4. Then Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “Seek first of all the word of Yahweh.”
5. Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets, four hundred men. And he said to them, “Shall we go to Ramoth-Gilead to battle, or shall we cease?” And they said, “Go up, since God will give it into the hand of the king.”
6. Then Jehoshaphat said, “Is there not here another prophet of Yahweh that we might inquire of him?”
7. Then the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “There is yet one man by whom to seek Yahweh, but I hate him, because he never prophesies good concerning me, but always disaster. He is Micaiah the son of Imlah.” Then Jehoshaphat said, “Let not the king say thus.”
8. Then the king of Israel called to a eunuch and said, “Quickly bring Micaiah the son of Imlah.”
9. Now the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah were each sitting on his throne, clothed in robes. And they were sitting at the threshing floor at the entrance of the gate of Samaria, and all the prophets were prophesying before them.
10. And Zedekiah the son of Kenaanah made for himself horns of iron, and he said, “Thus says Yahweh: ‘With these you will gore Aram to their destruction.’ ”
11. And all the prophets prophesied thus, saying, “Go up to Ramoth-Gilead and triumph! Yahweh will give it into the hand of the king.”
12. Then the messenger who went to call Micaiah said to him, “Behold, the words of the prophets are good with one voice to the king. Please let your word be as one with them and speak good.”
13. But Micaiah said, “As Yahweh lives, only what my God has said, that will I speak.”
14. And when he had come to the king, the king said to him, “Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth-Gilead to war or shall I cease?” And he said, “Go up and triumph! They shall be given into your hand.”
15. But the king said to him, “How many times shall I make you swear that you speak nothing except the truth in the name of Yahweh?”
16. Then he said, “I saw all Israel scattered upon the mountains like sheep that had no shepherd. And Yahweh said, ‘These have no masters; let them return to his own house in peace.’ ”
17. Then the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Did I not say to you he would not prophesy good concerning me, but only disaster?”