¹²The messenger 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.”

¹³But Micaiah said, “As the Lord lives, I will say whatever my God says.”^b

¹⁴So he went to the king, and the king asked him, “Micaiah, should we go to Ramoth-gilead for war, or should I refrain?”

Micaiah said, “March up and succeed, for they will be handed over to you.”

¹⁵But 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?”

¹⁶So Micaiah said:

I saw all Israel scattered on the hills

like sheep without a shepherd.^c

And the Lord said,

“They have no master;

let each return home in peace.”

¹⁷So the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Didn’t I tell you he never prophesies good about me, but only disaster?”

¹⁸Then Micaiah said, “Therefore, hear the word of the Lord. I saw the Lord sitting on his throne, and the whole heavenly army was standing at his right hand and at his left hand.^d ¹⁹And the Lord said, ‘Who will entice King Ahab of Israel to march up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?’ So one was saying this and another was saying that.

²⁰“Then^e a spirit came forward, stood before the Lord, and said, ‘I will entice him.’

“The Lord asked him, ‘How?’

²¹“So he said, ‘I will go and become a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’

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

²²“Now, you see, the Lord has put a lying spirit into the mouth of these prophets of yours, and the Lord has pronounced disaster against you.”

²³Then Zedekiah son of Chenaanah came up, hit Micaiah on the cheek, and demanded, “Which way did the spirit from the Lord leave me to speak to you?”

²⁴Micaiah replied, “You will soon see when you go to hide in an inner chamber on that day.”^f

²⁵Then the king of Israel ordered, “Take Micaiah and return him^g to Amon, the governor of the city,^h and to Joash, the king’s son, ²⁶and say, ‘This is what the king says: Put this guy in prisonⁱ and feed him only a little bread and water^D until I come back safely.’ ”

²⁷But Micaiah said, “If you ever return safely, the Lord has not spoken through me.” Then he said, “Listen, all you people!”^j

Read in Logos

Footnotes

D him on bread of oppression and water of oppression

Cross references

b Nm 22:35,38; 24:13
c Nm 27:16–17; Ezk 34:5–8; Mt 9:36; Mk 6:34
d Is 6:1–5; Dn 7:9–10
e Dt 13:1–5; 1Sm 16:14; Jr 27:9–10; Ezk 14:9; 2Th 2:9–12
f 1Kg 20:30
g 2Ch 18:8
h 2Ch 34:8
i 2Ch 16:10
j Mc 1:2