2 Chronicles 18
1 Jehoshaphat had great wealth and honor, and he became related to Ahab by marriage.
2 Some years later, he went down to Samaria to visit Ahab. Ahab slaughtered many sheep and cattle for him and the people with him, and persuaded him to go up against Ramoth-gilead.
3 Ahab king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat king of Judah, “Will you go with me to Ramoth-gilead?” He replied, “I am as you are, and my people are as your people; we will be with you in the war.”
4 Jehoshaphat also said to the king of Israel, “Please inquire today of the word of the LORD.”
5 The king of Israel gathered the prophets, four hundred men, and asked them, “Shall we go to war against Ramoth-gilead, or should I hold back?” They answered, “Go up, for God will deliver it into the king’s hand.”
6 Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there no other prophet of the LORD here, through whom we can inquire?”
7 The king of Israel answered Jehoshaphat, “There is still one man through whom we can inquire of the LORD, but I hate him, because he never prophesies anything good about me; all his days he speaks evil. He is Micaiah son of Imlah.” Jehoshaphat said, “May the king not speak that way.”
8 Then the king of Israel called one of his eunuchs and said, “Bring Micaiah son of Imlah quickly.”
9 The king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah were sitting on their thrones, each in his robes. They were sitting on the threshing floor at the entrance to the gate of Samaria, while all the prophets were prophesying before them.
10 Zedekiah son of Chenaanah made iron horns for himself and said, “This is what the LORD says: ‘With these you will gore Aram until they are destroyed.’”
11 All the prophets were prophesying the same thing: “Go up to Ramoth-gilead and triumph; the LORD will deliver it into the king’s hand.”
12 The messenger who had gone to summon Micaiah spoke to him, saying, “Look, the prophets are all saying good things for the king with one voice. Let your words agree with theirs; speak what is good.”
13 Micaiah replied, “As surely as the LORD lives, I will say whatever my God tells me.”
14 When he came to the king, the king asked him, “Micaiah, shall we go to war against Ramoth-gilead, or should I hold back?” He replied, “Go up and triumph; they will be handed over to you.”
15 The king said to him, “How many times must I make you swear to tell me nothing but the truth in the name of the LORD?”
16 Then Micaiah said, “I saw all Israel scattered over the hills, like sheep without a shepherd. And the LORD said, ‘They have no master; let each one return home in peace.’”
17 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Didn’t I tell you that he never prophesies anything good about me, only evil?”
18 Micaiah continued, “Therefore, hear the word of the LORD. I saw the LORD sitting on his throne, with the whole army of heaven standing at his right and left.
19 And the LORD said, ‘Who will entice Ahab king of Israel to go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?’ One said one thing, and another said something else.
20 Then a spirit came forward, stood before the LORD, and said, ‘I will entice him.’ The LORD asked him, ‘How?’
21 He replied, ‘I will go out and become a lying spirit in the mouths of all his prophets.’ The LORD said, ‘You will entice him, and you will succeed. Go and do it.’
22 Now, therefore, the LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouths of these prophets of yours, and the LORD has decreed disaster for you.”
23 Zedekiah son of Chenaanah came up, struck Micaiah on the cheek, and said, “Which way did the spirit of the LORD pass from me to you to speak with you?”
24 Micaiah replied, “You will see on the day you go into an inner room to hide.”
25 The king of Israel said, “Take Micaiah and return him to Amon, the city governor, and to Joash, the king’s son.
26 Tell them, ‘This is what the king says: “Put this man in prison and feed him only bread and water of distress until I return safely.”’”
27 Micaiah said, “If you do return safely, the LORD has not spoken through me.” Then he added, “Hear this, all you peoples!”
28 The king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah went up to Ramoth-gilead.
29 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “I will disguise myself and go into battle, but you wear your robes.” The king of Israel disguised himself, and they went into battle.
30 The king of Aram had ordered the commanders of his chariots, “Fight no one, great or small, except the king of Israel alone.”
31 When the chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat, they said, “That is the king of Israel!” and turned to attack him. Jehoshaphat cried out, and the LORD helped him; God turned them away from him.
32 When the chariot commanders saw that he was not the king of Israel, they stopped pursuing him.
33 But a man drew his bow at random and struck the king of Israel between the joints of his armor. The king said to the charioteer, “Turn around and get me out of the camp, for I am wounded.”
34 The battle grew fierce that day, and the king of Israel remained standing in his chariot facing Aram until evening. He died at sunset.
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