2 Chronicles 18:12–27

Micaiah Brings Word from God

¹²Then the messenger who went to summon Micaiah spoke to him saying, “Behold, the words of the prophets are uniformly favorable to the king. So please let your word be like one of them and speak favorably.”

¹³But Micaiah said, “As the Lord lives, ^awhat my God says, that I will speak.”

¹⁴When he came to the king, the king said to him, “Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall I refrain?” He said, “Go up and succeed, for they will be given into your hand.”

¹⁵Then the king said to him, “How many times must I adjure you to speak to me nothing but the truth in the name of the Lord?”

¹⁶So he said,

“I saw all Israel

Scattered on the mountains,

^aLike sheep which have no shepherd;

And the Lord said,

‘These have no master.

Let each of them return to his house in peace.’ ”

¹⁷Then the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Did I not tell you that he would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil?”

¹⁸Micaiah said, “Therefore, hear the word of the Lord. ^aI saw the Lord sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing on His right and on His left.

¹⁹“The Lord said, ‘Who will entice Ahab king of Israel to go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?’ And one said this while another said that.

²⁰“Then a ^aspirit came forward and stood before the Lord and said, ‘I will entice him.’ And the Lord said to him, ‘How?’

²¹“He said, ‘I will go and be ^aa deceiving spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ Then He said, ‘You are to entice him and prevail also. Go and do so.’

²²“Now therefore, behold, ^athe Lord has put a deceiving spirit in the mouth of these your prophets, for the Lord has proclaimed disaster against you.”

²³Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah came near and ^astruck Micaiah on the cheek and said, “¹How did the Spirit of the Lord pass from me to speak to you?”

²⁴Micaiah said, “Behold, you will see on that day when you enter an inner room to hide yourself.”

²⁵Then the king of Israel said, “^aTake Micaiah and return him to Amon ^bthe governor of the city and to Joash the king’s son;

²⁶and say, ‘Thus says the king, “^aPut this man in prison and feed him ¹sparingly with bread and water until I return safely.” ’ ”

²⁷Micaiah said, “If you indeed return safely, the Lord has not spoken by me.” And he said, “^aListen, all you people.”