Much of this chapter is found with variations in 1Kings Chapter 22.
וַיְהִי לִיהוֹשָׁפָט עֹשֶׁר וְכָבוֹד לָרֹב וַיִּתְחַתֵּן לְאַחְאָב׃ 18:1
2Chr. 18:1 So Jehoshaphat's wealth was in abundance, and honor, when he allied himself by marriage to Ahab.
The information in this verse is not found anywhere else.
וַיֵּרֶד לְקֵץ שָׁנִים אֶל־אַחְאָב לְשֹׁמְרוֹן וַיִּזְבַּח־לוֹ אַחְאָב צֹאן וּבָקָר לָרֹב וְלָעָם אֲשֶׁר עִמּוֹ וַיְסִיתֵהוּ 18:2
לַעֲלוֹת אֶל־רָמוֹת גִּלְעָד׃
2Chr. 18:2 And he went down after some years to Ahab to Samaria, and Ahab slaughtered sheep and oxen in abundance for him and for the people who were with him, and persuaded him to go up to Ramoth-gilead.
Some of this verse appears in 1Kin. 22:2.
וַיֹּאמֶר אַחְאָב מֶלֶךְ־יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶל־יְהוֹשָׁפָט מֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָה הֲתֵלֵךְ עִמִּי רָמֹת גִּלְעָד וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ כָּמוֹנִי 18:3
כָמוֹךָ וּכְעַמְּךָ עַמִּי וְעִמְּךָ בַּמִּלְחָמָה׃
2Chr. 18:3 Thus Ahab, king of Israel, said to Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, “Will you come with me to Ramoth-gilead?” And he said to him, “I am as you are, and my people are as your people, and with you in war.”
This verse appears with some variations in 1Kin. 22:4. Verses 18:4 through the end of this chapter are found with variations in 1Kin. 22:5 through 22:35.
וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוֹשָׁפָט אֶל־מֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל דְּרָשׁ־נָא כַיּוֹם אֶת־דְּבַר יְהוָה׃ 18:4
2Chr. 18:4 Then Jehoshaphat said to the king of israel, “I pray you, seek this day the word of the Lord.”
וַיִּקְבֹּץ מֶלֶךְ־יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת־הַנְּבִאִים אַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת אִישׁ וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵהֶם הֲנֵלֵךְ אֶל־רָמֹת גִּלְעָד לַמִּלְחָמָה 18:5
אִם־אֶחְדָּל וַיֹּאמְרוּ עֲלֵה וְיִתֵּן הָאֱלֹהִים בְּיַד הַמֶּלֶךְ׃
2Chr. 18:5 And the king of Israel assembled the prophets, four hundred men, and said to them, “Should we go to Ramoth-gilead to battle, or should I leave off?” And they said, “Go up, as God has delivered into the hand of the king.”
וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוֹשָׁפָט הַאֵין פֹּה נָבִיא לַיהוָה עוֹד וְנִדְרְשָׁה מֵאֹתוֹ׃ 18:6
2Chr. 18:6 Then Jehoshaphat said, “Is there no prophet for the Lord here besides, that we may inquire from him?”
וַיֹּאמֶר מֶלֶךְ־יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶל־יְהוֹשָׁפָט עוֹד אִישׁ־אֶחָד לִדְרוֹשׁ אֶת־יְהוָה מֵאֹתוֹ וַאֲנִי שְׂנֵאתִיהוּ כִּי־אֵינֶנּוּ 18:7
מִתְנַבֵּא עָלַי לְטוֹבָה כִּי כָל־יָמָיו לְרָעָה הוּא מִיכָיְהוּ בֶן־יִמְלָא וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוֹשָׁפָט אַל־יֹאמַר הַמֶּלֶךְ כֵּן׃
2Chr. 18:7 And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Yet one man to seek from him the Lord, but I hate him, for nothing he is prophesying about me is for good but for evil all his days. He is Micaiah son of Imla.” And Jehoshaphat said, “The king should not say thus.”
וַיִּקְרָא מֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶל־סָרִיס אֶחָד וַיֹּאמֶר מַהֵר (מִיכָהוּ) [מִיכָיְהוּ] בֶן־יִמְלָא׃ 18:8
2Chr. 18:8 So the king of Israel called one officer and said, “Quickly, Micaiah son of Imla!”
The name Micaiah is misspelled in the parentheses. The correction, with an additional yad, is in the brackets.
וּמֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל וִיהוֹשָׁפָט מֶלֶךְ־יְהוּדָה יוֹשְׁבִים אִישׁ עַל־כִּסְאוֹ מְלֻבָּשִׁים בְּגָדִים וְיֹשְׁבִים בְּגֹרֶן פֶּתַח 18:9
שַׁעַר שֹׁמְרוֹן וְכָל־הַנְּבִיאִים מִתְנַבְּאִים לִפְנֵיהֶם׃
2Chr. 18:9 And the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, were sitting each on his throne, wearing robes, and they were sitting in a threshing floor at the entrance of the gate of Samaria, and all the prophets were prophesying before them.
וַיַּעַשׂ לֹו צִדְקִיָּהוּ בֶן־כְּנַעֲנָה קַרְנֵי בַרְזֶל וַיֹּאמֶר כֹּה־אָמַר יְהוָה בְּאֵלֶּה תְּנַגַּח אֶת־אֲרָם עַד־כַּלֹּותָם׃ 18:10
2Chr. 18:10 Now Zedekiah son of Chenaanah had made horns of iron for himself, and he said, “Thus says the Lord: ‘With these you shall gore Aram until their end.’”
וְכָל־הַנְּבִאִים נִבְּאִים כֵּן לֵאמֹר עֲלֵה רָמֹת גִּלְעָד וְהַצְלַח וְנָתַן יְהוָה בְּיַד הַמֶּלֶךְ׃ 18:11
2Chr. 18:11 And all the prophets were prophesying the same saying, “Go up to Ramoth-gilead and prosper, as the Lord shall deliver into the hand of the king.”
וְהַמַּלְאָךְ אֲשֶׁר־הָלַךְ לִקְרֹא לְמִיכָיְהוּ דִּבֶּר אֵלָיו לֵאמֹר הִנֵּה דִּבְרֵי הַנְּבִאִים פֶּה־אֶחָד טוֹב 18:12
אֶל־הַמֶּלֶךְ וִיהִי־נָא דְבָרְךָ כְּאַחַד מֵהֶם וְדִבַּרְתָּ טּוֹב׃
2Chr. 18:12 Now the messenger who had gone to call for Micaiah spoke to him saying, “Behold, the words of the prophets are unanimously favorable concerning the king, so I pray your word is as one from them, and you will speak good.”
וַיֹּאמֶר מִיכָיְהוּ חַי־יְהוָה כִּי אֶת־אֲשֶׁר־יֹאמַר אֱלֹהַי אֹתוֹ אֲדַבֵּר׃ 18:13
2Chr. 18:13 And Micaiah said, “As the Lord lives, whatever my God will say, that will I speak.”
וַיָּבֹא אֶל־הַמֶּלֶךְ וַיֹּאמֶר הַמֶּלֶךְ אֵלָיו מִיכָה הֲנֵלֵךְ אֶל־רָמֹת גִּלְעָד לַמִּלְחָמָה אִם־אֶחְדָּל וַיֹּאמֶר 18:14
עֲלוּ וְהַצְלִיחוּ וְיִנָּתְנוּ בְּיֶדְכֶם׃
2Chr. 18:14 Then he came to the king, and the king said to him, “Micaiah, should we go to Ramoth-gilead to battle, or should I leave off?” And he said, “Go up and prosper, as they are delivered into your hand.”
וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו הַמֶּלֶךְ עַד־כַּמֶּה פְעָמִים אֲנִי מַשְׁבִּיעֶךָ אֲשֶׁר לֹא־תְדַבֵּר אֵלַי רַק־אֱמֶת בְּשֵׁם יְהוָה׃ 18:15
2Chr. 18:15 And the king said to him, “How many times must I be insisting that you should speak nothing to me but the truth in the name of the Lord?”
וַיֹּאמֶר רָאִיתִי אֶת־כָּל־יִשְׂרָאֵל נְפוֹצִים עַל־הֶהָרִים כַּצֹּאן אֲשֶׁר אֵין־לָהֶן רֹעֶה וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה 18:16
לֹא־אֲדֹנִים לָאֵלֶּה יָשׁוּבוּ אִישׁ־לְבֵיתוֹ בְּשָׁלוֹם׃
2Chr. 18:16 So he said, “I saw all Israel scattered upon the mountains like sheep for which there is no shepherd, and the Lord said, ‘No masters for these; they must return each to his house in peace.’”
וַיֹּאמֶר מֶלֶךְ־יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶל־יְהוֹשָׁפָט הֲלֹא אָמַרְתִּי אֵלֶיךָ לֹא־יִתְנַבֵּא עָלַי טוֹב כִּי אִם־לְרָע׃ 18:17
2Chr. 18:17 And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Did I not say to you he would not prophesy favorably about me except but only for evil?”
וַיֹּאמֶר לָכֵן שִׁמְעוּ דְבַר־יְהוָה רָאִיתִי אֶת־יְהוָה יוֹשֵׁב עַל־כִּסְאוֹ וְכָל־צְבָא הַשָּׁמַיִם עֹמְדִים עַל־יְמִינוֹ 18:18
וּשְׂמֹאלוֹ׃
2Chr. 18:18 Then he said, “Therefore hear the word of the Lord! I saw the Lord sitting on His throne, and all of the host of heaven were standing on His right and His left.”
וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה מִי יְפַתֶּה אֶת־אַחְאָב מֶלֶךְ־יִשְׂרָאֵל וְיַעַל וְיִפֹּל בְּרָמוֹת גִּלְעָד וַיֹּאמֶר זֶה אֹמֵר כָּכָה וְזֶה 18:19
אֹמֵר כָּכָה׃
2Chr. 18:19 “And the Lord said, ‘Who will entice Ahab, king of Israel, that he would go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?’ And this one spoke saying this, and another saying that.”
וַיֵּצֵא הָרוּחַ וַיַּעֲמֹד לִפְנֵי יְהוָה וַיֹּאמֶר אֲנִי אֲפַתֶּנּוּ וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה אֵלָיו בַּמָּה׃ 18:20
2Chr. 18:20 “Then one came forth who was a spirit and he stood before the Lord and said, ‘I will entice him.’ And the Lord said to him, ‘By what means?’”
וַיֹּאמֶר אֵצֵא וְהָיִיתִי לְרוּחַ שֶׁקֶר בְּפִי כָּל־נְבִיאָיו וַיֹּאמֶר תְּפַתֶּה וְגַם־תּוּכָל צֵא וַעֲשֵׂה־כֵן׃ 18:21
2Chr. 18:21 “And he said, ‘I will go forth, and I will be as a deceptive spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ And He said, ‘You may entice, and you shall also prevail. Go forth and do thus.’”
וְעַתָּה הִנֵּה נָתַן יְהוָה רוּחַ שֶׁקֶר בְּפִי נְבִיאֶיךָ אֵלֶּה וַיהוָה דִּבֶּר עָלֶיךָ רָעָה׃ 18:22
2Chr. 18:22 “So now behold, the Lord has put the spirit of deception into the mouth of these, your prophets. Thus the Lord has spoken evil concerning you.
וַיִּגַּשׁ צִדְקִיָּהוּ בֶן־כְּנַעֲנָה וַיַּךְ אֶת־מִיכָיְהוּ עַל־הַלֶּחִי וַיֹּאמֶר אֵי זֶה הַדֶּרֶךְ עָבַר רוּחַ־יְהוָה מֵאִתִּי 18:23
לְדַבֵּר אֹתָךְ׃
2Chr. 18:23 And Zedekiah son of Chenaanah approached and struck Micaiah on the cheek and said, “Which was the direction the spirit of the Lord passed from me to threaten you?”
וַיֹּאמֶר מִיכָיְהוּ הִנְּךָ רֹאֶה בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא אֲשֶׁר תָּבוֹא חֶדֶר בְּחֶדֶר לְהֵחָבֵא׃ 18:24
2Chr. 18:24 And Micaiah said, “Behold, you will be seeing on that day when you go into a room within a room to hide.”
וַיֹּאמֶר מֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל קְחוּ אֶת־מִיכָיְהוּ וַהֲשִׁיבֻהוּ אֶל־אָמוֹן שַׂר־הָעִיר וְאֶל־יוֹאָשׁ בֶּן־הַמֶּלֶךְ׃ 18:25
2Chr. 18:25 Then the king of Israel said, “Seize Micaiah and take him back to Amon, the head of the city, and to Joash, the son of the king,
וַאֲמַרְתֶּם כֹּה אָמַר הַמֶּלֶךְ שִׂימוּ זֶה בֵּית הַכֶּלֶא וְהַאֲכִלֻהוּ לֶחֶם לַחַץ וּמַיִם לַחַץ עַד שׁוּבִי בְשָׁלוֹם׃ 18:26
2Chr. 18:26 and you shall say, ‘Thus says the king: ‘Put this one in the prison house and feed him bread of affliction and water of affliction until my return in peace.’”
וַיֹּאמֶר מִיכָיְהוּ אִם־שׁוֹב תָּשׁוּב בְּשָׁלוֹם לֹא־דִבֶּר יְהוָה בִּי וַיֹּאמֶר שִׁמְעוּ עַמִּים כֻּלָּם׃ 18:27
2Chr. 18:27 And Micaiah said, “If you indeed were to return in peace, the Lord has not spoken through me.” Then he said, “Hear peoples, all of them.”
וַיַּעַל מֶלֶךְ־יִשְׂרָאֵל וִיהוֹשָׁפָט מֶלֶךְ־יְהוּדָה אֶל־רָמֹת גִּלְעָד׃ 18:28
2Chr. 18:28 So the king of Israel went up, with Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, to Ramoth-gilead.
וַיֹּאמֶר מֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶל־יְהוֹשָׁפָט הִתְחַפֵּשׂ וָבוֹא בַמִּלְחָמָה וְאַתָּה לְבַשׁ בְּגָדֶיךָ וַיִּתְחַפֵּשׂ מֶלֶךְ 18:29
יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיָּבֹאוּ בַּמִּלְחָמָה׃
2Chr. 18:29 And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “I am disguising myself and will go into battle, but you wear your garments.” Then the king of Israel disguised himself, and they went into battle.
וּמֶלֶךְ אֲרָם צִוָּה אֶת־שָׂרֵי הָרֶכֶב אֲשֶׁר־לוֹ לֵאמֹר לֹא תִּלָּחֲמוּ אֶת־הַקָּטֹן אֶת־הַגָּדוֹל כִּי 18:30
אִם־אֶת־מֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל לְבַדּוֹ׃
2Chr. 18:30 Now king Aram had commanded the leaders of the chariots that were his, saying, “You shall not battle those small or great, but only the king of Israel himself.”
וַיְהִי כִּרְאוֹת שָׂרֵי הָרֶכֶב אֶת־יְהוֹשָׁפָט וְהֵמָּה אָמְרוּ מֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל הוּא וַיָּסֹבּוּ עָלָיו לְהִלָּחֵם וַיִּזְעַק 18:31
יְהוֹשָׁפָט וַיהוָה עֲזָרוֹ וַיְסִיתֵם אֱלֹהִים מִמֶּנּוּ׃
2Chr. 18:31 So it was when the leaders of the chariots were seeing Jehoshaphat, then they thought he was the king of Israel, and they turned upon him to fight. But Jehoshaphat cried out, and the Lord helped him, and God lured them away from him.
וַיְהִי כִּרְאוֹת שָׂרֵי הָרֶכֶב כִּי לֹא־הָיָה מֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיָּשֻׁבוּ מֵאַחֲרָיו׃ 18:32
2Chr. 18:32 So it was after the leaders of the chariots were seeing that he was not the king of Israel, then they turned away from being after him.
וְאִישׁ מָשַׁךְ בַּקֶּשֶׁת לְתֻמֹּו וַיַּךְ אֶת־מֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל בֵּין הַדְּבָקִים וּבֵין הַשִּׁרְיָן וַיֹּאמֶר לָרַכָּב 18:33
הֲפֹךְ (יָדֶיךָ) [יָדְךָ] וְהֹוצֵאתַנִי מִן־הַמַּחֲנֶה כִּי הָחֳלֵיתִי׃
2Chr. 18:33 And a man drew back on a bow in his innocence and he struck the king of Israel between the joints and the body armor, and he said to the charioteer, “Turn your hand and take me from the host, for I have been wounded.”
The word in the parentheses, translated as your hands, is assumed to be in error because it is different from the corresponding word in 1Kin. 22:34. But there is more than enough variation between the respective verses that doubt can be cast on this assumption. Nevertheless, the correction, removing the extra yad to make the noun singular, is in the brackets.
וַתַּעַל הַמִּלְחָמָה בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא וּמֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל הָיָה מַעֲמִיד בַּמֶּרְכָּבָה נֹכַח אֲרָם עַד־הָעָרֶב וַיָּמָת 18:34
לְעֵת בּוֹא הַשָּׁמֶשׁ׃
2Chr. 18:34 But the battle rose during that day, so the king of Israel had to remain standing in the chariot before Aram until the evening, and he died at the time of the setting of the sun.
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