Chapter 18. Jehoshaphat had riches and honor in Abundance And by marriage he Allied himself with Ahab After some years he went down to visit Ahab in Samaria And Ahab killed sheep and oxen in Abundance for him and the people who Were with him and persuaded him to go up With him to ramoth Gilead So Ahab king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat king of Judah Will you go with me against raymuth Gilead And he answered him I am as you are and my people as your People we will be with you in the war Also Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel Please inquire for the word of the Lord Today Then the king of Israel gathered the Prophets together 400 men and said to Them Shall we go to war against raymuth Gilead or shall I refrain So they said go up for God will deliver It into the king's hand But Jehoshaphat said Is there not still a prophet of the Lord Here that we may inquire of him So the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat
There is still one man by whom we may Inquire of the Lord but I hate him Because he never prophesies good Concerning me but always evil He is Michaela the son of imler And Jehoshaphat said Let not the king say such things Then the king of Israel called one of His officers and said Bring Michaela the son of imler quickly The king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king Of Judah clothed in their robes sat each On his throne And they sat at a threshing floor at the Entrance of the Gate of Samaria And all the prophets prophesied before Them Now zedekiah the son of kanayana had Made horns of iron for himself And he said Thus says the Lord with these you shall Gore the syrians until they are Destroyed And all the prophets prophesied so Saying go up to raymuth Gilead and Prosper for the Lord will deliver it Into the king's hand Then the messenger who had gone to call Michaela spoke to him saying Now listen the words of the prophets With one Accord encourage the king Therefore please let your word be like The word of one of them and speak Encouragement
And Michaela said As the Lord lives whatever my God says That I will speak Then he came to the king and the King Said to him Michaela shall we go to war against Raymuth Gilead or shall I refrain And he said go and prosper and they Shall be delivered into your hand So the king said to him How many times shall I make you swear That you tell me nothing but the truth In the name of the Lord Then he said I saw all Israel scattered on the Mountains a sheep that have no Shepherd And the Lord said these have no master Let each return to his house in peace And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat Did I not tell you he would not prophesy Good concerning me but evil Then Michaela said Therefore hear the word of the Lord I saw the Lord sitting on his throne and All the host of Heaven standing on his Right hand and his left And the Lord said Who will persuade Ahab king of Israel to Go up that he may fall at rameth Gilead So one spoke in this manner and another Spoke in that manner Then a Spirit came forward and stood Before the Lord and said I will persuade
Him The Lord said to him in what way So he said I will go out and be a lying spirit in The mouth of All His prophets And the Lord said You shall persuade him and also Prevail Go out and do so Therefore look The Lord has put a lying spirit in the Mouth of these prophets of yours and the Lord has declared disaster against you Then zedekiah the son of kanana went Near and struck Mikhail on the cheek and Said Which way did the spirit from the Lord Go from me to speak to you And Michaela said Indeed you shall see on that day when You go into an inner chamber to hide Then the king of Israel said Take Mikhail and return him to Amon the Governor of the city and to joash the King's son And say thus says the king Put this fellow in prison and feed him With bread of Affliction and water of Affliction until I return in peace But Michaela said If you ever return in peace the Lord has Not spoken by me And he said take heed all you people So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat The king of Judah went up to raymuth
Gilead And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat I will disguise myself and go into Battle But you put on your robes So the king of Israel disguised himself And they went into battle Now the king of Syria had commanded the Captains of the Chariots who were with Him saying Fight with no one small or great but Only with the king of Israel So it was when the captains of the Chariots saw Jehoshaphat that they said It is the king of Israel Therefore they surrounded him to attack But Jehoshaphat cried out and the Lord Helped him and God diverted them from Him For so it was when the captains of the Chariots saw that it was not the king of Israel that they turned back from Pursuing him Now a certain man drew a bow at random And struck the king of Israel between The joints of his armor So he said to the driver of his chariot Turn around and take me out of the Battle for I am wounded The battle increased that day and the King of Israel propped himself up in his Chariot facing the syrians until evening And about the time of sunset he died