1 Kings 22:1-36

¹They continued three years without war between Syria and Israel. ²It happened in the third year, that Jehoshaphat the king of Judah came down to the king of Israel. ³The king of Israel said to his servants, "You know that Ramoth-gilead is ours, and we are still, and don`t take it out of the hand of the king of Syria?" ⁴He said to Jehoshaphat, Will you go with me to battle to Ramoth-gilead? Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses.

⁵Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, Please inquire first for the word of Yahweh. ⁶Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, about four hundred men, and said to them, Shall I go against Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall I forbear? They said, Go up; for the Lord will deliver it into the hand of the king. ⁷But Jehoshaphat said, Isn`t there here a prophet of Yahweh besides, that we may inquire of him? <sup>8</sup>The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, there is yet one man by whom we may inquire of Yahweh, Micaiah the son of Imlah: but I hate him; for he does not prophesy good concerning me, but evil. Jehoshaphat said, "Don`t let the king say so." ⁹Then the king of Israel called an officer, and said, Get quickly Micaiah the son of Imlah. ¹⁰Now the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah were sitting each on his throne, arrayed in their robes, in an open place at the entrance of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets were prophesying before them. ¹¹Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made him horns of iron, and said, Thus says Yahweh, With these shall you push the Syrians, until they be consumed. ¹²All the prophets prophesied so, saying, Go up to Ramoth-gilead, and prosper; for Yahweh will deliver it into the hand of the king.

¹³The messenger who went to call Micaiah spoke to him, saying, See now, the words of the prophets [declare] good to the king with one mouth: please let your word be like the word of one of them, and speak you good. ¹⁴Micaiah said, As Yahweh lives, what Yahweh says to me, that will I speak. ¹⁵When he was come to the king, the king said to him, Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall we forbear? He answered him, Go up and prosper; and Yahweh will deliver it into the hand of the king. ¹⁶The king said to him, How many times shall I adjure you that you speak to me nothing but the truth in the name of Yahweh? ¹⁷He said, I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd: and Yahweh said, These have no master; let them return every man to his house in peace. ¹⁸The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, Didn`t I tell you that he would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil? <sup>19</sup>[Micaiah] said, Therefore hear you the word of Yahweh: I saw Yahweh sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven standing by him on his right hand and on his left. <sup>20</sup>Yahweh said, Who shall entice Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead? One said on this manner; and another said on that manner. <sup>21</sup>There came forth a spirit, and stood before Yahweh, and said, I will entice him. <sup>22</sup>Yahweh said to him, `How?` He said, `I will go forth, and will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.` He said, `You shall entice him, and shall prevail also: go forth, and do so.` ²³Now therefore, behold, Yahweh has put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these your prophets; and Yahweh has spoken evil concerning you.

²⁴Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah came near, and struck Micaiah on the cheek, and said, Which way went the Spirit of Yahweh from me to speak to you? ²⁵Micaiah said, Behold, you shall see on that day, when you shall go into an inner chamber to hide yourself. ²⁶The king of Israel said, Take Micaiah, and carry him back to Amon the governor of the city, and to Joash the king`s son; ²⁷and say, Thus says the king, Put this fellow in the prison, and feed him with bread of affliction and with water of affliction, until I come in peace. ²⁸Micaiah said, If you return at all in peace, Yahweh has not spoken by me. He said, Hear, you peoples, all of you.

²⁹So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went up to Ramoth-gilead. ³⁰The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, I will disguise myself, and go into the battle; but put you on your robes. The king of Israel disguised himself, and went into the battle. ³¹Now the king of Syria had commanded the thirty-two captains of his chariots, saying, Fight neither with small nor great, save only with the king of Israel. ³²It happened, when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, that they said, Surely it is the king of Israel; and they turned aside to fight against him: and Jehoshaphat cried out. ³³It happened, when the captains of the chariots saw that it was not the king of Israel, that they turned back from pursuing him. ³⁴A certain man drew his bow at a venture, and struck the king of Israel between the joints of the armor: why he said to the driver of his chariot, Turn your hand, and carry me out of the host; for I am sore wounded. ³⁵The battle increased that day: and the king was stayed up in his chariot against the Syrians, and died at even; and the blood ran out of the wound into the bottom of the chariot. ³⁶There went a cry throughout the host about the going down of the sun, saying, Every man to his city, and every man to his country.