34. But someone drew his bow at random and hit the king of Israel between the sections of his armour. The king told his chariot driver, ‘Wheel around and get me out of the fighting. I’ve been wounded.’
35. All day long the battle raged, and the king was propped up in his chariot facing the Arameans. The blood from his wound ran onto the floor of the chariot, and that evening he died.
36. As the sun was setting, a cry spread through the army: ‘Every man to his town. Every man to his land!’
37. So the king died and was brought to Samaria, and they buried him there.
38. They washed the chariot at a pool in Samaria (where the prostitutes bathed), and the dogs licked up his blood, as the word of the Lord had declared.
39. As for the other events of Ahab’s reign, including all he did, the palace he built and adorned with ivory, and the cities he fortified, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel?
40. Ahab rested with his ancestors. And Ahaziah his son succeeded him as king.
41. Jehoshaphat son of Asa became king of Judah in the fourth year of Ahab king of Israel.
42. Jehoshaphat was thirty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem for twenty-five years. His mother’s name was Azubah daughter of Shilhi.
43. In everything he followed the ways of his father Asa and did not stray from them; he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. The high places, however, were not removed, and the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there.
44. Jehoshaphat was also at peace with the king of Israel.
45. As for the other events of Jehoshaphat’s reign, the things he achieved and his military exploits, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah?
46. He rid the land of the rest of the male-shrine prostitutes who remained there even after the reign of his father Asa.
47. There was then no king in Edom; a provincial governor ruled.
48. Now Jehoshaphat built a fleet of trading ships to go to Ophir for gold, but they never set sail – they were wrecked at Ezion Geber.
49. At that time Ahaziah son of Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, ‘Let my men sail with yours,’ but Jehoshaphat refused.
50. Then Jehoshaphat rested with his ancestors and was buried with them in the city of David his father. And Jehoram his son succeeded him as king.
51. Ahaziah son of Ahab became king of Israel in Samaria in the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and he reigned over Israel for two years.
52. He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, because he followed the ways of his father and mother and of Jeroboam son of Nebat, who caused Israel to sin.
53. He served and worshipped Baal and aroused the anger of the Lord, the God of Israel, just as his father had done.Footnotes for the Book of 1 Kingsa 22 That is, probably about 5 metric tonsb 22 That is, probably about 10 metric tonsc 26 Some Septuagint manuscripts (see also 2 Chron. 9:25); Hebrew fortyd 26 Or charioteerse 34 In Hebrew texts 4:21-34 is numbered 5:1-14.a 1 Hebrew; Septuagint four hundred and fortiethb 2 That is, about 27 metres long, 9 metres wide and 14 metres highc 3 That is, about 9 metres; also in verses 16 and 20d 3 That is, about 4.5 metres; also in verses 23-26e 6 That is, about 2.3 metres; also in verses 10 and 24f 6 That is, about 2.7 metresg 6 That is, about 3.2 metresh 8 Septuagint; Hebrew middlei 17 That is, about 18 metresa 6 The Hebrew is plural.b 8 See some Septuagint manuscripts, Old Latin, Syriac, Arabic and Targum; Hebrew And though this temple is now imposing, allc 13 Kabul sounds like the Hebrew for good-for-nothing.e 14 That is, about 4 metric tonsf 15 Or the Millo; also in verse 24g 18 The Hebrew may also be read Tamar.h 19 Or charioteersi 21 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them.j 26 Or the Sea of Reedsk 28 That is, about 14 metric tonsa 27 Or the Millob 33 Hebrew; Septuagint, Vulgate and Syriac because he hasa 10 Or Israel – every ruler or leaderb 14 The meaning of the Hebrew for this sentence is uncertain.c 15 That is, wooden symbols of the goddess Asherah; here and elsewhere in 1 Kingsd 31 Some Hebrew manuscripts and Septuagint (see also 2 Chron. 12:16); most Hebrew manuscripts Abijama 24 That is, about 68 kilogramsa 32 That is, probably about 11 kilogramsa 12 Or in Sukkoth; also in verse 16b 39 That is, about 34 kilogramsc 42 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them.a 24 Or Spirit ofb 38 Or Samaria and cleaned the weaponsc 43 In Hebrew texts this sentence (22:43b) is numbered 22:44, and 22:44-53 is numbered 22:45-54.d 48 Hebrew of ships of Tarshish