1 And they continued three years without war between Syria and Israel. 2 And it came to pass in the third year, that Jehoshaphat the king of Judah came down to the king of Israel. 3 And the king of Israel said unto his servants, Know ye that Ramoth in Gilead is ours, and we be still, and take it not out of the hand of the king of Syria? 4 And he said unto Jehoshaphat, Wilt thou go with me to battle to Ramoth-gilead? And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, I am as thou art , my people as thy people, my horses as thy horses. 5 And Jehoshaphat said unto the king of Israel, Enquire, I pray thee, at the word of the LORD to day. 6 Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, about four hundred men, and said unto them, Shall I go against Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall I forbear? And they said, Go up; for the Lord shall deliver it into the hand of the king. 7 And Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of the LORD besides, that we might enquire of him? 8 And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, There is yet one man, Micaiah the son of Imlah, by whom we may enquire of the LORD: but I hate him; for he doth not prophesy good concerning me, but evil. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say so. 9 Then the king of Israel called an officer, and said, Hasten hither Micaiah the son of Imlah. 10 And the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah sat each on his throne, having put on their robes, in a void place in the entrance of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets prophesied before them. 11 And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made him horns of iron: and he said, Thus saith the LORD, With these shalt thou push the Syrians, until thou have consumed them. 12 And all the prophets prophesied so, saying, Go up to Ramoth-gilead, and prosper: for the LORD shall deliver it into the king’s hand. 13 And the messenger that was gone to call Micaiah spake unto him, saying, Behold now, the words of the prophets declare good unto the king with one mouth: let thy word, I pray thee, be like the word of one of them, and speak that which is good. 14 And Micaiah said, As the LORD liveth, what the LORD saith unto me, that will I speak.
15 ¶ So he came to the king. And the king said unto him, Micaiah, shall we go against Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall we forbear? And he answered him, Go, and prosper: for the LORD shall deliver it into the hand of the king. 16 And the king said unto him, How many times shall I adjure thee that thou tell me nothing but that which is true in the name of the LORD? 17 And he said, I saw all Israel scattered upon the hills, as sheep that have not a shepherd: and the LORD said, These have no master: let them return every man to his house in peace. 18 And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, Did I not tell thee that he would prophesy no good concerning me, but evil? 19 And he said, Hear thou therefore the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven standing by him on his right hand and on his left. 20 And the LORD said, Who shall persuade Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead? And one said on this manner, and another said on that manner. 21 And there came forth a spirit, and stood before the LORD, and said, I will persuade him. 22 And the LORD said unto him, Wherewith? And he said, I will go forth, and I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And he said, Thou shalt persuade him , and prevail also: go forth, and do so. 23 Now therefore, behold, the LORD hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets, and the LORD hath spoken evil concerning thee. 24 But Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah went near, and smote Micaiah on the cheek, and said, Which way went the Spirit of the LORD from me to speak unto thee? 25 And Micaiah said, Behold, thou shalt see in that day, when thou shalt go into an inner chamber to hide thyself. 26 And the king of Israel said, Take Micaiah, and carry him back unto Amon the governor of the city, and to Joash the king’s son; 27 And say, Thus saith the king, Put this fellow in the prison, and feed him with bread of affliction and with water of affliction, until I come in peace. 28 And Micaiah said, If thou return at all in peace, the LORD hath not spoken by me. And he said, Hearken, O people, every one of you.
29 So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went up to Ramoth-gilead. 30 And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, I will disguise myself, and enter into the battle; but put thou on thy robes. And the king of Israel disguised himself, and went into the battle. 31 But the king of Syria commanded his thirty and two captains that had rule over his chariots, saying, Fight neither with small nor great, save only with the king of Israel. 32 And it came to pass, when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, that they said, Surely it is the king of Israel. And they turned aside to fight against him: and Jehoshaphat cried out. 33 And it came to pass, when the captains of the chariots perceived that it was not the king of Israel, that they turned back from pursuing him. 34 And a certain man drew a bow at a venture, and smote the king of Israel between the joints of the harness: wherefore he said unto the driver of his chariot, Turn thine hand, and carry me out of the host; for I am wounded. 35 And the battle increased that day: and the king was stayed up in his chariot against the Syrians, and died at even: and the blood ran out of the wound into the midst of the chariot. 36 And there went a proclamation throughout the host about the going down of the sun, saying, Every man to his city, and every man to his own country.
37 ¶ So the king died, and was brought to Samaria; and they buried the king in Samaria. 38 And one washed the chariot in the pool of Samaria; and the dogs licked up his blood; and they washed his armour; according unto the word of the LORD which he spake. 39 Now the rest of the acts of Ahab, and all that he did, and the ivory house which he made, and all the cities that he built, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? 40 So Ahab slept with his fathers; and Ahaziah his son reigned in his stead.
41 ¶ And Jehoshaphat the son of Asa began to reign over Judah in the fourth year of Ahab king of Israel. 42 Jehoshaphat was thirty and five years old when he began to reign; and he reigned twenty and five years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi. 43 And he walked in all the ways of Asa his father; he turned not aside from it, doing that which was right in the eyes of the LORD: nevertheless the high places were not taken away; for the people offered and burnt incense yet in the high places. 44 And Jehoshaphat made peace with the king of Israel. 45 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, and his might that he shewed, and how he warred, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? 46 And the remnant of the sodomites, which remained in the days of his father Asa, he took out of the land. 47 There was then no king in Edom: a deputy was king. 48 Jehoshaphat made ships of Tharshish to go to Ophir for gold: but they went not; for the ships were broken at Ezion-geber. 49 Then said Ahaziah the son of Ahab unto Jehoshaphat, Let my servants go with thy servants in the ships. But Jehoshaphat would not.
50 ¶ And Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father: and Jehoram his son reigned in his stead.
51 ¶ Ahaziah the son of Ahab began to reign over Israel in Samaria the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and reigned two years over Israel. 52 And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the way of his father, and in the way of his mother, and in the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin: 53 For he served Baal, and worshipped him, and provoked to anger the LORD God of Israel, according to all that his father had done.
ميخا النبـي ينذر أخاب
(2أخ 18:1-3)1 ومضَتْ ثَلاثُ سِنينَ لم يكُنْ فيها حربٌ بَينَ آرامَ وإِسرائيلَ. 2 وفي السَّنةِ الثَّالِثةِ نزَلَ يوشافاطُ مَلِكُ يَهوذا لِمُقابَلَةِ مَلِكِ إِسرائيلَ. 3 فقالَ مَلِكُ إِسرائيلَ لِحاشِيتِهِ: «ألا تَعلَمونَ أنَّ راموثَ جلعادَ لنا، ونحنُ لم نُحَرِّكْ ساكِنا لاستِرجاعِها مِنْ مَلِكِ آرامَ؟» 4 وسأَلَ يوشافاطَ «أتَذهَبُ معي إلى راموثَ جلعادَ لِلقِتالِ؟» فأجابَهُ يوشافاطُ: «نحنُ حالٌ واحدٌ شعبـي شعبُكَ وخَيلي خَيلُكَ. 5 ولكِنْ دَعْنا أوَّلًا نستَشيرُ الرّبَّ».
6 فجَمَعَ مَلِكُ إِسرائيلَ نحوَ أربَعِ مئَةِ رَجُلٍ مِنَ الأنبـياءِ وسألَهُم: «أأذهَبُ إلى راموثَ جلعادَ لِلقِتالِ أم لا؟» فأجابوا: «إذهَبْ لأنَّ الرّبَّ يُسَلِّمُها إلى يَدِكَ». 7 فسألَهُ يَوشافاطُ: «أما مِنْ نبـيٍّ آخَرَ لِلرّبِّ هُنا فنَستَشيرَ بهِ الرّبَّ؟» 8 فأجابَهُ مَلِكُ إِسرائيلَ: «هُناكَ واحدٌ بَعدُ، لكنِّي أُبغِضُهُ لأنَّهُ لا يتَنبَّأُ عليَّ إلاَّ بِالشَّرِّ، وهوَ ميخا بنُ يملَةَ». فقالَ لَه يوشافاطُ: «لا تَقُلْ هكذا أيُّها المَلِكُ». 9 فدَعا مَلِكُ إِسرائيلَ أحدَ الخدَمِ وأمَرَهُ: «جِئْني بِميخا بنِ يَملَةَ». 10 وكانَ مَلِكُ إِسرائيلَ ويوشافاطُ مَلِكُ يَهوذا لابِسَينِ ثيابَهُما المُلوكيَّةَ وجالِسَينِ كُلُّ واحدٍ على عرشِهِ في السَّاحةِ عِندَ مدخَلِ بابِ السَّامِرةِ، وجميعُ الأنبـياءِ يتَنبَّأونَ في حضرَتِهِما. 11 وصنَعَ صِدْقيَّا بنُ كَنعَنةَ قُرونَ حديدٍ وقالَ: «هذا ما قالَ الرّبُّ: بِهذِهِ القُرونِ تنطَحُ الآراميِّينَ حتّى يَفنَوا». 12 وكانَ جميعُ الأنبـياءِ يتَنبَّأونَ هكذا ويقولونَ لِلملِكِ: «هاجِمْ راموثَ جلْعادَ فتنتَصِرَ، لأنَّ الرّبَّ يُسَلِّمُها إلى يَدِكَ».
13 وقالَ رسولُ أخابَ لِميخا: «بِصوتٍ واحدٍ تنبَّأَ الأنبـياءُ لِلمَلِكِ بِالنَّصرِ، فليكُنْ كلامُكَ مِثلَ كلامِهِم». 14 فقالَ لَه ميخا: «حَيٌّ هوَ الرّبُّ، ما يقولُهُ ليَ الرّبُّ أقولُهُ أنا». 15 فلمَّا حضَرَ سألَهُ المَلِكُ: «يا ميخا، أنذهَبُ إلى راموثَ جلعادَ لِلقِتالِ أم لا؟» فأجابَهُ: «إذهَبْ فتنتَصِرَ، لأنَّ الرّبَّ يُسَلِّمُها إلى يَدِكَ». 16 فقالَ لَه المَلِكُ: «كم مَرَّةً استَحلَفتُكَ أنْ لا تُكلِّمَني باسمِ الرّبِّ إلاَّ بِالصِّدقِ؟» 17 فقالَ ميخا: «أرى شعبَ إِسرائيلَ مُبَعثَرينَ على الجِبالِ كغنَمٍ بِلا راعٍ، والرّبُّ يقولُ: هؤلاءِ لا قائِدَ لهُم، فَليَرجِـعْ كُلُّ واحدٍ مِنهُم إلى بَيتِهِ بِأمانٍ». 18 فقالَ مَلِكُ إِسرائيلَ لِـيوشافاطَ: «أما قُلتُ لكَ إنَّهُ لا يتنَبَّأُ عليَّ إلاَّ بِالشَّرِّ». 19 فقالَ ميخا: «إسمَعْ كلامَ الرّبِّ. رأيتُ الرّبَّ جالسا على عرشِهِ وجميعُ ملائِكةِ السَّماءِ وُقوفٌ لدَيهِ، على يمينِهِ وشِمالِهِ. 20 فسألَهُمُ الرّبُّ مَنْ يُغوي أخابَ بِالصُّعودِ لِلحربِ فيموتَ في راموثَ جلعادَ؟ فأجابَ هذا بِشيءٍ، وذاكَ بِشيءٍ آخَرَ. 21 وأخيرا خرَجَ روحٌ ووَقَفَ أمامَ الرّبِّ وقالَ: أنا أُغويهِ. فسألَهُ الرّبُّ: بِماذا؟ 22 فأجابَ: أجعَلُ جميعَ أنبِيائِهِ يَنطِقونَ الكذِبَ. فقالَ لَه الرّبُّ: أنتَ تَقدِرُ أنْ تُغوِيَهُ، فافعَلْ هكذا». 23 ثُمَّ قالَ ميخا لِلمَلِكِ: «الرّبُّ قصَدَ لكَ الشَّرَّ، لكِنَّهُ جعَلَ روحَ الكَذِبِ في أفواهِ أنْبِيائِكَ هؤلاءِ، فما نطَقوا بِالصِّدقِ».
24 فتَقَدَّمَ صِدْقيَّا بنِ كنعَنَةَ ولَطَمَ ميخا على فكِّهِ وقالَ: «متى عبَرَ روحُ الرّبِّ منِّي لِـيُكَلِّمَكَ؟» 25 فأجابَهُ ميخا: «ستَعرِفُ ذلِكَ يومَ تُفَتِّشُ عَنْ مَخدَعٍ خَفيٍّ لِتَختَبـئَ». 26 فقالَ مَلِكُ إِسرائيلَ لأحدِ رِجالِهِ: «خُذْ ميخا وسَلِّمْهُ إلى آمونَ حاكِمِ المدينةِ وإلى الأميرِ يُوآشَ 27 وقُلْ: هذا ما أمَرَ بهِ المَلِكُ: ضَعوا ميخا في السِّجْنِ وقدِّموا لَه قليلا مِنَ الخُبزِ والماءِ إلى أنْ أرجِـعَ سالِما». 28 فقالَ ميخا لِلمَلِكِ: «إنْ رَجِعْتَ سالِما فلا يكونُ الرّبُّ تكَلّمَ على لِساني».
موت أخاب
(2أخ 18:28-34)29 وصعِدَ مَلِكُ إِسرائيلَ ويوشافاطُ مَلِكُ يَهوذا إلى راموثَ جلعادَ. 30 فقالَ مَلِكُ إِسرائيلَ لِـيوشافاطَ: «أنا أتنكَّرُ وأتقَدَّمُ إلى القِتالِ، وأنتَ تَلبَسُ ثيابَكَ المُلوكيَّةَ». فتَنكَّرَ مَلِكُ إِسرائيلَ وتقَدَّمَ إلى القِتالِ. 31 وأمرَ مَلِكُ أرامَ قادةَ مَركباتِهِ الاثنَينِ والثَّلاثينَ: «لا تُحارِبوا صغيرا ولا كبـيرا إلاَّ مَلِكَ إِسرائيلَ وحدَهُ». 32 فلمَّا رأى قادةُ المَركباتِ يوشافاطَ قالوا: «لا شَكَّ أنَّهُ مَلِكُ إِسرائيلَ». فاتَّجَهوا إليهِ لِـيُقاتِلوهُ. فلمَّا صرَخَ 33 أدرَكوا أنَّهُ لم يكُنْ مَلِكَ إِسرائيلَ، فرَجَعوا عنهُ. 34 لكِنَّ جُنديًّا أراميًّا أطلَقَ سَهما طائِشا، فأصابَ مَلِكَ إِسرائيلَ بَينَ الدِّرعَ والوِركِ، فقالَ لِسائِقِ مَركَبتِهِ: «دُرْ واخرُجْ بـي مِنَ المَعركةِ لأنِّي جُرِحْتُ». 35 واشْتَدَّ القِتالُ في ذلِكَ اليومِ، والمَلِكُ واقِفٌ بِمركبَتِهِ مُقابِلَ الآراميِّينَ. وماتَ في المساءِ وكانَ دَمُ الجُرحِ سائِلا في وسَطِ المَركبةِ. 36 وعِندَ الغُروبِ علا نِداءُ جيشِ إِسرائيلَ: «لِـيَنصَرِفْ كُلُّ رَجُلٍ إلى بلَدِهِ ومدينتِهِ، فالمَلِكُ ماتَ».
37 وحمَلوا جُثَّتَهُ إلى السَّامِرةِ ودفَنوها هُناكَ. 38 وغسَلوا مَركبتَهُ في بِركَةِ السَّامِرةِ فلَحَسَتِ الكِلابُ دَمَهُ كما قالَ الرّبُّ، وفي الماءِ المُلَوَّنِ بِدَمِهِ اغتسلَتِ البَغايا. 39 وما بَقيَ مِنْ أخبارِ أخابَ وجميعِ أفعالِهِ، ومِنْ بَيتِ العاجِ وجميعِ المُدُنِ الّتي بَناها، مُدَوَّنٌ في سِفرِ أخبارِ الأيّامِ لِمُلوكِ إِسرائيلَ. 40 وماتَ أخابُ، وملَكَ أخَزْيا ابنُه مكانَهُ.
يوشافاط ملك يهوذا
(2أخ 20:31—21:1)41 وملَكَ يوشافاطُ بنُ آسا على يَهوذا في السَّنةِ الرَّابِــعةِ لأخابَ مَلِكِ إِسرائيلَ. 42 وكانَ ابْنَ خَمسٍ وثَلاثينَ سنَةً حينَ ملَكَ، وملَكَ بِأورُشليمَ خَمسا وعِشرينَ سنَةً، واسمُ أمِّهِ عَزوبَةُ بِنتُ شَلحي. 43 وسَلَكَ جميعَ طُرُقِ أبـيهِ آسا ولم يَحِدْ عَنها، وصنَعَ ما هوَ قويمٌ في نظَرِ الرّبِّ، 44 لكِنَّ عِبادةَ الأصنامِ على التِّلالِ بَقيَت على حالِها، وكانَ الشَّعبُ يذبَحونَ وَيُبخِّرونَ لها. 45 وكانَ يوشافاطُ مُسالِما لِمَلِكِ إِسرائيلَ. 46 وما بَقيَ مِنْ أخبارِ يوشافاطَ مُدَوَّنٌ في سِفْرِ أخبارِ الأيّامِ لِمُلوكِ يَهوذا: بَسالَتُه وحُروبُهُ 47 ونَفيُهُ بَغايا المَعبدِ الباقياتِ مِنْ أيّامِ آسا أبـيهِ.
48 ولم يكُنْ مَلِكٌ في أدومَ، بل وكيلٌ لِـيوشافاطَ. 49 وبَنى يوشافاطُ سُفُنا ضخمةً لِجَلْبِ الذَّهبِ مِنْ أوفيرَ لكِنَّها لم تُبحِرْ إلى هُناكَ لأنَّها انكَسرَتْ في عِصيونَ جابِرَ. 50 فقالَ أخَزْيا بْنُ أخابَ لِـيوشافاطَ: «دَعْ رِجالي ورِجالَك يُبحِرونَ في السُّفُنِ». فرَفَضَ يوشافاطُ. 51 وماتَ يوشافاطُ ودُفِنَ معَ آبائِهِ في مدينةِ داوُدَ جَدِّهِ، وملَكَ يورامُ ابنُهُ مكانَهُ.
أخزيا ملك إسرائيل
52 وملَكَ أخَزْيا بنُ أخابَ على إِسرائيلَ بِالسَّامِرةِ، في السَّنةِ السَّابِــعةَ عشْرَةَ لِـيوشافاطَ مَلِكِ يَهوذا، وملَكَ على إِسرائيلَ سنتينِ. 53 وفعَلَ الشَّرَّ أمامَ الرّبِّ، وسارَ في طَريقِ أبـيهِ وأمِّهِ ويَرُبعامَ بنِ ناباطَ الّذي جعَلَ إِسرائيلَ يَخطَأُ، 54 فعَبَدَ البَعلَ وسجَدَ لَه وأغاظَ الرّبَّ إلهَ إِسرائيلَ، كما فعَلَ أبوهُ.