1 Kings 22:3-29
Now the king of Israel said to
his servants, “Do you know that Ramoth-gilead belongs
to us, and we are still doing nothing to take it out of the hand of the king
of
Moreover, Jehoshaphat
said to the king of Israel, “Please inquire first for the word of the LORD.”
Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, about four hundred men,
and said to them, “Shall I go against Ramoth-gilead
to battle or shall I refrain?” And they said, “Go up, for the Lord will give
it into the hand of the king.” But Jehoshaphat
said, “Is there not yet a prophet of the LORD here that we may inquire of him?”
The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “There is
yet one man by whom we may inquire of the LORD, but I hate him, because he does
not prophesy good concerning me, but evil. He is Micaiah son of Imlah.” But Jehoshaphat said, “Let not the king say so.” Then the king
of
Then the messenger who went to
summon Micaiah spoke to him saying, “Behold now, the
words of the prophets are uniformly favorable to the king. Please let your word
be like the word of one of them, and speak favorably.” But Micaiah said, “As the LORD lives, what the LORD says to me,
that I shall speak.”
When he came to the king, the
king said to him, “Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall we refrain?” And he answered
him, “Go up and succeed, and the LORD will give it into the hand of the
king.” Then 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?” So he said,
“I saw all
Scattered on the mountains,
Like sheep which have no shepherd.
And the LORD said, ‘These have no master.
Let each of them return to his house in peace.’”
Then the king of Israel said
to Jehoshaphat, “Did I not tell you that he would
not prophesy good concerning me, but evil?”
Micaiah said, “Therefore, hear
the word of the LORD. I saw the LORD sitting on His throne, and all the host
of heaven standing by Him on His right and on His left. The LORD said, ‘Who
will entice Ahab to go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?’
And one said this while another said that. Then a spirit came forward and stood
before the LORD and said, ‘I will entice him.’ The LORD said to him, ‘How?’
And he said, ‘I will go out and be a deceiving spirit in the mouth of all his
prophets.’ Then He said, ‘You are to entice him and also prevail. Go
and do so.’ Now therefore, behold, the LORD has put a deceiving spirit in the
mouth of all these your prophets; and the LORD has proclaimed disaster against
you.”
Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah came near and struck Micaiah
on the cheek and said, “How did the Spirit of the LORD pass from me to speak
to you?” Micaiah said, “Behold, you shall see on that day when you enter an
inner room to hide yourself.” Then the king of Israel said, “Take Micaiah
and return him to Amon the governor of the city and to Joash
the king’s son; and say, ‘Thus says the king, “Put this man in prison and feed
him sparingly with bread and water until I return safely.”’” Micaiah said, “If
you indeed return safely the LORD has not spoken by me.” And he said, “Listen,
all you people.”
So the king of
Then he went with Joram the son of Ahab to war against Hazael
king of
Now Elisha
the prophet called one of the sons of the prophets and said to him, “Gird up
your loins, and take this flask of oil in your hand and go to Ramoth-gilead.”
Scripture taken from the NEW A
(c) Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977,
1995 by
The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.
(www.Lockman.org)