³⁵A disciple of the prophets spoke to a friend as the Lord’s word had told him. ⸤The disciple said,⸥ “Punch me,” but the man refused to punch him. ³⁶The disciple said, “Since you didn’t obey the Lord, a lion will kill you when you leave me.” When the friend left, a lion found him and killed him.

³⁷Then the disciple found another man. He said, “Punch me.” The man punched him hard and wounded him.

³⁸Then the prophet, disguised with a bandage over his eyes, waited for the king by the road. ³⁹When the king passed by, the disciple called to him. “I went to fight in the battle. A man turned around and brought a prisoner to me. He said, ‘Guard this prisoner. If he gets away, you will pay for his life with your own life or be fined 75 pounds of silver.’ ⁴⁰But while I was busy doing other things, he got away.”

The king of Israel told him, “That’s your own penalty. You have determined it yourself.”

⁴¹Then he quickly took the bandage off his eyes. The king of Israel recognized him as one of the prophets.

⁴²The prophet told him, “This is what the Lord says: You let the man go. He was claimed by God and should have been killed. For that reason your life will be taken in place of his life and your people in place of his people.”

⁴³Resentful and upset, the king of Israel went home to Samaria.

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