2. In the third year Jehoshaphat went down to see Ahab, the king of Israel. Jehoshaphat was king of Judah.
3. The king of Israel had spoken to his officials. He had said, "Don't you know that Ramoth Gilead belongs to us? And we aren't even doing anything to take it back from the king of Aram."
4. So Ahab asked Jehoshaphat, "Will you go with me to fight against Ramoth Gilead?" Jehoshaphat replied to the king of Israel, "Yes. I'll go with you. My men will go with you. My horses will also go with you."
5. Jehoshaphat continued, "First ask the Lord for advice."
6. So the king of Israel brought about 400 prophets together. He asked them, "Should I go to war against Ramoth Gilead? Or should I stay here?" "Go," they answered. "The Lord will hand it over to you."
7. But Jehoshaphat asked, "Isn't there a prophet of the Lord here? If there is, ask him what we should do."
8. The king of Israel answered Jehoshaphat. He said, "There is still one other man 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.
9. So the king of Israel called for one of his officials. He told him, "Bring Micaiah, the son of Imlah, at once."
10. The 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 of the prophets were prophesying in front of them.
11. Zedekiah 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.' "
12. All of 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."