1. Jehoshaphat had much wealth and honor. He made an agreement with King Ahab through marriage.
2. A few years later Jehoshaphat visited Ahab in Samaria. Ahab sacrificed many sheep and cattle as a great feast to honor Jehoshaphat and the people with him. He encouraged Jehoshaphat to attack Ramoth in Gilead.
3. Ahab king of Israel asked Jehoshaphat king of Judah, “Will you go with me to attack Ramoth in Gilead?”Jehoshaphat answered, “I will be with you. And my soldiers will be like your own soldiers. We will join you in the battle.”
4. Jehoshaphat also said to Ahab, “But first we should ask the Lord to guide us.”
5. So King Ahab called a meeting of the prophets. There were 400 men. Ahab asked them, “Should we go to war against Ramoth in Gilead or not?”They answered, “Go, because God will let you defeat it.”
6. But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there a prophet of the Lord here? If there is, let’s ask him what we should do.”
7. Then King Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, “There is one other prophet. We could ask the Lord through him. But I hate him. When he prophesies, he never says anything good about me. He always says something bad. He is Micaiah, Imlah’s son.”Jehoshaphat said, “King Ahab, you shouldn’t say that.”
8. So King Ahab told one of his officers to bring Micaiah to him at once.
9. King Ahab of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah had on their royal robes. They were sitting on their thrones at the threshing floor. This was near the entrance to the gate of Samaria. All the prophets were speaking messages in front of the two kings.