20. until a spirit stepped forward, approached the Lord, and said, ‘I will deceive him.’ ‘How?’ the Lord asked.
21. The spirit replied, ‘I will go and make all Ahab's prophets tell lies.’ The Lord said, ‘Go and deceive him. You will succeed.’ ”
22. And Micaiah concluded: “This is what has happened. The Lord has made these prophets of yours lie to you. But he himself has decreed that you will meet with disaster!”
23. Then the prophet Zedekiah went up to Micaiah, slapped his face, and asked, “Since when did the Lord's spirit leave me and speak to you?”
24. “You will find out when you go into some back room to hide,” Micaiah replied.
25. Then King Ahab ordered one of his officers, “Arrest Micaiah and take him to Amon, the governor of the city, and to Prince Joash.
26. Tell them to throw him in prison and to put him on bread and water until I return safely.”
27. “If you return safely,” Micaiah exclaimed, “then the Lord has not spoken through me!” And he added, “Listen, everyone, to what I have said!”
28. Then King Ahab of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah went to attack the city of Ramoth in Gilead.
29. Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, “As we go into battle, I will disguise myself, but you wear your royal garments.” So the king of Israel went into battle in disguise.
30. The king of Syria had ordered his chariot commanders to attack no one else except the king of Israel.
31. So when they saw King Jehoshaphat, they all thought that he was the king of Israel, and they turned to attack him. But Jehoshaphat gave a shout, and the Lord God rescued him and turned the attack away from him.
32. The chariot commanders saw that he was not the king of Israel, so they stopped pursuing him.
33. By chance, however, a Syrian soldier shot an arrow which struck King Ahab between the joints of his armour. “I'm wounded!” he cried out to his chariot driver. “Turn round and pull out of the battle!”
34. While the battle raged on, King Ahab remained propped up in his chariot, facing the Syrians. At sunset he died.