2 Chronicles 18:5–11

18:5 So the king of Israel assembled 400 prophets and asked them, “Should we attack Ramoth Gilead or not?”9 They said, “Attack! God10 will hand it over to the king.” 18:6 But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there not a prophet of the Lord still here, that we may ask him?” 18:7 The king of Israel answered Jehoshaphat, “There is still one man through whom we can seek the Lord’s will.11 But I despise12 him because he does not prophesy prosperity for me, but always13 disaster. His name is Micaiah son of Imlah.14 Jehoshaphat said, “The king should not say such things!” 18:8 The king of Israel summoned an officer and said, “Quickly bring Micaiah son of Imlah.”

18:9 Now the king of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah were sitting on their respective thrones, dressed in their royal robes, at the threshing floor at15 the entrance of the gate of Samaria. All the prophets were prophesying before them. 18:10 Zedekiah son of Kenaanah made iron horns and said, “This is what the Lord says, ‘With these you will gore Syria until they are destroyed!’ ” 18:11 All the prophets were prophesying the same, saying, “Attack Ramoth Gilead! You will succeed; the Lord will hand it over to the king!”

9	tn Heb “Should we go against Ramoth Gilead for war or should I refrain?”
10	tn Though Jehoshaphat had requested an oracle from “the Lord” (יְהוָה, yéhvah, “Yahweh”), the Israelite prophets stop short of actually using this name and substitute the title הָאֱלֹהִים (ha’elohim, “the God”). This ambiguity may explain in part Jehoshaphat’s hesitancy and caution (vv. 7–8). He seems to doubt that the 400 are genuine prophets of the Lord.
11	tn Heb “to seek the Lord from him.”
12	tn Or “hate.”
13	tn Heb “all his days.”
14	tn The words “his name is” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
15	tn Heb “at,” which in this case probably means “near.”