Lord, you coerced me into being a prophet, and I allowed you to do it. You overcame my resistance and prevailed over me. Now I have become a constant laughingstock. Everyone ridicules me.

so that my heart was secretly enticed, and my hand threw them a kiss from my mouth,

But they deceived him with their words, and lied to him.

My child, if sinners try to entice you, do not consent!

Then a spirit stepped forward and stood before the Lord. He said, ‘I will deceive him.’ The Lord asked him, ‘How?’

For wrath kills the foolish person, and anger slays the silly one.

A violent person entices his neighbor, and leads him down a path that is terrible.

The one who goes about gossiping reveals secrets; therefore do not associate with someone who is always opening his mouth.

Do not be a witness against your neighbor without cause, and do not deceive with your words.

Through patience a ruler can be persuaded, and a soft tongue can break a bone.

May God enlarge Japheth’s territory and numbers! May he live in the tents of Shem and may Canaan be his slave!”

Make sure you do not turn away to serve and worship other gods!

Then a spirit stepped forward and stood before the Lord. He said, ‘I will deceive him.’ The Lord asked him, ‘How?’

If my heart has been enticed by a woman, and I have lain in wait at my neighbor’s door,

However, in the future I will allure her; I will lead her back into the wilderness, and speak tenderly to her.

Ephraim has been like a dove, easily deceived and lacking discernment. They called to Egypt for help; they turned to Assyria for protection.

“‘As for the prophet, if he is made a fool by being deceived into speaking a prophetic word – I, the Lord, have made a fool of that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand against him and destroy him from among my people Israel.

“If a man seduces a virgin who is not engaged and has sexual relations with her, he must surely endow her to be his wife.

The Lord said, ‘Who will deceive Ahab, so he will attack Ramoth Gilead and die there?’ One said this and another that.

He replied, ‘I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouths of all his prophets.’ The Lord said, ‘Deceive and overpower him. Go out and do as you have proposed.’