1Now Jehoshaphat had great riches and honour, and he made a marriage alliance with Ahab.
2Some years later he went down to Ahab in Samaria. Ahab killed many sheep and oxen for him and for the people who were with him. And he persuaded him to go up with him to Ramothgilead.
3Ahab king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat king of Judah, "Will you go with me to Ramothgilead?" He answered him, "I am as you are, and my people as your people. We will be with you in the war."
4Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, "Please ask for the word of the LORD today."
5So the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, four hundred men, and said to them, "Shall we go to Ramothgilead to battle, or shall I hold back?" They said, "Go up, for God will give it into the king's hand."
6But Jehoshaphat said, "Is there not here another prophet of the LORD, so that we may ask him?"
7The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "There is still one man by whom we may ask the LORD. But I hate him, for he never prophesies good about me, but always evil. He is Micaiah the son of Imla." And Jehoshaphat said, "Let the king not say so."
8Then the king of Israel called one of his officers and said, "Bring Micaiah the son of Imla quickly."
9The king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah each sat on his throne, dressed in their robes. They sat in an open place at the entrance of the gate of Samaria, and all the prophets were prophesying before them.
10Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah had made himself horns of iron, and he said, "This is what the LORD says: With these you will push Syria until they are destroyed."
11All the prophets prophesied the same, saying, "Go up to Ramothgilead and win, for the LORD will give it into the king's hand."
12The messenger who went to call Micaiah spoke to him and said, "Look, the words of the prophets all say good things to the king with one voice. Please let your word be like one of theirs, and speak what is good."
13And Micaiah said, "As the LORD lives, whatever my God says, that is what I will speak."
14When he came to the king, the king said to him, "Micaiah, shall we go to Ramothgilead to battle, or shall I hold back?" And he said, "Go up and win, and they will be given into your hand."
15The 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?"
16Then he said, "I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains, like sheep that have no shepherd. And the LORD said, 'These have no master. Let every man return to his house in peace.'"
17The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "Did I not tell you that he would not prophesy good about me, but evil?"
18Again Micaiah 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 hand and on his left."
19And the LORD said, 'Who will entice Ahab king of Israel, so that he may go up and fall at Ramothgilead?' One spoke saying one thing, and another saying another thing.
20Then a spirit came out and stood before the LORD and said, 'I will entice him.' And the LORD said to him, 'How?'
21He said, 'I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.' And the LORD said, 'You will entice him, and you will also succeed. Go out and do so.'
22"So now, look, the LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouth of these prophets of yours, and the LORD has spoken evil against you."
23Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah came near and struck Micaiah on the cheek, and said, "Which way did the Spirit of the LORD go from me to speak to you?"
24And Micaiah said, "Look, 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 carry him back to Amon the governor of the city, and to Joash the king's son,"
26"and say, 'This is what the king says: Put this man in the prison, and feed him with the bread of affliction and the water of affliction, until I return in peace.'"
27And Micaiah said, "If you really do return in peace, then the LORD has not spoken by me." And he said, "Listen, all you people."
28So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went up to Ramothgilead.
29The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "I will disguise myself and go into the battle, but you put on your robes." So the king of Israel disguised himself, and they went into the battle.
30Now the king of Syria had commanded the captains of his chariots, saying, "Do not fight with small or great, but only with the king of Israel."
31When the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, they said, "It is the king of Israel." So they surrounded him to fight. But Jehoshaphat cried out, and the LORD helped him, and God moved them to turn away from him.
32For when the captains of the chariots saw that it was not the king of Israel, they turned back from chasing him.
33But a certain man drew his bow without aiming, and struck the king of Israel between the joints of his armour. So he said to his chariot driver, "Turn your hand, and carry me out of the army, for I am wounded."
34The battle grew worse that day. Yet the king of Israel held himself up in his chariot facing the Syrians until the evening. And about the time the sun went down, he died.