1 Asa’s son Jehoshaphat reigned in his place, and he strengthened himself against Israel. 2He stationed troops in every fortified city of Judah and put garrisons in the land of Judah and in the cities of Ephraim that his father Asa had captured.

3 Now the Lord was with Jehoshaphat because he walked in the earlier ways of his father David. He did not seek the Baals, 4but he sought the God of his father and walked by His commandments rather than the practices of Israel. 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. 6And his heart took delight in the ways of the Lord; furthermore, he removed the high places and Asherah poles from Judah.

7 In the third year of his reign, Jehoshaphat sent his officials Ben-hail, Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel, and Micaiah to teach in the cities of Judah, 8accompanied by certain Levites — Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Asahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, Tobijah, and Tob-adonijah — along with the priests Elishama and Jehoram. 9They taught throughout Judah, taking with them the Book of the Law of the Lord. They went throughout the towns of Judah and taught the people.

10 And the dread of the Lord fell upon all the kingdoms of the lands that surrounded Judah, so that they did not make war against Jehoshaphat. 11Some Philistines also brought gifts and silver as tribute to Jehoshaphat, and the Arabs brought him 7,700 rams and 7,700 goats from their flocks.

12 Jehoshaphat grew stronger and stronger, and he built fortresses and store cities in Judah 13and kept vast supplies in the cities of Judah. He also had warriors in Jerusalem who were mighty men of valor. 14These are their numbers according to the houses of their fathers:

19 These were the men who served the king, besides those he stationed in the fortified cities throughout Judah.

1 Now Jehoshaphat had an abundance of riches and honor, and he allied himself with Ahab by marriage. 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 Ahab 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 But Jehoshaphat also said to the king of Israel, “Please inquire first for the word of the Lord.”

5 So 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 But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there not still a prophet of the Lord here of whom we can inquire? ”

7 The 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 So the king of Israel called one of his officials and said, “Bring Micaiah son of Imlah at once.”

9 Dressed 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 Now 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 And 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 Then 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 But Micaiah said, “As surely as the Lord lives, I will speak whatever my God tells me.”

14 When 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 But 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 So Micaiah declared:

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

18 Micaiah 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 And 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 Then a spirit came forward, stood before the Lord, and said, ‘I will entice him.’

‘By what means?’ asked the Lord.

21 And 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 So 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 Then 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 Micaiah replied, “You will soon see, on that day when you go and hide in an inner room.”

25 And the king of Israel declared, “Take Micaiah and return him to Amon the governor of the city and to Joash the king’s son, 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 But Micaiah replied, “If you ever return safely, the Lord has not spoken through me.” Then he added, “Take heed, all you people!”

28 So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah went up to Ramoth-gilead. 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 Now the king of Aram had ordered his chariot commanders, “Do not fight with anyone, small or great, except the king of Israel.”

31 When 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. 32And when the chariot commanders saw that he was not the king of Israel, they turned back from pursuing him.

33 However, 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 The 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.

25As He says in Hosea:

26 and,

27 Isaiah cries out concerning Israel:

29 It is just as Isaiah foretold:

30 What then will we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith; 31but Israel, who pursued a law of righteousness, has not attained it. 32Why not? Because their pursuit was not by faith, but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone, 33as it is written:

1 Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is for their salvation. 2For I testify about them that they are zealous for God, but not on the basis of knowledge. 3Because they were ignorant of God’s righteousness and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. 4For Christ is the end of the law, to bring righteousness to everyone who believes.

5 For concerning the righteousness that is by the law, Moses writes: “The man who does these things will live by them.” 6But the righteousness that is by faith says: “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’ (that is, to bring Christ down) 7or, ‘Who will descend into the Abyss?’ (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).”

8 But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: 9that if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10For with your heart you believe and are justified, and with your mouth you confess and are saved.

11 It is just as the Scripture says: “Anyone who believes in Him will never be put to shame.” 12For there is no difference between Jew and Greek: The same Lord is Lord of all, and gives richly to all who call on Him, 13for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”