1 Kings 22:11-27

¹¹Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made himself horns of iron, and said, “Yahweh says, ‘With these you will push the Syrians, until they are consumed.’”

¹²All the prophets prophesied so, saying, “Go up to Ramoth Gilead and prosper; for Yahweh will deliver it into the hand of the king.”

¹³The messenger who went to call Micaiah spoke to him, saying, “See now, the prophets declare good to the king with one mouth. Please let your word be like the word of one of them, and speak good.”

¹⁴Micaiah said, “As Yahweh lives, what Yahweh says to me, that I will speak.”

¹⁵When he had 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.”

¹⁶The king said to him, “How many times do I have to adjure you that you speak to me nothing but the truth in Yahweh’s name?”

¹⁷He said, “I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd. Yahweh said, ‘These have no master. Let them each return to his house in peace.’”

¹⁸The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Didn’t I tell you that he would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil?”

¹⁹Micaiah said, “Therefore hear Yahweh’s word. I saw Yahweh sitting on his throne, and all the army of heaven standing by him on his right hand and on his left.

²⁰Yahweh said, ‘Who will entice Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth Gilead?’ One said one thing, and another said another.

²¹A spirit came out and stood before Yahweh, and said, ‘I will entice him.’

²²Yahweh said to him, ‘How?’ He said, ‘I will go out and will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ He said, ‘You will entice him, and will also prevail. Go out and do so.’

²³Now therefore, behold, Yahweh has put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these your prophets; and Yahweh has spoken evil concerning you.”

²⁴Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah came near and struck Micaiah on the cheek, and said, “Which way did Yahweh’s Spirit go from me to speak to you?”

²⁵Micaiah said, “Behold, you will see on that day when you go into an inner room to hide yourself.”

²⁶The king of Israel said, “Take Micaiah, and carry him back to Amon the governor of the city and to Joash the king’s son.

²⁷Say, ‘The king says, “Put this fellow in the prison, and feed him with bread of affliction and with water of affliction, until I come in peace.”’”