252 BATTLES OF THE BIBLE.

Marianne. The shepherd, you know, meant Ahab,
and the prophecy said that he was dead, and his people
left without a master. Tell on, grandfather ; what did
Jehoshaphat say ?

Grandfather. He said nothing then, for Micaiah spoke
again :—“ Hear thou therefore the word of the Lord.
I saw the Lord sitting on his throne, and all the host of
heaven standing by him, on his right hand and on his left.
And the Lord said, Who shall persuade Ahab that he
may go up and fall at Ramoth-Gilead ? And one said in
this manner, and another said in that manner, And
there came forth a spirit, and stood before the Lord, and
said, I will persuade him. And the Lord said, Where-
with? And he said, I will go forth, and I will be a
lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And he
said, Thou shalt persuade him, and prevail also: Go
forth and do so.” When Micaiah ceased speaking, Ze-
dekiah the prophet, who had made the horns, rudely at-
tacked him, struck him, and mocked him. Micaiah
then foretold of him that when danger came he would
be hiding himself in an inner chamber. The king of
Israel then gave orders that Micaiah be taken into cus-
tody. “ Put this fellow in prison,” he said “ and feed him
with bread of affliction, and with water of affliction, until
I come in peace.” Micaiah boldly replied, “ If thou re-
turn at all in peace, the Lord hath not spoken by me.”
He called on the assembled multitude, too, to take notice
of his words. “ Hearken, oh people, every one of you.”
The. two kings then, with their armies, marched up to
Ramoth-Gilead.