1 Kings 20:32

Myles Coverdale Bible

And they put sack cloth aboute their loynes, and halters aboute their neckes, and came to the kynge of Israel, and sayde: Benadab thy seruaunt sayeth vnto the: O let my soule lyue. He sayde: yf he be yet alyue, he is my brother.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
So they dressed with sackcloth around their waists and ropes around their heads, went to the king of Israel, and said, “Your servant Ben-hadad says, ‘Please spare my life.’”

Hebrew Names Version
So they girded sackcloth on their loins, and [put] ropes on their heads, and came to the king of Yisra'el, and said, Your servant Ben-Hadad says, please let me live. He said, Is he yet alive? he is my brother.

King James Version
So they girded sackcloth on their loins, and put ropes on their heads, and came to the king of Israel, and said, Thy servant Benhadad saith, I pray thee, let me live. And he said, Is he yet alive? he is my brother.

English Standard Version
So they tied sackcloth around their waists and put ropes on their heads and went to the king of Israel and said, "Your servant Ben-hadad says, ‘Please, let me live.'" And he said, "Does he still live? He is my brother."

New Century Version
So they dressed in rough cloth and wore ropes on their heads and went to the king of Israel. They said, "Your servant Ben-Hadad says, ‘Please let me live.'" Ahab answered, "Is he still alive? He is my brother."

New English Translation
So they put sackcloth around their waists and ropes on their heads and went to the king of Israel. They said, "Your servant Ben Hadad says, ‘Please let me live!'" Ahab replied, "Is he still alive? He is my brother."

Amplified Bible
So they put sackcloth around their loins and ropes on their necks, and came to the king of Israel and said, "Your servant Ben-hadad says, 'Please let me live.'" And Ahab asked, "Is he still alive? He is my brother."

New American Standard Bible
So they put sackcloth around their waists and ropes on their heads, and came to the king of Israel and said, "Your servant Ben-hadad says, 'Please let me live.'" And Ahab said, "Is he still alive? He is my brother."

Geneva Bible (1587)
Then they gyrded sackecloth about their loynes, & put ropes about their heads, and came to the King of Israel, and sayd, Thy seruant Ben-hadad sayth, I pray thee, let me liue: and he sayd, Is he yet aliue? he is my brother.

Legacy Standard Bible
So they girded sackcloth on their loins and put ropes on their heads, and came to the king of Israel and said, "Your servant Ben-hadad says, ‘Please let me live.'" And he said, "Is he still alive? He is my brother."

Contemporary English Version
They dressed in sackcloth and put ropes on their heads, then they went to Ahab and said, "Your servant Benhadad asks you to let him live." "Is he still alive?" Ahab asked. "Benhadad is like a brother to me."

Complete Jewish Bible
So they put sackcloth around their waists and ropes on their heads, went to the king of Isra'el and said, "Your servant Ben-Hadad says, ‘Please spare my life.'" And he answered, "He's still alive? He is my brother."

Darby Translation
And they girded sackcloth on their loins, and ropes on their heads, and came to the king of Israel, and said, Thy servant Ben-Hadad says, I pray thee, let me live. And he said, Is he yet alive? he is my brother.

Easy-to-Read Version
They dressed in rough cloth with ropes on their heads. They came to the king of Israel. They said, "Your servant, Ben-Hadad, says, ‘Please let me live.'" Ahab said, "Is he still alive? He is my brother."

George Lamsa Translation
So they put sackcloth on their heads and girded ropes on their loins, and went to the king of Israel and said to him, Your servant Bar-hadad says. Let me live. And the king said, Is he still alive? He is my brother.

Good News Translation
So they wrapped sackcloth around their waists and ropes around their necks, went to Ahab and said, "Your servant Benhadad pleads with you for his life." Ahab answered, "Is he still alive? Good! He's like a brother to me!"

Lexham English Bible
So they tied sackcloth around their waists and ropes on their heads. Then they went to the king of Israel and said, "Your servant Ben-Hadad says, ‘Please let me live.'" And he said, "Is my brother still alive?"

Literal Translation
And they girded sackcloth on their loins, and ropes on their heads. And they came in to the king of Israel and said, Your servant Ben-hadad has said, Please let me live. And he said, Is he yet alive? He is my brother.

American Standard Version
So they girded sackcloth on their loins, and put ropes on their heads, and came to the king of Israel, and said, Thy servant Ben-hadad saith, I pray thee, let me live. And he said, Is he yet alive? he is my brother.

Bible in Basic English
So they put on haircloth, and cords on their heads, and came to the king of Israel and said, Your servant Ben-hadad says, Let me now keep my life. And he said, Is he still living? he is my brother.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And so they girded sackcloth about their loynes, & put ropes about their heades, and came to the king of Israel, and said: Thy seruaunt Benhadad sayth, I pray thee let me lyue. He sayde: Is he yet alyue? he is my brother.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
So they girded sackcloth on their loins, and put ropes on their heads, and came to the king of Israel, and said: 'Thy servant Ben-hadad saith: I pray thee, let me live.' And he said: 'Is he yet alive? he is my brother.'

King James Version (1611)
So they girded sackcloth on their loynes, and put ropes on their heads, and came to the king of Israel, and said, Thy seruant Benhadad saith, I pray thee, let me liue. And he said, Is he yet aliue? he is my brother.

English Revised Version
So they girded sackcloth on their loins, and [put] ropes on their heads, and came to the king of Israel, and said, Thy servant Ben–hadad saith, I pray thee, let me live. And he said, Is he yet alive? he is my brother.

Berean Standard Bible
So with sackcloth around their waists and ropes around their heads, they went to the king of Israel and said, "Your servant Ben-hadad says, 'Please spare my life.'" And the king answered, "Is he still alive? He is my brother."

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Thei girdiden her leendis with sackis, and puttiden coordis in her heedis, and thei camen to the kyng of Israel, and seiden to hym, Thi seruaunt Benadab seith, Y preye thee, lete `my soule lyue. And he seide, If Benadab lyueth yit, he is my brother.

Young's Literal Translation
And they gird sackcloth on their loins, and ropes [are] on their heads, and they come in unto the king of Israel, and say, `Thy servant Ben-Hadad hath said, Let me live, I pray thee;' and he saith, `Is he yet alive? he [is] my brother.'

Update Bible Version
So they girded sackcloth on their loins, and [put] ropes on their heads, and came to the king of Israel, and said, Your slave Ben-hadad says, I pray you, let me live. And he said, Is he yet alive? he is my brother.

Webster's Bible Translation
So they girded sackcloth on their loins, and [put] ropes on their heads, and came to the king of Israel, and said, Thy servant Ben-hadad saith, I pray thee, let me live. And he said, [Is] he yet alive? he [is] my brother.

World English Bible
So they girded sackcloth on their loins, and [put] ropes on their heads, and came to the king of Israel, and said, Your servant Ben-hadad says, please let me live. He said, Is he yet alive? he is my brother.

New King James Version
So they wore sackcloth around their waists and put ropes around their heads, and came to the king of Israel and said, "Your servant Ben-Hadad says, "Please let me live."' And he said, "Is he still alive? He is my brother."

New Living Translation
So they put on burlap and ropes, and they went to the king of Israel and begged, "Your servant Ben-hadad says, ‘Please let me live!'" The king of Israel responded, "Is he still alive? He is my brother!"

New Life Bible
So they dressed in cloth made from hair and put ropes on their heads, and went to the king of Israel. They said to him, "Your servant Ben-hadad says, ‘I beg you, let me live.'" Ahab said, "Is he still alive? He is my brother."

New Revised Standard
So they tied sackcloth around their waists, put ropes on their heads, went to the king of Israel, and said, "Your servant Ben-hadad says, ‘Please let me live.'" And he said, "Is he still alive? He is my brother."

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
So they girded sackcloth upon their loins, and put ropes about their heads, and came in unto the king of Israel, and said, Thy servant, Ben-hadad, saith, - Let my soul live, I pray thee. And he said, - Is he yet alive? My brother, he is.

Douay-Rheims Bible
So they girded sackcloths on their loins, and put ropes on their heads, and came to the king of Israel, and said to him: Thy servant, Benadad, saith: I beseech thee let me have my life. And he said: If he be yet alive, he is my brother.

Revised Standard Version
So they girded sackcloth on their loins, and put ropes on their heads, and went to the king of Israel and said, "Your servant Ben-ha'dad says, 'Pray, let me live.'" And he said, "Does he still live? He is my brother."

THE MESSAGE
So that's what they did. They dressed in old gunnysacks and carried a white flag, and came to the king of Israel saying, "Your servant Ben-Hadad said, ‘Please let me live.'" Ahab said, "You mean to tell me that he's still alive? If he's alive, he's my brother."

New American Standard Bible (1995)
So they girded sackcloth on their loins and put ropes on their heads, and came to the king of Israel and said, "Your servant Ben-hadad says, 'Please let me live.'" And he said, "Is he still alive? He is my brother."

Contextual Overview

³¹ Then sayde his seruauntes vnto him: Beholde, we haue herde that the kynges of the house of Israel are mercifull kinges, Let vs therfore put sack cloth aboute oure loynes, and halters aboute oure neckes, & go forth to the kynge of Israel, peraduenture he shal let yi soule lyue. ³² And they put sack cloth aboute their loynes, and halters aboute their neckes, and came to the kynge of Israel, and sayde: Benadab thy seruaunt sayeth vnto the: O let my soule lyue. He sayde: yf he be yet alyue, he is my brother. ³³ And the men toke him shortly at his worde, and expounded it for them selues and sayde: Yee Benadab is thy brother. He sayde: Come and brynge him. The wente Benadab forth vnto him, and he caused him to syt vpon the charet, ³⁴ and sayde vnto him: The cities that my father toke from thy father, wyl I geue the agayne. And make thou stretes for thyselfe at Damasco, as my father did at Samaria, so wyl I let the go with a bonde of peace. And he made a couenaunt with him, and let him go. ³⁵ Then spake there a man amonge the children of the prophetes vnto his neghboure by the worde of the LORDE: I praye the smite me. But he refused to smite him. ³⁶ Then saide he vnto him, because thou hast not herkened vnto the voyce of the LORDE, beholde, therfore shall there a lyon smyte the, whan thou goest fro me. And whan he wente fro him, a lyon founde him, and slewe him. ³⁷ And he founde another man, and sayde: I praye the smyte me. And the man smote him, and wounded him, ³⁸ Then wente the prophet, and stepte vnto the kynge by the waye syde, and altered his face with a?shes. ³⁹ And whan the kynge wente by, he cried vpon ye kynge, and sayde: Thy seruaunt wente forth in to the battayll, and beholde, there wente one asyde, and broughte a man vnto me, and sayde: Kepe this ma: yf he be myssed, thy soule shall be in steade of his soule, or els thou shalt weye downe an hundreth weighte of syluer. ⁴⁰ And whyle thy seruaunt had here & there to do, he was awaye. The kynge of Israel sayde vnto him: It is thine owne iudgment, thou hast geuen it thyselfe.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Thy servant: 1 Kings 20:3-6, Job 12:17, Job 12:18, Job 40:11, Job 40:12, Isaiah 2:11, Isaiah 2:12, Isaiah 10:12, Daniel 5:20-23, Obadiah 1:3, Obadiah 1:4

he is my brother: 1 Kings 20:42, 1 Samuel 15:8-20

Reciprocal: Genesis 18:28 - wilt Genesis 32:4 - servant 1 Kings 18:22 - I only 2 Kings 10:5 - We are thy servants 2 Kings 16:7 - I am thy servant

Gill's Notes on the Bible

So they girded sackcloth on their loins, and put ropes on their heads,.... Signifying they came to surrender themselves to him as his captives and prisoners, and he might do with them as seemed good to him, hang them up if he pleased, for which they brought ropes with them, as a token that they deserved it, see Isaiah 20:2,

and came to the king of Israel, and said, thy servant Benhadad saith, I pray thee let me live: he that a little while ago insolently demanded his wives, and children, and silver, and gold, as his property, now is his humble servant, and begs, not for his crown and kingdom, but for his life:

and he said, is he yet alive? he is my brother; which was intimating at once, that not only they might expect he would spare his life, who seemed to be so glad that he was alive, but that he would show him more favour, having a great affection for him as his brother; this was a very foolish expression from a king in his circumstances, with respect to one who had given him so much trouble and distress, and had behaved with so much haughtiness and contempt towards him.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Ben-hadad is now as humble as Ahab had been a year before 1 Kings 20:9. He professes himself the mere “slave” of his conqueror.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 32. Thy servant Ben-hadad — See the vicissitude of human affairs! A little before he was the haughtiest of all tyrants, and Ahab calls him his lord; now, so much is he humbled, that he will be glad to be reputed Ahab's slave!