1 Kings 20:30–42

³⁰But the rest fled to ^oAphek, into the city; and there a wall fell upon twenty and seven thousand of the men that were left. And Ben-hadad fled, and came into the city, ^||into an inner chamber. ³¹And his servants said unto him, Behold now, we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful kings: let us, I pray thee, ^sput sackcloth on our loins, and ropes upon our heads, and go out to ^cthe king of Israel: peradventure he will save thy life. ³²So they girded sackcloth on their loins, and put ropes on their heads, and came to ^cthe king of Israel, and said, Thy servant Ben-hadad saith, I pray thee, let me live. And he said, Is he yet alive? he is my brother. ³³Now the men ^tdid diligently observe whether any thing would come from him, and did hastily catch it: and they said, Thy brother Ben-hadad. Then he said, Go ye, bring him. Then Ben-hadad came forth to him; and he caused him to come up into the chariot. ³⁴And Ben-hadad said unto him, ^uThe cities, which my father took from thy father, I will restore; and thou shalt make streets for thee in ^wDamascus, as my father made in Samaria. Then said Ahab, I will send thee away with this covenant. ^xSo he made a covenant with him, and sent him away.

³⁵And a certain man of ^ythe sons of the prophets said unto his neighbour ^zin the word of the Lord, Smite me, I pray thee. And the man refused to smite him. ³⁶Then said he unto him, Because thou hast not obeyed the voice of the Lord, behold, as soon as thou art departed from me, ^aa lion shall slay thee. And as soon as he was departed from him, a lion found him, and slew him. ³⁷Then he found another man, and said, Smite me, I pray thee. And the man smote him, ^†so that in smiting he wounded him. ³⁸So the prophet departed, and waited for the king by the way, and ^bdisguised himself with ashes upon his face. ³⁹And as the king passed by, he cried unto the king: and he said, Thy servant went out into the midst of the battle; and, behold, a man turned aside, and brought a man unto me, and said, Keep this man: if by any means he be missing, then ^cshall thy life be for his life, or else thou shalt ^†pay a talent of silver. ⁴⁰And as thy servant was busy here and there, ^†he was gone. And ^dthe king of Israel said unto him, So shall thy judgment be; thyself hast decided it. ⁴¹And he hasted, and took the ashes away from his face; and ^dthe king of Israel discerned him that he was of the prophets. ⁴²And he said unto him, Thus saith the Lord, ^eBecause thou hast let go out of thy hand a man whom I appointed to utter destruction, therefore thy life shall go for his life, and thy people for his people.