2 Chronicles 18:12–27

¹²The messenger who went to call Micaiah told him, “The prophets have all told the king the same good message. Make your message agree with their message. Say something good.” 

¹³Micaiah answered, “I solemnly swear, as the Lord lives, I will tell him whatever my God says to me.” 

¹⁴When he came to the king, the king asked him, “Micaiah,^bshould we go to war against Ramoth in Gilead or not?” 

Micaiah said, “Attack and you will win. They will be handed over to you.” 

¹⁵The king asked him, “How many times must I make you take an oath in the Lord’s name to tell me nothing but the truth?” 

¹⁶So Micaiah said, “I saw Israel’s troops scattered in the hills like sheep without a shepherd. The Lord said, ‘These sheep have no master. Let each one go home in peace.’ ” 

¹⁷The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Didn’t I tell you he wouldn’t prophesy anything good about me?” 

¹⁸Micaiah added, “Then hear the Lord’s word. I saw the Lord sitting on his throne, and the entire army of heaven was standing on his right and his left. ¹⁹The Lord asked, ‘Who will deceive King Ahab of Israel so that he will attack and be killed at Ramoth in Gilead?’ Some answered one way, while others were saying something else. 

²⁰“Then the Spirit stepped forward, stood in front of the Lord, and said, ‘I will deceive him.’ 

“ ‘How?’ the Lord asked. 

²¹“The Spirit answered, ‘I will go out and be a spirit that tells lies through the mouths of all of Ahab’s prophets.’ 

“The Lord said, ‘You will succeed in deceiving him. Go and do it.’ 

²²“So the Lord has put into the mouths of these prophets of yours a spirit that makes them tell lies. The Lord has spoken evil about you.” 

²³Zedekiah, son of Chenaanah, went to Micaiah and struck him on the cheek. “Which way did the Spirit go when he left me to talk to you?” he asked. 

²⁴Micaiah answered, “You will find out on the day you go into an inner room to hide.” 

²⁵The king of Israel then said, “Send Micaiah back to Amon, the governor of the city, and to Joash, the prince. ²⁶Say, ‘This is what the king says: Put this man in prison, and feed him nothing but bread and water until I return home safely.’ ” 

²⁷Micaiah said, “If you really do come back safely, then the Lord wasn’t speaking through me. Pay attention to this, everyone!”