1 Kings 20:24

Contemporary English Version

Here's what you should do. First, get rid of those thirty-two kings and put army commanders in their places.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Also do this: remove each king from his position and appoint captains in their place.

Hebrew Names Version
Do this thing: take the kings away, every man out of his place, and put captains in their room;

King James Version
And do this thing, Take the kings away, every man out of his place, and put captains in their rooms:

English Standard Version
And do this: remove the kings, each from his post, and put commanders in their places,

New Century Version
This is what you should do. Don't allow the thirty-two rulers to command the armies, but put other commanders in their places.

New English Translation
So do this: Dismiss the kings from their command, and replace them with military commanders.

Amplified Bible
"Do this: remove the [thirty-two allied] kings, each from his place, and put captains in their place,

New American Standard Bible
"Carry out this plan: remove the kings, each from his place, and put governors in their place,

Geneva Bible (1587)
And this doe, Take the Kings away, euery one out of his place, & place captaines for them.

Legacy Standard Bible
Do this thing: remove the kings, each from his place, and put captains in their place,

Complete Jewish Bible
Also do this: remove all the kings from their commands, and put professional officers in their place.

Darby Translation
And do this: take the kings away, every man out of his place, and put governors in their stead;

Easy-to-Read Version
Also, don't let the 32 kings command the armies. Put your commanders in charge of the armies.

George Lamsa Translation
And do this thing: Remove the kings, every one from his command, and put officers in their places;

Good News Translation
Now, remove the thirty-two rulers from their commands and replace them with field commanders.

Lexham English Bible
Do this thing: remove the kings each from his post, and put a governor in their place.

Literal Translation
And do this thing: take away the kings, each out of his place, and set commanders in their place.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Do thus, put awaye the kynges euery one from his place, and set dukes in their steades,

American Standard Version
And do this thing: take the kings away, every man out of his place, and put captains in their room;

Bible in Basic English
This is what you have to do: take away the kings from their positions, and put captains in their places;

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And this do: Take the kinges away euery man out of his place, & put dukes in their roomes:

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And do this thing: take the kings away, every man out of his place, and put governors in their room:

King James Version (1611)
And doe this thing, Take the kings away, euery man out of his place, and put captaines in their roumes.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Him that is dead of Achaab in the city shall the dogs eat, and him that is dead of him in the field shall the birds of the sky eat.

English Revised Version
And do this thing; take the kings away, every man out of his place, and put captains in their room:

Berean Standard Bible
So do this: Dismiss all the kings from their positions and replace them with other officers.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Therfor do thou this word; remoue thou alle kyngis fro thin oost, and sette thou princis for hem;

Young's Literal Translation
`And this thing do thou: turn aside the kings each out of his place, and set captains in their stead;

Update Bible Version
And do this thing: take the kings away, every man out of his place, and put captains in their place;

Webster's Bible Translation
And do this thing, Take the kings away, every man out of his place, and put captains in their rooms:

World English Bible
Do this thing: take the kings away, every man out of his place, and put captains in their room;

New King James Version
So do this thing: Dismiss the kings, each from his position, and put captains in their places;

New Living Translation
Only this time replace the kings with field commanders!

New Life Bible
And do this. Take each of the kings from his place, and put captains in their places.

New Revised Standard
Also do this: remove the kings, each from his post, and put commanders in place of them;

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
But, this thing, do, - set aside the kings, every man out of his place, and put governors in their stead;

Douay-Rheims Bible
Do thou, therefore, this thing: Remove all the kings from thy army, and put captains in their stead:

Revised Standard Version
And do this: remove the kings, each from his post, and put commanders in their places;

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Do this thing: remove the kings, each from his place, and put captains in their place,

Contextual Overview

²² Later, the prophet went back and warned Ahab, "Benhadad will attack you again next spring. Build up your troops and make sure you have some good plans." ²³ Meanwhile, Benhadad's officials went to him and explained: Israel's gods are mountain gods. We fought Israel's army in the hills, and that's why they defeated us. But if we fight them on flat land, there's no way we can lose. ²⁴ Here's what you should do. First, get rid of those thirty-two kings and put army commanders in their places. ²⁵ Then get more soldiers, horses, and chariots, so your army will be as strong as it was before. We'll fight Israel's army on flat land and wipe them out. Benhadad agreed and did what they suggested. ²⁶ In the spring, Benhadad got his army together, and they marched to the town of Aphek to attack Israel. ²⁷ The Israelites also prepared to fight. They marched out to meet the Syrians, and the two armies camped across from each other. The Syrians covered the whole area, but the Israelites looked like two little flocks of goats. ²⁸ The prophet went to Ahab and said, "The Syrians think the Lord is a god of the hills and not of the valleys. So he has promised to help you defeat their powerful army. Then you will know that the Lord is in control." ²⁹ For seven days the two armies stayed in their camps, facing each other. Then on the seventh day the fighting broke out, and before sunset the Israelites had killed one hundred thousand Syrian troops. ³⁰ The rest of the Syrian army ran back to Aphek, but the town wall fell and crushed twenty-seven thousand of them. Benhadad also escaped to Aphek and hid in the back room of a house.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Take the: 1 Kings 20:1, 1 Kings 20:16, 1 Kings 22:31, Proverbs 21:30

Reciprocal: 1 Chronicles 19:9 - the kings

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And do this thing,.... Also take this further piece of advice:

take the kings away, every man out of his place: for being brought up delicately, they were not inured to war, nor expert in the art of it; and being addicted to pleasure, gave themselves to that, and drew the king into it, which they observed was the case before, though they did not care to mention it; and if they were tributaries or allies, they would not fight as men do for their own country:

and put captains in their rooms; of his own people, men of skill and courage, and who would fight both for their own honour, and for the good of their country.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The Syrian chiefs evidently thought that want of unity had weakened their army. They therefore proposed the deposition of the kings, and the substitution, in their place, of Syrian governors: not “captains.” The term used always denotes a civil office.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 24. Take the kings away — These were not acquainted with military affairs, or they had not competent skill. Put experienced captains in their place, and fight not but on the plains, and you will be sure of victory.