12. Meanwhile the messenger who had gone to call Micaiah said to him: “Look now, the words of the prophets are as one in speaking good for the king. Let your word be at one with theirs; speak a good word.”
13. Micaiah said, “As the Lord lives, I shall speak whatever my God says.”
14. When he came to the king, the king said to him, “Micah, shall we go to fight at Ramoth-gilead, or shall I refrain?” He said, “Attack and conquer! They will be delivered into your power.”
15. But the king answered him, “How many times must I adjure you to tell me nothing but the truth in the name of the Lord?”
16. So Micaiah said:“I see all Israelscattered on the mountains,like sheep without a shepherd,And the Lord saying,These have no masters!Let each of them go back home in peace.”
17. The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Did I not tell you, he does not prophesy good about me, but only evil?”
18. Micaiah continued: “Therefore hear the word of the Lord. I saw the Lord seated on his throne, with the whole host of heaven standing to his right and to his left.
19. The Lord asked: Who will deceive Ahab, king of Israel, so that he will go up and fall on Ramoth-gilead? And one said this, another that,
20. until this spirit came forth and stood before the Lord, saying, ‘I will deceive him.’ The Lord asked: How?
21. He answered, ‘I will go forth and become a lying spirit in the mouths of all his prophets.’ The Lord replied: You shall succeed in deceiving him. Go forth and do this.
22. So now the Lord has put a lying spirit in the mouths of these prophets of yours; but the Lord himself has decreed evil against you.”