⁴ And Jehoshaphat said unto the king of Israel, “Inquire, I pray thee, at the word of the Lord today.”

⁵ Therefore the king of Israel gathered together of prophets four hundred men, and said unto them, “Shall we go to Ramothgilead to battle, or shall I forbear?” And they said, “Go up; for God will deliver it into the king’s hand.”

⁶ But Jehoshaphat said, “Is there not here a prophet of the Lord besides these, that we might inquire of him?”

⁷ And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, “There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of the Lord; but I hate him, for he never prophesied good unto me, but always evil. The same is Micaiah the son of Imla.” And Jehoshaphat said, “Let not the king say so!”

⁸ And the king of Israel called for one of his officers and said, “Fetch quickly Micaiah the son of Imla.”

⁹ And the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah sat each of them on his throne, clothed in their robes, and they sat in an open place at the entrance of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets prophesied before them.

¹⁰ And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah had made him horns of iron, and said, “Thus saith the Lord: ‘With these thou shalt push Syria until they be consumed.’”

¹¹ And all the prophets prophesied so, saying, “Go up to Ramothgilead and prosper, for the Lord shall deliver it into the hand of the king.”

¹² And the messenger who went to call Micaiah spoke to him, saying, “Behold, the words of the prophets declare good to the king with one assent. Let thy word therefore, I pray thee, be like one of theirs, and speak thou good.”

¹³ And Micaiah said, “As the Lord liveth, even what my God saith, that will I speak.”

¹⁴ And when he had come to the king, the king said unto him, “Micaiah, shall we go to Ramothgilead 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 say nothing but the truth to me in the name of the Lord?”

¹⁶ Then he said, “I saw all Israel scattered upon the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd. And the Lord said, ‘These have no master. Let them return therefore 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 unto me, but evil?”

¹⁸ Again Micaiah said, “Therefore hear the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting upon His throne, and all the host of heaven standing on His right hand and on His left.

¹⁹ And the Lord said, ‘Who shall entice Ahab king of Israel, that he may go up and fall at Ramothgilead?’ And one spoke saying in this manner, and another saying in that manner.

²⁰ Then there came out a spirit, and stood before the Lord and said, ‘I will entice him.’ And the Lord said unto him, ‘How?’

²¹ And he said, ‘I will go out, and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ And the Lord said, ‘Thou shalt entice him, and thou shalt also prevail. Go out, and do even so.’

²² Now therefore, behold, the Lord hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of these thy prophets, and the Lord hath spoken evil against thee.”

²³ Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah came near, and smote Micaiah upon the cheek and said, “Which way went the spirit of the Lord from me to speak unto thee?”

²⁴ And Micaiah said, “Behold, thou shalt see on that day when thou shalt go into an inner chamber to hide thyself.”

²⁵ Then the king of Israel said, “Take ye Micaiah, and carry him back to 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 certainly return in peace, then hath not the Lord spoken by me.” And he said, “Hearken, all ye people.”