4. And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, "Consult, I beg you, the word of the Lord for the present circumstances."
5. And so the king of Israel gathered together four hundred men of the prophets, and he said to them: "Should we go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or should we be quieted?" But they said, "Ascend, and God will deliver into the hand of the king."
6. And Jehoshaphat said, "Is there not a prophet of the Lord here, so that we may inquire of him as well?"
7. And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat: "There is one man, from whom we would be able to ask the will of the Lord. But I hate him, for he never prophesies good to me, but at all times evil. And it is Micaiah, the son of Imlah." And Jehoshaphat said, "You should not speak in this manner, O king."
8. Therefore, the king of Israel called one of the eunuchs, and said to him: "Quickly, summon Micaiah, the son of Imlah."
9. Now the king of Israel, and Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, were both sitting upon their thrones, clothed in royal vestments. And they were sitting in an open area, beside the gate of Samaria. And all the prophets were prophesying before them.
10. Truly, Zedekiah, the son of Chenaanah, made for himself horns of iron, and he said: "Thus says the Lord: With these, you shall threaten Syria, until you crush it."
11. And all the prophets prophesied similarly, and they said: "Ascend against Ramoth Gilead, and you shall prosper, and the Lord will deliver them into the hand of the king."
12. Then the messenger who had gone to summon Micaiah said to him: "Lo, the words of all the prophets, with one mouth, announce good to the king. Therefore, I ask you that you not dissent from them in your word, and that you speak prosperity."
13. And Micaiah responded to him, "As the Lord lives, whatever my God will say to me, the same shall I speak."
14. Therefore, he went to the king. And the king said to him, "Micaiah, should we go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or should we be quieted?" And he responded to him: "Ascend. For everything will come to prosperity, and the enemies will be delivered into your hands."
15. And the king said, "Again and again, I bind you by an oath, so that you will not speak to me except what is true in the name of the Lord!"
16. Then he said: "I saw all of Israel scattered amid the mountains, like sheep without a shepherd. And the Lord said: 'These have no masters. Let each one return in peace to his own house.' "
17. And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat: "Did I not tell you that this one would not prophesy to me anything good, but only what is evil?"
18. Then he said: "Therefore, listen to the word of the Lord. I saw the Lord sitting upon his throne, and the entire army of heaven was standing beside him, on the right and on the left.
19. And the Lord said: 'Who will deceive Ahab, the king of Israel, so that he may ascend and fall at Ramoth Gilead?' And when one spoke in one way, and another in another way,
20. there came forward a spirit, and he stood before the Lord and said, 'I will deceive him.' And the Lord said to him, 'In what way will you deceive him?'
21. And he responded, 'I will go forth, and I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.' And the Lord said: 'You will deceive and prevail. Go forth and do so.'