2 Chronicles 18 in plain modern English. New Ground English Translation.

Now Jehoshaphat had great wealth and honor, and he made a marriage alliance with Ahab.

After some years he went down to visit Ahab in Samaria. Ahab slaughtered a huge number of sheep and cattle for him and the people with him, and urged him to go up against Ramoth-Gilead.

Ahab king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat king of Judah, "Will you go with me to Ramoth-Gilead?" He replied, "I'm with you all the way. My troops are your troops. I'll go to war with you."

But Jehoshaphat also said to the king of Israel, "First, let's ask for Yahweh's word on this."

So the king of Israel gathered the prophets together — four hundred men — and asked them, "Should we go to war against Ramoth-Gilead, or should I hold off?" They said, "Go ahead! God will hand it over to the king."

But Jehoshaphat asked, "Isn't there still a prophet of Yahweh here that we could consult?"

The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "There is still one man through whom we could consult Yahweh, but I hate him because he never prophesies anything good about me — only bad. His name is Micaiah son of Imlah." Jehoshaphat said, "The king shouldn't talk like that."

So the king of Israel called one of his officials and said, "Bring Micaiah son of Imlah right away."

Now the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah were sitting on their thrones, dressed in their royal robes, at the threshing floor by the entrance to the gate of Samaria, with all the prophets prophesying in front of them.

Zedekiah son of Kenaanah had made iron horns for himself and declared, "This is what Yahweh says: 'With these you will gore the Arameans until they are completely destroyed.'"

All the prophets were prophesying the same thing: "Go up to Ramoth-Gilead and succeed! Yahweh will hand it over to the king."

The messenger who had gone to summon Micaiah told him, "Look, the prophets are unanimously predicting success for the king. Let your word agree with theirs — give a favorable answer."

But Micaiah said, "As Yahweh lives, I will speak only what my God says."

When he came before the king, the king asked him, "Micaiah, should we go to war against Ramoth-Gilead, or should I hold off?" He answered, "Go ahead and succeed! They'll be handed over to you."

The king said to him, "How many times do I have to make you swear to tell me nothing but the truth in Yahweh's name?"

Then Micaiah said, "I saw all of Israel scattered across the mountains like sheep without a shepherd, and Yahweh said, 'These people have no master. Let each one go home in peace.'"

The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "Didn't I tell you? He never prophesies anything good about me — only bad."

Then Micaiah said, "So listen to the word of Yahweh: I saw Yahweh sitting on his throne with the entire army of heaven standing at his right and his left."

Yahweh said, 'Who will lure Ahab king of Israel into going up to die at Ramoth-Gilead?' And one said one thing, and another said another.

Then a spirit came forward and stood before Yahweh and said, 'I will lure him.' Yahweh asked, 'How?'

He said, 'I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouths of all his prophets.' Yahweh said, 'You will succeed in luring him. Go out and do it.'

"So now, look — Yahweh has put a lying spirit in the mouths of these prophets of yours. Yahweh himself has pronounced disaster for you."

Then Zedekiah son of Kenaanah walked up and slapped Micaiah across the face. "Which way did the spirit of Yahweh pass from me to speak to you?" he demanded.

Micaiah replied, "You'll find out the day you run from room to room trying to hide."

Then the king of Israel said, "Seize Micaiah and take him back to Amon the city governor and to Joash the king's son.

Tell them, 'The king says: Put this man in prison. Feed him nothing but bread and water until I return safely.'"

Micaiah said, "If you actually return safely, Yahweh has not spoken through me." Then he added, "Mark my words, all you people!"

So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah went up to Ramoth-Gilead.

The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "I'll go in disguise into the battle, but you wear your royal robes." So the king of Israel disguised himself, and they went into battle.

Now the king of Aram had ordered his chariot commanders, "Don't fight anyone, small or great — only the king of Israel himself."

When the chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat, they said, "That must be the king of Israel!" And they turned to attack him. But Jehoshaphat cried out, and Yahweh helped him — God drew them away from him.

When the chariot commanders realized he was not the king of Israel, they stopped pursuing him.

But a soldier drew his bow randomly and struck the king of Israel between the joints of his armor. Ahab told his chariot driver, "Turn around and get me out of the fighting — I've been hit."

The battle raged on all that day, and the king of Israel propped himself up in his chariot facing the Arameans until evening. Then at sunset, he died.