Parallel Verses

Amplified

Elisha answered, “You shall not kill them. Would you kill those you have taken captive with your sword and bow? Serve them bread and water, so that they may eat and drink, and go back to their master [King Ben-hadad].”

New American Standard Bible

He answered, “You shall not kill them. Would you kill those you have taken captive with your sword and with your bow? Set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink and go to their master.”

King James Version

And he answered, Thou shalt not smite them: wouldest thou smite those whom thou hast taken captive with thy sword and with thy bow? set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink, and go to their master.

Holman Bible

Elisha replied, “Don’t kill them. Do you kill those you have captured with your sword or your bow? Set food and water in front of them so they can eat and drink and go to their master.”

International Standard Version

But he replied, "No! You're not to kill them! Would you execute those whom you've taken captive at the point of a sword or with your bow? Give them food and water so they can eat and drink. Then send them back to their master!"

A Conservative Version

And he answered, Thou shall not smite them. Would thou smite those whom thou have taken captive with thy sword and with thy bow? Set bread and water before them that they may eat and drink, and go to their master.

American Standard Version

And he answered, Thou shalt not smite them: wouldest thou smite those whom thou hast taken captive with thy sword and with thy bow? set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink, and go to their master.

Bible in Basic English

But he said in answer, You are not to put them to death; have you any right to put to death those whom you have not taken prisoner with your sword and your bow? put bread and water before them, so that they may have food and drink and go to their master.

Darby Translation

And he said, Thou shalt not smite them: wouldest thou smite those whom thou hast taken captive with thy sword and with thy bow? Set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink, and go to their master.

Julia Smith Translation

And he will say, Thou shalt not strike: whom thou tookest captive with thy sword and with thy bow; strikest thou? set bread and water before them, and they shall eat and drink and go to their lord.

King James 2000

And he answered, You shall not slay them: would you slay those whom you have taken captive with your sword and with your bow? set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink, and go to their master.

Lexham Expanded Bible

And he said, "You shall not kill. Would you kill [those] whom you took captive with the sword or with the bow? Put food and water before them that they may eat and drink and then go to their master."

Modern King James verseion

And he answered, You shall not strike them. Would you strike those whom you have taken captive with your sword and with your bow? Set bread and water before them so that they may eat and drink, and go to their master.

Modern Spelling Tyndale-Coverdale

And he said, "Smite them not. But smite them thou takest with thine own sword and with thine own bow. But set bread and water before them, and let them eat and drink, and go to their master."

NET Bible

He replied, "Do not strike them down! You did not capture them with your sword or bow, so what gives you the right to strike them down? Give them some food and water, so they can eat and drink and then go back to their master."

New Heart English Bible

He answered, "You shall not strike them. Would you strike those whom you have taken captive with your sword and with your bow? Set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink, and go to their master."

The Emphasized Bible

And he said - Thou shalt not smite. Them whom thou hadst taken captive with thy sword and with thy bow, wouldst, thou, have been smiting? Set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink, and go their way unto their lord.

Webster

And he answered, Thou shalt not smite them: wouldst thou smite those whom thou hast taken captive with thy sword and with thy bow? set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink, and go to their master.

World English Bible

He answered, "You shall not strike them. Would you strike those whom you have taken captive with your sword and with your bow? Set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink, and go to their master."

Youngs Literal Translation

And he saith, 'Thou dost not smite; those whom thou hast taken captive with thy sword and with thy bow art thou smiting? set bread and water before them, and they eat, and drink, and go unto their lord.'

Interlinear

English(KJV)
Strong's
Root Form
Definition
Usage
And he answered

Usage: 0

Thou shalt not smite
נכה 
Nakah 
Usage: 501

נכה 
Nakah 
Usage: 501

שׁבה 
Shabah 
Usage: 47

with thy sword
חרב 
Chereb 
Usage: 413

and with thy bow
קשׁת 
Qesheth 
Usage: 75

set
שׂים שׂוּם 
Suwm 
Usage: 580

פּנים 
Paniym 
Usage: 2119

אכל 
'akal 
Usage: 809

and drink
שׁתה 
Shathah 
Usage: 218

and go
ילך 
Yalak 
Usage: 0

References

American

Fausets

Smith

Context Readings

Arameans Plot To Take Elisha

21 When the king of Israel (Jehoram) saw them, he said to Elisha, “My father, shall I kill them? Shall I kill them?” 22 Elisha answered, “You shall not kill them. Would you kill those you have taken captive with your sword and bow? Serve them bread and water, so that they may eat and drink, and go back to their master [King Ben-hadad].” 23 So the king prepared a great feast for them; and when they had eaten and drunk he sent them away, and they went to their master. And the marauding bands of Aram did not come into the land of Israel again.


Cross References

Genesis 48:22

Moreover, I have given you [the birthright,] one portion [Shechem, one mountain ridge] more than any of your brothers, which I took [reclaiming it] from the hand of the Amorites with my sword and with my bow.”

Deuteronomy 20:11-16

If that city accepts your terms of peace and opens its gates to you, then all the people who are found in it shall become your forced labor and shall serve you.

Joshua 24:12

I sent the hornet [that is, the terror of you] before you, which drove the two kings of the Amorites out before you; but it was not by your sword or by your bow.

2 Chronicles 28:8-15

And the sons of Israel led away captive 200,000 of their kinsmen [of Judah]—women, sons, and daughters—and they also took a great quantity of spoil from them and brought it to Samaria.

Psalm 44:6


For I will not trust in my bow,
Nor will my sword save me.

Proverbs 25:21-22


If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat;
And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink;

Hosea 1:7

But I will have mercy on the house of Judah and will rescue them by the Lord their God, and will not rescue them by bow, sword, war, horses, or horsemen.”

Hosea 2:18


“And in that day I will make a covenant for Israel
With the animals of the open country
And with the birds of the heavens
And with the creeping things of the ground.
And I will abolish the bow and the sword and [banish] war from the land
And will make them lie down in safety.

Matthew 5:44

But I say to you, love [that is, unselfishly seek the best or higher good for] your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,

Romans 12:20-21

But if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for by doing this you will heap burning coals on his head.”

King James Version Public Domain

Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers.

International Standard Version Copyright © 1996-2008 by the ISV Foundation.

New American Standard Bible Copyright ©1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org

American Standard Version Public Domain

NET Bible copyright © 1996-2006 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. NetBible

Basic English, produced by Mr C. K. Ogden of the Orthological Institute - public domain