Atlas Biblica

    2 Chronicles · 34 verses

    2 Chronicles 18

    Every verse links to the people and places named in it, and to the passages readers connect it with.

    The chapter

    What happens here

    Atlas's own reading, written from this chapter and nothing else, and published only once a person has approved it. Each scene names the verses it covers; the names inside it link to the people and places they name.

    Ahab’s prophets all speak with one voice because, in the heavenly court, a spirit has volunteered to put a lie in their mouths—and the LORD has told it to go ahead.

    An invitation to Ramothvv. 1–13

    Jehoshaphat, rich and honoured, allies himself with Ahab and visits him in Samaria. Ahab supplies an impressive meal of sheep and cattle, then suggests a march on Ramoth-gilead; Jehoshaphat agrees, though he asks first for the word of the LORD. Four hundred prophets cheer the expedition, while Zedekiah produces iron horns and promises a splendid goring of the Arameans. Jehoshaphat, who has noticed that four hundred voices can still leave one question unanswered, asks for another prophet. Micaiah is fetched, with a messenger advising him to be agreeable. Micaiah promises only what his God tells him.

    The prophet who will not improve the atmospherevv. 14–27

    Micaiah first gives the answer everyone has been giving, and Ahab immediately demands the truth—which is a curious way to request a different answer. Micaiah then sees Israel scattered like sheep without a shepherd, and goes on to describe the LORD enthroned with the host of heaven, asking how Ahab may be enticed to fall at Ramoth-gilead. A spirit volunteers to become a lying spirit in the mouths of Ahab’s prophets; the plan is approved, and Micaiah names the disaster plainly. Zedekiah answers with a blow and an oddly geographical question about where the Spirit went. Ahab sends Micaiah to prison on bread and water, while Micaiah leaves the matter hanging on the king’s safe return.

    The disguise and the arrowvv. 28–34

    The kings go up to Ramoth-gilead. Ahab disguises himself and sends Jehoshaphat into battle in royal robes, while the king of Aram’s chariot commanders are told to hunt only the king of Israel. They mistake Jehoshaphat for Ahab; Jehoshaphat cries out, and the LORD draws them away. Then a man fires without taking special aim, and the arrow finds the disguised king between the joints of his armour. Ahab remains propped up in his chariot until sunset, which is a remarkably long final act for an unaimed arrow.

    The text

    Read it

    Berean Standard Bible, public domain. Names the Hebrew and Greek put in the verse link to the person, place or people they name; the address beside each verse is a link to that verse, which is what a reader copies and shares.

    1. 2 Chr 18:1Now Jehoshaphat had an abundance of riches and honor, and he allied himself with Ahab by marriage.

    2. 2 Chr 18:2And some years later he went down to visit Ahab in Samaria, where Ahab sacrificed many sheep and cattle for him and the people with him and urged him to march up to Ramoth-gilead.

    3. 2 Chr 18:3Ahab king of Israel asked Jehoshaphat king of Judah, “Will you go with me against Ramoth-gilead?” And Jehoshaphat replied, “I am as you are, and my people are your people; we will join you in the war.”

    4. 2 Chr 18:4But Jehoshaphat also said to the king of Israel, “Please inquire first for the word of the LORD.”

    5. 2 Chr 18:5So the king of Israel assembled the prophets, four hundred men, and asked them, “Should we go to war against Ramoth-gilead, or should we refrain?” “Go up,” they replied, “and God will deliver it into the hand of the king.”

    6. 2 Chr 18:6But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there not still a prophet of the LORD here of whom we can inquire?”

    7. 2 Chr 18:7The king of Israel answered, “There is still one man through whom we can inquire of the LORD, but I hate him because he never prophesies anything good for me, but only bad. He is Micaiah son of Imlah.” “The king should not say that!” Jehoshaphat replied.

    8. 2 Chr 18:8So the king of Israel called one of his officials and said, “Bring Micaiah son of Imlah at once.”

    9. 2 Chr 18:9Dressed in royal attire, the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah were sitting on their thrones at the threshing floor by the entrance of the gate of Samaria, with all the prophets prophesying before them.

    10. 2 Chr 18:10Now Zedekiah son of Chenaanah had made for himself iron horns and declared, “This is what the LORD says: ‘With these you shall gore the Arameans until they are finished off.’”

    11. 2 Chr 18:11And all the prophets were prophesying the same, saying, “Go up to Ramoth-gilead and triumph, for the LORD will deliver it into the hand of the king.”

    12. 2 Chr 18:12Then the messenger who had gone to call Micaiah instructed him, “Behold, with one accord the words of the prophets are favorable to the king. So please let your words be like theirs, and speak favorably.”

    13. 2 Chr 18:13But Micaiah said, “As surely as the LORD lives, I will speak whatever my God tells me.”

    14. 2 Chr 18:14When Micaiah arrived, the king asked him, “Micaiah, should we go to war against Ramoth-gilead, or should we refrain?” “Go up and triumph,” Micaiah replied, “for they will be delivered into your hand.”

    15. 2 Chr 18:15But the king said to him, “How many times must I make you swear not to tell me anything but the truth in the name of the LORD?”

    16. 2 Chr 18:16So Micaiah declared: “I saw all Israel scattered on the hills like sheep without a shepherd. And the LORD said, ‘These people have no master; let each one return home in peace.’”

    17. 2 Chr 18:17Then the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Did I not tell you that he never prophesies good for me, but only bad?”

    18. 2 Chr 18:18Micaiah continued, “Therefore hear the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing on His right and on His left.

    19. 2 Chr 18:19And the LORD said, ‘Who will entice Ahab king of Israel to march up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?’ And one suggested this, and another that.

    20. 2 Chr 18:20Then a spirit came forward, stood before the LORD, and said, ‘I will entice him.’ ‘By what means?’ asked the LORD.

    21. 2 Chr 18:21And he replied, ‘I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouths of all his prophets.’ ‘You will surely entice him and prevail,’ said the LORD. ‘Go and do it.’

    22. 2 Chr 18:22So you see, the LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouths of these prophets of yours, and the LORD has pronounced disaster against you.”

    23. 2 Chr 18:23Then Zedekiah son of Chenaanah went up, struck Micaiah in the face, and demanded, “Which way did the Spirit of the LORD go when He departed from me to speak with you?”

    24. 2 Chr 18:24Micaiah replied, “You will soon see, on that day when you go and hide in an inner room.”

    25. 2 Chr 18:25And the king of Israel declared, “Take Micaiah and return him to Amon the governor of the city and to Joash the king’s son,

    26. 2 Chr 18:26and tell them that this is what the king says: ‘Put this man in prison and feed him only bread and water until I return safely.’”

    27. 2 Chr 18:27But Micaiah replied, “If you ever return safely, the LORD has not spoken through me.” Then he added, “Take heed, all you people!”

    28. 2 Chr 18:28So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah went up to Ramoth-gilead.

    29. 2 Chr 18:29And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “I will disguise myself and go into battle, but you wear your royal robes.” So the king of Israel disguised himself and went into battle.

    30. 2 Chr 18:30Now the king of Aram had ordered his chariot commanders, “Do not fight with anyone, small or great, except the king of Israel.”

    31. 2 Chr 18:31When the chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat, they said, “This is the king of Israel!” So they turned to fight against him, but Jehoshaphat cried out, and the LORD helped him. God drew them away from him.

    32. 2 Chr 18:32And when the chariot commanders saw that he was not the king of Israel, they turned back from pursuing him.

    33. 2 Chr 18:33However, a certain man drew his bow without taking special aim, and he struck the king of Israel between the joints of his armor. So the king said to his charioteer, “Turn around and take me out of the battle, for I am badly wounded!”

    34. 2 Chr 18:34The battle raged throughout that day, and the king of Israel propped himself up in his chariot facing the Arameans until evening. And at sunset he died.

    01 — Also here

    Who else the chapter reaches

    Names written in the English are linked in the text above. These are the ones that are not: an entity the Hebrew or Greek names under a spelling the translation does not use, or one reached only by an assertion about a verse of this chapter.

    Named in the Hebrew or Greek somewhere in this chapter, under a form the English renders differently — the registry's Ludim against the translation's Ludites — so there is no word in the sentence to hang the link on.

    Reached by an assertion Atlas extracted from a verse of this chapter rather than by a name written in it — a pronoun, a title, or a participant the sentence carries without naming. This layer is model-read and measured at 88.6–90.3% precision, and it is kept separate from the names above for that reason.

    02 — Read alongside

    Where this is echoed

    Readers' own connections, from OpenBible's crowd-voted cross-references — agreement about relevance, and not scholarly confidence. 328 passages were voted onto 34 verses of this chapter; the 16 shown lead on votes, and each is listed at the verse it was voted onto most strongly.

    • 12 Chronicles 17:5So the LORD established the kingdom in his hand, and all Judah brought him tribute, so that he had an abundance of riches and honor.
    • 4Jeremiah 21:2“Please inquire of the LORD on our behalf, since Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon is waging war against us. Perhaps the LORD will perform for us something like all His past wonders, so that Nebuchadnezzar will withdraw from us.”
    • 13Numbers 22:35But the angel of the LORD said to Balaam, “Go with the men, but you are to speak only what I tell you.” So Balaam went with the princes of Balak.
    • 18Daniel 7:9As I continued to watch, thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took His seat. His clothing was white as snow, and the hair of His head was like pure wool. His throne was flaming with fire, and its wheels were all ablaze.
    • 23Mark 14:65Then some of them began to spit on Him. They blindfolded Him, struck Him with their fists, and said to Him, “Prophesy!” And the officers received Him with slaps in His face.
    • 262 Chronicles 16:10Asa was angry with the seer and became so enraged over this matter that he put the man in prison. And at the same time Asa oppressed some of the people.
    • 312 Chronicles 13:14When Judah turned and discovered that the battle was both before and behind them, they cried out to the LORD. Then the priests blew the trumpets,
    • 12 Chronicles 21:6And Jehoram walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, just as the house of Ahab had done. For he married a daughter of Ahab and did evil in the sight of the LORD.
    • 7Micah 2:7Should it be said, O house of Jacob, “Is the Spirit of the LORD impatient? Are these the things He does?” Do not My words bring good to him who walks uprightly?
    • 7Amos 5:10There are those who hate the one who reproves in the gate and despise him who speaks with integrity.
    • 16Matthew 9:36When He saw the crowds, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
    • 18Isaiah 6:1–5In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted; and the train of His robe filled the temple.
    • 21John 8:44You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out his desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, refusing to uphold the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, because he is a liar and the father of lies.
    • 22Isaiah 19:14The LORD has poured into her a spirit of confusion. Egypt has been led astray in all she does, as a drunkard staggers through his own vomit.
    • 22Ezekiel 14:9But if the prophet is enticed to speak a message, then it was I the LORD who enticed him, and I will stretch out My hand against him and destroy him from among My people Israel.
    • 23Jeremiah 20:2he had Jeremiah the prophet beaten and put in the stocks at the Upper Gate of Benjamin, which was by the house of the LORD.

    Onward

    Keep reading

    Next chapter2 Chronicles 1911 verses.Named hereSyriaEverything the graph connects to this name.Book2 ChroniclesAll 36 chapters.Every bookThe Bible66 books, 1,189 chapters.