2 Chronicles 18

Jehoshaphat had riches and honor in abundance, and he allied himself with Ahab by marriage. After some years he went down to Ahab in Samaria. Ahab slaughtered many sheep and cattle for him and the people with him, and urged him to go up to Ramoth-gilead. 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 as your people. I will be with you in the battle.” Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “Please inquire today for the word of the LORD.” The king of Israel gathered the prophets, four hundred men, and asked them, “Shall we go to war against Ramoth-gilead, or should I refrain?” They said, “Go up, and God will give it into the king's hand.” But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there not another prophet of the LORD here through whom we can inquire?” The king of Israel said to 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, but always disaster. He is Micaiah son of Imla.” Jehoshaphat said, “The king should not say that.” Then the king of Israel called an official and said, “Bring Micaiah son of Imla quickly.” 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 to the gate of Samaria. All the prophets were prophesying before them. Zedekiah son of Chenaanah made iron horns for himself and said, “This is what the LORD says: ‘With these you will gore Aram until you destroy them.’” All the prophets prophesied the same way, saying, “Go up to Ramoth-gilead and succeed! The LORD will give it into the king's hand.” The messenger who had gone to summon Micaiah said to him, “Look, the prophets' words are favorable to the king with one voice. Please let your message be like one of theirs, and speak favorably.” Micaiah said, “As the LORD lives, I will speak whatever my God says.” When he came to the king, the king asked him, “Micaiah, shall we go to war against Ramoth-gilead, or should I refrain?” He replied, “Go up and succeed; they will be given into your hand.” 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?” He said, “I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains like sheep without a shepherd. The LORD said, ‘These have no master. Let each return to his own house in peace.’” The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Did I not tell you that he would prophesy nothing good about me, but only disaster?” Micaiah said, “Therefore hear the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting on his throne, with all the host of heaven standing at his right and his left. 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 another. Then the spirit came forward, stood before the LORD, and said, ‘I will entice him.’ The LORD asked him, ‘How?’ He said, ‘I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouths of all his prophets.’ The LORD said, ‘You will entice him and will succeed. Go out and do so.’ Now the LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouths of these prophets of yours, and the LORD has pronounced disaster against you.” Zedekiah son of Chenaanah came forward and struck Micaiah on the cheek. He said, “Which way did the Spirit of the LORD pass from me to speak to you?” Micaiah said, “You will see on the day you go into an inner room to hide.” The king of Israel said, “Take Micaiah and return him to Amon the governor of the city and to Joash the king's son. Tell them, ‘This is what the king says: Put this man in prison and give him a little bread and a little water until I return in peace.’” Micaiah said, “If you do return in peace, the LORD has not spoken through me.” Then he said, “Listen, all you peoples!” The king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah went up to Ramoth-gilead. The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “I will disguise myself and enter the battle, but you wear your robes.” So the king of Israel disguised himself, and they entered the battle. The king of Aram had commanded his chariot commanders, “Fight neither small nor great, but only the king of Israel.” When the chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat, they said, “He is the king of Israel!” They surrounded him to fight, but Jehoshaphat cried out, and the LORD helped him. God drew them away from him. When the chariot commanders saw that he was not the king of Israel, they turned back from pursuing him. But a man drew his bow at random and struck the king of Israel between the joints and the breastplate. The king said to his chariot driver, “Turn around and take me out of the battle, for I am wounded.” The battle grew fierce that day, and the king of Israel kept himself upright in his chariot facing Aram until evening. At sunset he died.

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