King James Version

1 And Jehoshaphat had wealth and honor in abundance, and he allied himself with Ahab. 2 And he went down after many years to Ahab in Samaria, and Ahab sacrificed to him sheep and cattle in abundance, and to the people who were with him, and he urged him to go up to Ramoth-Gilead. 3 And 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 like you, and my people are like your people, and we will be with you in battle." 4 And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, "Please inquire today of the word of the Lord." 5 And the king of Israel gathered the prophets, four hundred men, and said to them, "Shall we go to Ramoth-Gilead for battle, or shall we refrain?" And they said, "Go up, and the Lord will deliver it into the hand of the king." 6 And Jehoshaphat said, "Is there no prophet of the LORD here that we may inquire of him?" 7 And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "There is yet one man to inquire of the LORD concerning him, and I hate him, for he does not prophesy good concerning me, but evil; he is Micaiah son of Imla." And Jehoshaphat said, "Let not the king say so." 8 And the king of Israel called to a certain officer and said, "Quickly, bring Micaiah the son of Imlah." 9 And the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah were sitting, each on his throne, clothed in robes, and they were sitting at the threshing floor at the entrance of the gate of Samaria, and all the prophets were prophesying before them. 10 And Zedekiah son of Chenaanah made horns of iron, and he said, "Thus says the Lord, 'With these you shall push Aram until you have consumed them.'" 11 And all the prophets prophesied saying, "Go up to Ramoth-Gilead and succeed, and the Lord will give it into the hand of the king." 12 And the angel who went to call to Micaiah spoke to me, saying, "Behold, the words of the prophets are good, one for the king. Please let your word be like one of them, and you shall speak good." 13 And Micaiah said, "As the Lord lives, whatever my God says, that I will speak." 14 And he came to the king, and the king said to him, “Shall we go to Ramoth-Gilead to battle, or shall we refrain?” And he said, “Go up and succeed, and they will be given into your hand.” 15 And the king said to me, "How many times shall I make you swear that you will not speak to me except the truth in the name of the Lord?" 16 And he said, "I have seen all Israel scattered on the mountains like sheep that have no shepherd." And the LORD said, "These have no masters; let each one return to his house in peace." 17 And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Did I not tell you that he would not prophesy good concerning me, but only evil?” 18 And he said, "Therefore hear the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing on His right and on His left." 19 And the LORD said, "Who will entice Ahab king of Israel so that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?" And one said, "This one will say thus," and another said, "That one will say thus." 20 And the spirit went out and stood before the LORD and said, "I will persuade him." And the LORD said to me, "In what?" 21 And he said, "I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets." And he said, "You will deceive and you will also be able to go out and do so." 22 And now, behold, the Lord has put a spirit of falsehood in the mouths of your prophets, these; and the Lord has spoken evil concerning you. 23 And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah approached and struck Micaiah on the cheek and said, "Where is the way the Spirit of the LORD passed from me to speak to you?" 24 And Micaiah said, "Behold, you will see on that day when you go into an inner room to hide." 25 And the king of Israel said, "Take Micaiah and return him to Amon the governor of the city and to Joash the son of the king." 26 And you shall say, "Thus says the king: Put this man in prison and feed him bread of affliction and water of affliction until I return in peace." 27 And Micaiah said, "If you return in peace, the Lord has not spoken by me." And he said, "Hear, all you people." 28 And the king of Israel went up, and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, to Ramoth Gilead. 29 And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "You disguise yourself and go into battle, and you wear your clothes." And the king of Israel disguised himself, and they went into battle. 30 And the king of Aram commanded his charioteers, saying, "Do not fight against the small or the great, but only against the king of Israel." 31 And it came to pass when the commanders of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, they said, "He is the king of Israel," and they turned to fight against him. And Jehoshaphat cried out, and the LORD helped him, and God stirred them away from him. 32 And it came to pass that when the commanders of the chariots saw that there was no king in Israel, they turned back from pursuing me. 33 And a man drew with the bow to his [own] simplicity and struck the king of Israel between the armor and between the shield, and he said to the driver, "Turn your hand and bring me out of the camp, for I am wounded." 34 And the battle went up on that day, and the king of Israel was standing in the chariot facing Aram until evening, and he died at the time of sunset.