1 Kings 20:31-43

31But 1his servants said to him, “Behold now, we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful kings. Please let’s 2put sackcloth 3around our waists and ropes on our heads, and go out to the king of Israel; perhaps he will let 4you live.” 32So 5they put sackcloth 6around their waists and ropes on their heads, and came to the king of Israel and said, “7Your servant Ben-hadad says, ‘Please let 8me live.’” And Ahab said, “Is he still alive? He is my brother.” 33Now the men took this as a good omen, and quickly 9accepting it from him, they said, “Your brother Ben-hadad.” Then he said, “Go, bring him.” Then Ben-hadad came out to him, and he had him mount the chariot. 34And Ben-hadad said to him, “10The cities which my father took from your father I will restore, and you can make streets for yourself in Damascus, as my father made in Samaria.” Ahab said, “And I will let you go with this covenant.” So he made a covenant with him and let him go.

35Now a man from 11the sons of the prophets said to 12another 13by the word of the Lord, “Please strike me.” But the man refused to strike him. 36Then he said to him, “Because you have not listened to the voice of the Lord, behold, as soon as you leave me, 14a lion will 15kill you.” And as soon as he left him a lion found him and 16killed him. 37Then he found another man and said, “Please strike me.” And the man struck him, 17injuring him. 38So the prophet departed and waited for the king by the road, and 18disguised himself with a bandage over his eyes. 39And as the king passed by, he cried out to the king and said, “Your servant went out into the midst of the battle; and behold, a man turned aside and brought a man to me and said, ‘Guard this man; if for any reason he goes missing, 19then your life shall be forfeited in place of his life, or else you shall pay a 20talent of silver.’ 40Now while your servant was busy here and there, he disappeared.” And the king of Israel said to him, “So shall your judgment be; you yourself determined it.” 41Then he quickly took the bandage away from his eyes, and the king of Israel recognized him, that he was one of the prophets. 42And the prophet said to him, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Since you have let go from your hand the man I had designated for destruction, 21your 22life shall be forfeited in place of his 23life, and your people in place of his people.’” 43So 24the king of Israel went to his house sullen and furious, and came to Samaria.