1 Kings 22:4-31

⁴And he said unto Jehoshaphat, Wilt thou go with me to the battle against Ramoth-gil'ad? And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, I will be like thee, my people like thy people, my horses like thy horses.

⁵And Jehoshaphat said unto the king of Israel, Inquire, I pray thee, today first of the word of the Lord.

⁶Then assembled the king of Israel the prophets, about four hundred men, and said unto them, shall I go against Ramoth-gil'ad to battle, or shall I forbear? And they said, Go up; and the Lord will deliver it into the hand of the king.

⁷And Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of the Eternal besides, that we might inquire of him?

⁸And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, There is yet one man, by whom we might inquire of the Lord; but I hate him; for he will never prophesy good concerning me, but evil: it is Michayhu the son of Yimlah. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say so.

⁹Then called the king of Israel a certain officer, and said, Hasten hither Michayhu the son of Yimlah.

¹⁰And the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah were sitting each on his throne, dressed in their regal garments, in a threshing-floor at the entrance of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets prophesied before them.

¹¹And Zedekiah the son of Kena'anah had made himself horns of iron; and he said, Thus hath said the Lord, With these shalt thou push the Syrians, until thou have made an end of them.

¹²And all the prophets prophesied so, saying, Go up to Ramoth-gil'ad, and prosper; and the Lord will deliver it into the king's hand.

¹³And the messenger that went to call Michayhu spoke unto him, saying, Behold now, the words of the prophets are with one voice good for the king: do let thy word, I pray thee, be like the word of any one of them, and speak something good.

¹⁴And Michayhu said, As the Lord liveth, truly, what the Lord may say unto me, that will I speak.

¹⁵And when he was come to the king, the king said unto him, Michayhu, shall we go against Ramoth-gil'ad to battle, or shall we forbear? And he answered him, Go up, and prosper; and may the Lord deliver it into the hand of the king.

¹⁶And the king said unto him, How many times yet must I adjure thee that thou shalt not speak to me anything but the truth in the name of the Lord?

¹⁷And he said, I saw all Israel scattered over the mountains, as flocks that have not a shepherd: and the Lord said, These have no master; let them return every man to his house in peace.

¹⁸And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, Did I not say unto thee that he would not prophesy concerning me any good, but only evil?

¹⁹And he said, Therefore hear thou the word of the Lord, I saw the Lord sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven standing by him on his right and on his left.

²⁰And the Lord said, Who will persuade Achab, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gil'ad! And one said, In this manner, and another said, In that manner.

²¹And there came forth a spirit, and placed himself before the Lord, and said, I will persuade him. And the Lord said unto him, Wherewith?

²²And he said, I will go forth, and I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And he said, Thou wilt persuade him, and also prevail: go forth, and do so.

²³And now, behold, the Lord hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets; but the Lord hath spoken evil concerning thee.

²⁴And Zedekiah, the son of Kena'anah, went near, and struck Michayhu on the cheek, and said, Which way passed the Spirit of the Lord away from me to speak with thee!

²⁵And Michayhu said, Behold, thou shalt see it on that day, when thou shalt go into the innermost chamber to hide thyself.

²⁶And the king of Israel said, Take Michayhu, and carry him back unto Amon the governor of the city, and unto Joash the king's son;

²⁷And say, Thus hath said the king, Put this man in the prison, and feed him with sparing bread and with sparing water, until I come home in peace.

²⁸And Michayhu said, If thou return at all in peace, then hath the Lord not spoken through me. And he said, Hear it, O all ye nations!

²⁹So the king of Israel went up with Jehoshaphat the king of Judah to Ramoth-gil'ad.

³⁰And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, I will disguise myself, and enter into the battle; but do thou put on thy regal garments. And the king of Israel disguised himself, and went into the battle.

³¹And the king of Syria had commanded the captains over his chariots, thirty-two in number, saying, Fight neither with a small nor a great one, save only with the king of Israel alone.