Iosaphat. 14. Micheas prophecying the contrarie, 25. is put in prison. 28. Achab (notwithstanding he changeth his attire, and leaueth Iosaphat in danger) 33. is slaine.

1   Iosaphat therfore was rich and verie glorious, and was ioyned in affinitie to Achab.

2   And he went downe to him after certaine yeares into Samaria: at whose coming Achab killed muttons, and oxen very manie for him and the people that came with him: and he perswaded him to goe vp into Ramoth Galaad.

3   And Achab the king of Israel sayd to Iosaphat the king of Iuda: Come with me into Ramoth Galaad. To whom he answered: As I am thou also: as thy people; so my people also: and ^note we wil be with thee in battel.

4   Iosaphat sayd to the king of Israel: Consult I besech thee presently the word of our Lord.

5   Therfore the king of Israel gathered together of the prophetes four hundred men, and sayd to them: Shal we goe into Ramoth Galaad to fight, or sitte stil? But they sayd: Goe vp, say they, and God wil deliuer it into thy hand.

6   And Iosaphat sayd: Is there not here a prophete of our Lord, that we may enquire also of him?

7   And the king of Israel sayd to Iosaphat: There is one man, of whom we may aske the wil of our Lord: but I hate him, because he doth not prophecie me good, but euil at al times: and it is Micheas the sonne of Iemla. And Iosaphat sayd: Speake not in this maner ô king.

8   The king of Israel therfore called one of the Eunuches, and sayd to him: Cal quickly Micheas the sonne of Iemla.

9   Moreouer the king of Israel, and Iosaphat the king of Iuda, both sate in their thrones, clothed with kinglie attyre, and they sate in the court beside the gate of Samaria, and al the prophetes prophecied before them.

10   But Sedecias the sonne of Chanaana made him hornes of yron, and sayd: Thus sayth our Lord: With these shalt thou strike Syria, til thou destroy it.

11   And al the prophetes in like manner prophecied, and sayd: Goe vp into Ramoth Galaad, and thou shalt prosper, and our Lord wil deliuer them into the kinges hand.

12   And the messenger that went to cal Micheas, sayd to him: Behold the wordes of al the prophetes with one mouth tel the king good thinges: I besech thee therfore that thy word also dissent not from them, and that thou speake prosperous thinges.

13   To whom Micheas answered: Our Lord liueth, whatsoeuer my God shal say to

Iosaphat. me, that wil I speake.

14   He therfore came to the king. To whom the king sayd: Micheas, shal we goe into Ramoth Galaad to fight, or sit stil? To whom he answered ^note Goe ye vp: for al thinges shal fal out prosperous, and the enemies shal be deliuered into your handes.

15   And the king sayd: Agayne, and agayne I adiure thee, that thou speake not to me, but that which is true in the name of our Lord.

16   But he sayd: I saw al Israel disperst in the mountaynes, as sheepe without a shepheard: and our Lord sayd: These haue no maisters: let euerie man returne into his house in peace.

17   And the king of Israel sayd to Iosaphat: did I not tel thee that this man did not prophecie me anie good, but these thinges that be euil?

18   But he sayd: Heare ye therfore the word of our Lord: I saw our Lord sitting in his throne, and al the host of heauen assisting him on the right hand and on the left.

19   And our Lord sayd: who shal deceiue Achab the king of Israel, that he may goe vp and fal in Ramoth Galaad. And when one sayd in this maner, and an other otherwise:

20   there came forth a spirit, and stood before our Lord, and sayd: I wil deceiue him. To whom our Lord sayd: wherin wilt thou deceiue him.

21   But he answered: I wil goe forth, and wil be a lying spirit in the mouth of al his prophetes. And our Lord sayd: Thou shalt deceiue, and shalt preuaile: goe forth, and doe so.

22   Now therfore, behold our Lord hath geuen the spirit of lying in the mouth of al thy prophetes, and our Lord hath spoken of thee euil thinges.

23   And Sedecias the sonne of Chanaana came, and stroke the cheeke of Micheas, and sayd: Which way passed the spirit of our Lord from me, that it should speake to thee.

24   And Micheas sayd: Thou thy self shalt see in that day, when thou shalt enter into chamber out of chamber, to be hid.

25   And the king of Israel commanded, saying: Take Micheas, and lead him to Amon the gouernour of the citie, and to Ioab the sonne of Amelech.

26   And you shal say: Thus sayth the king: Cast this felow into prison, and giue him a litle bread, and a litle water, til I returne in peace.

27   And Micheas sayd: If thou returne in peace, our Lord hath not spoken in me, & he sayd: Heare al ye peoples.

28   Therfore the king of Israel, and Iosaphat the king of Iuda went vp into Ramoth Galaad.

29   And the king of Israel sayd to Iosaphat: I wil change my habite, and so I wil goe to the fight, but be thou clothed with thine owne garmentes. And

Iosaphat. the king of Israel changing his habit came to the battel.

30   And the king of Syria had commanded the captaynes of his horsemen saying: Fight not agaynst the least, or agaynst the greatest, but agaynst the king of Israel only.

31   Therfore when the princes of the horsemen saw Iosaphat, they sayd: This is the king of Israel. And they compassed him fighting: but he cried to our Lord, and he holpe him, and turned them away from him.

32   For when the captaynes of the horsemen faw, that is was not the king of Israel, they leaft him.

33   And it chanced that one of the people shot an arrow at aduenture, and stroke the king of Israel betwen the necke and the shoulders, and he sayd to his cocher: Turne thy hand, and carie me out of the battel, because I am wounded.

34   And the fight was ended in that day: moreouer the king of Israel stood in his chariote agaynst the Syrians vntil euening, and died at the sunne sette.

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