2 Chronicles 18:20-34 ▼

20 Then a spirit came forward and stood before the LORD and said, ‘I will entice him.’ The LORD said to him, ‘By what means?’

21 He said, ‘I will go out and be a deceptive spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ Then the LORD said, ‘You are to entice him and also succeed. Go and do so.’

22 Now, you see, the LORD put a deceptive spirit in the mouth of these prophets of yours; and the LORD has [actually] proclaimed disaster against you.”

23 Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah came up and struck Micaiah on the cheek and said, “Which way did the Spirit of the LORD go [when he departed] from me to speak to you?”

24 Micaiah said, “Behold, you will see on that day when you go into an inner room [desperately trying] to hide yourself.”

25 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,

26 and say, ‘Thus says the king: “Put this man in prison and feed him just enough bread and water to survive until I return in peace (safely).”’”

27 But Micaiah said, “If you actually return in peace, the LORD has not spoken by me.” And he added, “Listen [to what I have said], you people, all of you.”

28 So [Ahab] the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah went up against Ramoth-gilead.

29 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “I will disguise myself and will go into battle, but you put on your [royal] robes.” So the king of Israel disguised himself, and they went into the battle.

30 Now the king of Aram (Syria) had commanded the captains of his chariots, saying, “Do not fight with the small or the great, but only with the king of Israel.”

31 So when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat [of Judah], they said, “It is the king of Israel!” So they turned to fight against him, but Jehoshaphat called out [for God’s help], and the LORD helped him; and God diverted them away from him.

32 When the captains of the chariots saw that it was not the king of Israel, they turned back from pursuing him.

33 Then a certain man drew his bow at random and struck [Ahab] the king of Israel between the scales of his armor. So Ahab said to his chariot driver, “Turn around and take me out of the battle, because I am seriously wounded.”

34 The battle raged that day, and the king of Israel propped himself up in his chariot in front of the Arameans (Syrians) until the evening, and at sunset he died.