1Now Jehoshaphat had riches and honor in abundance, and he allied himself by marriage with Ahab.
2After some years he went down to Ahab in Samaria, and Ahab slaughtered sheep and cattle in abundance for him and for the people who were with him, and he enticed him to go up against Ramoth-gilead.
3And Ahab king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat king of Judah, “Will you go with me to Ramoth-gilead?” And he said to him, “I am as you are, and my people as your people; and I will be with you in the war.”
4And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “Inquire now today for the word of Yahweh.”
5So the king of Israel gathered the prophets, four hundred men, and said to them, “Shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to war, or shall I refrain?” And they said, “Go up, and God will give it into the hand of the king.”
6But Jehoshaphat said, “Is there not still here a prophet of Yahweh, that we may inquire of him?”
7And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “There is still one man through whom to inquire of Yahweh, but I hate him, for he never prophesies good concerning me, but always evil — Micaiah son of Imlah.” And Jehoshaphat said, “Let not the king say so.”
8Then the king of Israel called for one officer and said, “Bring quickly Micaiah son of Imlah.”
9Now the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah were sitting each on his throne, arrayed in their robes, sitting at the threshing floor at the entrance of the gate of Samaria, and all the prophets were prophesying before them.
10And Zedekiah son of Chenaanah made for himself horns of iron and said, “Thus says Yahweh: ‘With these you shall gore Aram until they are finished.’”
11And all the prophets were prophesying likewise, saying, “Go up to Ramoth-gilead and succeed, for Yahweh will give it into the hand of the king.”
12And the messenger who went to summon Micaiah spoke to him, saying, “Behold, the words of the prophets are with one mouth good toward the king. Let your word now be like one of theirs, and speak good.”
13But Micaiah said, “As Yahweh lives, whatever my God says, that I will speak.”
14And he came to the king, and the king said to him, “Micah, shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to war, or shall I refrain?” And he said, “Go up and succeed, and they will be given into your hand.”
15And the king said to him, “How many times must I make you swear to speak to me nothing but the truth in the name of Yahweh?”
16So he said, “I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains like sheep that have no shepherd. And Yahweh said, ‘These have no masters; let each return to his house in peace.’”
17And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Did I not tell you that he would not prophesy good concerning me, but only evil?”
18Then Micaiah said, “Therefore hear the word of Yahweh: I saw Yahweh sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven standing at his right hand and at his left.
19And Yahweh said, ‘Who will entice Ahab king of Israel, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?’ And one said this and another said that.
20Then the spirit came forward and stood before Yahweh and said, ‘I will entice him.’ And Yahweh said to him, ‘By what means?’
21And he said, ‘I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ And he said, ‘You will entice him, and you will also prevail. Go out and do so.’
22So now, behold, Yahweh has put a lying spirit in the mouth of these prophets of yours, and Yahweh has spoken disaster concerning you.”
23Then Zedekiah son of Chenaanah came near and struck Micaiah on the cheek and said, “Which way did the spirit of Yahweh pass from me to speak to you?”
24And Micaiah said, “Behold, you will see on that day when you go into an inner chamber to hide yourself.”
25And the king of Israel said, “Take Micaiah and bring him back to Amon the governor of the city and to Joash the king’s son,
26and say, ‘Thus says the king: Put this man in the prison house and feed him meager bread and meager water until I return in peace.’”
27But Micaiah said, “If you indeed return in peace, Yahweh has not spoken through me.” And he said, “Hear, all you peoples!”
28So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah went up to Ramoth-gilead.
29And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “I will disguise myself and go into the battle, but you wear your robes.” So the king of Israel disguised himself, and they went into the battle.
30Now the king of Aram had commanded the commanders of his chariots, saying, “Do not fight with small or great, but only with the king of Israel.”
31And it happened, when the commanders of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, that they said, “He is the king of Israel!” So they turned upon him to fight. But Jehoshaphat cried out, and Yahweh helped him, and God drew them away from him.
32And it happened, when the commanders of the chariots saw that he was not the king of Israel, that they turned back from pursuing him.
33But a man drew his bow in his innocence and struck the king of Israel between the joints of the armor and the breastplate. So he said to his charioteer, “Turn your hand and take me out of the camp, for I am wounded.”
34And the battle grew intense on that day, and the king of Israel was propped up in the chariot facing Aram until evening; and he died at the time the sun went down.
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