1 Kings 22:6-8

22:6 So the king of Israel assembled about four hundred prophets and asked them, “Should I attack Ramoth Gilead or not?” ¹  They said, “Attack! The sovereign one ²  will hand it over to the king.” 22:7 But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there not a prophet of the Lord still here, that we may ask him?” 22:8 The king of Israel answered Jehoshaphat, “There is still one man through whom we can seek the Lord’s will. ³  But I despise ⁴  him because he does not prophesy prosperity for me, but disaster. His name is Micaiah son of Imlah. ⁵  Jehoshaphat said, “The king should not say such things.”

1 Kings 22:13-14

22:13 Now the messenger who went to summon Micaiah said to him, “Look, the prophets are in complete agreement that the king will succeed. ⁶  Your words must agree with theirs; you must predict success.” ⁷  22:14 But Micaiah said, “As certainly as the Lord lives, I will say what the Lord tells me to say.”

1 Kings 22:24-28

22:24 Zedekiah son of Kenaanah approached, hit Micaiah on the jaw, and said, “Which way did the Lord’s spirit go when he went from me to speak to you?” 22:25 Micaiah replied, “Look, you will see in the day when you go into an inner room to hide.” 22:26 Then the king of Israel said, “Take Micaiah and return him to Amon the city official and Joash the king’s son. 22:27 Say, ‘This is what the king says, “Put this man in prison. Give him only a little bread and water ⁸  until I safely return.”’” ⁹  22:28 Micaiah said, “If you really do safely return, then the Lord has not spoken through me.” Then he added, “Take note, ¹⁰  all you people.”

¹ tn Heb “Should I go against Ramoth Gilead for war or should I refrain?”

² tn Though Jehoshaphat requested an oracle from “the Lord” (יְהוָה, Yahweh), they stop short of actually using this name and substitute the title אֲדֹנָי (’adonai, “lord; master”). This ambiguity may explain in part Jehoshaphat’s hesitancy and caution (vv. 7-8). He seems to doubt that the four hundred are genuine prophets of the Lord.

³ tn Heb “to seek the Lord from him.”

⁴ tn Or “hate.”

⁵ tn The words “his name is” are supplied for stylistic reasons.

⁵ tn Heb “the words of the prophets are [with] one mouth good for the king.”

⁶ tn Heb “let your words be like the word of each of them and speak good.”

⁷ tn Heb “the bread of affliction and the water of affliction.”

⁸ tn Heb “come in peace.” So also in v. 28.

⁹ tn Heb “Listen.”