Ahab Does Not Like the Pattern (1 Kings 22:1-18 )

¹ And they continued threethree years without warwar between SyriaSyria and IsraelIsrael.

² And it came to pass in the thirdthird year, that JehoshaphatJehoshaphat the king of JudahJudah came downdown to the king of IsraelIsrael.

³ And the king of IsraelIsrael saidsaid unto his servantsservants, KnowKnow ye that Ramoth in GileadGilead is ours, and we be still, and take it not out of the handhand of the king of SyriaSyria?

⁴ And he saidsaid unto JehoshaphatJehoshaphat, Wilt thou gogo with me to battlebattle to Ramoth-gileadgilead? And JehoshaphatJehoshaphat saidsaid to the king of IsraelIsrael, I am as thou art, my people as thy people, my horseshorses as thy horseshorses.

⁵ And JehoshaphatJehoshaphat saidsaid unto the king of IsraelIsrael, Inquire, I pray thee, at the wordthe word of the LORDthe LORD to dayday.

⁶ Then the king of IsraelIsrael gathered the prophetsprophets together, about four hundredfour hundred menmen, and saidsaid unto them, Shall I go against Ramoth-gileadgilead to battlebattle, or shall I forbear? And they saidsaid, Go upGo up; for the Lord shall deliver it into the handhand of the king.

⁷ And JehoshaphatJehoshaphat saidsaid, Is there not here a prophetprophet of the LORDthe LORD besides, that we mightmight inquire of him?

⁸ And the king of IsraelIsrael saidsaid unto JehoshaphatJehoshaphat, There is yet oneone manman, Micaiah the sonson of Imlah, by whom we may inquire of the LORDthe LORD: but I hatehate him; for he doth not prophesy goodgood concerning me, but evilevil. And JehoshaphatJehoshaphat saidsaid, Let not the king saysay so.

⁹ Then the king of IsraelIsrael calledcalled an officerofficer, and saidsaid, HastenHasten hither Micaiah the sonson of Imlah.

¹⁰ And the king of IsraelIsrael and JehoshaphatJehoshaphat the king of JudahJudah satsat each on his thronethrone, having put onput on their robesrobes, in a void place in the entranceentrance of the gategate of SamariaSamaria; and all the prophetsprophets prophesied beforebefore them.

¹¹ And Zedekiah the sonson of Chenaanah made him hornshorns of ironiron: and he saidsaid, Thus saithsaith the LORDthe LORD, With these shalt thou pushpush the SyriansSyrians, until thou have consumed them.

¹² And all the prophetsprophets prophesied so, saying, Go upGo up to Ramoth-gileadgilead, and prosperprosper: for the LORDthe LORD shall deliver it into the king's handhand.

¹³ And the messengermessenger that was gone to callcall Micaiah spakespake unto him, saying, Behold now, the wordswords of the prophetsprophets declare goodgood unto the king with oneone mouthmouth: let thy wordword, I pray thee, be like the wordthe word of oneone of them, and speakspeak that which is goodgood.

¹⁴ And Micaiah saidsaid, As the LORDthe LORD liveth, what the LORDthe LORD saithsaith unto me, that will I speakspeak.

¹⁵ So he camecame to the king. And the king saidsaid unto him, Micaiah, shall we go against Ramoth-gileadgilead to battlebattle, or shall we forbear? And he answered him, Go, and prosperprosper: for the LORDthe LORD shall deliver it into the handhand of the king.

¹⁶ And the king saidsaid unto him, How many times shall I adjure thee that thou telltell me nothing but that which is truetrue in the name of the LORDname of the LORD?

¹⁷ And he saidsaid, I sawsaw all IsraelIsrael scatteredscattered upon the hillshills, as sheepsheep that have not a shepherdshepherd: and the LORDthe LORD saidsaid, These have no mastermaster: let them returnreturn every manman to his househouse in peacepeace.

¹⁸ And the king of IsraelIsrael saidsaid unto JehoshaphatJehoshaphat, Did I not telltell thee that he would prophesy no goodgood concerning me, but evilevil?