Skip to content
ArticlesBibleBooksOpen the app

1 Kings 20:40

Verse 40 of 43. The 20th of 22 chapters in 1 Kings, in History.

36Then he said to him, “Because you have not obeyed the LORD’s voice, behold, as soon as you have departed from me, a lion will kill you.” As soon as he had departed from him, a lion found him and killed him.

37Then he found another man, and said, “Please strike me.” The man struck him and wounded him.

38So the prophet departed and waited for the king by the way, and disguised himself with his headband over his eyes.

39As the king passed by, he cried to the king, and he said, “Your servant went out into the middle of the battle; and behold, a man came over and brought a man to me, and said, ‘Guard this man! If by any means he is missing, then your life shall be for his life, or else you shall pay a talent of silver.’

40As your servant was busy here and there, he was gone.” The king of Israel said to him, “So shall your judgment be. You yourself have decided it.”

41He hurried, and took the headband away from his eyes; and the king of Israel recognized that he was one of the prophets.

42He said to him, “The LORD says, ‘Because you have let go out of your hand the man whom I had devoted to destruction, therefore your life will take the place of his life, and your people take the place of his people.’”

43The king of Israel went to his house sullen and angry, and came to Samaria.

Read 1 Kings 20

World English Bible. Public domain. Set as prose throughout, including the poetry, because the text is published to us without its lines.