1 Kings 22:13-28
Evangelical Heritage Version
A Lying Spirit
13 The messenger who was sent to summon Micaiah said to him, “Pay attention to the words of the prophets. With one mouth they are promising good things to the king. Let your words be like the words of one of them and say something good.”
14 But Micaiah said, “As surely as the Lord lives, whatever the Lord says to me, that is what I will say.”
15 Then he came to the king, and the king asked him, “Micaiah, should we go up to make war on Ramoth Gilead, or should we refrain?”
He answered him, “Go up and triumph, for the Lord will give them into the hand of the king.”
16 Then the king said to him, “How many times must I make you swear that you will tell me nothing but the truth in the name of the Lord?”
17 Then Micaiah said, “I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains like sheep that have no shepherd, and the Lord said, ‘They have no masters. Each one should return to his home in peace.’”
18 Then the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Didn’t I tell you that he does not prophesy anything good about me, but only bad?”
The Lord’s Proclamation Against Ahab
19 Then Micaiah said:
Now hear this word from the Lord.
I saw the Lord sitting on his throne, and the whole army of heaven was standing around him, on his right and on his left.
20 Then the Lord said, “Who will entice Ahab so that he goes up and falls at Ramoth Gilead?”
One spirit said this. Another one said that. 21 Finally a spirit came and stood before the Lord and said, “I will entice him.”
The Lord said to him, “How?”
22 He said, “I will go and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.”
Then the Lord said, “You will entice him successfully. Go and do it.”
23 Now look! The Lord has put a lying spirit into the mouths of all these prophets of yours, for the Lord has decreed disaster for you.
24 Then Zedekiah son of Kena’anah came up and struck Micaiah on his cheek and said, “Where is this pathway on which the spirit of the Lord has traveled from me to speak to you?”
25 Micaiah said, “Listen to me. You will see it on the day you go into the inner room to hide.”
26 Then the king of Israel said, “Seize Micaiah and take him back to Amon, the administrator of the city, and to Joash son of the king. 27 Then say, ‘This is what the king says. Put this man in prison and feed him nothing more than bread and water until I come back safely.’”
28 Then Micaiah said, “If you ever come back safely, then the Lord has not spoken through me.” Then he said, “Hear this, you people, all of you!”
Read full chapterThe Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.