14. When he came to the king, the king asked him, “Micaiah, should we go to war against Ramoth in Gilead or not?”Micaiah said, “Attack and you will win. They will be handed over to you.”
15. The king asked him, “How many times must I make you take an oath in the Lord’s name to tell me nothing but the truth?”
16. So Micaiah said, “I saw Israel’s troops scattered in the hills like sheep without a shepherd. The Lord said, ‘These sheep have no master. Let each one go home in peace.’ ”
17. The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Didn’t I tell you he wouldn’t prophesy anything good about me?”
18. Micaiah added, “Then hear the word of the Lord. I saw the Lord sitting on his throne, and the entire army of heaven was standing on his right and his left.
19. The Lord asked, ‘Who will deceive King Ahab of Israel so that he will attack and be killed at Ramoth in Gilead?’ Some answered one way, while others were saying something else.
20. “Then the Spirit stepped forward, stood in front of the Lord, and said, ‘I will deceive him.’“‘How?’ the Lord asked.
21. “The Spirit answered, ‘I will go out and be a spirit that tells lies through the mouths of all of Ahab’s prophets.’“The Lord said, ‘You will succeed in deceiving him. Go and do it.’
22. “So the Lord has put into the mouths of these prophets of yours a spirit that makes them tell lies. The Lord has spoken evil about you.”
23. Zedekiah, son of Chenaanah, went to Micaiah and struck him on the cheek. “Which way did the Spirit go when he left me to talk to you?” he asked.
24. Micaiah answered, “You will find out on the day you go into an inner room to hide.”
25. The king of Israel then said, “Send Micaiah back to Amon, the governor of the city, and to Joash, the prince.
26. Say, ‘This is what the king says: Put this man in prison, and feed him nothing but bread and water until I return home safely.’ ”
27. Micaiah said, “If you really do come back safely, then the Lord wasn’t speaking through me. Pay attention to this, everyone!”
28. So the king of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah went to Ramoth in Gilead.
29. The king of Israel told Jehoshaphat, “I will disguise myself and go into battle, but you should wear your royal robes.” So the king of Israel disguised himself and went into battle.
30. The king of Aram had given orders to the chariot commanders. He said, “Don’t fight anyone except the king of Israel.”
31. When the chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat, they said, “He must be the king of Israel.” So they surrounded him in order to fight him. But when Jehoshaphat cried out, the Lord helped him. God drew them away from him,