2 Chronicles 18

1Jehoshaphat had great wealth and honor, 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 urged 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 am with you in the battle.”

4And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “Please inquire today for the word of Yahweh.”

5So the king of Israel gathered the prophets, four hundred men, and said to them, “Should we go to Ramoth-gilead for battle, or should 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?”

7Then the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “There is still one man by whom we may inquire of Yahweh, but I hate him, because he never prophesies good concerning me, but always evil. He is Micaiah son of Imla.” Jehoshaphat said, “Let not the king say so.”

8Then the king of Israel called one officer and said, “Quickly bring Micaiah son of Imla.”

9The king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah were sitting, each on his throne, clothed in garments, and sitting at the threshing floor at the entrance of the gate of Samaria, and all the prophets were prophesying before them.

10Then Zedekiah son of Chenaanah made horns of iron for himself and said, “Thus says Yahweh: With these you will gore Aram until they are finished off.”

11And all the prophets were prophesying thus, saying, “Go up to Ramoth-gilead and succeed, and Yahweh will give it into the hand of the king.”

12The messenger who had gone to summon Micaiah spoke to him, saying, “Look, the words of the prophets are unanimously favorable to the king. Please let your word be like one of theirs, and speak favorably.”

13But Micaiah said, “As Yahweh lives, whatever my God says, that I will speak.”

14So he came to the king, and the king said to him, “Micaiah, should we go to Ramoth-gilead for battle, or should I refrain?” And he said, “Go up and prosper, and they will be given into your hand.”

15Then the king said to him, “How many times must I make you swear that you tell me nothing but the truth in the name of Yahweh?”

16And he said, “I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains, like sheep that have no shepherd. And Yahweh said, ‘These have no master; let each man return to his house in peace.’”

17Then the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Did I not tell you that he would not prophesy good concerning me, but only evil?”

18And he 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, so 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 become a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ And he said, ‘You will entice him, and you will also succeed. Go out and do so.’

22And now, look, the LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouth of these prophets of yours, and the LORD has spoken disaster against 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?”

24Micaiah said, “Behold, you will see on that day when you go into an inner room to hide yourself.”

25Then the king of Israel said, “Take Micaiah and return him 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, and feed him with bread of affliction and water of affliction until I return in peace.’

27And Micaiah said, “If you indeed return in peace, Yahweh has not spoken by me.” Then he said, “Hear, all you peoples!”

28So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah went up to Ramoth-gilead.

29Then the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Disguise yourself and go into the battle, but you, put on your robes.” So the king of Israel disguised himself, and they went into the battle.

30The king of Aram had commanded the commanders of the chariots that were his, saying, “Do not fight with either small or great, but only with the king of Israel alone.”

31And it happened that when the commanders of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, they said, “It is the king of Israel.” So they turned against him to fight, but Jehoshaphat cried out, and Yahweh helped him, and God drew them away from him.

32And when the commanders of the chariots saw that he was not the king of Israel, they turned back from following him.

33But a man drew his bow at random and struck the king of Israel between the scale armor and the breastplate. So he said to the charioteer, “Turn your hand and take me out of the camp, for I am wounded.”

34And the battle intensified on that day, and the king of Israel remained standing in the chariot facing Aram until the evening; and he died at the time of the sun’s going down.