1 Kings 20:38 kjva — So the prophet departed, and waited for the king by the way, and disguised himself with ashes upon his face.

King James Version with Apocrypha

"So the prophet departed, and waited for the king by the way, and disguised himself with ashes upon his face."

— 1 Kings 20:38, King James Version with Apocrypha

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1 Kings 20:38 in Other Translations

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1 Kings 20 — Context

35

And a certain man of the sons of the prophets said unto his neighbour in the word of the Lord, Smite me, I pray thee. And the man refused to smite him.

36

Then said he unto him, Because thou hast not obeyed the voice of the Lord, behold, as soon as thou art departed from me, a lion shall slay thee. And as soon as he was departed from him, a lion found him, and slew him.

37

Then he found another man, and said, Smite me, I pray thee. And the man smote him, so that in smiting he wounded him.

38

So the prophet departed, and waited for the king by the way, and disguised himself with ashes upon his face.

39

And as the king passed by, he cried unto the king: and he said, Thy servant went out into the midst of the battle; and, behold, a man turned aside, and brought a man unto me, and said, Keep this man: if by any means he be missing, then shall thy life be for his life, or else thou shalt pay a talent of silver.

40

And as thy servant was busy here and there, he was gone. And the king of Israel said unto him, So shall thy judgment be; thyself hast decided it.

41

And he hasted, and took the ashes away from his face; and the king of Israel discerned him that he was of the prophets.

1 Kings 20:38 — Frequently Asked Questions

7 questions
What does 1 Kings 20:38 say?
1 Kings 20:38 in the King James Version with Apocrypha reads: “So the prophet departed, and waited for the king by the way, and disguised himself with ashes upon his face.”
Where is 1 Kings 20:38 in the Bible?
1 Kings 20:38 is found in the Old Testament, in the book of 1 Kings, chapter 20, verse 38.
Who wrote 1 Kings?
1 Kings is traditionally attributed to Anonymous (traditionally Jeremiah). It was written c. 561–538 BC.
What is the book of 1 Kings about?
1 Kings tells of Solomon's wisdom and the building of the temple, then the painful division of the kingdom after his death. The northern kingdom plunges into idolatry under a series of wicked kings until the prophet Elijah is raised up to call Israel back to the LORD.
What are the major themes of 1 Kings?
1 Kings explores themes including Wisdom, Temple, Divided Kingdom, Idolatry, Prophecy. These themes shape the meaning and context of 1 Kings 20:38.
What translation should I read 1 Kings 20:38 in?
1 Kings 20:38 is available on GodsGoodBook in the King James Version (KJV), American Standard Version (ASV), World English Bible (WEB), NET Bible, Young's Literal Translation, Darby Bible, Douay-Rheims Bible, and the Bible in Basic English. Each translation reflects different translation philosophies — use the translation picker on this page to compare them, or browse our full translations directory.
How can I memorize 1 Kings 20:38?
1 Kings 20:38 reads (KJVA): “So the prophet departed, and waited for the king by the way, and disguised himself with ashes upon his face.” Read it aloud, break it into short phrases, repeat each phrase three times before adding the next, then put the phrases together. Reading it in multiple translations (above) often helps the meaning settle.
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