1 Kings 20:35–43

Ahab Condemned

³⁵Now a certain man of ^othe sons of the prophets said to his neighbor ^pby the word of the Lord, “Strike me, please.” And the man refused to strike him. ³⁶Then he said to him, “Because you have not obeyed the voice of the Lord, surely, as soon as you depart from me, a lion shall kill you.” And as soon as he left him, ^qa lion found him and killed him.

³⁷And he found another man, and said, “Strike me, please.” So the man struck him, inflicting a wound. ³⁸Then the prophet departed and waited for the king by the road, and disguised himself with a bandage over his eyes. ³⁹Now ^ras the king passed by, he cried out to the king and said, “Your servant went out into the midst of the battle; and there, a man came over and brought a man to me, and said, ‘Guard this man; if by any means he is missing, ^syour life shall be for his life, or else you shall ⁷pay a talent of silver.’ ⁴⁰While your servant was busy here and there, he was gone.”

Then the king of Israel said to him, “So shall your judgment be; you yourself have decided it.”

⁴¹And he hastened to take the bandage away from his eyes; and the king of Israel recognized him as one of the prophets. ⁴²Then he said to him, “Thus says the Lord: ^t‘Because you have let slip out of your hand a man whom I appointed to utter destruction, therefore your life shall go for his life, and your people for his people.’ ”

⁴³So the king of Israel ^uwent to his house sullen and displeased, and came to Samaria.