge ǁîb îb Asab ǂgaeǂguis ǁaeba xu ge ǃgau hâ i ǀai-aogu hoaga ǃhūba xu ge ǃhaeǂui.
47 Edomǃhūb ge gao-ao-e ge ūhâ tama hâ i tsîb ge ǃnaka ǂnôa gao-aoba ǃhūba gere ǂgaeǂgui.
48 Josafati ge ǃhuniǀurib ǃaroma Ofiri ǁga nî ī doe-omde ge kuru, xawe di ge Esiongebers ǃnâ di ge ǂkhôahe xui-ao ǃnariǂoa tama ge i. 49 Ob ge Axab ôab Ahasiaba Josafati ǃoa “A gu ti khoega sagu ǀkha ǀguipa doe-omdi ǀkha ǃnariǂoa re” ti ge mî, xaweb ge Josafata ǂgao tama ge i.
50 Josafati ge ǁō tsî ǁîb aboxagu di ǀhobas ǃnâ Davidi ǃĀs ǃnâ ge ǁkhōhe tsîb ge ǁîb ôab Joramma ǁîb soas ǃnâ ge gao-ao kai.
Israeli gao-aob Ahasiab
51 Disihûǀaǁî kurib Judab gao-aob Josafati ǂgaeǂguis dib ǃnâb ge Axab ôab Ahasiaba ge Israeli gao-ao kai tsîb ge ǀgam kurikha Israela ge gaoǂam. 52 ǁÎb ge ǁîb îb Axab tsî ǁîb îs Isabels tsîra tsî gao-aob Jerobeammi Israelǁîna ge ǁore kaib ǁkhāb khami ǃKhūb mûǁae ǂhanu tamana ge dī. 53 ǁÎb ge Baala ǃoaba tsî ǀgoreǀî tsî ǁîb îb ǁkhāb khami ǃKhūb Israeli di Eloba ge ǁaiǁai.
