However, Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “Please request the word of the Lord [a]first.” So (A)the king of Israel assembled the [b]prophets, about four hundred men, and said to them, “Should I go to battle against Ramoth-gilead or should I refrain?” And they said, “Go up, for the Lord will hand it over to the king.” But (B)Jehoshaphat said, “Is there no longer a prophet of the Lord here, that we may inquire of him?” And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “There is still one man by whom we may inquire of the Lord, but I hate him, because he does not prophesy anything good regarding me, but only bad. He is Micaiah the son of Imlah.” But Jehoshaphat said, “May the king not say so.” Then the king of Israel summoned an officer and said, “Bring Micaiah son of Imlah quickly.” 10 Now the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah were sitting, each on his throne, dressed in their robes, at the threshing floor at the entrance of the gate of Samaria; and (C)all the prophets were prophesying before them. 11 Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made (D)horns of iron for himself and said, “This is what the Lord says: ‘(E)With these you will gore the Arameans until they are destroyed!’” 12 All the prophets were prophesying this as well, saying, “Go up to Ramoth-gilead and succeed, for the Lord will hand it over to the king.”

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 22:5 Lit today
  2. 1 Kings 22:6 I.e., official prophets who at that time were false

But then Jehoshaphat said to Israel’s king, “Please seek a message from the Lord this very day.”[a] So the king of Israel assembled about 400 prophets and asked them, “Should I attack Ramoth Gilead or not?”[b] They said, “Attack! The Sovereign One[c] will hand it over to the king.” But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there not a prophet of the Lord still here, that we may ask him?” The king of Israel answered Jehoshaphat, “There is still one man through whom we can seek the Lord’s will.[d] But I despise[e] him because he does not prophesy prosperity for me, but disaster. His name is Micaiah son of Imlah.”[f] Jehoshaphat said, “The king should not say such things.” The king of Israel summoned an official and said, “Quickly bring Micaiah son of Imlah.”

10 Now the king of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah were sitting on their respective thrones,[g] dressed in their robes, at the threshing floor at the entrance of the gate of Samaria. All the prophets were prophesying before them. 11 Zedekiah son of Kenaanah made iron horns and said, “This is what the Lord has said, ‘With these you will gore Syria until they are destroyed.’” 12 All the prophets were prophesying the same, saying, “Attack Ramoth Gilead! You will succeed; the Lord will hand it over to the king.”

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 22:5 sn Jehoshaphat is requesting a prophetic oracle revealing the Lord’s will in the matter and their prospects for success. For examples of such oracles, see 2 Sam 5:19, 23-24.
  2. 1 Kings 22:6 tn Heb “Should I go against Ramoth Gilead for war or should I refrain?”
  3. 1 Kings 22:6 tn Though Jehoshaphat requested an oracle from “the Lord” (יְהוָה, Yahweh), they stop short of actually using this name and substitute the title אֲדֹנָי (ʾadonay, “lord; master”). This ambiguity may explain in part Jehoshaphat’s hesitancy and caution (vv. 7-8). He seems to doubt that the four hundred are genuine prophets of the Lord.
  4. 1 Kings 22:8 tn Heb “to seek the Lord from him.”
  5. 1 Kings 22:8 tn Or “hate.”
  6. 1 Kings 22:8 tn The words “his name is” are supplied for stylistic reasons.
  7. 1 Kings 22:10 tn Heb “were sitting, a man on his throne.”