וַיְהִי לִיהוֹשָׁפָט עֹשֶׁר וְכָבוֹד לָרֹב וַיִּתְחַתֵּן לְאַחְאָב

Yehoshafat had wealth and honor in abundance; and he arranged a marriage with Ahav. He became a member of Ahav’s family through marriage, as his son Yehoram married Atalya, Ahav’s daughter.

וַיֵּרֶד לְקֵץ שָׁנִים אֶל־אַחְאָב לְשֹׁמְרוֹן וַיִּזְבַּח־לוֹ אַחְאָב צֹאן וּבָקָר לָרֹב וְלָעָם אֲשֶׁר עִמּוֹ וַיְסִיתֵהוּ לַעֲלוֹת אֶל־רָמֹת גִּלְעָד

After some years, he, Yehoshafat, went down to Ahav to Samaria. Ahav slaughtered sheep and cattle for him in abundance, and for the people who were with him. Ahav gave him a royal welcome, which included the slaughter of sheep and calves, and at that meeting Ahav incited him into going up with him against Aram in Ramot Gilad.

וַיֹּאמֶר אַחְאָב מֶלֶךְ־יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶל־יְהוֹשָׁפָט מֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָה הֲתֵלֵךְ עִמִּי רָמֹת גִּלְעָד וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ כָּמוֹנִי כָמוֹךָ וּכְעַמְּךָ עַמִּי וְעִמְּךָ בַּמִּלְחָמָה

Ahav king of Israel said to Yehoshafat king of Judah: Will you go out with me to war in Ramot Gilad? He, Yehoshafat, said to him: I am as you are, my people are as your people, and we will be with you in the war. My army and I will cooperate with you wholeheartedly.

וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוֹשָׁפָט אֶל־מֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל דְּרָשׁ־נָא כַיּוֹם אֶת־דְּבַר ה'

Yehoshafat said to the king of Israel: However, since there are dangers in initiating a war whose outcome is uncertain, inquire, please, the word of the Lord today. I wish to hear the word of God from a prophet.

וַיִּקְבֹּץ מֶלֶךְ־יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת־הַנְּבִאִים אַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת אִישׁ וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵהֶם הֲנֵלֵךְ אֶל־רָמֹת גִּלְעָד לַמִּלְחָמָה אִם־אֶחְדָּל וַיֹּאמְרוּ עֲלֵה וְיִתֵּן הָאֱלֹהִים בְּיַד הַמֶּלֶךְ

The king of Israel gathered the prophets of the God of Israel together, not prophets of the Baal, four hundred men. Ahav did not object in principle to hearing the word of God, and at that time the prophets of God were no longer being persecuted. And he said to them: Shall we go to Ramot Gilad to war, or shall I refrain? They said as one: Go up to war; and may God deliver your enemy into the hand of the king.

וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוֹשָׁפָט הַאֵין פֹּה נָבִיא לַה' עוֹד וְנִדְרְשָׁה מֵאֹתוֹ

But Yehoshafat said, since his concerns were not allayed by the words of these prophets, as he suspected that they might not be true prophets but merely hired men: Isn’t there still a prophet of the Lord here, that we may inquire of him?

וַיֹּאמֶר מֶלֶךְ־יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶל־יְהוֹשָׁפָט עוֹד אִישׁ־אֶחָד לִדְרוֹשׁ אֶת־ה' מֵאֹתוֹ ואֲנִי שְׂנֵאתִיהוּ כִּי אֵינֶנּוּ מִתְנַבֵּא עָלַי לְטוֹבָה כִּי כָל־יָמָיו לְרָעָה הוּא מִיכָיְהוּ בֶן־יִמְלָא וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוֹשָׁפָט אַל־יֹאמַר הַמֶּלֶךְ כֵּן

The king of Israel said to Yehoshafat: There is still one man through whom to inquire of the Lord, but I hate him, as he does not prophesy favorably in my regard, but rather, he always prophesies unfavorably to me. He is named Mikhayhu son of Yimla. I did not invite him, because of our mutual enmity. Yehoshafat said, politely and respectfully: Let the king not say so. Yehoshafat, a God-fearing man, related to the prophets differently than Ahav did. As the less ideologically committed king, Ahav entertained prophets of all sorts, including the prophets of the Baal and Ashera. He saw nothing unique in the prophets of God; therefore, he shunned any prophet he disliked. In contrast, Yehoshafat maintained that one should always heed a true prophet even if he does not bring good tidings.

וַיִּקְרָא מֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶל־סָרִיס אֶחָד וַיֹּאמֶר מַהֵר מִיכָיְהוּ בֶן־יִמְלָא

The king of Israel summoned an officer and said: Quickly, bring Mikhayhu son of Yimla.

וּמֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל וִיהוֹשָׁפָט מֶלֶךְ־יְהוּדָה יוֹשְׁבִים אִישׁ עַל־כִּסְאוֹ מְלֻבָּשִׁים בְּגָדִים וְיֹשְׁבִים בְּגֹרֶן פֶּתַח שַׁעַר שֹׁמְרוֹן וְכָל־הַנְּבִיאִים מִתְנַבְּאִים לִפְנֵיהֶם

The king of Israel and Yehoshafat king of Judah were sitting, each on his throne, dressed in their ceremonial raiment, and they were sitting at a threshing floor at the entrance of the gate of Samaria, and all the prophets were prophesying before them, in the broad open space of the threshing floor. Since Ahav sought to appeal to Yehoshafat, he hosted him in a most accommodating manner; therefore, they sat in the open threshing floor as equals, alongside or opposite one another.

וַיַּעַשׂ לוֹ צִדְקִיָּהוּ בֶן־כְּנַעֲנָה קַרְנֵי בַרְזֶל וַיֹּאמֶר כֹּה־אָמַר ה' בְּאֵלֶּה תְּנַגַּח אֶת־אֲרָם עַד־כַּלּוֹתָם

Tzidkiyahu son of Kenaana, one of the prophets, fashioned for himself horns of iron, which he may have placed on his head in a symbolic gesture, and said: So said the Lord: With these you will gore Aram, until their destruction. The prophets of God frequently performed symbolic acts, through which they sought to clarify and illustrate their words. Sometimes an act of this kind was considered to generate effects in the real world.

וְכָל־הַנְּבִאִים נִבְּאִים כֵּן לֵאמֹר עֲלֵה רָמֹת גִּלְעָד וְהַצְלַח וְנָתַן ה' בְּיַד הַמֶּלֶךְ

All the prophets were prophesying so, in the same manner as Tzidkiyahu, who may have been their leader, saying: Go up to Ramot Gilad, and succeed, and the Lord will deliver the enemy into the hand of the king.

וְהַמַּלְאָךְ אֲשֶׁר־הָלַךְ לִקְרֹא לְמִיכָיְהוּ דִּבֶּר אֵלָיו לֵאמֹר הִנֵּה דִּבְרֵי הַנְּבִאִים פֶּה־אֶחָד טוֹב אֶל־הַמֶּלֶךְ וִיהִי־נָא דְבָרְךָ כְּאַחַד מֵהֶם וְדִבַּרְתָּ טּוֹב

The messenger who went to summon Mikhayhu spoke to him, saying: Behold, the words of the prophets are unanimously good toward the king. Please let your word also be like one of them, and speak favorably. Perhaps you should desist just this once from directing barbed comments at the king and issuing harsh prophecies against him. This was not necessarily a suggestion that the prophet should lie, but an attempt to prompt Mikhayhu to moderate his tone.

וַיֹּאמֶר מִיכָיְהוּ חַי־ה' כִּי אֶת־אֲשֶׁר־יֹאמַר אֱלֹהַי אֹתוֹ אֲדַבֵּר

Mikhayhu said in an oath: As the Lord lives, that which my God will say to me, that I will speak. I do not conduct myself in that manner. Neither the desires of the king nor his expectations will guide my conduct. I am a prophet of God, a messenger who merely delivers His word.

וַיָּבֹא אֶל־הַמֶּלֶךְ וַיֹּאמֶר הַמֶּלֶךְ אֵלָיו מִיכָה הֲנֵלֵךְ אֶל־רָמֹת גִּלְעָד לַמִּלְחָמָה אִם־אֶחְדָּל וַיֹּאמֶר עֲלוּ וְהַצְלִיחוּ וְיִנָּתְנוּ בְּיֶדְכֶם

He, Mikhayhu, came to the king, Ahav, and the king said to him: Mikha, shall we go to Ramot Gilad to war, or shall I refrain? He said, in a mocking tone, mimicking the other prophets: Go up and succeed, and they will be delivered into your hand. You wanted to hear from me that which you already heard from the others, so here it is.

וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו הַמֶּלֶךְ עַד־כַּמֶּה פְעָמִים אֲנִי מַשְׁבִּיעֶךָ אֲשֶׁר לֹא־תְדַבֵּר אֵלַי רַק אֱמֶת בְּשֵׁם ה'

The king said to him: Do not conduct yourself like that. How many times have I administered an oath to you that you speak to me nothing but the truth in the name of the Lord? This is a serious matter.

וַיֹּאמֶר רָאִיתִי אֶת־כָּל־יִשְׂרָאֵל נְפוֹצִים עַל־הֶהָרִים כַּצֹּאן אֲשֶׁר אֵין־לָהֶן רֹעֶה וַיֹּאמֶר ה' לֹא־אֲדֹנִים לָאֵלֶּה יָשׁוּבוּ אִישׁ־לְבֵיתוֹ בְּשָׁלוֹם

He, Mikhayhu, said: I saw in a vision all Israel scattered in every direction on the mountains, like sheep that do not have a shepherd; and the Lord said: There is no master, ruler, for these, and let each man return to his house in peace. In other words, you, their master, will fall in battle, but your soldiers will return from the battlefield unharmed.

וַיֹּאמֶר מֶלֶךְ־יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶל־יְהוֹשָׁפָט הֲלֹא אָמַרְתִּי אֵלֶיךָ לֹא־יִתְנַבֵּא עָלַי טוֹב כִּי אִם־לְרָע

The king of Israel said to Yehoshafat: Didn’t I tell you beforehand that he, this prophet, would not prophesy favorably in my regard, but rather unfavorably?

וַיֹּאמֶר לָכֵן שִׁמְעוּ דְבַר־ה'! רָאִיתִי אֶת־ה' יוֹשֵׁב עַל־כִּסְאוֹ וְכָל־צְבָא הַשָּׁמַיִם עֹמְדִים עַל־יְמִינוֹ וּשְׂמֹאלוֹ

He, the prophet, spoke once again and said: Therefore, hear the word of the Lord. You think that I am speaking due to some personal interest or due to a quarrel. Not so; this was my vision in full: I saw the Lord sitting in His Sanctuary as a king on His throne, and all the host of the heavens, the angels, were attending on His right and His left.

וַיֹּאמֶר ה' מִי יְפַתֶּה אֶת־אַחְאָב מֶלֶךְ־יִשְׂרָאֵל וְיַעַל וְיִפֹּל בְּרָמוֹת גִּלְעָד וַיֹּאמֶר זֶה אֹמֵר כָּכָה וְזֶה אֹמֵר כָּכָה

The Lord said: Who will entice Ahav king of Israel, and he will go up to war and fall at Ramot Gilad? He, each of those present, said his response, and this one says like this and that one says like that.

וַיֵּצֵא הָרוּחַ וַיַּעֲמֹד לִפְנֵי ה' וַיֹּאמֶר אֲנִי אֲפַתֶּנּוּ וַיֹּאמֶר ה' אֵלָיו בַּמָּה

The spirit emerged, and it stood before the Lord, and said: I will entice him. The Lord said to him: With what? How will you do so?

וַיֹּאמֶר אֵצֵא וְהָיִיתִי לְרוּחַ שֶׁקֶר בְּפִי כָּל־נְבִיאָיו וַיֹּאמֶר תְּפַתֶּה וְגַם־תּוּכָל צֵא וַעֲשֵׂה־כֵן

He said: I will go out and be a spirit of falsehood in the mouth of all his prophets. I will give a false message to all the prophets that prophesy for Ahav. He said: Entice him, and also prevail. Go out and do so.

וְעַתָּה הִנֵּה נָתַן ה' רוּחַ שֶׁקֶר בְּפִי נְבִיאֶיךָ אֵלֶּה וה' דִּבֶּר עָלֶיךָ רָעָה

Mikhayhu said to Ahav: Now, behold, the Lord placed a spirit of falsehood in the mouth of these prophets of yours, but in truth, the Lord has spoken ill of you.

וַיִּגַּשׁ צִדְקִיָּהוּ בֶן־כְּנַעֲנָה וַיַּךְ אֶת־מִיכָיְהוּ עַל־הַלֶּחִי וַיֹּאמֶר אֵי זֶה הַדֶּרֶךְ עָבַר רוּחַ־ה' מֵאִתִּי לְדַבֵּר אֹתָךְ !

Tzidkiyahu son of Kenaana, who, as stated above, was apparently the leader of the prophets, approached and struck Mikhayhu on the cheek, and said: How is there a way that the spirit of the Lord has passed from me to speak through you? How dare you claim that the spirit of God has left me and speaks with you? I am the senior prophet.

וַיֹּאמֶר מִיכָיְהוּ הִנְּךָ רֹאֶה בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא אֲשֶׁר תָּבוֹא חֶדֶר בְּחֶדֶר לְהֵחָבֵא

Mikhayhu said in absolute confidence: Behold, you will see on that day, there will come a time when you go into a room within a room to hide. Now you are full of self-righteousness, but when the troubles arrive, you will hide in an inner room in shame.

וַיֹּאמֶר מֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל קְחוּ אֶת־מִיכָיְהוּ וַהֲשִׁיבֻהוּ אֶל־אָמוֹן שַׂר־הָעִיר וְאֶל־יוֹאָשׁ בֶּן־הַמֶּלֶךְ

The king of Israel said: Take Mikhayhu, and return him to the city, but not to his home; rather, take him to Amon governor of the city, one of the king’s appointees, and to Yo’ash the king’s son, who apparently stood in for the king in his absence.

וַאֲמַרְתֶּם כֹּה אָמַר הַמֶּלֶךְ שִׂימוּ זֶה בֵּית הַכֶּלֶא וְהַאֲכִילֻהוּ לֶחֶם לַחַץ וּמַיִם לַחַץ עַד שׁוּבִי בְשָׁלוֹם

And say to them: So said the king: Put this one, Mikhayhu, whom the king refuses even to mention by name, in the prison, and feed him scant food and scant water, until I come in peace. When I return from the war I will settle my account with him for everything he said. In the meantime, detain him in harsh conditions.

וַיֹּאמֶר מִיכָיְהוּ אִם־שׁוֹב תָּשׁוּב בְּשָׁלוֹם לֹא־דִבֶּר ה' בִּי וַיֹּאמֶר שִׁמְעוּ עַמִּים כֻּלָּם

Mikhayhu said: King of Israel, I am not afraid, for if you return in peace, that would mean that the Lord did not speak through me and I am not a true prophet. He said to all those present: Hear, all the peoples of Israel and Judah, that which I say. I take full responsibility for my previous statements, as I am entirely convinced of their truth.

וַיַּעַל מֶלֶךְ־יִשְׂרָאֵל וִיהוֹשָׁפָט מֶלֶךְ־יְהוּדָה אֶל־רָמֹת גִּלְעָד

The king of Israel and Yehoshafat king of Judah went up to Ramot Gilad. The entire band of prophets had predicted that they would succeed in the war, with the sole dissenting opinion that of a man whom Ahav said always provided dire prophecies. Moreover, even Mikhayhu had not explicitly prohibited going to war, but had merely declared that the people would scatter and Ahav would fall. Yehoshafat was persuaded to follow the majority.

וַיֹּאמֶר מֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶל־יְהוֹשָׁפָט הִתְחַפֵּשׂ וָבוֹא בַמִּלְחָמָה וְאַתָּה לְבַשׁ בְּגָדֶיךָ וַיִּתְחַפֵּשׂ מֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיָּבֹאוּ בַּמִּלְחָמָה

However, Ahav was still troubled by Mikhayhu’s prophecy. Therefore, the king of Israel said to Yehoshafat: I will disguise myself and come to the battle with different clothes, but you don your raiment, as the Arameans will undoubtedly be looking for me rather than you. The king of Israel disguised himself, and they entered the battle.

וּמֶלֶךְ אֲרָם צִוָּה אֶת־שָׂרֵי הָרֶכֶב אֲשֶׁר־לוֹ לֵאמֹר לֹא תִּלָּחֲמוּ אֶת הַקָּטֹן אֶת־הַגָּדוֹל כִּי אִם־אֶת־מֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל לְבַדּוֹ

The king of Aram commanded his chariot captains, saying: Do not fight against small or great, only with the king of Israel. Your sole mission is to smite the king of Israel. Do not wage a comprehensive war; rather focus on a single target, Ahav.

וַיְהִי כִּרְאוֹת שָׂרֵי הָרֶכֶב אֶת־יְהוֹשָׁפָט וְהֵמָּה אָמְרוּ מֶלֶךְ־יִשְׂרָאֵל הוּא וַיָּסֹבּוּ עָלָיו לְהִלָּחֵם וַיִּזְעַק יְהוֹשָׁפָט וַה' עֲזָרוֹ וַיְסִיתֵם אֱלֹהִים מִמֶּנּוּ

It was when the Aramean commanders of the chariots saw Yehoshafat, the only person wearing royal garments, and they said: It is the king of Israel. They, the commanders of the chariots, surrounded him to fight against him, and Yehoshafat cried out and the Lord helped him. God caused them to move from him, and he was spared. It is possible that when Yehoshafat cried out, the enemies recognized that he spoke in a dialect that was slightly different from that of Ahav, or that his voice differed from that of the king of Israel. The Arameans may have been able to distinguish between them because they were familiar with Ahav, as he and the king of Aram had fought wars against each other and had even met on occasion. In any case, they hesitated and did not immediately fire at Yehoshafat.

וַיְהִי כִּרְאוֹת שָׂרֵי הָרֶכֶב כִּי לֹא־הָיָה מֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיָּשׁוּבוּ מֵאַחֲרָיו

It was when the commanders of the chariots saw that indeed it was not the king of Israel, they withdrew from following him and left him alone, as they had been commanded to attack only the king of Israel. Although the king of Judah had come to fight against them, with regard to the instructions they had received he was no different from any other officer or captain.

ואִישׁ מָשַׁךְ בַּקֶּשֶׁת לְתֻמּוֹ וַיַּךְ אֶת־מֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל בֵּין הַדְּבָקִים וּבֵין הַשִּׁרְיָן וַיֹּאמֶר לָרַכָּב הֲפֹךְ יָדְךָ וְהוֹצֵאתַנִי מִן־הַמַּחֲנֶה כִּי הָחֳלֵיתִי

Meanwhile, a certain man from the Aramean camp drew his bow toward the enemy desultorily, without directing his aim at any specific individual, and smote the king of Israel between the joints of the armor. The undirected arrow struck the king of Israel at exactly the right spot, where the parts of his armor joined together. A suit of armor is composed of various segments, to enable movement and flexibility, and the seams are the vulnerable spots of the protective clothing. He, Ahav, said to the driver of the chariot: Reverse your hand and go backward, and extract me from the encampment, as I am mortally wounded. The king sensed that the wound was serious; apparently, he was injured in an area that constituted a mortal wound that was liable to lead to massive blood loss.

וַתַּעַל הַמִּלְחָמָה בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא וּמֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל הָיָה מַעֲמִיד בַּמֶּרְכָּבָה נֹכַח אֲרָם עַד־הָעָרֶב וַיָּמָת לְעֵת בּוֹא הַשָּׁמֶשׁ

The battle continued that day, and the king of Israel, who did not want to leave the battlefield and thus cause his army to be overthrown, was propped up in his chariot facing Aram until the evening. These battle chariots were small and had room for only two or three people in a standing position. Therefore, the king’s presence would have been evident to all. He stood bravely, in order to prevent any type of panic, knowing that if his soldiers saw him fleeing, his entire army might disperse. However, he was bleeding throughout. He died at the time of sunset, due to blood loss.