Study Desk

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."

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 ^(C1)all the prophets were prophesying before them.

Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made ^(C1)horns of iron for himself and said, "This is what the LORD says: '^(C2)With these you will gore the Arameans until they are destroyed!'"

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."

Then the messenger who went to summon Micaiah spoke to him saying, "Behold now, the words of the prophets are ^(F1)unanimously favorable to the king. Please let your word be like the word of one of them, and speak favorably."

But Micaiah said, "^(C1)As the LORD lives, whatever ^(C2)the LORD says to me, I shall speak it."

When he came to the king, the king said to him, "Micaiah, should we go to battle against Ramoth-gilead, or should we refrain?" And he said, "^(C1)Go up and succeed, for the LORD will hand it over to the king!"

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?"

So he said, "I saw all Israel Scattered on the mountains, ^(C1)Like sheep that have no shepherd. And the LORD said, 'These people have no master. Each of them is to return to his house in peace.'"

Then the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "^(C1)Did I not tell you that he would not prophesy anything good regarding me, but only bad?"

And Micaiah said, "Therefore, hear the word of the LORD. ^(C1)I saw the LORD sitting on His throne, and ^(C2)all the ^(F1)angels of heaven standing by Him on His right and on His left.

"And the LORD said, 'Who will ^(F1)entice Ahab to go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?' And one spirit said this, while another said that.

"Then a spirit came forward and stood before the LORD, and said, 'I will ^(F1)entice him.'

"And the LORD said to him, 'How?' And he said, 'I will go out and ^(C1)be a deceiving spirit in the mouths of all his prophets.' Then He said, 'You shall ^(F1)entice him, and you will also prevail. Go and do so.'

"Now then, behold, ^(C1)the LORD has put a deceiving spirit in the mouth of all these prophets of yours; and the LORD has declared disaster against you."

Then ^(C1)Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah approached and struck Micaiah on the cheek; and he said, "^(C2)How did the Spirit of the LORD pass from me to speak to you?"

And Micaiah said, "Behold, you are going to see how on that day when you ^(C1)go from one inner room to ^(F1)another trying to hide yourself."

Then the king of Israel said, "Take Micaiah and return him to Amon the governor of the city, and to Joash the king's son;

and say, 'This is what the king says: "^(C1)Put this man in prison, and feed him enough bread and water to survive until I ^(F1)return safely."'"

But Micaiah said, "^(C1)If you actually return ^(F1)safely, the LORD has not spoken by me." And he said, "^(C2)Listen, all you people!"

So ^(C1)the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah went up against Ramoth-gilead.

And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "^(C1)I will disguise myself and go into the battle, but you put on your robes." So the king of Israel disguised himself and went into the battle.

Now ^(C1)the king of Aram had commanded the thirty-two commanders of his chariots, saying, "Do not fight with the small or great, but only with the king of Israel."

So when the commanders of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, they said, "Surely he is the king of Israel!" And they turned aside to fight against him, and Jehoshaphat cried out.

Then, when the commanders of the chariots saw that it was not the king of Israel, they turned back from pursuing him.

Now one man drew his bow at random and struck the king of Israel ^(F1)in a joint of the armor. So he said to the driver of his chariot, "Turn ^(F2)around and take me out of the battle, ^(C1)for I am severely wounded."

The battle ^(F1)raged on that day, and the king was propped up in his chariot in front of the Arameans, and he died at evening, and the blood from the wound ran into the bottom of the chariot.

^(C1)Then the word passed throughout the army close to sunset, saying, "Every man to his city, and every man to his ^(F1)country!"

So the king died and was brought to Samaria, and they buried the king in Samaria.

They washed out the chariot by the pool of Samaria, and the dogs licked up his blood (it was there that the prostitutes bathed themselves) ^(C1)in accordance with the word of the LORD which He had spoken.