18:1 Now Jehoshaphat had riches and honour in abundance, and joined affinity with Ahab:

18:2 And after [certain] years he went down to Ahab to Samaria. And Ahab killed sheep and oxen for him in abundance, and for the people that [he had] with him, and persuaded him to go up [with him] to Ramoth- gilead:

18:3 And Ahab king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat king of Judah, Wilt thou go with me to Ramoth- gilead? And he answered him, I [am] as thou [art], and my people as thy people; and [we will be] with thee in the war:

18:4 And Jehoshaphat said unto the king of Israel, Enquire, I pray thee, at the word of the LORD to day:

18:5 Therefore the king of Israel gathered together of prophets four hundred men, and said unto them, Shall we go to Ramoth- gilead to battle, or shall I forbear? And they said, Go up; for God will deliver [it] into the king' s hand:

18:6 But Jehoshaphat said, [Is there] not here a prophet of the LORD besides, that we might enquire of him:

18:7 And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, [There is] yet one man, by whom we may enquire of the LORD: but I hate him; for he never prophesied good unto me, but always evil: the same [is] Micaiah the son of Imla. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say so:

18:8 And the king of Israel called for one [of his] officers, and said, Fetch quickly Micaiah the son of Imla:

18:9 And the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah sat either of them on his throne, clothed in [their] robes, and they sat in a void place at the entering in of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets prophesied before them:

18:10 And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah had made him horns of iron, and said, Thus saith the LORD, With these thou shalt push Syria until they be consumed:

18:11 And all the prophets prophesied so, saying, Go up to Ramoth- gilead, and prosper: for the LORD shall deliver [it] into the hand of the king:

18:12 And the messenger that went to call Micaiah spake to him, saying, Behold, the words of the prophets [declare] good to the king with one assent; let thy word therefore, I pray thee, be like one of their' s, and speak thou good:

18:13 And Micaiah said, [As] the LORD liveth, even what my God saith, that will I speak:

18:14 And when he was come to the king, the king said unto him, Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth- gilead to battle, or shall I forbear? And he said, Go ye up, and prosper, and they shall be delivered into your hand:

18:15 And the king said to him, How many times shall I adjure thee that thou say nothing but the truth to me in the name of the LORD:

18:16 Then he said, I did see all Israel scattered upon the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd: and the LORD said, These have no master; let them return [therefore] every man to his house in peace:

18:17 And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, Did I not tell thee [that] he would not prophesy good unto me, but evil:

18:18 Again he said, Therefore hear 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:

18:19 And the LORD said, Who shall entice Ahab king of Israel, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth- gilead? And one spake saying after this manner, and another saying after that manner:

18:20 Then there came out a spirit, and stood before the LORD, and said, I will entice him. And the LORD said unto him, Wherewith:

18:21 And he said, I will go out, and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And [the LORD] said, Thou shalt entice [him], and thou shalt also prevail: go out, and do [even] so:

18:22 Now therefore, behold, the LORD hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of these thy prophets, and the LORD hath spoken evil against thee:

18:23 Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah came near, and smote Micaiah upon the cheek, and said, Which way went the Spirit of the LORD from me to speak unto thee:

18:24 And Micaiah said, Behold, thou shalt see on that day when thou shalt go into an inner chamber to hide thyself:

18:25 Then the king of Israel said, Take ye Micaiah, and carry him back to Amon the governor of the city, and to Joash the king' s son:

18:26 And say, Thus saith 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:

18:27 And Micaiah said, If thou certainly return in peace, [then] hath not the LORD spoken by me. And he said, Hearken, all ye people:

18:28 So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went up to Ramoth- gilead:

18:29 And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, I will disguise myself, and will go to the battle; but put thou on thy robes. So the king of Israel disguised himself; and they went to the battle:

18:30 Now the king of Syria had commanded the captains of the chariots that [were] with him, saying, Fight ye not with small or great, save only with the king of Israel:

18:31 And it came to pass, when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, that they said, It [is] the king of Israel. Therefore they compassed about him to fight: but Jehoshaphat cried out, and the LORD helped him; and God moved them [to depart] from him:

18:32 For it came to pass, that, when the captains of the chariots perceived that it was not the king of Israel, they turned back again from pursuing him:

18:33 And a [certain] man drew a bow at a venture, and smote the king of Israel between the joints of the harness: therefore he said to his chariot man, Turn thine hand, that thou mayest carry me out of the host; for I am wounded:

18:34 And the battle increased that day: howbeit the king of Israel stayed [himself] up in [his] chariot against the Syrians until the even: and about the time of the sun going down he died: