The Second of Chronicles 18:1-34
18 Je·hoshʹa·phat had riches and glory in abundance,+ but he made a marriage alliance with Aʹhab.+
2 So years later he went down to Aʹhab at Sa·marʹi·a,+ and Aʹhab sacrificed sheep and cattle in abundance for him and for the people with him. And he urged* him to go up against Raʹmoth-gilʹe·ad.+
3 Then King Aʹhab of Israel said to King Je·hoshʹa·phat of Judah: “Will you go with me to Raʹmoth-gilʹe·ad?” He replied to him: “I am the same as you, and my people are the same as your people and will support you in the war.”
4 But Je·hoshʹa·phat said to the king of Israel: “First inquire, please, for the word of Jehovah.”+
5 So the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, 400 men, and said to them: “Should we go to war against Raʹmoth-gilʹe·ad, or should I refrain?” They said: “Go up, and the true God will give it into the king’s hand.”
6 Je·hoshʹa·phat then said: “Is there not here a prophet of Jehovah?+ Let us also inquire through him.”+
7 At that the king of Israel said to Je·hoshʹa·phat: “There is still one more man+ through whom we can inquire of Jehovah; but I hate him, for he never prophesies good things concerning me, but always bad.+ He is Mi·caiʹah the son of Imʹlah.” However, Je·hoshʹa·phat said: “The king should not say such a thing.”
8 So the king of Israel called a court official and said: “Bring Mi·caiʹah the son of Imʹlah quickly.”+
9 Now the king of Israel and Je·hoshʹa·phat the king of Judah were each sitting on his throne, dressed in royal attire; they were sitting at the threshing floor at the entrance of the gate of Sa·marʹi·a, and all the prophets were prophesying before them.
10 Then Zed·e·kiʹah the son of Che·naʹa·nah made for himself iron horns and said: “This is what Jehovah says, ‘With these you will gore* the Syrians until you exterminate them.’”
11 All the other prophets were prophesying the same way, saying: “Go up to Raʹmoth-gilʹe·ad and you will be successful;+ Jehovah will give it into the king’s hand.”
12 So the messenger who went to call Mi·caiʹah said to him: “Look! The words of the prophets are unanimously favorable to the king. Let your word, please, become like theirs,+ and speak favorably.”+
13 But Mi·caiʹah said: “As surely as Jehovah is living, whatever my God says is what I will speak.”+
14 Then he came in to the king, and the king asked him: “Mi·caiʹah, should we go to war against Raʹmoth-gilʹe·ad, or should I refrain?” At once he replied: “Go up and you will be successful; they will be given into your hand.”
15 At that the king said to him: “How many times must I put you under oath not to speak to me anything but the truth in the name of Jehovah?”
16 So he said: “I see all the Israelites scattered on the mountains, like sheep that have no shepherd.+ Jehovah said: ‘These have no master. Let each one go back to his house in peace.’”
17 Then the king of Israel said to Je·hoshʹa·phat: “Did I not tell you, ‘He will not prophesy good things concerning me, only bad’?”+
18 Mi·caiʹah then said: “Therefore, hear the word of Jehovah: I saw Jehovah sitting on his throne+ and all the army of the heavens+ standing at his right and at his left.+
19 Jehovah then said, ‘Who will fool King Aʹhab of Israel, so that he will go up and fall at Raʹmoth-gilʹe·ad?’ And one was saying one thing while another said something else.
20 Then a spirit*+ came forward and stood before Jehovah and said, ‘I will fool him.’ Jehovah asked him, ‘How will you do it?’
21 He replied, ‘I will go out and become a deceptive spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ So he said, ‘You will fool him, and what is more, you will be successful. Go out and do that.’
22 And now Jehovah has put a deceptive spirit in the mouth of these prophets of yours,+ but Jehovah has declared calamity for you.”
23 Zed·e·kiʹah+ the son of Che·naʹa·nah now approached and struck Mi·caiʹah+ on the cheek+ and said: “Which way did the spirit of Jehovah pass from me to speak with you?”+
24 Mi·caiʹah replied: “Look! You will see which way on the day when you will enter the innermost room to hide.”
25 Then the king of Israel said: “Take Mi·caiʹah and turn him over to Aʹmon the chief of the city and to Joʹash the king’s son.
26 Tell them, ‘This is what the king says: “Put this fellow in the prison+ and feed him with a reduced allowance of bread and water until I return in peace.”’”
27 But Mi·caiʹah said: “If you do return in peace, Jehovah has not spoken with me.”+ Then he added: “Take note, all you peoples.”
28 So the king of Israel and Je·hoshʹa·phat the king of Judah went up to Raʹmoth-gilʹe·ad.+
29 The king of Israel now said to Je·hoshʹa·phat: “I will disguise myself and will go into the battle, but you should put on your royal attire.” So the king of Israel disguised himself, and they entered the battle.
30 Now the king of Syria had ordered his chariot commanders: “Do not fight with anyone, small or great, except the king of Israel.”
31 And as soon as the chariot commanders saw Je·hoshʹa·phat, they said to themselves: “It is the king of Israel.” So they turned to fight against him; and Je·hoshʹa·phat began to cry for help,+ and Jehovah helped him, and God at once diverted them from him.
32 When the chariot commanders saw that it was not the king of Israel, they immediately turned back from following him.
33 But one man shot his bow at random,* and he struck the king of Israel between the joints of his coat of mail. So the king said to his charioteer: “Turn around and take me out of the battle,* for I have been badly wounded.”+
34 The fighting raged throughout that day, and the king of Israel had to be propped up in the chariot, facing the Syrians until the evening; and he died at sunset.+
