1 Kings 22:13-23

Complete Jewish Bible

¹³ The messenger who had gone to call Mikhay’hu said to him, “Here, now, the prophets are unanimously predicting success for the king. Please let your word be like the word of one of them — say something good.” ¹⁴ But Mikhay’hu answered, “As Adonai lives, whatever Adonai says to me is what I will say.”

¹⁵ When he reached the king, the king asked him, “Mikhay’hu, should we go up and attack Ramot-Gil‘ad; or should we hold off?” He answered, “Go up, you will succeed, Adonai will hand it over to the king.” ¹⁶ The king said to him, “How many times do I have to warn you to tell me nothing but the truth in the name of Adonai?” ¹⁷ Then he said, “I saw all Isra’el scattered over the hills like sheep without a shepherd; and Adonai said, ‘These men have no leader; let everyone go home in peace.’” ¹⁸ The king of Isra’el said to Y’hoshafat, “Didn’t I tell you that he wouldn’t prophesy good things about me, but bad?”

¹⁹ Mikhay’hu continued: “Therefore hear the word of Adonai. I saw Adonai sitting on his throne with the whole army of heaven standing by him on his right and on his left. ²⁰ Adonai asked, ‘Who will entice Ach’av to go up to his death at Ramot-Gil‘ad?’ One of them said, ‘Do it this way,’ and another, ‘Do it that way.’ ²¹ Then a spirit stepped up, stood in front of Adonai and said, ‘I will entice him.’ ²² Adonai asked, ‘How?’ and he answered, ‘I will go and be a deceiving spirit in the mouths of all his prophets.’ Adonai said, ‘You will succeed in enticing him. Go, and do it.’ ²³ So now Adonai has put a deceiving spirit in the mouths of all these prophets of yours; meanwhile, Adonai has ordained disaster for you.”