1Now Jehoshaphat had great wealth and honor, and was allied by marriage with Ahab, king of Israel. 2And some years later, he visited Ahab in Samaria. And Ahab slaughtered many sheep and oxen for him and for those with him, and Ahab persuaded Jehoshaphat to join him in battle against Ramoth-gilead. 3And Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, “Will you go with me to Ramoth-gilead?” And Jehoshaphat replied, “I am as you are, and my people as your people; and we will be with you in battle.” 4And Jehoshaphat said to Ahab, “But first, let us seek the word and counsel of the LORD today.” 5So Ahab assembled four hundred prophets, and asked them, “Shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall we not?” And they said, “Go up; for God will deliver it into your hand.” 6But Jehoshaphat said, “Is there not here a prophet of the LORD besides, that we might inquire of him?” 7And Ahab replied, “There is yet one man, by whom we might enquire of the LORD - Micaiah, son of Imla, but I hate him; because he never prophesied good to me, but always evil.” And Jehoshaphat said, “Let the king not say such a thing.” 8So Ahab called one of his officers, and said, “Fetch Micaiah, son of Imla, quickly.”

9And Ahab, king of Israel and Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, each sat on his throne, clothed in their robes, in an open place by the entrance of the gate of Samaria; and all four hundred prophets prophesied before them. 10And one, Zedekiah, son of Chenaanah, had made him horns of iron, and said, “Thus says the LORD, ‘With these you shall push Syria until they are consumed.’” 11And all the prophets prophesied so, saying, “Go up to Ramoth-gilead, and prosper; for the LORD shall deliver it into your hand, oh king.” 12And the messenger they sent to call Micaiah said to him, “Listen, the words of all the prophets declare good to the king with one assent; so let your word be like one of theirs, and speak favorably.” 13But Micaiah said, “As the LORD lives, only what my God says, will I speak.” 14And when he had arrived, King Ahab said to him, “Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to battle, or not?” And Micaiah said, “Go up, and prosper, and they shall be delivered into your hand.” 15And Ahab (evidently detecting the scorn or sarcasm in his tone) said to him, “How many times must I urge you to tell me nothing but the truth in the name of the LORD?” 16Then Micaiah answered, “I saw all Israel scattered upon the hills, like sheep with no shepherd. And the LORD said, ‘These have no master; therefore, let each return to his house in peace.’” 17And Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, “Did I not tell you that he would never prophesy good to me, but evil?”

18Then Micaiah continued, “Hear, now, the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting upon His throne, and all the host of heaven standing on His right hand and on His left. 19And the LORD said, ‘Who shall entice Ahab, king of Israel, to go up and meet his death at Ramoth-gilead?’ And one said this, and another said that. 20Then finally a spirit came forward, stood before the LORD, and said, ‘I will entice him’. And the LORD asked him, ‘By what means?’ 21And he said, ‘I will go out, and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets’. And the LORD said, ‘You shall succeed. Go out, and do so.’ 22So now, the LORD has put a spirit of deception in the mouth of these, your prophets, and the LORD has decreed disaster for you.”

23Then Zedekiah, son of Chenaanah, came near, and struck Micaiah upon the cheek, and said, “Which way went the Spirit of the LORD when he went from me to speak to you?” 24Micaiah replied, “You shall see on that day when you shall go into an inner chamber trying to hide yourself.” 25Then Ahab ordered, “Take Micaiah to Amon, the governor of the city, and to Joash, the king's son; 26And say, ‘Thus says the king, “Put this fellow in the prison, and feed him with bread of affliction and with water of affliction, until I return in peace.”’” 27And Micaiah said, “If you actually return safely, then the LORD has not spoken by me.” Then he said, “Mark what I have said, all you people!”

28So Ahab and Jehoshaphat went up to Ramoth-gilead. 29And Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, “I will disguise myself, and will go into the battle; but you put on your robes.” So, Ahab disguised himself; and they went to the battle. 30Now the king of Syria had ordered the captains of the chariots, “Do not fight with small or great, but only with the king of Israel.” 31So when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, they said, “It must be the king of Israel.” Therefore, they surrounded him. But Jehoshaphat cried out, and the LORD helped him; and God moved them to depart from him. 32For when the captains of the chariots realized that it was not Ahab, king of Israel, they turned back from pursuing him.

33But then one Syrian soldier shot his bow at random, and his arrow struck King Ahab between the joints of his armor. Then Ahab said to his chariot driver, “Wheel your chariot around, and get me out of the battle; for I am wounded.” 34And the battle raged all that day; and the Ahab propped himself up in his chariot against the Syrians until the evening; and then, about sunset, he died.