2 Chronicles 18
Open in the reader1Now He-Who-Is-Has-Judged had an abundance of riches and honor, and he allied himself with Father's-Brother by marriage.
2And some years later he went down to visit Father's-Brother in Watch-Mountain, where Father's-Brother sacrificed many sheep and cattle for him and the people with him and urged him to march up to Heights-gilead.
3Father's-Brother king of Strives-with-God asked He-Who-Is-Has-Judged king of Praised, “Will you go with me against Heights-gilead?” And He-Who-Is-Has-Judged replied, “I am as you are, and my people are your people; we will join you in the war.”
4But He-Who-Is-Has-Judged also said to the king of Strives-with-God, “Please inquire first for the word of He-Who-Is.”
5So the king of Strives-with-God assembled the prophets, four hundred men, and asked them, “Should we go to war against Heights-gilead, or should we refrain?” “Go up,” they replied, “and God will deliver it into the hand of the king.”
6But He-Who-Is-Has-Judged asked, “Is there not still a prophet of He-Who-Is here of whom we can inquire?”
7The 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.
8So 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.”
9Dressed 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.
10Now 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.’”
11And 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.”
12Then the messenger who had gone to call Who-Is-Like-He-Who-Is 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.”
13But Who-Is-Like-He-Who-Is said, “As surely as He-Who-Is lives, I will speak whatever my God tells me.”
14When 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 they will be delivered into your hand.”
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 He-Who-Is?”
16So 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.’”
17Then 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?”
18Who-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 on His right and on His left.
19And He-Who-Is said, ‘Who will entice Father's-Brother king of Strives-with-God to march up and fall at Heights-gilead?’ And one suggested this, and another that.
20Then a spirit came forward, stood before He-Who-Is, and said, ‘I will entice him.’ ‘By what means?’ asked He-Who-Is.
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 He-Who-Is. ‘Go and do it.’
22So you see, He-Who-Is has put a lying spirit in the mouths of these prophets of yours, and He-Who-Is has pronounced disaster against you.”
23Then 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?”
24Who-Is-Like-He-Who-Is replied, “You will soon see, on that day when you go and hide in an inner room.”
25And 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,
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.’”
27But 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!”
28So the king of Strives-with-God and He-Who-Is-Has-Judged king of Praised went up to Heights-gilead.
29And 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.
30Now the king of Highland had ordered his chariot commanders, “Do not fight with anyone, small or great, except the king of Strives-with-God.”
31When the chariot commanders saw He-Who-Is-Has-Judged, they said, “This is the king of Strives-with-God!” So they turned to fight against him, but He-Who-Is-Has-Judged cried out, and He-Who-Is helped him. God drew them away from him.
32And when the chariot commanders saw that he was not the king of Strives-with-God, they turned back from pursuing him.
33However, 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!”
34The battle raged throughout that day, and the king of Strives-with-God propped himself up in his chariot facing the children of Highland until evening. And at sunset he died.