⁴ And Jehoshaphat said unto the king of Israel, Inquire ^[a]first, I pray thee, for the word of Jehovah. ⁵ Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, 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 deliver it into the hand of the king. ⁶ But Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of Jehovah besides, that we may inquire of him? ⁷ And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of Jehovah: but I hate him; for he never prophesieth good concerning me, but always evil: the same is Micaiah the son of Imla. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say so. ⁸ Then the king of Israel called an ^[b]officer, and said, Fetch quickly Micaiah the son of Imla. ⁹ Now the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah sat each on his throne, arrayed in their robes, and they were sitting in ^[c]an open place at the entrance of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets were prophesying before them. ¹⁰ And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made him horns of iron and said, Thus saith Jehovah, With these shalt thou push the Syrians, until they be consumed. ¹¹ And all the prophets prophesied so, saying, Go up to Ramoth-gilead, and prosper; for Jehovah will deliver it into the hand of the king.

¹² And the messenger that went to call Micaiah spake to him, saying, Behold, the words of the prophets declare good to the king with one mouth: let thy word therefore, I pray thee, be like one of theirs, and speak thou good. ¹³ And Micaiah said, As Jehovah liveth, what my God saith, that will I speak. ¹⁴ And when he was come to the king, the king said unto him, ^[d]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. ¹⁵ And the king said to him, How many times shall I adjure thee that thou speak unto me nothing but the truth in the name of Jehovah? ¹⁶ And he said, I saw all Israel scattered upon the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd: and Jehovah said, These have no master; let them return every man to his house in peace. ¹⁷ And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, Did I not tell thee that he would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil? ¹⁸ And Micaiah said, Therefore hear ye the word of Jehovah: I saw Jehovah sitting upon his throne, and all the host of heaven standing on his right hand and on his left. ¹⁹ And Jehovah said, Who shall ^[e]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. ²⁰ And there came forth ^[f]a spirit, and stood before Jehovah, and said, I will entice him. And Jehovah said unto him, Wherewith? ²¹ And he said, I will go forth, and will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And he said, Thou shalt entice him, and shalt prevail also: go forth, and do so. ²² Now therefore, behold, Jehovah hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of these thy prophets; and Jehovah hath spoken evil concerning thee.

²³ Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah came near, and smote Micaiah upon the cheek, and said, Which way went the Spirit of Jehovah from me to speak unto thee? ²⁴ And Micaiah said, Behold, thou shalt see on that day, when thou shalt go ^[g]into an inner chamber to hide thyself. ²⁵ And the king of Israel said, Take ye Micaiah, and carry him back unto Amon the governor of the city, and to Joash the king’s son; ²⁶ and say, Thus saith the king, Put this fellow in the prison, and feed him with bread of affliction and with water of affliction, until I return in peace. ²⁷ And Micaiah said, If thou return at all in peace, Jehovah hath not spoken by me. And he said, Hear, ye peoples, all of you.