1 Kings 22:15

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible

So he came unto the king, and the king said unto him, Micaiah, shall we go against Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall we forbear? And he said unto him - Go up and prosper, and Yahweh will deliver it into the hand of the king.

Parallel Translations

Update Bible Version
And when he came to the king, the king said to him, Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall we forbear? And he answered him, Go up and prosper; and Yahweh will deliver it into the hand of the king.

New Living Translation
When Micaiah arrived before the king, Ahab asked him, "Micaiah, should we go to war against Ramoth-gilead, or should we hold back?" Micaiah replied sarcastically, "Yes, go up and be victorious, for the Lord will give the king victory!"

English Revised Version
And when he was come to the king, the king said unto him, Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth–gilead to battle, or shall we forbear? And he answered him, Go up, and prosper; and the LORD shall deliver it into the hand of the king.

New Century Version
When Micaiah came to Ahab, the king asked him, "Micaiah, should we attack Ramoth in Gilead or not?" Micaiah answered, "Attack and win! The Lord will hand them over to you."

New English Translation
When he came before the king, the king asked him, "Micaiah, should we attack Ramoth Gilead or not?" He answered him, "Attack! You will succeed; the Lord will hand it over to the king."

Webster's Bible Translation
So he came to the king. And the king said to him, Micaiah, shall we go against Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall we forbear? And he answered him, Go, and prosper: for the LORD will deliver [it] into the hand of the king.

World English Bible
When he was come to the king, the king said to him, Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall we forbear? He answered him, Go up and prosper; and Yahweh will deliver it into the hand of the king.

Amplified Bible
So when he came to the king, the king said to him, "Micaiah, shall we go against Ramoth-gilead in battle, or shall we not?" And he answered him, "Go up and be successful, for the LORD will hand it over to the king."

English Standard Version
And when he had come to the king, the king said to him, "Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall we refrain?" And he answered him, "Go up and triumph; the Lord will give it into the hand of the king."

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Therfor he cam to the kyng. And the kyng seide to hym, Mychee, owen we go in to Ramoth of Galaad to fiyte, ether ceesse? To which kyng he answeride, Stie thou, and go in prosperite; and the Lord schal bitake it `in to the hond of the kyng.

Berean Standard Bible
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 the LORD will give it into the hand of the king."

Contemporary English Version
Then Micaiah went to Ahab, and Ahab asked, "Micaiah, should I attack the Syrians at Ramoth?" "Yes!" Micaiah answered. "The Lord will help you defeat them."

American Standard Version
And when he was come to the king, the king said unto him, Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall we forbear? And he answered him, Go up and prosper; and Jehovah will deliver it into the hand of the king.

Bible in Basic English
When he came to the king, the king said to him, Micaiah, are we to go to Ramoth-gilead to make war or not? And in answer he said, Go up, and it will go well for you; and the Lord will give it into the hands of the king.

Complete Jewish Bible
When he reached the king, the king asked him, "Mikhay'hu, should we go up and attack Ramot-Gil‘ad; or should we hold off?" He answered, "Go up, you will succeed, Adonai will hand it over to the king."

Darby Translation
And he came to the king. And the king said to him, Micah, shall we go against Ramoth-Gilead to battle, or shall we forbear? And he said to him, Go up, and prosper; for Jehovah will give it into the hand of the king.

Easy-to-Read Version
Micaiah went and stood before King Ahab. The king asked him, "Micaiah, should we go and attack the Arameans at Ramoth Gilead or not?" Micaiah answered, "Yes, go and be successful! The Lord will let you take the city."

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And when he was come to the king, the king said unto him: 'Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall we forbear?' And he answered him: 'Go up, and prosper; and the LORD will deliver it into the hand of the king.'

King James Version (1611)
So he came to the king, and the king sayd vnto him, Micaiah, shall wee goe against Ramoth Gilead to battell, or shall we forbeare? And he answered him, Go, and prosper: for the Lord shall deliuer it into the hand of the king.

New Life Bible
Micaiah came to the king. And the king said to him, "Micaiah, should we go to Ramothgilead to battle, or should we not?" He answered, "Go up and do well. The Lord will give it to the king."

New Revised Standard
When he had come to the king, the king said to him, "Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall we refrain?" He answered him, "Go up and triumph; the Lord will give it into the hand of the king."

Geneva Bible (1587)
So he came to the King, & the King said vnto him, Michaiah, shall we go against Ramoth Gilead to battel, or shall we leaue off? And he answered him, Goe vp, and prosper: and the Lord shall deliuer it into the hand of the King.

George Lamsa Translation
So he came to the king. And the king said to him, Micah, shall we go to Ramath-gilead to battle or shall we forbear? And he answered him, Go up and be victorious; for the LORD shall deliver them into your hand, O king.

Good News Translation
When he appeared before King Ahab, the king asked him, "Micaiah, should King Jehoshaphat and I go and attack Ramoth, or not?" "Attack!" Micaiah answered. "Of course you'll win. The Lord will give you victory."

Douay-Rheims Bible
So he came to the king, and the king said to him: Micheas, shall we go to Ramoth Galaad to battle, or shall we forbear? He answered him: Go up, and prosper, and the Lord shall deliver it into the king’s hands.

Revised Standard Version
And when he had come to the king, the king said to him, "Micai'ah, shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall we forbear?" And he answered him, "Go up and triumph; the LORD will give it into the hand of the king."

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And so he came to the king, & the king sayd vnto him: Michea, ought we to go against Ramoth [in] Gilead to battayle, or to be stil? He aunswered to him: Go, and prosper, the Lorde shall deliuer it into the hande of the king.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And he came to the king: and the king said to him, Michaias, shall I go up to Remmath Galaad to battle, or shall I forbear? and he said, Go up, and the Lord shall deliver it into the hand of the king.

Christian Standard Bible®
So he went to the king, and the king asked him, “Micaiah, should we go to Ramoth-gilead for war, or should we refrain?”

Hebrew Names Version
When he was come to the king, the king said to him, Mikhayahu, shall we go to Ramot-Gil`ad to battle, or shall we forbear? He answered him, Go up and prosper; and the LORD will deliver it into the hand of the king.

King James Version
So he came to the king. And the king said unto him, Micaiah, shall we go against Ramothgilead to battle, or shall we forbear? And he answered him, Go, and prosper: for the Lord shall deliver it into the hand of the king.

Lexham English Bible
When he came to the king, the king asked him, "Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth-Gilead to the battle, or shall we refrain?" He said to him, "Go up and triumph, and Yahweh will give it into the hand of the king."

Literal Translation
And he came in to the king. And the king said to him, Micaiah, shall we go to battle to Ramoth-gilead, or shall we forbear? And he said to him, Go up, and prosper, and Jehovah shall give it into the king's hand.

Young's Literal Translation
And he cometh in unto the king, and the king saith unto him, `Micaiah, do we go unto Ramoth-Gilead, to battle, or do we forbear?' and he saith unto him, `Go up, and prosper, and Jehovah hath given [it] into the hand of the king.'

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And whan he came to the kynge, the kynge sayde vnto him: Micheas, shal we go vnto Ramoth in Gilead to fight or shall we let it alone? He sayde vnto him: Yee, go vp, thou shalt prospere righte well, the LORDE shall geue it in to the kynges hande.

THE MESSAGE
With Micaiah before him, the king asked him, "So Micaiah—do we attack Ramoth Gilead, or do we hold back?" "Go ahead," he said. "An easy victory. God 's gift to the king."

New American Standard Bible
When he came to the king, the king said to him, "Micaiah, should we go to battle against Ramoth-gilead, or should we refrain?" And he said, "Go up and succeed, for the LORD will hand it over to the king!"

New King James Version
Then he came to the king; and the king said to him, "Micaiah, shall we go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or shall we refrain?" And he answered him, "Go and prosper, for the LORD will deliver it into the hand of the king!"

New American Standard Bible (1995)
When he came to the king, the king said to him, "Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall we refrain?" And he answered him, "Go up and succeed, and the LORD will give it into the hand of the king."

Legacy Standard Bible
Then he came to the king, and the king said to him, "Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall we refrain?" And he said to him, "Go up and succeed, and Yahweh will give it into the hand of the king."

Contextual Overview

¹⁵ So he came unto the king, and the king said unto him, Micaiah, shall we go against Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall we forbear? And he said unto him - Go up and prosper, and Yahweh will deliver it into the hand of the king. ¹⁶ And the king said unto him, How many times must, I, adjure thee, - that thou speak unto me nothing but truth, in the name of Yahweh? ¹⁷ And he said - I saw all Israel, scattered among the mountains, like sheep that have no shepherd, - so Yahweh said, These have, no masters, let them return every man unto his own house, in peace. ¹⁸ Then said the king of Israel, unto Jehoshaphat, - Did I not say unto thee, He will not be moved to prophesy concerning me anything good, only calamity. ¹⁹ Then he said, Therefore, hear thou the word of Yahweh, - I saw Yahweh, sitting upon his throne, and all the host of the heavens, standing by him, on his right hand, and on his left. ²⁰ And Yahweh said, Who will persuade Ahab, that he may go up and fall, at Ramoth-gilead? And, one, said in this manner, and, another, said in that manner. ²¹ Then came forth a spirit, and stood before Yahweh, and said - I, will persuade him. ²² And Yahweh said unto him - Wherewith? And he said - I will go forth, and become a spirit of falsehood in the mouth of all his prophets, - So he said, - Thou mayest persuade, yea and prevail, go forth, and do so. ²³ Now, therefore, lo! Yahweh hath suffered a spirit of falsehood to be put into the mouth of all these thy prophets. But, Yahweh himself, hath spoken concerning thee, calamity. ²⁴ Then drew near Zedekiah, son of Chenaanah, and smote Micaiah on the cheek, - and said - Where then passed the Spirit of Yahweh, from me, to speak unto thee?

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

shall we go: 1 Kings 22:6

Go and prosper: This was strong irony; they were the precise words of the false prophets; but were spoken by Micaiah in such a tone and manner as at once shewed Ahab that he did not believe, but ridiculed these words of uncertainty. The reply of the Delphian oracle to Crosesus was as ambiguous as that returned to Pyrrhus, Croesus Halym penetrans magnam pervertet opum vim, "If Croesus crosses the Halys, he will overthrow a great empire." This he understood of the empire of Cyrus; the event proved it to be his own: he was deluded, yet the oracle maintained its credit. 1 Kings 18:27, Judges 10:14, 2 Kings 3:13, 2 Chronicles 18:14, Ecclesiastes 11:9, Matthew 26:45

Reciprocal: Judges 1:4 - Lord Judges 18:6 - Go in peace 1 Samuel 14:37 - Shall I go 2 Samuel 5:19 - And the Lord 2 Kings 8:10 - Thou mayest 1 Chronicles 14:10 - Go up Ezekiel 20:1 - that certain Mark 14:41 - Sleep

Gill's Notes on the Bible

So he came to the king,.... Being introduced by the officer:

and the king said unto him, Micaiah, shall we go up against Ramothgilead to battle, or shall we forbear? the same question in the same words that was put to the other prophets, 1 Kings 22:6, only there he uses the singular number, here the plural, including Jehoshaphat with him:

and he answered him, go, and prosper: for the Lord shall deliver [it] into the hand of the king; he answered not in the name of the Lord, saying, "thus saith the Lord", nor did he speak his own sense and in his own words, nor seriously, but by way of derision; he took up the words of the prophets, and bantered them; it is as if he should say, the prophets bid you go, and tell you that you shall "prosper", and that the city will be delivered into the king's hand; do as they direct you, and see what the issue will be, no doubt it will be good, since they are all agreed; but he delivered the above words with such gestures, and such a tone, and with a contemptuous smile in his countenance, which showed that he spoke not seriously, but sarcastically; and this the king plainly discovered, as appears by what follows.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

And he answered him ... - Micaiah speaks the exact words of the 400 in so mocking and ironical a tone, that the king cannot mistake his meaning, or regard his answer as serious. The king’s rejoinder implies that this mocking manner was familiar to Micaiah, who had used it in some former dealings with the Israelite monarch. Hence, in part, the king’s strong feeling of dislike (compare 1 Kings 22:8).

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Kings 22:15. Go, and prosper — This was a strong irony; as if he had said, All your prophets have predicted success; you wish me to speak as they speak: Go, and prosper; for the Lord will deliver it into the hand of the king. These were the precise words of the false prophets, (see 1 Kings 22:6; 1 Kings 22:12), and were spoken by Micaiah in such a tone and manner as at once showed to Ahab that he did not believe them; hence the king adjures him, 1 Kings 22:16, that he would speak to him nothing but truth; and on this the prophet immediately relates to him the prophetic vision which pointed out the disasters which ensued.

It is worthy of remark that this prophecy of the king's prophets is couched in the same ambiguous terms by which the false prophets in the heathen world endeavoured to maintain their credit, while they deluded their votaries. The reader will observe that the word it is not in the original: The Lord will deliver IT into the hand of the king; and the words are so artfully constructed that they may be interpreted for or against; so that, be the event whatever it might, the juggling prophet could save his credit by saying he meant what had happened. Thus then the prophecy might have been understood: The Lord will deliver (Ramoth-gilead) into the king's (Ahab's) hand; or, The Lord will deliver (Israel) into the king's hand; i.e., into the hand of the king of Syria. And Micaiah repeats these words of uncertainty in order to ridicule them and expose their fallacy.

The following oracles among the heathens were of this same dubious nature, in order that the priests' credit might be saved, let the event turn out as it might. Thus the Delphic oracle spoke to Croesus words which are capable of a double meaning, and which he understood to his own destruction:-

Croesus, Halym penetrans, magnam subvertet opum vim,

Which says, in effect: -

"If you march against Cyrus, he will either overthrow you, or you will overthrow him."

He trusted in the latter, the former took place. He was deluded, and yet the oracle maintained its credit. So in the following: -

Aio te, AEacida, Romanos vincere posse

Ibis redibis nunquam in bello peribis.

Pyrrhus, king of Epirus, understood by this that he should conquer the Romans, against whom he was then making war; but the oracle could be thus translated: "The Romans shall overcome thee." He trusted in the former, made unsuccessful war, and was overcome; and yet the juggling priest saved his credit. The latter line is capable of two opposite meanings: -

"Thou shalt go, thou shalt return, thou shalt never perish in war."

Or,

"Thou shalt go, thou shalt never return, thou shalt perish in war."

When prophecies and oracles were not delivered in this dubious way, they were generally couched in such intricate and dark terms that the assistance of the oracle was necessary to explain the oracle, and then it was ignotum per ignotius, a dark saying paraphrased by one yet more obscure.