18:1 Now Jehoshaphat had riches and honor in abundance, and
joined affinity with Ahab.
18:2 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.
18:3 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.
18:4 And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, Inquire, I pray
thee, at the word of the LORD to-day.
18:5 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.
18:6 But Jehoshaphat said, [Is there] not here a prophet of the
LORD besides, that we may inquire of him?
18:7 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.
18:8 And the king of Israel called for one [of his] officers,
and said, Bring quickly Micaiah the son of Imla.
18:9 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.
18:10 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.
18:11 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.
18:12 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.
18:13 And Micaiah said, [As] the LORD liveth, even what my God
saith, that will I speak.
18:14 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.
18:15 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?
18:16 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.
18:17 And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, Did I not tell
thee [that] he would not prophesy good to me, but evil?
18:18 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.
18:19 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.
18:20 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?
18:21 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.
18:22 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.
18:23 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?
18:24 And Micaiah said, Behold, thou shalt see on that day when
thou shalt go into an inner chamber to hide thyself.
18:25 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;
18:26 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.
18:27 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.
18:28 So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah
went up to Ramoth-gilead.
18:29 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.
18:30 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.
18:31 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.
18:32 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.
18:33 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.
18:34 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.
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