1 Kings 22:13-28 - Micaiah's Message Of Defeat

¹³ And the messenger that was gone to call Micaiah, said unto him, "See, the words of the Prophets speak good unto the king with one voice: let thy words, I pray thee, be like the words of one of them, and speak that is good."

¹⁴ And Micaiah said, "As surely as the LORD liveth, what the LORD putteth in my mouth, that will I speak."

¹⁵ And when he was come to the king, the king said to him, "Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth in Gilead to battle, or shall we be still?" And he said unto him, "Go and prosper, the LORD deliver it unto the hands of the king."

¹⁶ And the king said unto him, "How often shall I adjure thee, that thou tell me nothing but truth, in the name of the LORD?"

¹⁷ Then he said, "I saw all Israel scattered upon the hills, as sheep that have no shepherds. And the LORD said, 'Those have no master; let them return, every man to his house in peace.'"

¹⁸ Then said the king of Israel to Jehoshaphat, "Did I not tell thee, that he would prophesy no good unto me, but evil?"

¹⁹ And Micaiah said, "Hear therefore the word of the LORD. I saw the LORD sit on his seat and all his company of heaven standing about him, on his righthand and on his left. ²⁰ And the LORD said, 'Who shall deceive Ahab that he may go and be slain at Ramoth in Gilead?' And one said on this manner and another on that.

²¹ Then came forth a spirit and stood before the LORD and said, 'I will deceive him.' And the LORD said, 'Wherewith?'

²² And he said, 'I will go out and be a false spirit in the mouths of all Prophets.' And the LORD said, 'Thou shalt deceive him and also prevail, go forth and do even so.'

²³ Now therefore behold, the LORD hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy Prophets: when in very deed the LORD hath spoken evil toward thee."

²⁴ Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah went and smote Micaiah on the cheek, and said, "How is the spirit of the LORD gone from me, to speak in thee?"

²⁵ And Micaiah said, "Behold, thou shalt see in that day, when thou shalt go from chamber to chamber to hide thee."

²⁶ And the king of Israel said, "Take Micaiah and carry him back again into Amon the governor of the city, and unto Joab the king's son, ²⁷ and say, 'Thus sayeth the king. Put ye this fellow in the prison house and feed him with bread and water straightly, until I return in peace.'"

²⁸ Then Micaiah said, "If thou come safe again, the LORD hath not spoken in me." And he said moreover, "Hearken to the people every one of you."