34. Benhadad told him, “I will give back the towns my father took from your father. You may set up trading centers in Damascus as my father did in Samaria.”Ahab said, “If you will put this into a treaty, I will let you go.” So Ahab made a treaty with Benhadad and let him go.
35. A disciple of the prophets spoke to a friend as the word of the Lord had told him. ⌊The disciple said,⌋ “Punch me,” but the man refused to punch him.
36. The 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.
37. Then the disciple found another man. He said, “Punch me.” The man punched him hard and wounded him.
38. Then the prophet, disguised with a bandage over his eyes, waited for the king by the road.
39. When 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.’
40. But 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.”
41. Then he quickly took the bandage off his eyes. The king of Israel recognized him as one of the prophets.
42. The 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.”
43. Resentful and upset, the king of Israel went home to Samaria.