1 Now Jehoshaphat had riches and honor in abundance; and he allied himself with Ahab. 2 After some years, he went down to Ahab to Samaria. Ahab killed sheep and cattle for him in abundance, and for the people who were with him, and moved him to go up with him to Ramoth Gilead. 3 Ahab king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat king of Judah, "Will you go with me to Ramoth Gilead?"
He answered him, "I am as you are, and my people as your people. We will be with you in the war." 4 Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, "Please inquire first for Yahweh’s word."
5 Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, four hundred men, and said to them, "Shall we go to Ramoth Gilead to battle, or shall I forbear?"
They said, "Go up, for God will deliver it into the hand of the king."
6 But Jehoshaphat said, "Isn’t there here a prophet of Yahweh besides, that we may inquire of him?"
7 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of Yahweh; but I hate him, for he never prophesies good concerning me, but always evil. He is Micaiah the son of Imla."
Jehoshaphat said, "Don’t let the king say so."
8 Then the king of Israel called an officer, and said, "Get Micaiah the son of Imla quickly."
9 Now the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah each sat on his throne, arrayed in their robes, and they were sitting in an open place at the entrance of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets were prophesying before them. 10 Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made himself horns of iron and said, "Yahweh says, ‘With these you shall push the Syrians, until they are consumed.’"
11 All the prophets prophesied so, saying, "Go up to Ramoth Gilead, and prosper; for Yahweh will deliver it into the hand of the king."
12 The messenger who went to call Micaiah spoke to him, saying, "Behold, the words of the prophets declare good to the king with one mouth. Let your word therefore, please be like one of theirs, and speak good."
13 Micaiah said, "As Yahweh lives, I will say what my God says."
14 When he had come to the king, the king said to him, "Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth Gilead to battle, or shall I forbear?"
He said, "Go up, and prosper. They shall be delivered into your hand."
15 The king said to him, "How many times shall I adjure you that you speak to me nothing but the truth in Yahweh’s name?"
16 He said, "I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd. Yahweh said, ‘These have no master. Let them each return to his house in peace.’"
17 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "Didn’t I tell you that he would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil?"
18 Micaiah said, "Therefore hear Yahweh’s word: I saw Yahweh sitting on his throne, and all the army of heaven standing on his right hand and on his left. 19 Yahweh said, ‘Who will entice Ahab king of Israel, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth Gilead?’ One spoke saying in this way, and another saying in that way. 20 A spirit came out, stood before Yahweh, and said, ‘I will entice him.’
"Yahweh said to him, ‘How?’
21 "He said, ‘I will go, and will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’
"He said, ‘You will entice him, and will prevail also. Go and do so.’
22 "Now therefore, behold, Yahweh has put a lying spirit in the mouth of these your prophets; and Yahweh has spoken evil concerning you."
23 Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah came near, and struck Micaiah on the cheek, and said, "Which way did Yahweh’s Spirit go from me to speak to you?"
24 Micaiah said, "Behold, you shall see on that day, when you go into an inner room to hide yourself."
25 The king of Israel said, "Take Micaiah, and carry him back to Amon the governor of the city, and to Joash the king’s son; 26 and say, ‘The king says, "Put this fellow in the prison, and feed him with bread of affliction and with water of affliction, until I return in peace."’"
27 Micaiah said, "If you return at all in peace, Yahweh has not spoken by me." He said, "Listen, you people, all of you!"
28 So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went up to Ramoth Gilead. 29 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "I will disguise myself, and go into the battle; but you put on your robes." So the king of Israel disguised himself; and they went into the battle. 30 Now the king of Syria had commanded the captains of his chariots, saying, "Don’t fight with small nor great, except only with the king of Israel."
31 When the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, they said, "It is the king of Israel!" Therefore they turned around to fight against him. But Jehoshaphat cried out, and Yahweh helped him; and God moved them to depart from him. 32 When the captains of the chariots saw that it was not the king of Israel, they turned back from pursuing him. 33 A certain man drew his bow at random, and struck the king of Israel between the joints of the armor. Therefore he said to the driver of the chariot, "Turn your around and carry me out of the battle, for I am severely wounded." 34 The battle increased that day. However, the king of Israel propped himself up in his chariot against the Syrians until the evening; and at about sunset, he died.
1 Now Jehoshaphat had riches and honour in abundance, and married into the family of Ahab.
2 And after [a few] years he went down to Ahab to Samaria. And Ahab killed sheep and oxen for him in abundance and for the people that [he had] with him, and persuaded him to go up [with him] to Ramothgilead.
3 And Ahab, king of Israel, said unto Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, Wilt thou go with me to Ramothgilead? And he answered him, I [am] as thou [art] and my people as thy people; and [we will be] with thee in the war.
4 And Jehoshaphat said unto the king of Israel, Enquire, I pray thee, at the word of the LORD today.
5 Therefore, the king of Israel gathered together of prophets four hundred men and said unto them, Shall we go to Ramothgilead to battle, or shall I forbear? And they said, Go up, for God will deliver [it] into the king's hand.
6 But Jehoshaphat said, [Is there] yet here a prophet of the LORD besides, that we might enquire by him?
7 And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, [There is] yet one man here, by whom we may enquire of the LORD, but I hate him, for he never prophesies good unto me, but always evil; the same [is] Micaiah, the son of Imla. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say so.
8 So the king of Israel called for a eunuch and said, Bring quickly Micaiah, the son of Imla.
9 And the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, were each sitting on their thrones, clothed in [their] robes, and they sat in the threshing floor at the entrance of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets prophesied before them.
10 And Zedekiah, the son of Chenaanah, had made himself horns of iron and said, Thus hath the LORD said, With these thou shalt push Syria until they are consumed.
11 And all the prophets prophesied so, saying, Go up to Ramothgilead and be prospered, for the LORD shall deliver [it] into the hand of the king.
12 And the messenger that went to call Micaiah spoke to him, saying, Behold, the words of the prophets [declare] good to the king with one assent; let thy word therefore, I pray thee, be like one of theirs, and speak thou good.
13 And Micaiah said, As the LORD lives, that what my God says, that will I speak.
14 And when he was come to the king, the king said unto him, Micaiah, shall we go to Ramothgilead to battle or shall I forbear? And he said, Go up, and ye shall be prospered; they shall be delivered into your hands.
15 And the king said to him, How many times shall I adjure thee that thou say nothing but the truth to me in the name of the LORD?
16 Then he said, I did see all Israel scattered upon the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd; and the LORD said, These have no master; let each one return to his house in peace.
17 And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, Did I not tell thee [that] he would not prophesy good unto me, but evil?
18 So he said, Therefore, hear the word of the LORD; I saw the LORD sitting upon his throne, and all the host of the heavens standing on his right hand and [on] his left.
19 And the LORD said, Who shall entice Ahab, king of Israel, that he may go up and fall at Ramothgilead? And one spoke saying after this manner, and another saying after that manner.
20 Then a spirit came out and stood before the LORD and said, I will entice him. And the LORD said unto him, In what manner?
21 And he said, I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And [the LORD] said, Thou shalt entice [him], and thou shalt also prevail; go out and do [even] so.
22 Now, therefore, behold, the LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouth of these thy prophets, and the LORD has decreed evil concerning thee.
23 Then Zedekiah, the son of Chenaanah, came near and smote Micaiah upon the cheek and said, Which way did the Spirit of the LORD depart from me to speak unto thee?
24 And Micaiah said, Behold, thou shalt see on that day when thou shalt go from chamber to chamber to hide thyself.
25 Then the king of Israel said, Take Micaiah and carry him back to Amon, the governor of the city, and to Joash, the king's son
26 and say, Thus hath the king said, Put this [fellow] in the prison and feed him with bread of affliction and with water of affliction until I return in peace.
27 And Micaiah said, If thou certainly return in peace, [then] the LORD has not spoken by me. And he said, Hearken, all ye peoples.
28 So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, went up to Ramothgilead.
29 And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, I will disguise myself to enter into the battle, but put thou on thy robes. So the king of Israel disguised himself and entered into the battle.
30 Now the king of Syria had commanded the captains of the chariots that [were] with him, saying, Fight not with small nor great, but only with the king of Israel.
31 And when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, they said, It [is] the king of Israel. Therefore, they compassed about him to fight; but Jehoshaphat cried out, and the LORD helped him; and God separated them from him.
32 And when the captains of the chariots perceived that it was not the king of Israel, they withdrew from pursuing him.
33 But a [certain] man drew a bow in all his perfection and smote the king of Israel between the joints of [his] coat of mail; therefore, he said to his chariot man, Turn thy hand, and carry me out of the camp, for I am wounded.
34 And the battle increased that day; howbeit, the king of Israel stayed [himself] up in [his] chariot against the Syrians until the evening, and about the time of the sun going down he died.: