1 Kings 20:40
New International Version
While your servant was busy here and there, the man disappeared.” “That is your sentence,” the king of Israel said. “You have pronounced it yourself.”

New Living Translation
But while I was busy doing something else, the prisoner disappeared!” “Well, it’s your own fault,” the king replied. “You have brought the judgment on yourself.”

English Standard Version
And as 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.”

Berean Standard Bible
But while your servant was busy here and there, the man disappeared.” And the king of Israel said to him, “So shall your judgment be; you have pronounced it on yourself.”

King James Bible
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.

New King James Version
While your servant was busy here and there, he was gone.” Then the king of Israel said to him, “So shall your judgment be; you yourself have decided it.

New American Standard Bible
Now 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.

NASB 1995
“While your servant was busy here and there, he was gone.” And the king of Israel said to him, “So shall your judgment be; you yourself have decided it.”

NASB 1977
“And while your servant was busy here and there, he was gone.” And the king of Israel said to him, “So shall your judgment be; you yourself have decided it.”

Legacy Standard Bible
Now it happened that while your servant was busy here and there, he was gone.” And the king of Israel said to him, “So shall your judgment be; you yourself have decided it.”

Amplified Bible
But while your servant was busy here and there, he [escaped and] was gone.” And the king of Israel said to him, “Such is your own judgment (verdict); you have determined it.”

Christian Standard Bible
But while your servant was busy here and there, he disappeared.” The king of Israel said to him, “That will be your sentence; you yourself have decided it.”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
But while your servant was busy here and there, he disappeared.” The king of Israel said to him, “That will be your sentence; you yourself have decided it.”

American Standard Version
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.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And as your Servant turned aside here and there, he was gone. The King of Israel said to him: ‘So is your judgment. You have decided.’

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And it came to pass, that thy servant looked round this way and that way, and the man was gone. And the king of Israel said to him, Behold, thou hast also destroyed snares set for me.

Contemporary English Version
But I got busy doing other things, and the prisoner escaped." Ahab answered, "You will be punished just as you have said."

Douay-Rheims Bible
And whilst I in a hurry turned this way and that, on a sudden he was not to be seen. And the king of Israel said to him: This is thy judgment, which thyself hast decreed.

English Revised Version
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.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
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."

Good News Translation
But I got busy with other things, and the man escaped." The king answered, "You have pronounced your own sentence, and you will have to pay the penalty."

International Standard Version
While your servant was busy here and there, the prisoner escaped." The king told him, "By your actions you've earned the proper judgment!"

JPS Tanakh 1917
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.'

Literal Standard Version
and it comes to pass, your servant is working here and there, and he is not!” And the king of Israel says to him, “Your judgment [is] right; you have determined [it].”

Majority Standard Bible
But while your servant was busy here and there, the man disappeared.” And the king of Israel said to him, “So shall your judgment be; you have pronounced it on yourself.”

New American Bible
But while your servant was occupied here and there, the man disappeared.” The king of Israel said to him, “That is your sentence. You have decided it yourself.”

NET Bible
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."

New Revised Standard Version
While 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.”

New Heart English Bible
As your servant was busy here and there, he was gone." The king of Israel said to him, "So your judgment shall be; you yourself have decided it."

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

World English Bible
As 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.”

Young's Literal Translation
and it cometh to pass, thy servant is working hither and thither, and he is not!' and the king of Israel saith unto him, Right is thy judgment; thou hast determined it.'

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
A Prophet Reproves Ahab
39As the king passed by, he cried out to the king: “Your servant had marched out into the middle of the battle, when suddenly a man came over with a captive and told me, ‘Guard this man! If he goes missing for any reason, your life will be exchanged for his life, or you will weigh out a talent of silver.’ 40But while your servant was busy here and there, the man disappeared.” And the king of Israel said to him, “So shall your judgment be; you have pronounced it on yourself.” 41Then the prophet quickly removed the bandage from his eyes, and the king of Israel recognized him as one of the prophets.…

Cross References
2 Samuel 14:13
The woman asked, "Why have you devised a thing like this against the people of God? When the king says this, does he not convict himself, since he has not brought back his own banished son?

1 Kings 20:39
As the king passed by, he cried out to the king: "Your servant had marched out into the middle of the battle, when suddenly a man came over with a captive and told me, 'Guard this man! If he goes missing for any reason, your life will be exchanged for his life, or you will weigh out a talent of silver.'

1 Kings 20:41
Then the prophet quickly removed the bandage from his eyes, and the king of Israel recognized him as one of the prophets.

Jeremiah 48:10
Cursed is the one who is remiss in doing the work of the LORD, and cursed is he who withholds his sword from bloodshed.


Treasury of Scripture

And as your servant was busy here and there, he was gone. And the king of Israel said to him, So shall your judgment be; yourself have decided it.

Because

1 Kings 20:34
And Benhadad said unto him, The cities, which my father took from thy father, I will restore; and thou shalt make streets for thee in Damascus, as my father made in Samaria. Then said Ahab, I will send thee away with this covenant. So he made a covenant with him, and sent him away.

1 Kings 22:31-37
But the king of Syria commanded his thirty and two captains that had rule over his chariots, saying, Fight neither with small nor great, save only with the king of Israel…

1 Samuel 15:9-11
But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them: but every thing that was vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly…

thy life shall go

1 Kings 22:31-37
But the king of Syria commanded his thirty and two captains that had rule over his chariots, saying, Fight neither with small nor great, save only with the king of Israel…

2 Kings 6:24
And it came to pass after this, that Benhadad king of Syria gathered all his host, and went up, and besieged Samaria.

2 Kings 8:12
And Hazael said, Why weepeth my lord? And he answered, Because I know the evil that thou wilt do unto the children of Israel: their strong holds wilt thou set on fire, and their young men wilt thou slay with the sword, and wilt dash their children, and rip up their women with child.

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Busy Decided Decision Determined Disappeared Hither Israel It' Judgment Pronounced Responsible Right Sentence Servant Thither Thyself Turning Way Working
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Busy Decided Decision Determined Disappeared Hither Israel It' Judgment Pronounced Responsible Right Sentence Servant Thither Thyself Turning Way Working
1 Kings 20
1. Ben-Hadad, not content with Ahab's homage, besieges Samaria
13. By the direction of a prophet, the Syrians are slain
22. As the prophet forewarned Ahab, the Syrians come against him in Aphek
28. By the word of the prophet, and God's judgment, the Syrians are smitten again
31. The Syrians submit; Ahab sends Ben-Hadad away with a covenant
35. The prophet, under the parable of a prisoner,
39. making Ahab judge himself, denounces God's judgment against him














Verse 40. - And as thy servant was busy [Heb. doing. The LXX. περιεβλέψατο ὁ δοῦλός σου, and the Vulgate dum ego turbatus hue illucque me verterem, have led some critics to urge the substitution of פֹּגֶה turning, or שֹׁעֶה looking, for עֹשֵׂה doing, in the text. But no alteration is needed] here and there [or hither and thither - the ה is generally local - as in Joshua 8:20. But sometimes it is merely demonstrative, "here and there," as in Genesis 21:29, Daniel 12:5, and so it may be understood here (Gesenius)], he was gone [Heb. he is not]. And the king of Israel said unto him, So shall thy judgment be; thyself hast decided it. [Cf. 2 Samuel 12:5-7, Ahab has himself pronounced that his judgment is just, and what it shall be.]

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
But while your servant
עַבְדְּךָ֗ (‘aḇ·də·ḵā)
Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 5650: Slave, servant

was
וַיְהִ֣י (way·hî)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

busy
עֹשֵׂ֥ה (‘ō·śêh)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular construct
Strong's 6213: To do, make

here
הֵ֛נָּה (hên·nāh)
Adverb
Strong's 2008: Hither, thither

and there,
וָהֵ֖נָּה (wā·hên·nāh)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb
Strong's 2008: Hither, thither

[the man]
וְה֣וּא (wə·hū)
Conjunctive waw | Pronoun - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1931: He, self, the same, this, that, as, are

disappeared.”
אֵינֶ֑נּוּ (’ê·nen·nū)
Adverb | third person masculine singular
Strong's 369: A non-entity, a negative particle

And the king
מֶֽלֶךְ־ (me·leḵ-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 4428: A king

of Israel
יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל (yiś·rā·’êl)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3478: Israel -- 'God strives', another name of Jacob and his desc

said
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר (way·yō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

to him,
אֵלָ֧יו (’ê·lāw)
Preposition | third person masculine singular
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

“So
כֵּ֥ן (kên)
Adverb
Strong's 3651: So -- thus

[shall] your judgment [be];
מִשְׁפָּטֶ֖ךָ (miš·pā·ṭe·ḵā)
Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 4941: A verdict, a sentence, formal decree, divine law, penalty, justice, privilege, style

you have pronounced it
חָרָֽצְתָּ׃ (ḥā·rā·ṣə·tā)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 2782: To point sharply, to wound, to be alert, to decide

on yourself.”
אַתָּ֥ה (’at·tāh)
Pronoun - second person masculine singular
Strong's 859: Thou and thee, ye and you


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OT History: 1 Kings 20:40 As your servant was busy here (1Ki iKi i Ki 1 Kg 1kg)
1 Kings 20:39
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