Bible in Basic English
So the prophet went away, and pulling his head-band over his eyes to keep his face covered, took his place by the road waiting for the king.
And when the king went by, crying out to him he said, Your servant went out into the fight; and a man came out to me with another man and said, Keep this man: if by any chance he gets away, your life will be the price of his life, or you will have to give a talent of silver in payment.
But while your servant was turning this way and that, he was gone. Then the king of Israel said to him, You are responsible; you have given the decision against yourself.
Then he quickly took the head-band from his eyes; and the king of Israel saw that he was one of the prophets.
And he said to him, These are the words of the Lord: Because you have let go from your hands the man whom I had put to the curse, your life will be taken for his life, and your people for his people.
Then the king of Israel went back to his house, bitter and angry, and came to Samaria.
— 1 Kings 20:38-1964, Bible in Basic English
“The prophet then went and stood by the road, waiting for the king. He also disguised himself by putting a bandage down over his eyes. When the king passed by, he called out to the king,“Your servant went out into the heat of the battle, and then a man turned aside and brought me a prisoner. He told me,‘Guard this prisoner. If he ends up missing for any reason, you will pay with your life or with a talent of silver.’ Well, it just so happened that while your servant was doing this and that, he disappeared.” The king of Israel said to him,“Your punishment is already determined by your own testimony.” The prophet quickly removed the bandage from his eyes and the king of Israel recognized he was one of the prophets. The prophet then said to him,“This is what the LORD has said,‘Because you released a man I had determined should die, you will pay with your life and your people will suffer instead of his people.’” The king of Israel went home to Samaria bitter and angry.”
And a certain man of the sons of the prophets said to his neighbour by the word of the Lord, Give me a wound. But the man would not.
Then he said to him, Because you have not given ear to the voice of the Lord, straight away when you have gone from me a lion will put you to death. And when he had gone, straight away a lion came rushing at him and put him to death.
Then he came across another man, and said, Give me a wound. And the man gave him a blow wounding him.
So the prophet went away, and pulling his head-band over his eyes to keep his face covered, took his place by the road waiting for the king.
And when the king went by, crying out to him he said, Your servant went out into the fight; and a man came out to me with another man and said, Keep this man: if by any chance he gets away, your life will be the price of his life, or you will have to give a talent of silver in payment.
But while your servant was turning this way and that, he was gone. Then the king of Israel said to him, You are responsible; you have given the decision against yourself.
Then he quickly took the head-band from his eyes; and the king of Israel saw that he was one of the prophets.
And he said to him, These are the words of the Lord: Because you have let go from your hands the man whom I had put to the curse, your life will be taken for his life, and your people for his people.
Then the king of Israel went back to his house, bitter and angry, and came to Samaria.