1 Kings 22:3-37

3Now the king of Israel said to his servants, “Are you aware that 1Ramoth-gilead belongs to us, yet we are hesitant to take it out of the hand of the king of Aram?” 4So he said to Jehoshaphat, “Will you go to battle with me at Ramoth-gilead?” And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “23Consider me yours, my people yours, and my horses yours!”

5However, Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “Please request the word of the Lord 4first.” 6So 5the king of Israel assembled the 6prophets, about four hundred men, and said to them, “Should I go to battle against Ramoth-gilead or should I refrain?” And they said, “Go up, for the Lord will hand it over to the king.” 7But 7Jehoshaphat said, “Is there no longer a prophet of the Lord here, that we may inquire of him?” 8And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “There is still one man by whom we may inquire of the Lord, but I hate him, because he does not prophesy anything good regarding me, but only bad. He is Micaiah the son of Imlah.” But Jehoshaphat said, “May the king not say so.” 9Then the king of Israel summoned an officer and said, “Bring Micaiah son of Imlah quickly.” 10Now the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah were sitting, each on his throne, dressed in their robes, at the threshing floor at the entrance of the gate of Samaria; and 8all the prophets were prophesying before them. 11Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made 9horns of iron for himself and said, “This is what the Lord says: ‘10With these you will gore the Arameans until they are destroyed!’” 12All the prophets were prophesying this as well, saying, “Go up to Ramoth-gilead and succeed, for the Lord will hand it over to the king.”

13Then the messenger who went to summon Micaiah spoke to him saying, “Behold now, the words of the prophets are 11unanimously favorable to the king. Please let your word be like the word of one of them, and speak favorably.” 14But Micaiah said, “12As the Lord lives, whatever 13the Lord says to me, I shall speak it.”

15When he came to the king, the king said to him, “Micaiah, should we go to battle against Ramoth-gilead, or should we refrain?” And he said, “14Go up and succeed, for the Lord will hand it over to the king!” 16Then the king said to him, “How many times must I make you swear that you will tell me nothing but the truth in the name of the Lord?” 17So he said, “I saw all Israel Scattered on the mountains, 15Like sheep that have no shepherd. And the Lord said, ‘These people have no master. Each of them is to return to his house in peace.’” 18Then the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “16Did I not tell you that he would not prophesy anything good regarding me, but only bad?”

19And Micaiah said, “Therefore, hear the word of the Lord. 17I saw the Lord sitting on His throne, and 18all the 19angels of heaven standing by Him on His right and on His left. 20And the Lord said, ‘Who will 20entice Ahab to go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?’ And one spirit said this, while another said that. 21Then a spirit came forward and stood before the Lord, and said, ‘I will 21entice him.’ 22And the Lord said to him, ‘How?’ And he said, ‘I will go out and 22be a deceiving spirit in the mouths of all his prophets.’ Then He said, ‘You shall 23entice him, and you will also prevail. Go and do so.’ 23Now then, behold, 24the Lord has put a deceiving spirit in the mouth of all these prophets of yours; and the Lord has declared disaster against you.”

24Then 25Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah approached and struck Micaiah on the cheek; and he said, “26How did the Spirit of the Lord pass from me to speak to you?” 25And Micaiah said, “Behold, you are going to see how on that day when you 27go from one inner room to 28another trying to hide yourself.” 26Then the king of Israel said, “Take Micaiah and return him to Amon the governor of the city, and to Joash the king’s son; 27and say, ‘This is what the king says: “29Put this man in prison, and feed him enough bread and water to survive until I 30return safely.”’” 28But Micaiah said, “31If you actually return 32safely, the Lord has not spoken by me.” And he said, “33Listen, all you people!”

29So 34the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah went up against Ramoth-gilead. 30And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “35I will disguise myself and go into the battle, but you put on your robes.” So the king of Israel disguised himself and went into the battle. 31Now 36the king of Aram had commanded the thirty-two commanders of his chariots, saying, “Do not fight with the small or great, but only with the king of Israel.” 32So when the commanders of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, they said, “Surely he is the king of Israel!” And they turned aside to fight against him, and Jehoshaphat cried out. 33Then, when the commanders of the chariots saw that it was not the king of Israel, they turned back from pursuing him.

34Now one man drew his bow at random and struck the king of Israel 37in a joint of the armor. So he said to the driver of his chariot, “Turn 38around and take me out of the battle, 39for I am severely wounded.” 35The battle 40raged on that day, and the king was propped up in his chariot in front of the Arameans, and he died at evening, and the blood from the wound ran into the bottom of the chariot. 3641Then the word passed throughout the army close to sunset, saying, “Every man to his city, and every man to his 42country!”

37So the king died and was brought to Samaria, and they buried the king in Samaria.