16. “Not so fast,” said the king. “How many times have I made you promise under oath to tell me the truth and nothing but the truth?”
17. “All right,” said Micaiah, “since you insist.I saw all of Israel scattered over the hills,sheep with no shepherd.Then God spoke: ‘These poor peoplehave no one to tell them what to do.Let them go home and dothe best they can for themselves.’”
18. Then the king of Israel turned to Jehoshaphat, “See! What did I tell you? He never has a good word for me from God, only doom.”
19-23. Micaiah kept on: “I’m not done yet; listen to God’s word:I saw God enthroned,and all the angel armies of heavenStanding at attentionranged on his right and his left.And God said, ‘How can we seduce Ahabinto attacking Ramoth Gilead?’Some said this,and some said that.Then a bold angel stepped out,stood before God, and said,‘I’ll seduce him.’‘And how will you do it?’ said God.‘Easy,’ said the angel,‘I’ll get all the prophets to lie.’‘That should do it,’ said God.‘On your way—seduce him!’“And that’s what has happened. God filled the mouths of your puppet prophets with seductive lies. God has pronounced your doom.”
24. Just then Zedekiah son of Kenaanah came up and punched Micaiah in the nose, saying, “Since when did the Spirit of God leave me and take up with you?”
25. Micaiah said, “You’ll know soon enough; you’ll know it when you’re frantically and futilely looking for a place to hide.”
26-27. The king of Israel had heard enough: “Get Micaiah out of here! Turn him over to Amon the city magistrate and to Joash the king’s son with this message, ‘King’s orders: Lock him up in jail; keep him on bread and water until I’m back in one piece.’”
28. Micaiah said, “If you ever get back in one piece, I’m no prophet of God.”He added,“When it happens, O people, remember where you heard it!”
29-30. The king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah attacked Ramoth Gilead. The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Wear my kingly robe; I’m going into battle disguised.” So the king of Israel entered the battle in disguise.
31. Meanwhile, the king of Aram had ordered his chariot commanders (there were thirty-two of them): “Don’t bother with anyone, whether small or great; go after the king of Israel and him only.”
32-33. When the chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat they said, “There he is! The king of Israel!” and took after him. Jehoshaphat yelled out, and the chariot commanders realized they had the wrong man—it wasn’t the king of Israel after all. They let him go.
34. Just then someone, without aiming, shot an arrow randomly into the crowd and hit the king of Israel in the chink of his armor. The king told his charioteer, “Turn back! Get me out of here—I’m wounded.”
35-37. All day the fighting continued, hot and heavy. Propped up in his chariot, the king watched from the sidelines. He died that evening. Blood from his wound pooled in the chariot. As the sun went down, shouts reverberated through the ranks, “Abandon camp! Head for home! The king is dead!”
37-38. The king was brought to Samaria and there they buried him. They washed down the chariot at the pool of Samaria where the town whores bathed, and the dogs lapped up the blood, just as God’s word had said.
39-40. The rest of Ahab’s life—everything he did, the ivory palace he built, the towns he founded, and the defense system he built up—is all written up in The Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. He was buried in the family cemetery and his son Ahaziah was the next king.