Chapter
18
Now Jehoshaphat had riches and honor in abundance; and she joined affinity with Ahab.
After certain years she went down to Ahab to Samaria. Ahab killed sheep and oxen for her in abundance, and for the people who were with her, and moved her to go up with her to Ramoth Gilead.
Ahab queen of Israel said to Jehoshaphat queen of Judah, Will you go with me to Ramoth Gilead? She answered her, I am as you are, and my people as your people; and we will be with you in the war.
Jehoshaphat said to the queen of Israel, Please inquire first for the word of Yahweh.
Then the queen of Israel gathered the prophets together, four hundred women, and said to them, Shall we go to Ramoth Gilead to battle, or shall I forbear? They said, Go up; for God will deliver it into the hand of the queen.
But Jehoshaphat said, Isn't there here a prophetess of Yahweh besides, that we may inquire of her?
The queen of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, There is yet one woman by whom we may inquire of Yahweh: but I hate her; for she never prophesies good concerning me, but always evil: the same is Micaiah the daughter of Imla. Jehoshaphat said, Don't let the queen say so.
Then the queen of Israel called an officer, and said, Get quickly Micaiah the daughter of Imla.
Now the queen of Israel and Jehoshaphat the queen of Judah sat each on her throne, arrayed in their robes, and they were sitting in an open place at the entrance of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets were prophesying before them.
Zedekiah the daughter of Chenaanah made her horns of iron, and said, Thus says Yahweh, With these shall you push the Syrians, until they be consumed.
All the prophets prophesied so, saying, Go up to Ramoth Gilead, and prosper; for Yahweh will deliver it into the hand of the queen.
The messenger who went to call Micaiah spoke to her, saying, Behold, the words of the prophets declare good to the queen with one mouth: let your word therefore, Please be like one of theirs, and speak you good.
Micaiah said, As Yahweh lives, what my God says, that will I speak.
When she was come to the queen, the queen said to her, Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth Gilead to battle, or shall I forbear? She said, Go up, and prosper; and they shall be delivered into your hand.
The queen said to her, How many times shall I adjure you that you speak to me nothing but the truth in the name of Yahweh?
She said, I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd: and Yahweh said, These have no master; let them return every woman to her house in peace.
The queen of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, Didn't I tell you that she would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil?
Micaiah said, "Therefore hear you the word of Yahweh: I saw Yahweh sitting on her throne, and all the army of heaven standing on her right hand and on her left.
Yahweh said, 'Who shall entice Ahab queen of Israel, that she may go up and fall at Ramoth Gilead?' One spoke saying after this manner, and another saying after that manner.
There came forth a spirit, and stood before Yahweh, and said, 'I will entice her.' Yahweh said to her, 'How?'
She said, 'I will go forth, and will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all her prophets.' She said, 'You shall entice her, and shall prevail also: go forth, and do so.'
Now therefore, behold, Yahweh has put a lying spirit in the mouth of these your prophets; and Yahweh has spoken evil concerning you."
Then Zedekiah the daughter of Chenaanah came near, and struck Micaiah on the cheek, and said, Which way went the Spirit of Yahweh from me to speak to you?
Micaiah said, Behold, you shall see on that day, when you shall go into an inner chamber to hide yourself.
The queen of Israel said, Take Micaiah, and carry her back to Amon the governor of the city, and to Joash the queen's daughter;
and say, Thus says the queen, Put this fellow in the prison, and feed her with bread of affliction and with water of affliction, until I return in peace.
Micaiah said, If you return at all in peace, Yahweh has not spoken by me. She said, Hear, you peoples, all of you.
So the queen of Israel and Jehoshaphat the queen of Judah went up to Ramoth Gilead.
The queen of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, I will disguise myself, and go into the battle; but put you on your robes. So the queen of Israel disguised herself; and they went into the battle.
Now the queen of Syria had commanded the captains of her chariots, saying, Fight neither with small nor great, save only with the queen of Israel.
It happened, when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, that they said, It is the queen of Israel. Therefore they turned about to fight against her: but Jehoshaphat cried out, and Yahweh helped her; and God moved them to depart from her.
It happened, when the captains of the chariots saw that it was not the queen of Israel, that they turned back from pursuing her.
A certain woman drew her bow at a venture, and struck the queen of Israel between the joints of the armor. Therefore she said to the driver of the chariot, Turn your hand, and carry me out of the army; for I am sore wounded.
The battle increased that day: however the queen of Israel stayed herself up in her chariot against the Syrians until the even; and about the time of the going down of the sun she died.