Micaiah and the False Prophets

Then said he who writeth: 'Daniel the prophet, describing the history of the kings of Israel and their tyrants, writeth thus: "The king of Israel joined himself with the king of Judah to fight against the sons of Belial (that is, reprobates) who were the Ammonites. Now Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, and Ahab, king of Israel, being seated both on a throne in Samaria, there stood before them four hundred false prophets, who said to the king of Israel: 'Go up against the Ammonites, for God will give them into thy hands, and thou shalt scatter Ammon.'

'"Then said Jehoshaphat: 'Is there here any prophet of the God of our fathers?'

'"Ahab answered: 'There is one only, and he is evil, for he always predicteth evil concerning me; and him I hold in prison.'

'And this he said, to wit, "there is only one," because as many as were found had been slain by decree of Ahab, so that the prophets, even as thou hast said, O Master, were fled to the mountain tops where men dwelt not.

'"Then said Jehoshaphat: 'Send for him here, and let us see what he saith.'

'"Ahab therefore commanded that Micaiah be sent for thither, who came with fetters on his feet, and his face bewildered like a man that liveth between life and death.

'"Ahab asked him, saying: 'Speak, Micaiah, in the name of God. Shall we go up against the Ammonites? Will God give their cities into our hands?'

'"Micaiah answered: 'Go up, go up, for prosperously shalt thou go up, and still more prosperously come down!'

'"Then the false prophets praised Micaiah as a true prophet of God, and broke off the fetters from his feet.

'"Jehoshaphat, who feared our God, and had never bowed his knees before the idols, asked Micaiah, saying: 'For the love of God of our fathers, speak the truth, as thou hast seen the issue of this war.'

'"Micaiah answered: 'O Jehoshaphat, I fear thy face wherefore I tell thee that I have seen the people of Israel as sheep without a shepherd.'

'"Then Ahab, smiling, said to Jehoshaphat: 'I told thee that this fellow predicteth only evil, but thou didst not believe it.'

'"Then said they both: 'Now how knowest thou this, O Micaiah?'

'"Micaiah answered: 'Methought there assembled a council of the angels in the presence of God, and I heard God say thus: "Who will deceive Ahab that he may go up against Ammon and be slain?" Whereupon one said one thing and another said another. Then came an angel and said: "Lord, I will fight against Ahab, and will go to his false prophets and will put the lie into their mouth, and so shall he go up and be slain." And hearing this, God said: "Now go and do so, for thou shalt prevail."'

'"Then were the false prophets enraged, and their chief smote Micaiah's cheek, saying: 'O reprobate of God, when did the angel of truth depart from us and come to thee? Tell us, when came to us the angel that brought the lie?'

'"Micaiah answered: 'Thou shalt know when thou shalt flee from house to house for fear of being slain, having deceived thy king.'

'"Then Ahab was wroth, and said: 'Seize Micaiah, and the fetters which he had upon his feet place on his neck, and keep him on barley bread and water until my return, for now I know not what death I would inflict on him.'

'"They went up, then, and according to the word of Micaiah the matter befell. For the king of the Ammonites said to his servants: 'See that ye fight not against the king of Judah, nor against the princes of Israel, but slay the king of Israel, Ahab, mine enemy.'"'

Then said Jesus: 'Stop there, Barnabas; for it is enough for our purpose.'