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16 But the king answered him, “How many times must I adjure you to tell me nothing but the truth in the name of the Lord?” 17 [a]So Micaiah said:

“I see all Israel
    scattered on the mountains,
    like sheep without a shepherd,
And the Lord saying,
    These have no master!
    Let each of them go back home in peace.”

18 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Did I not tell you, he does not prophesy good about me, but only evil?”

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Footnotes

  1. 22:17 Micaiah’s oracle uses the common ancient metaphor of “shepherd” for the king. It means that the Israelite forces will be left leaderless because the king (or perhaps both kings: the word “master” could be singular or plural in Hebrew) will die in battle.

16 The king said to him, “How many times must I make you swear to tell me nothing but the truth in the name of the Lord?”

17 Then Micaiah answered, “I saw all Israel scattered(A) on the hills like sheep without a shepherd,(B) and the Lord said, ‘These people have no master. Let each one go home in peace.’”

18 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Didn’t I tell you that he never prophesies anything good about me, but only bad?”

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