pedition, and said that he would
beat the king of Syria, and, as formerly, would reduce him under his
power. But Jehoshaphat, understanding by their words that they were
false prophets, asked Ahab whether there were not some other prophet,
and he belonging to the true God, that we may have surer information
concerning futurities. Hereupon Ahab said there was indeed such a one,
but that he hated him, as having prophesied evil to him, and having
foretold that he should be overcome and slain by the king of Syria,
and that for this cause he had him now in prison, and that his name was
Micaiah, the son of Imlah. But upon Jehoshaphat's desire that he might
be produced, Ahab sent a eunuch, who brought Micaiah to him. Now the
eunuch had informed him by the way, that all the other prophets had
foretold that the king should gain the victory; but he said, that it was
not lawful for him to lie against God, but that he must speak what he
should say to him about the king, whatsoever it were. When he came to
Ahab, and he had adjured him upon oath to speak the truth to him, he
said that God had shown to him the Israelites running away, and pursued
by the Syrians, and dispersed upon the mountains by them, as flocks of
sheep are dispersed when their shepherd is slain. He said further, that
God signified to him, that those Israelites should return in peace to
their own home, and that he only should fall in the battle. When Micalab
had thus spoken, Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, "I told thee a little while
ago the disposition of the man with regard to me, and that he uses to
prophesy evil to me." Upon which Micaiah replied, that he ought to hear
all, whatsoever it be, that God foretells; and that in particular, they
were false prophets that encouraged him to make this war in hope of
victory, whereas he must fight and be killed. Whereupon the king was in
suspense with himself: but Zedekiah, one of those false prophets, came
near, and exhorted him not to hearken to Micaiah, for he did not at all
speak truth; as a demonstration of which he instanced in what Elijah had
said, who was a better prophet in foretelling futurities than Micaiah
[42] for he foretold that the dogs should lick his blood in the city of
Jezreel, in the field of Naboth, as they licked the blood of Naboth, who
by his means was there stoned to death by the multitude; that therefore
it was plain that this Micalab was a liar, as contradicting a greater
prophet than himself, and sayin