2 Chronicles 18:1-13 ▼

1 Now Jehoshaphat had great riches and honor; and he allied himself by marriage with Ahab.

2 Some years later he went down to [visit] Ahab at Samaria. And Ahab slaughtered many sheep and oxen for him and the people who were with him, and induced him to go up against Ramoth-gilead.

3 Ahab king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat king of Judah, |Will you go with me [against] Ramoth-gilead?| And he said to him, |I am as you are, and my people as your people, and [we will be] with you in the battle.|

4 Moreover, Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, |Please inquire first for the word of the LORD.|

5 Then the king of Israel assembled the prophets, four hundred men, and said to them, |Shall we go against Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall I refrain?| And they said, |Go up, for God will give [it] into the hand of the king.|

6 But Jehoshaphat said, |Is there not yet a prophet of the LORD here that we may inquire of him?|

7 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, |There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of the LORD, but I hate him, for he never prophesies good concerning me but always evil. He is Micaiah, son of Imla.| But Jehoshaphat said, |Let not the king say so.|

8 Then the king of Israel called an officer and said, |Bring quickly Micaiah, Imla's son.|

9 Now the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah were sitting each on his throne, arrayed in [their] robes, and [they] were sitting at the threshing floor at the entrance of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets were prophesying before them.

10 Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made horns of iron for himself and said, |Thus says the LORD, 'With these you shall gore the Arameans until they are consumed.'|

11 All the prophets were prophesying thus, saying, |Go up to Ramoth-gilead and succeed, for the LORD will give [it] into the hand of the king.|

12 Then the messenger who went to summon Micaiah spoke to him saying, |Behold, the words of the prophets are uniformly favorable to the king. So please let your word be like one of them and speak favorably.|

13 But Micaiah said, |As the LORD lives, what my God says, that I will speak.|