Micaiahs Courage In Telling The


For three years there was no war between Aram and Israel. But in the

third year, when Jehoshaphat the ruler of Judah came to visit the ruler

of Israel, Ahab said to his followers, "Do you not know that Ramoth in

Gilead belongs to us; yet we sit still instead of taking it from the

king of Aram?" Then he asked Jehoshaphat, "Will you go with me to attack

Ramoth in Gilead?" Jehoshaphat replied, "I am with you, my people are as
/> your people, my horses as your horses."



And Jehoshaphat said to the ruler of Israel, "Ask now what Jehovah has

to say." So Ahab gathered the prophets together (in all about four

hundred men), and asked them, "Shall I go to fight against Ramoth in

Gilead or shall I not?" They said, "Go up; for Jehovah will give it into

your hands." But Jehoshaphat said, "Is there any other prophet of

Jehovah, that we may ask him?" The ruler of Israel answered, "There is

another by whom we may ask of Jehovah, Micaiah, the son of Imlah, but I

hate him; for he prophesies for me nothing good, but only evil."

Jehoshaphat said, "Do not say so."



Then the ruler of Israel called a servant and said, "Bring quickly

Micaiah, the son of Imlah." The messenger who went to call Micaiah said

to him, "See, the prophets have all of them promised the ruler of Israel

success. Agree with them, and prophesy success." But Micaiah said, "As

surely as Jehovah lives, I will speak what he says to me."



When he came to Ahab, he said to him, "Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth in

Gilead to fight, or shall we not?" He answered him, "Go up and conquer!

Jehovah will give it into your hands!" But Ahab said to him, "How many

times shall I warn you to speak nothing to me in the name of Jehovah but

the truth?" He said, "I saw all the Israelites scattered upon the

mountains as sheep that have no shepherd. And Jehovah said, 'These have

no master; let each of them go home in peace!'"



The ruler of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "Did I not tell you that he

would prophesy for me nothing good, but only evil?" Micaiah said, "Hear

then the message from Jehovah: I saw Jehovah sitting on his throne and

all the host of heaven standing about him. And Jehovah said, 'Who will

deceive Ahab, so that he will go up and fall at Ramoth in Gilead?' One

suggested one thing and another, another, until a spirit came out and

stood before Jehovah and said, 'I will deceive him.' Jehovah said to

him, 'By what means?' He said, 'I will go out and become a lying spirit

in the mouth of all his prophets.' Then Jehovah said, 'You shall succeed

in deceiving him. Go out and do so.' So Jehovah has now put a lying

spirit in the mouth of all these prophets of yours, for he has decided

to bring evil upon you."



Then Zedekiah came near and struck Micaiah a blow on the cheek and said,

"How was it that the spirit of Jehovah went from me to speak to you?"

Micaiah replied, "Indeed, you shall see on the day when you shall go

from one hiding-place to another." Then the ruler of Israel said, "Take

Micaiah back to Amon, the governor of the city, and to Joash, the

ruler's son, and say, 'This is the ruler's command: Put this fellow in

prison and feed him with a scanty fare of bread and water until I return

successful.'" Micaiah said, "If you indeed return successful, Jehovah

has not spoken by me."



Then Ahab, the ruler of Israel, and Jehoshaphat, the ruler of Judah,

went up to Ramoth in Gilead. And the ruler of Israel said to

Jehoshaphat, "I will dress myself so that no one will know me, and go

into the battle, but you can put on your robes."



But a certain man shot an arrow, and by chance it struck the ruler of

Israel between the breastplate and the lower part of his armor. So Ahab

said to the driver of his chariot, "Turn about and carry me out of the

battle, for I am wounded." But the battle grew more intense, so that

Ahab stayed until evening propped up in his chariot in the sight of the

Arameans, and the blood ran out of the wound into the bottom of the

chariot. And that evening he died.



About sunset the cry went out through the army, "Each to his town and

each to his land, for the ruler is dead!" So they went to Samaria and

buried Ahab there. And when they washed the chariot by the pool of

Samaria, the dogs licked up his blood just as Jehovah had said.



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