米該雅先知警告亞哈
1約沙法極有財富和尊榮，他與亞哈結為姻親。 2幾年後，約沙法下到撒瑪利亞拜訪亞哈。亞哈宰了很多牛羊款待他和他的隨從，又遊說他與自己一起去攻打基列的拉末。 3以色列王亞哈對猶大王約沙法說：「你願意與我一起去攻打基列的拉末嗎？」約沙法回答說：「你我不分彼此，我的民就是你的民，我必與你同去。」 4約沙法又對以色列王說：「你要先求問耶和華。」
5於是，以色列王召來四百名先知，問他們：「我可以去攻打基列的拉末嗎？」他們說：「可以去，上帝必把那城交在王手中。」 6但約沙法問：「這裡沒有耶和華的先知供我們求問嗎？」 7以色列王回答說：「還有一個人，是音拉的兒子米該雅，我們可以託他求問耶和華。可是我厭惡他，因為他給我的預言都是有凶無吉。」約沙法說：「王不要這樣說。」 8以色列王召來一名內侍，說：「你快把音拉的兒子米該雅帶來。」
9以色列王和猶大王約沙法身穿朝服，坐在撒瑪利亞城門前麥場的寶座上，眾先知都在他們面前說預言。 10基拿拿的兒子西底迦造了兩隻鐵角，說：「耶和華這樣說，『你必用這鐵角牴亞蘭人，直到毀滅他們。』」 11所有的先知也都預言說：「去攻打基列的拉末吧，一定得勝，耶和華必將那城交在王的手中。」
12去召米該雅的使者對米該雅說：「眾先知都異口同聲地向王說吉言，你也像他們一樣說些吉言吧。」 13米該雅回答說：「我憑永活的耶和華起誓，我的上帝對我說什麼，我就說什麼。」 14米該雅來到王面前，王就問他：「米該雅啊，我們可不可以去攻打基列的拉末？」米該雅回答說：「上去攻打吧，一定得勝，敵人必被交在你們手中。」 15王卻說：「我要囑咐你多少次，你才肯奉耶和華的名對我說實話呢？」 16米該雅說：「我看見所有以色列人四散在山上，好像沒有牧人的羊群一樣。耶和華說，『這些人沒有主人，讓他們各自平安地回家去吧。』」
17以色列王對約沙法說：「我不是告訴過你嗎？他給我的預言都是有凶無吉。」 18米該雅說：「你們要聽耶和華的話。我看見耶和華坐在寶座上，眾天軍侍立在祂左右。 19耶和華說，『誰願意去引誘以色列王亞哈到基列的拉末去送死呢？』眾天軍議論紛紛。 20後來，有一個靈站出來對耶和華說他願意去。耶和華問他用什麼方法， 21他說，『我要做謊言之靈，進入他眾先知的口中。』耶和華說，『你必能成功，就這樣做吧。』 22現在，耶和華已經把謊言之靈放進這些先知口中，耶和華已決意降禍給你。」
23基拿拿的兒子西底迦聽了米該雅的話就上前打他的臉，說：「耶和華的靈怎會離開我向你說話呢？」 24米該雅說：「你躲進密室的那天就知道了。」 25以色列王下令說：「把米該雅交給亞們總督和約阿施王子， 26告訴他們，『王說，要把這人關進監牢，只給他一些餅和水，直到我平安地回來。』」 27米該雅說：「你若能夠平安回來，耶和華就沒有藉著我說話。」他又說：「眾民啊，你們都要記住我的話。」
亞哈之死
28以色列王和猶大王約沙法出兵攻打基列的拉末。 29以色列王對約沙法說：「我要改裝上陣，你就穿王袍吧。」以色列王改裝後，他們就上陣去了。 30亞蘭王已經吩咐戰車長不要與對方的大小軍兵交鋒，只攻擊以色列王。 31戰車長看見約沙法，以為他就是以色列王，便轉身攻擊他。約沙法高聲喊叫，耶和華上帝就幫助他，使敵人離開他。 32戰車長見他不是以色列王，便不再追殺他。 33有人隨手放了一箭，射進了以色列王的鎧甲縫中。王對駕車的說：「調轉車頭拉我離開戰場吧，我受了重傷。」 34那天的戰事非常激烈，以色列王勉強支撐著站在車上迎戰亞蘭人，直到黃昏。太陽下山的時候，他就死了。
Micaiah Prophesies Against Ahab
1Jehoshaphat had great wealth and honor. He joined forces with Ahab by marrying Ahab’s daughter. 2Some years later he went down to see Ahab in Samaria. Ahab killed a lot of sheep and cattle for Jehoshaphat and the people with him. Ahab tried to get Jehoshaphat to attack Ramoth Gilead. 3Ahab was the king of Israel. He spoke to Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah. He asked, “Will you go with me to fight against Ramoth Gilead?”
Jehoshaphat replied, “Yes. I’ll go with you. My men will also go with your men. We’ll join you in the war.” 4He continued, “First ask the Lord for advice.”
5So the king of Israel brought 400 prophets together. He asked them, “Should we go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or not?”
“Go,” they answered. “God will hand it over to you.”
6But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there no longer a prophet of the Lord here? If there is, ask him what we should do.”
7The king of Israel answered Jehoshaphat. He said, “There is still one prophet we can go to. We can ask the Lord for advice through him. But I hate him. He never prophesies anything good about me. He only prophesies bad things. His name is Micaiah. He’s the son of Imlah.”
“You shouldn’t say bad things about him,” Jehoshaphat replied.
8So the king of Israel called for one of his officials. He told him, “Bring Micaiah, the son of Imlah, right away.”
9The king of Israel and Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, were wearing their royal robes. They were sitting on their thrones at the threshing floor. It was near the entrance of the gate of Samaria. All the prophets were prophesying in front of them. 10Zedekiah was the son of Kenaanah. Zedekiah had made horns out of iron. They looked like animal horns. He announced, “The Lord says, ‘With these horns you will drive back the men of Aram until they are destroyed.’ ”
11All the other prophets were prophesying the same thing. “Attack Ramoth Gilead,” they said. “Win the battle over it. The Lord will hand it over to you.”
12A messenger went to get Micaiah. He said to him, “Look. The other prophets agree. All of them are saying the king will have success. So agree with them. Say the same thing they do.”
13But Micaiah said, “You can be sure that the Lord lives. And you can be just as sure that I can only tell the king what my God says.”
14When Micaiah arrived, the king spoke to him. He asked, “Should we go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or not?”
“Attack,” he answered. “You will win. The people of Ramoth Gilead will be handed over to you.”
15The king said to him, “I’ve made you promise to tell the truth many times before. So don’t tell me anything but the truth in the name of the Lord.”
16Then Micaiah answered, “I saw all the Israelites scattered on the hills. They were like sheep that didn’t have a shepherd. The Lord said, ‘These people do not have a master. Let each of them go home in peace.’ ”
17The king of Israel spoke to Jehoshaphat. He said, “Didn’t I tell you he never prophesies anything good about me? He only prophesies bad things.”
18Micaiah continued, “Listen to the Lord’s message. I saw the Lord sitting on his throne. Some of the angels of heaven were standing at his right side. The others were standing at his left side. 19The Lord said, ‘Who will get Ahab, the king of Israel, to attack Ramoth Gilead? I want him to die there.’
“One angel suggested one thing. Another suggested something else. 20Finally, a spirit came forward and stood in front of the Lord. The spirit said, ‘I’ll get Ahab to do it.’
“ ‘How?’ the Lord asked.
21“The spirit said, ‘I’ll go and put lies in the mouths of all his prophets.’
“ ‘You will have success in getting Ahab to attack Ramoth Gilead,’ said the Lord. ‘Go and do it.’
22“So the Lord has put lies in the mouths of your prophets. He has said that great harm will come to you.”
23Then Zedekiah, the son of Kenaanah, went up and slapped Micaiah in the face. Zedekiah asked Micaiah, “Do you think the spirit sent by the Lord left me? Do you think that spirit went to speak to you?”
24Micaiah replied, “You will find out on the day you go to hide in an inside room to save your life.”
25Then the king of Israel gave an order. He said, “Take Micaiah away. Send him back to Amon. Amon is the ruler of the city of Samaria. And send Micaiah back to Joash. Joash is a member of the royal court. 26Tell them, ‘The king says, “Put this fellow in prison. Don’t give him anything but bread and water until I return safely.” ’ ”
27Micaiah announced, “Do you really think you will return safely? If you do, the Lord hasn’t spoken through me.” He continued, “All you people, remember what I’ve said!”
Ahab Is Killed at Ramoth Gilead
28So the king of Israel went up to Ramoth Gilead. Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, went there too. 29The king of Israel spoke to Jehoshaphat. He said, “I’ll go into battle wearing different clothes. Then people won’t recognize me. But you wear your royal robes.” So the king of Israel put on different clothes. Then he went into battle.
30The king of Aram had given an order to his chariot commanders. He had said, “Fight only against the king of Israel. Don’t fight against anyone else.” 31The chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat. They thought, “That’s the king of Israel.” So they turned to attack him. But Jehoshaphat cried out. And the Lord helped him. God drew the commanders away from him. 32They saw he wasn’t the king of Israel after all. So they stopped chasing him.
33But someone shot an arrow without taking aim. The arrow hit the king of Israel between the parts of his armor. The king told the chariot driver, “Turn the chariot around. Get me out of this battle. I’ve been wounded.” 34All day long the battle continued. The king of Israel kept himself standing up by leaning against the inside of his chariot. He kept his face toward the men of Aram until evening. At sunset he died.
