CHAPTER 18
And some years
later
he went down
to
visit Ahab
in Samaria,
where Ahab
sacrificed
many
sheep
and cattle
for him
and the people
with him,
and urged him
to march up
to
Ramoth-gilead.
Ahab
king
of Israel
asked
Jehoshaphat
king
of Judah,
“Will you go
with me
against Ramoth-gilead?”
And Jehoshaphat replied,
“I am
as you are,
and my people
as your people;
we will join you
in the war.”
So the king
of Israel
assembled
the prophets,
four
hundred
men,
and asked them,
“Should we go
to war
against
Ramoth-gilead,
or
should we refrain?”
“Go up,”
they replied,
“and God
will deliver it
into the hand
of the king.”
The king
of Israel
answered,
“There is still
one
man
who can ask
the LORD,
but I
hate him
because
he never
prophesies
anything good
for me,
but only
bad.
He
is Micaiah
son
of Imlah."
“The king
should not
say
that!"
Jehoshaphat
replied.
So the king
of Israel
called
one
of his officials
and said,
“Bring
Micaiah
the son
of Imlah at once.”
Dressed
in royal attire,
the king
of Israel
and Jehoshaphat
king
of Judah
were sitting
on
their thrones
at the threshing floor
by the entrance
of the gate
of Samaria,
with all
the prophets
prophesying
before them.
Now Zedekiah
son
of Chenaanah
had made
for himself
iron
horns
and declared,
“This is what
the LORD
says:
‘With these
you shall gore
the Arameans
until
they are finished off.’”
And all
the prophets
were prophesying
the same,
saying,
“Go up
to Ramoth-gilead
and prosper,
for the LORD
will deliver it
into the hand
of the king.”
Then the messenger
who
had gone
to call
Micaiah
instructed him,
“Behold,
with one
accord
the words
of the prophets
are favorable
to
the king.
So please
let your words
be
like
theirs,
and speak
favorably."
When Micaiah arrived,
the king
asked
him,
“Micaiah,
should we go
to war
against
Ramoth-gilead,
or
should we refrain?”
“Go up
and triumph,”
Micaiah replied,
“for they will be given
into your hand.”
But the king
said
to him,
“How many
times
must I
make you swear
not
to tell
me anything but
the truth
in the name
of the LORD?”
So Micaiah declared:
“I saw
all
Israel
scattered
on
the hills
like sheep
without
a shepherd.
And the LORD
said,
‘These people
have no
master;
let each one
return
home
in peace.’”
Then the king
of Israel
said
to
Jehoshaphat,
“Did I not
tell
you
that he never
prophesies
good
for me,
but only
bad?”
Micaiah continued,
“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.
And the LORD
said,
‘Who
will entice
Ahab
king
of Israel
to march up
and fall
at Ramoth-gilead?’
And one
suggested
this,
and another
that.
Then a spirit
came forward,
stood
before
the LORD,
and said,
‘I
will entice him.’
‘By what means?’
asked
the LORD.
And he replied,
‘I will go out
and be
a lying
spirit
in the mouth
of all
his prophets.’
‘You will surely
entice him
and prevail,’
said the LORD.
‘Go
and do
it.’
So
you see,
the LORD
has put
a lying
spirit
in the mouths
of these
prophets of yours,
and the LORD
has pronounced
disaster
against you.”
Then Zedekiah
son
of Chenaanah
went up,
struck
Micaiah
in
the face,
and demanded,
“Which
way
did the Spirit
of the LORD go
when He departed
from me
to speak
to you?”
And the king
of Israel
declared,
“Take
Micaiah
and return
him to
Amon
the governor
of the city
and to
Joash
the king’s
son,
and tell them
that this is what
the king
says:
‘Put
this man
in prison
and feed him
only bread
and water
until
I return
safely.’”
But Micaiah
replied,
“If
you ever return
safely,
the LORD
has not
spoken through me.”
Then he added,
“Take heed,
all
you people!”
And the king
of Israel
said
to
Jehoshaphat,
“I will disguise
myself and go
into battle,
but you
wear
your royal robes.”
So the king
of Israel
disguised himself
and went
into battle.
Now the king
of Aram
had ordered
his chariot
commanders,
“Do not
fight
with anyone,
small
or great,
except
the king
of Israel.”
When the chariot
commanders
saw
Jehoshaphat,
they
said,
“This
is the king
of Israel!”
So they turned
to fight
against him,
but Jehoshaphat
cried out,
and the LORD
helped him.
God
drew them away
from him.
And when the chariot
commanders
saw
that
he was
not
the king
of Israel,
they turned back
from pursuing him.
However, a certain man
drew
his bow
without taking special aim,
and he struck
the king
of Israel
between
the joints
of his armor.
So the king said
to his charioteer,
“Turn around
and take me out
of
the battle,
for
I am badly wounded!”
The battle
raged
throughout that
day,
and the king
of Israel
propped himself up
in his chariot
facing
the Arameans
until
evening.
And at sunset
he died.