11 Then Zedekiahac son of Chenaanah made iron hornsad and said, “This is what the Lord says: ‘You will gore the Arameans with these until they are finished off.’ ” 12 And all the prophets were prophesying the same: “March up to Ramoth-gileadae and succeed, for the Lord will hand it over to the king.”

MICAIAH’S MESSAGE OF DEFEAT

13 The messengeraf who went to call Micaiah instructed him, “Look, the words of the prophets are unanimously favorable for the king. So let your words be like theirs, and speak favorably.”

14 But Micaiah said, “As the Lord lives,ag I will say whatever the Lord says to me.”ah

15 So he went to the king, and the king asked him, “Micaiah, should we go to Ramoth-gilead for war, or should we refrain?”

Micaiah told him, “March up and succeed. The Lord will hand it over to the king.”

16 But the king said to him, “How many times must I make you swear not to tell me anything but the truth in the name of the Lord?”

17 So Micaiah said:

I saw all Israel scattered on the hills

like sheep without a shepherd.ai

And the Lord said,

“They have no master;

let everyone return home in peace.”aj

18 So the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Didn’t I tell you he never prophesies good about me, but only disaster?”

19 Then Micaiah said, “Therefore, hear the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on his throne,a and the whole heavenly armyb was standing by him at his right hand and at his left hand. 20 And the Lord said, ‘Who will entice Ahab to march up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?’c So one was saying this and another was saying that.

21 “Then a spirit came forward, stood in the Lord’s presence, and said, ‘I will entice him.’

22 “The Lord asked him, ‘How?’

“He said, ‘I will go and become a lying spiritd in the mouth of all his prophets.’

“Then he said, ‘You will certainly entice him and prevail.e Go and do that.’

23 “You see, the Lord has put a lying spirit into the mouth of all these prophets of yours, and the Lord has pronounced disaster against you.”