1 Kings 22
Open in the reader1Then three years passed without war between Highland and Strives-with-God.
2However, in the third year, He-Who-Is-Has-Judged king of Praised went down to visit the king of Strives-with-God,
3who said to his servants, “Do you not know that Heights-gilead is ours, but we have failed to take it from the hand of the king of Highland?”
4So he asked He-Who-Is-Has-Judged, “Will you go with me to fight against Heights-gilead?” He-Who-Is-Has-Judged answered the king of Strives-with-God, “I am as you are, my people are your people, and my horses are your horses.”
5But He-Who-Is-Has-Judged also said to the king of Strives-with-God, “Please inquire first for the word of He-Who-Is.”
6So the king of Strives-with-God assembled the prophets, about four hundred men, and asked them, “Should I go to war against Heights-gilead, or should I refrain?” “Go up,” they replied, “and the Lord will deliver it into the hand of the king.”
7But He-Who-Is-Has-Judged asked, “Is there not still a prophet of He-Who-Is here of whom we can inquire?”
8The king of Strives-with-God answered, “There is still one man through whom we can inquire of He-Who-Is, but I hate him because he never prophesies anything good for me, but only bad. He is Who-Is-Like-He-Who-Is son of He-Fills.” “The king should not say that!” He-Who-Is-Has-Judged replied.
9So the king of Strives-with-God called one of his officials and said, “Bring Who-Is-Like-He-Who-Is son of He-Fills at once.”
10Dressed in royal attire, the king of Strives-with-God and He-Who-Is-Has-Judged king of Praised were sitting on their thrones at the threshing floor by the entrance of the gate of Watch-Mountain, with all the prophets prophesying before them.
11Now He-Who-Is-Righteousness son of Humbled had made for himself iron horns and declared, “This is what He-Who-Is says: ‘With these you shall gore the children of Highland until they are finished off.’”
12And all the prophets were prophesying the same, saying, “Go up to Heights-gilead and triumph, for He-Who-Is will deliver it into the hand of the king.”
13Then the messenger who had gone to call Who-Is-Like-He-Who-Is instructed him, “Behold now, with one accord the words of the prophets are favorable to the king. So please let your words be like theirs, and speak favorably.”
14But Who-Is-Like-He-Who-Is said, “As surely as He-Who-Is lives, I will speak whatever He-Who-Is tells me.”
15When Who-Is-Like-He-Who-Is arrived, the king asked him, “Who-Is-Like-He-Who-Is, should we go to war against Heights-gilead, or should we refrain?” “Go up and triumph,” Who-Is-Like-He-Who-Is replied, “for He-Who-Is will deliver it into the hand of the king.”
16But 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 He-Who-Is?”
17So Who-Is-Like-He-Who-Is declared: “I saw all Strives-with-God scattered on the hills like sheep without a shepherd. And He-Who-Is said, ‘These people have no master; let each one return home in peace.’”
18Then the king of Strives-with-God said to He-Who-Is-Has-Judged, “Did I not tell you that he never prophesies good for me, but only bad?”
19Who-Is-Like-He-Who-Is continued, “Therefore hear the word of He-Who-Is: I saw He-Who-Is sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing by Him on His right and on His left.
20And He-Who-Is said, ‘Who will entice Father's-Brother to march up and fall at Heights-gilead?’ And one suggested this, and another that.
21Then a spirit came forward, stood before He-Who-Is, and said, ‘I will entice him.’ ‘By what means?’ asked He-Who-Is.
22And 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 He-Who-Is. ‘Go and do it.’
23So you see, He-Who-Is has put a lying spirit in the mouths of all these prophets of yours, and He-Who-Is has pronounced disaster against you.”
24Then He-Who-Is-Righteousness son of Humbled went up, struck Who-Is-Like-He-Who-Is in the face, and demanded, “Which way did the Spirit of He-Who-Is go when He departed from me to speak with you?”
25Who-Is-Like-He-Who-Is replied, “You will soon see, on that day when you go and hide in an inner room.”
26And the king of Strives-with-God declared, “Take Who-Is-Like-He-Who-Is and return him to Faithful the governor of the city and to He-Who-Is-Strong the king’s son,
27and 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.’”
28But Who-Is-Like-He-Who-Is replied, “If you ever return safely, He-Who-Is has not spoken through me.” Then he added, “Take heed, all you people!”
29So the king of Strives-with-God and He-Who-Is-Has-Judged king of Praised went up to Heights-gilead.
30And the king of Strives-with-God said to He-Who-Is-Has-Judged, “I will disguise myself and go into battle, but you wear your royal robes.” So the king of Strives-with-God disguised himself and went into battle.
31Now the king of Highland had ordered his thirty-two chariot commanders, “Do not fight with anyone, small or great, except the king of Strives-with-God.”
32When the chariot commanders saw He-Who-Is-Has-Judged, they said, “Surely this is the king of Strives-with-God!” So they turned to fight against him, but He-Who-Is-Has-Judged cried out.
33And when the chariot commanders saw that he was not the king of Strives-with-God, they turned back from pursuing him.
34However, a certain man drew his bow without taking special aim, and he struck the king of Strives-with-God 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!”
35The battle raged throughout that day, and the king was propped up in his chariot facing the children of Highland. And the blood from his wound ran out onto the floor of the chariot, and that evening he died.
36As the sun was setting, the cry rang out in the army: “Every man to his own city, and every man to his own land!”
37So the king died and was brought to Watch-Mountain, where they buried him.
38And the chariot was washed at the pool of Watch-Mountain where the prostitutes bathed, and the dogs licked up Father's-Brother’s blood, according to the word that He-Who-Is had spoken.
39As for the rest of the acts of Father's-Brother, along with all his accomplishments and the ivory palace and all the cities he built, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Strives-with-God?
40And Father's-Brother rested with his fathers, and his son He-Who-Is-Has-Grasped reigned in his place.
41In the fourth year of Father's-Brother’s reign over Strives-with-God, He-Who-Is-Has-Judged son of Healer became king of Praised.
42He-Who-Is-Has-Judged was thirty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Foundation-of-Peace twenty-five years. His mother’s name was Forsaken daughter of Armed-One.
43And He-Who-Is-Has-Judged walked in all the ways of his father Healer; he did not turn away from them, but did what was right in the eyes of He-Who-Is. , , ; .
44The high places, however, were not removed; the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places.
45He-Who-Is-Has-Judged also made peace with the king of Strives-with-God.
46As for the rest of the acts of He-Who-Is-Has-Judged, along with the might he exercised and how he waged war, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Praised?
47He banished from the land the male shrine prostitutes who remained from the days of his father Healer.
48And there was no king in Red; a deputy served as king.
49He-Who-Is-Has-Judged built ships of Far-Shore to go to Ophir for gold, but they never set sail, because they were wrecked at Backbone-of-the-Mighty-Man.
50At that time He-Who-Is-Has-Grasped son of Father's-Brother said to He-Who-Is-Has-Judged, “Let my servants sail with your servants,” but He-Who-Is-Has-Judged refused.
51And He-Who-Is-Has-Judged rested with his fathers and was buried with them in the city of his father Beloved. And his son He-Who-Is-Exalted reigned in his place.
52In the seventeenth year of He-Who-Is-Has-Judged’s reign over Praised, He-Who-Is-Has-Grasped son of Father's-Brother became king of Strives-with-God, and he reigned in Watch-Mountain two years.
53And he did evil in the sight of He-Who-Is and walked in the ways of his father and mother and of The-People-Increase son of Regard, who had caused Strives-with-God to sin.
54He-Who-Is-Has-Grasped served and worshiped The-Ruler, provoking He-Who-Is, the God of Strives-with-God, to anger, just as his father had done.