Now Jehoshaphat had riches and honour in abundance, and joined affinity with Ahab.
And aftercertainyears he went down to Ahab to Samaria. And Ahab killed sheep and oxen for him in abundance, and for the people thathe hadwith him, and persuaded him to go upwith himto Ramoth-gilead.
And Ahab king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat king of Judah, Wilt thou go with me to Ramoth-gilead? And he answered him, Iamas thouart, and my people as thy people; andwe will bewith thee in the war.
And Jehoshaphat said unto the king of Israel, Enquire, I pray thee, at the word of theLORDto day.
Therefore the king of Israel gathered together of prophets four hundred men, and said unto them, Shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall I forbear? And they said, Go up; for God will deliveritinto the king’s hand.
But Jehoshaphat said,Is therenot here a prophet of theLORDbesides, that we might enquire of him?
And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat,There isyet one man, by whom we may enquire of theLORD: but I hate him; for he never prophesied good unto me, but always evil: the sameisMicaiah the son of Imla. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say so.
And the king of Israel called for oneof hisofficers, and said, Fetch quickly Micaiah the son of Imla.
And the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah sat either of them on his throne, clothed intheirrobes, and they sat in a void place at the entering in of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets prophesied before them.
And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah had made him horns of iron, and said, Thus saith theLORD, With these thou shalt push Syria until they be consumed.
And all the prophets prophesied so, saying, Go up to Ramoth-gilead, and prosper: for theLORDshall deliveritinto the hand of the king.
And the messenger that went to call Micaiah spake to him, saying, Behold, the words of the prophetsdeclaregood to the king with one assent; let thy word therefore, I pray thee, be like one of theirs, and speak thou good.
And Micaiah said,AstheLORDliveth, even what my God saith, that will I speak.
And when he was come to the king, the king said unto 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.
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 theLORD?
Then he said, I did see all Israel scattered upon the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd: and theLORDsaid, These have no master; let them returnthereforeevery man to his house in peace.
And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, Did I not tell theethathe would not prophesy good unto me, but evil?
Again he said, Therefore hear the word of theLORD; I saw theLORDsitting upon his throne, and all the host of heaven standing on his right hand andonhis left.
And theLORDsaid, Who shall entice Ahab king of Israel, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead? And one spake saying after this manner, and another saying after that manner.
Then there came out a spirit, and stood before theLORD, and said, I will entice him. And theLORDsaid unto him, Wherewith?
And he said, I will go out, and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. AndtheLordsaid, Thou shalt enticehim, and thou shalt also prevail: go out, and doevenso.
Now therefore, behold, theLORDhath put a lying spirit in the mouth of these thy prophets, and theLORDhath spoken evil against thee.
Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah came near, and smote Micaiah upon the cheek, and said, Which way went the Spirit of theLORDfrom me to speak unto thee?
And Micaiah said, Behold, thou shalt see on that day when thou shalt go into an inner chamber to hide thyself.
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;
And say, Thus saith the king, Put thisfellowin the prison, and feed him with bread of affliction and with water of affliction, until I return in peace.
And Micaiah said, If thou certainly return in peace,thenhath not theLORDspoken by me. And he said, Hearken, all ye people.
So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went up to Ramoth-gilead.
And the king of Israel said unto 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.
Now the king of Syria had commanded the captains of the chariots thatwerewith him, saying, Fight ye not with small or great, save only with the king of Israel.
And it came to pass, when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, that they said, Itisthe king of Israel. Therefore they compassed about him to fight: but Jehoshaphat cried out, and theLORDhelped him; and God moved themto departfrom him.
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.
And acertainman 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 thine hand, that thou mayest carry me out of the host; for I am wounded.
And the battle increased that day: howbeit the king of Israel stayedhimselfup inhischariot against the Syrians until the even: and about the time of the sun going down he died.