1 Kings 22:1-35

Ahab and the False Prophets

1For three years Syria and Israel continued without war. 2 aBut in the third year bJehoshaphat the king of Judah came down to the king of Israel. 3And the king of Israel said to his servants, “Do you know that cRamoth-gilead belongs to us, and we keep quiet and do not take it out of the hand of the king of Syria?” 4And he said to Jehoshaphat, “Will you go with me to battle at Ramoth-gilead?” And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, d“I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses.”

5And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “Inquire first for the word of the Lord.” 6Then the king of Israel egathered the prophets together, about four hundred men, and said to them, “Shall I go to battle against Ramoth-gilead, or shall I refrain?” And they said, “Go up, for the Lord will give it into the hand of the king.” 7But fJehoshaphat said, “Is there not here another prophet of the Lord of whom we may inquire?” 8And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of the Lord, Micaiah the son of Imlah, but I hate him, for he never prophesies good concerning me, but evil.” And Jehoshaphat said, “Let not the king say so.” 9Then the king of Israel summoned an officer and said, “Bring quickly Micaiah the son of Imlah.” 10Now the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah were sitting on their thrones, arrayed in their robes, at the threshing floor gat the entrance of the gate of Samaria, and all the prophets were prophesying before them. 11And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made for himself hhorns of iron and said, “Thus says the Lord, ‘With these iyou shall push the Syrians until they are destroyed.’” 12And all the prophets prophesied so and said, “Go up to Ramoth-gilead and triumph; the Lord will give it into the hand of the king.”

Micaiah Prophesies Against Ahab

13And the messenger who went to summon Micaiah said to him, “Behold, the words of the prophets with one accord are favorable to the king. Let your word be like the word of one of them, and speak favorably.” 14But Micaiah said, j“As the Lord lives, kwhat the Lord says to me, that I will speak.” 15And when he had come to the king, the king said to him, “Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall we refrain?” And he answered him, “Go up and triumph; the Lord will give it into the hand of the king.” 16But the king said to him, “How many times shall I make you swear that you speak to me nothing but the truth in the name of the Lord?” 17And he said, “I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains, las sheep that have no shepherd. And the Lord said, ‘These have no master; let each return to his home in peace.’” 18And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, m“Did I not tell you that he would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil?” 19And Micaiah said, “Therefore hear the word of the Lord: nI saw the Lord sitting on his throne, oand all the host of heaven standing beside him on his right hand and on his left; 20and the Lord said, ‘Who will entice Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?’ And one said one thing, and another said another. 21Then a spirit came forward and stood before the Lord, saying, ‘I will entice him.’ 22And the Lord said to him, ‘By what means?’ And he said, ‘I will go out, and will be pa lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ And he said, ‘You are to entice him, and you shall succeed; go out and do so.’ 23Now therefore behold, the Lord has put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these your prophets; the Lord has declared disaster for you.”

24Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah came near qand struck Micaiah on the cheek and said, “How did the Spirit of the Lord go from me to speak to you?” 25And Micaiah said, “Behold, you shall see on that day when you go rinto an inner chamber to hide yourself.” 26And the king of Israel said, “Seize Micaiah, and take him back to Amon the governor of the city and to Joash the king’s son, 27and say, ‘Thus says the king, sPut this fellow in prison and feed him meager rations of bread and water, tuntil I come in peace.”’” 28And Micaiah said, “If you return in peace, uthe Lord has not spoken by me.” And he said, vHear, all you peoples!”

Ahab Killed in Battle

29So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went up to Ramoth-gilead. 30And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, w“I will disguise myself and go into battle, but you wear your robes.” And the king of Israel disguised himself and went into battle. 31Now the king of Syria had commanded xthe thirty-two captains of his chariots, “Fight with neither small nor great, but only with the king of Israel.” 32And when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, they said, “It is surely the king of Israel.” So they turned to fight against him. And Jehoshaphat cried out. 33And when the captains of the chariots saw that it was not the king of Israel, they turned back from pursuing him. 34But a certain man drew his bow at random
Hebrew in his innocence
and struck the king of Israel between the scale armor and the breastplate. Therefore he said to the driver of his chariot, “Turn around and carry me out of the battle, zfor I am wounded.”
35And the battle continued that day, and the king was propped up in his chariot facing the Syrians, until at evening he died. And the blood of the wound flowed into the bottom of the chariot.
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