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¹ Now Jehoshaphat had riches and honor in abundance, and joined affinity with Ahab.² And after [certain] years he went down to Ahab to Samaria. And Ahab killed sheep and oxen for him in abundance, and for the people that [he had] with him, and persuaded him to go up [with him] to Ramoth-gilead.³ And Ahab king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat king of Judah, Wilt thou go with me to Ramoth-gilead? And he answered him, I [am] as thou [art], and my people as thy people; and [we will be] with thee in the war.

⁴ And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, Inquire, I pray thee, at the word of the LORD to-day.⁵ Therefore the king of Israel collected of prophets four hundred men, and said to them, Shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall I forbear? And they said, Go up; for God will deliver [it] into the king's hand.⁶ But Jehoshaphat said, [Is there] not here a prophet of the LORD besides, that we may inquire of him?⁷ And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, [There is] yet one man, by whom we may inquire of the LORD: but I hate him; for he never prophesieth good to me, but always evil: the same [is] Micaiah the son of Imla. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say so.⁸ And the king of Israel called for one [of his] officers, and said, Bring quickly Micaiah the son of Imla.⁹ And the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah sat each of them on his throne, clothed in [their] robes, and they sat in a void place at the entrance of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets prophesied before them.¹⁰ And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah had made him horns of iron, and said, Thus saith the LORD, With these thou shalt push Syria until they shall be consumed.¹¹ And all the prophets prophesied so, saying, Go up to Ramoth-gilead, and prosper: for the LORD will deliver [it] into the hand of the king.¹² And the messenger that went to call Micaiah spoke to him, saying, Behold, the words of the prophets [declare] good to the king with one consent; let thy word therefore, I pray thee, be like one of theirs, and speak thou good.¹³ And Micaiah said, [As] the LORD liveth, even what my God saith, that will I speak.¹⁴ And when he had come to the king, the king said to him, Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall I forbear? And he said, Go ye up, and prosper, and they shall be delivered into your hand.¹⁵ And the king said to him, How many times shall I adjure thee that thou say nothing but the truth to me in the name of the LORD?¹⁶ Then he said, I saw all Israel scattered upon the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd: and the LORD said, These have no master; let them return [therefore] every man to his house in peace.¹⁷ And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, Did I not tell thee [that] he would not prophesy good to me, but evil?¹⁸ Again he said, Therefore hear the word of the LORD; I saw the LORD sitting upon his throne, and all the host of heaven standing on his right hand and [on] his left.¹⁹ And the LORD said, Who shall entice Ahab king of Israel, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead? And one spoke saying after this manner, and another saying after that manner.²⁰ Then there came out a spirit, and stood before the LORD, and said, I will entice him. And the LORD said to him, With what?²¹ And he said, I will go out, and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And [the LORD] said, Thou shalt entice [him], and thou shalt also prevail: go out and do [even] so.²² Now therefore, behold, the LORD hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of these thy prophets, and the LORD hath spoken evil against thee.²³ Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah came near, and smote Micaiah upon the cheek, and said, Which way went the spirit of the LORD from me to speak to thee?²⁴ And Micaiah said, Behold, thou shalt see on that day when thou shalt go into an inner chamber to hide thyself.²⁵ Then the king of Israel said, Take ye Micaiah, and carry him back to Amon the governor of the city, and to Joash the king's son;²⁶ And say, Thus saith the king, Put this [man] in the prison, and feed him with bread of affliction and with water of affliction, until I return in peace.²⁷ And Micaiah said, If thou shalt certainly return in peace, [then] hath not the LORD spoken by me. And he said, Hearken, all ye people.

²⁸ So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went up to Ramoth-gilead.²⁹ And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, I will disguise myself, and will go to the battle; but put thou on thy robes. So the king of Israel disguised himself; and they went to the battle.³⁰ Now the king of Syria had commanded the captains of the chariots that [were] with him, saying, Fight ye not with small or great, save only with the king of Israel.³¹ And it came to pass, when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, that they said, It [is] the king of Israel. Therefore they compassed about him to fight: but Jehoshaphat cried out, and the LORD helped him; and God moved them [to depart] from him.³² For it came to pass, that when the captains of the chariots perceived that it was not the king of Israel, they turned back again from pursuing him.³³ And a [certain] man drew a bow at a venture, and smote the king of Israel between the joints of the harness: therefore he said to his chariot-man, Turn thy hand, that thou mayest carry me out of the host; for I am wounded.³⁴ And the battle increased that day: yet the king of Israel supported [himself] in [his] chariot against the Syrians until the evening: and about the time of the sun setting he died.