1And Yehoshaphat had great riches and esteem, and allied himself with Aḥaḇ by marriage.

2And some years later he went down to visit Aḥaḇ in Shomeron. And Aḥaḇ slaughtered many sheep and cattle for him and the people with him, and incited him to go up with him to Ramoth Gil‛ad.

3And Aḥaḇ sovereign of Yisra’ĕl said to Yehoshaphat sovereign of Yehuḏah, “Do you go with me against Ramoth Gil‛ad?” And he answered him, “I am as you are, and my people as your people, even with you in battle.”

4And Yehoshaphat said to the sovereign of Yisra’ĕl, “Please inquire for the word of יהוה today.”

5And the sovereign of Yisra’ĕl gathered the prophets together, four hundred men, and said to them, “Do we go against Ramoth Gil‛ad to battle, or do I refrain?” And they said, “Go up, for Elohim does give it into the sovereign’s hand.”

6But Yehoshaphat said, “Is there not still a prophet of יהוה here, so that we inquire of him?”

7And the sovereign of Yisra’ĕl said to Yehoshaphat, “There is still one man to inquire of יהוה from him; but I hate him, because he never prophesies good concerning me, but always evil. He is Miḵayehu, the son of Yimla.” And Yehoshaphat said, “Let not the sovereign say so!”

8So the sovereign of Yisra’ĕl called one of his officers and said, “Bring Miḵahu son of Yimla at once!”

9And the sovereign of Yisra’ĕl and Yehoshaphat the sovereign of Yehuḏah, dressed in their robes, sat each on his throne. And they sat at a threshing-floor at the entrance of the gate of Shomeron. And all the prophets were prophesying before them.

10And Tsiḏqiyahu son of Kena‛anah had made horns of iron for himself, and said, “Thus said יהוה, ‘With these you push the Arameans until they are destroyed.’ ”

11And all the prophets were prophesying so, saying, “Go up to Ramoth Gil‛ad and prosper, and יהוה shall give it into the hand of the sovereign.”

12And the messenger who had gone to call Miḵayehu spoke to him, saying, “See, the words of the prophets with one mouth are good towards the sovereign. So please let your word be like the word of one of them, and you shall speak good.”

13And Miḵayehu said, “As יהוה lives, whatever my Elohim says, that I speak.”

14And he came to the sovereign. And the sovereign said to him, “Miḵah, do we go against Ramoth Gil‛ad to battle, or do I refrain?” And he said, “Go and prosper, and they are given into your hand!”

15And the sovereign said to him, “How many times have I made you swear that you do not speak to me, except the truth, in the Name of יהוה?”

16So he said, “I saw all Yisra’ĕl scattered on the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd. And יהוה said, ‘These have no master. Let each return to his house in peace.’ ”

17And the sovereign of Yisra’ĕl said to Yehoshaphat, “Did I not say to you that he would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil?”

18Then he said, “Therefore hear the word of יהוה: I saw יהוה sitting on His throne, and all the host of the heavens standing on His right and on His left.

19“And יהוה said, ‘Who shall entice Aḥaḇ sovereign of Yisra’ĕl to go up and fall at Ramoth Gil‛ad?’ And one said this, and another said that.

20“And a spirit came forward and stood before יהוה, and said, ‘Let me entice him.’ יהוה said to him, ‘In what way?’

21“And he said, ‘I shall go out and be a spirit of falsehood in the mouth of all his prophets.’ And He said, ‘Entice him, and also prevail. Go out and do so.’

22“And now, see, יהוה has put a spirit of falsehooda in the mouth of these prophets of yours, and יהוה has spoken evil concerning you.”

23And Tsiḏqiyahu son of Kena‛anah came near and smote Miḵayehu on the cheek, and said, “Which way did the spirit of יהוה pass over from me to speak to you?”

24And Miḵayehu said, “Look, you shall see on that day when you go into an inner room to hide!”

25Then the sovereign of Yisra’ĕl said, “Take Miḵayehu, and return him to Amon the governor of the city and to Yo’ash the sovereign’s son,

26and say, ‘Thus said the sovereign, “Put this one in prison, and feed him with bread of affliction and water of affliction until I return in peace.” ’ ”

27And Miḵayehu said, “If you return at all in peace, יהוה has not spoken by me.” And he said, “Hear, all you people!”

28Then the sovereign of Yisra’ĕl and Yehoshaphat the sovereign of Yehuḏah went up to Ramoth Gil‛ad.

29And the sovereign of Yisra’ĕl said to Yehoshaphat, “Let me disguise myself and go into battle, but you put on your robes.” And the sovereign of Yisra’ĕl disguised himself, and they went into battle.

30And the sovereign of Aram had commanded the commanders of the chariots who were with him, saying, “Fight with no one small or great, but only with the sovereign of Yisra’ĕl.”

31And it came to be, when the commanders of the chariots saw Yehoshaphat, that they said, “It is the sovereign of Yisra’ĕl!” So they turned around to fight against him, and Yehoshaphat cried out, and יהוה helped him, and Elohim moved them to turn away from him.

32And it came to be, when the commanders of the chariots saw that it was not the sovereign of Yisra’ĕl, that they turned back from pursuing him.

33And a man drew a bow in his simplicity, and smote the sovereign of Yisra’ĕl between the joints of his armour. And he said to the driver of his chariot, “Turn around and take me out of the battle, for I am wounded.”

34But the battle increased that day, and the sovereign of Yisra’ĕl was propped up in his chariot facing the Arameans until evening, and he died at the time of the going down of the sun.