2 Chronicles 18

18 ¹ Now Jehoshaphat had great riches and honor, and he allied himself with Ahab by marriage. ² Some years later he went down to Ahab in Samaria, and Ahab slaughtered sheep and oxen in abundance for him and for the people who were with him, and pressed him to march up against Ramoth-gilead. ³ Ahab king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat king of Judah, "Will you go with me to Ramoth-gilead?" He answered him, "I am as you are, and my people as your people; we will be with you in the war."

⁴ But Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, "First seek the word of our Father."

⁵ So the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, four hundred men, and said to them, "Shall we go to Ramoth-gilead into battle, or shall I hold back?" And they said, "Go up, for God will hand it over to the king."

⁶ But Jehoshaphat said, "Is there not still a prophet of our Father here whom we can consult?"

⁷ The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "There is still one man through whom we can inquire of our Father, but I hate him, for he never prophesies anything good about me, but always evil. He is Micaiah son of Imlah." And Jehoshaphat said, "The king should not say such things."

⁸ Then the king of Israel summoned an officer and said, "Bring Micaiah son of Imlah quickly."

⁹ Now the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah were sitting each on his throne, dressed in their robes, on the threshing floor at the entrance of the gate of Samaria, and all the prophets were prophesying before them. ¹⁰ Zedekiah son of Chenaanah made himself iron horns and said, "Thus says our Father: 'With these you will gore the Arameans until they are destroyed.'"

¹¹ And all the prophets prophesied the same, saying, "Go up to Ramoth-gilead and triumph; our Father will hand it over to the king."

¹² The messenger who went to summon Micaiah said to him, "Look, the words of the prophets are unanimously favorable to the king. Let your word be like one of theirs, and speak favorably."

¹³ But Micaiah said, "As surely as our Father lives, I will say only what my Father says."

¹⁴ When he came to the king, the king said to him, "Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth-gilead into battle, or shall I hold back?" And he said, "Go up and triumph; they will be handed over to you."

¹⁵ But the king said to him, "How many times must I make you swear to tell me nothing but the truth in the name of our Father?"

¹⁶ Then Micaiah said, "I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains, like sheep without a shepherd. And our Father said, 'These have no master; let each return to his home in peace.'"

¹⁷ The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "Did I not tell you that he would not prophesy anything good about me, but only evil?"

¹⁸ And Micaiah said, "Therefore hear the word of our Father: I saw our Father seated on his throne, with all the armies of heaven standing on his right and on his left." ¹⁹ And our Father said, "Who will entice Ahab king of Israel, so that he will go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?" One said this, and another said that. ²⁰ Then a spirit came forward and stood before our Father and said, "I will entice him." And our Father said to him, "By what means?"

²¹ And he said, "I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets." Then our Father said, "You will entice him, and you will also prevail. Go out and do so."

²² So now, you see, our Father has put a lying spirit in the mouth of these prophets of yours, and our Father has declared disaster against you.

²³ Then Zedekiah son of Chenaanah came up and struck Micaiah on the cheek and said, "Which way did the Spirit of our Father pass from me to speak to you?"

²⁴ And Micaiah said, "You will see on that day when you go into an inner room to hide."

²⁵ Then the king of Israel said, "Take Micaiah and hand him back to Amon the governor of the city and to Joash the king's son, ²⁶ and say, 'Thus says the king: Put this man in prison and feed him a meager ration of bread and water until I return safely.'"

²⁷ And Micaiah said, "If you ever return safely, our Father has not spoken by me." And he said, "Listen, all you people!"

Ahab Falls as the Father Foretold

²⁸ So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah went up to Ramoth-gilead. ²⁹ And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "I will disguise myself and go into battle, but you wear your robes." So the king of Israel disguised himself, and they went into battle. ³⁰ Now the king of Aram had commanded his chariot captains, "Fight with no one, small or great, but only with the king of Israel."

³¹ When the chariot captains saw Jehoshaphat, they said, "That is the king of Israel." So they turned to fight against him, but Jehoshaphat cried out, and our Father helped him; he drew them away from him. ³² And when the chariot captains saw that it was not the king of Israel, they turned back from pursuing him. ³³ But a certain man drew his bow at random and struck the king of Israel between the sections of his armor. So he said to his chariot driver, "Turn around and carry me out of the battle, for I am wounded." ³⁴ The battle raged that day, and the king of Israel was propped up in his chariot facing the Arameans until evening. Then at sunset he died.