1Now Jehoshaphat had riches and honour in
abundance, and joined affinity with Ahab.
2And after certain 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.
3And 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.
4And Jehoshaphat said unto the king of
Israel, Enquire, I pray thee, at the word of the
LORD to day.
5Therefore 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.
6But Jehoshaphat said, Is
there not here a prophet of the LORD besides,
that we might enquire of him?
7And the king of Israel said unto
Jehoshaphat, There
is yet one man, by whom we may enquire of the
LORD: but I hate him; for he never prophesied good
unto me, but always evil: the same is Micaiah
the son of Imla. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the
king say so.
8And the king of Israel called for one of
his officers, and said, Fetch quickly Micaiah
the son of Imla.
9And the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king
of Judah sat either of them on his throne, clothed
in their robes,
and they sat in a void place at the entering in of
the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets prophesied
before them.
10And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah had made
him horns of iron, and said, Thus saith the LORD,
With these thou shalt push Syria until they be
consumed.
11And all the prophets prophesied so, saying,
Go up to Ramothgilead, and prosper: for the LORD
shall deliver it into
the hand of the king.
12And the messenger that went to call Micaiah
spake 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.
13And Micaiah said, As the
LORD liveth, even what my God saith, that will I
speak.
14And 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 ye
up, and prosper, and they shall be delivered into
your hand.
15And 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?
16Then 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 them return therefore every
man to his house in peace.
17And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat,
Did I not tell thee that he
would not prophesy good unto me, but evil?
18Again he said, Therefore hear the word of
the LORD; I saw the LORD sitting upon his throne,
and all the host of heaven standing on his right
hand and on his
left.
19And the LORD said, Who shall entice Ahab
king of Israel, that he may go up and fall at
Ramothgilead? And one spake saying after this
manner, and another saying after that manner.
20Then there came out a spirit, and stood
before the LORD, and said, I will entice him. And
the LORD said unto him, Wherewith?
21And 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.
22Now therefore, behold, the LORD hath put a
lying spirit in the mouth of these thy prophets, and
the LORD hath spoken evil against thee.
23Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah came
near, and smote Micaiah upon the cheek, and said,
Which way went the Spirit of the LORD from me to
speak unto thee?
24And Micaiah said, Behold, thou shalt see on
that day when thou shalt go into an inner chamber to
hide thyself.
25Then the king of Israel said, Take ye
Micaiah, and carry him back to Amon the governor of
the city, and to Joash the king's son;
26And say, Thus saith the king, Put this fellow in
the prison, and feed him with bread of affliction
and with water of affliction, until I return in
peace.
27And Micaiah said, If thou certainly return
in peace, then hath
not the LORD spoken by me. And he said, Hearken, all
ye people.
28So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the
king of Judah went up to Ramothgilead.
29And the king of Israel said unto
Jehoshaphat, I will disguise myself, and will go to
the battle; but put thou on thy robes. So the king
of Israel disguised himself; and they went to the
battle.
30Now the king of Syria had commanded the
captains of the chariots that were with
him, saying, Fight ye not with small or great, save
only with the king of Israel.
31And it came to pass, when the captains of
the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, that 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 moved them to
depart from him.
32For it came to pass, that, when the
captains of the chariots perceived that it was not
the king of Israel, they turned back again from
pursuing him.
33And a certain man
drew a bow at a venture, and smote the king of
Israel between the joints of the harness: therefore
he said to his chariot man, Turn thine hand, that
thou mayest carry me out of the host; for I am
wounded.
34And the battle increased that day: howbeit
the king of Israel stayed himself up
in his chariot
against the Syrians until the even: and about the
time of the sun going down he died.