1 Kings 20:8

THE MESSAGE

The elders, backed by the people, said, "Don't cave in to him. Don't give an inch."

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
All the elders and all the people said to him, “Don’t listen or agree.”

Hebrew Names Version
All the Zakenim and all the people said to him, Don't you listen, neither consent.

King James Version
And all the elders and all the people said unto him, Hearken not unto him, nor consent.

English Standard Version
And all the elders and all the people said to him, "Do not listen or consent."

New Century Version
The elders and all the people said, "Don't listen to him or agree to this."

New English Translation
All the leaders and people said to him, "Do not give in or agree to his demands."

Amplified Bible
All the elders and all the people said to him, "Do not listen or consent [to this additional demand]."

New American Standard Bible
Then all the elders and all the people said to him, "Do not listen nor consent."

Geneva Bible (1587)
And all the Elders, and all the people sayd to him, Hearken not vnto him, nor consent.

Legacy Standard Bible
And all the elders and all the people said to him, "Do not listen or consent."

Contemporary English Version
"Don't listen to him!" they answered. "You don't have to do what he says."

Complete Jewish Bible
All the leaders and all the people said to him, "Don't listen, and don't agree."

Darby Translation
And all the elders and all the people said to him, Hearken not, nor consent.

Easy-to-Read Version
But the elders and all the people said, "Don't obey him or do what he says."

George Lamsa Translation
And all the elders and all the people said to him, Do not hearken to him, nor consent.

Good News Translation
The leaders and the people answered, "Don't pay any attention to him; don't give in."

Lexham English Bible
All of the elders and all of the people said to him, "Do not listen and do not consent."

Literal Translation
And all the elders and all the people said to him, Do not listen nor consent.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Then sayde all the Elders and all the people vnto him: Thou shalt not cosente ner agree vnto him.

American Standard Version
And all the elders and all the people said unto him, Hearken thou not, neither consent.

Bible in Basic English
And all the responsible men and the people said to him, Do not give attention to him or do what he says.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And all the elders and all the people said: Hearken not vnto him, nor consent.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And all the elders and all the people said unto him: 'Hearken thou not, neither consent.'

King James Version (1611)
And all the Elders, and all the people said vnto him; Hearken not vnto him, nor consent.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And she wrote a letter in the name of Achaab, and sealed it with his seal, and sent the letter to the elders, and to the freemen who dwelt with Nabuthai.

English Revised Version
And all the elders and all the people said unto him, Hearken thou not, neither consent.

Berean Standard Bible
And the elders and the people all said, "Do not listen to him or consent to his terms."

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And alle the gretter men in birthe, and al the puple seiden to hym, Here thou not, nether assente thou to hym.

Young's Literal Translation
And all the elders and all the people say unto him, `Do not hearken, nor consent.'

Update Bible Version
And all the elders and all the people said to him, Don't listen, neither consent.

Webster's Bible Translation
And all the elders and all the people said to him, Hearken not [to him], nor consent.

World English Bible
All the elders and all the people said to him, Don't you listen, neither consent.

New King James Version
And all the elders and all the people said to him, "Do not listen or consent."

New Living Translation
"Don't give in to any more demands," all the elders and the people advised.

New Life Bible
Then all the leaders and all the people said to him, "Do not listen or agree."

New Revised Standard
Then all the elders and all the people said to him, "Do not listen or consent."

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And all the elders and all the people said unto him, - Do not thou hearken, neither do thou consent.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And all the ancients, and all the people said to him: Hearken not to him, nor consent to him.

Revised Standard Version
And all the elders and all the people said to him, "Do not heed or consent."

New American Standard Bible (1995)
All the elders and all the people said to him, "Do not listen or consent."

Contextual Overview

¹At about this same time Ben-Hadad king of Aram mustered his troops. He recruited in addition thirty-two local sheiks, all outfitted with horses and chariots. He set out in force and surrounded Samaria, ready to make war. He sent an envoy into the city to set his terms before Ahab king of Israel: "Ben-Hadad lays claim to your silver and gold, and to the pick of your wives and sons." ⁴ The king of Israel accepted the terms: "As you say, distinguished lord; I and everything I have is yours." ⁵But then the envoy returned a second time, saying, "On second thought, I want it all—your silver and gold and all your wives and sons. Hand them over—the whole works. I'll give you twenty-four hours; then my servants will arrive to search your palace and the houses of your officials and loot them; anything that strikes their fancy, they'll take." ⁷ The king of Israel called a meeting of all his tribal elders. He said, "Look at this—outrageous! He's just looking for trouble. He means to clean me out, demanding all my women and children. And after I already agreed to pay him off handsomely!" ⁸ The elders, backed by the people, said, "Don't cave in to him. Don't give an inch." ⁹ So he sent an envoy to Ben-Hadad, "Tell my distinguished lord, ‘I agreed to the terms you delivered the first time, but this I can't do—this I won't do!'" The envoy went back and delivered the answer. ¹⁰ Ben-Hadad shot back his response: "May the gods do their worst to me, and then worse again, if there'll be anything left of Samaria but rubble." ¹¹ The king of Israel countered, "Think about it—it's easier to start a fight than end one."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And all the elders and all the people said unto him,.... They were unanimous in their advice:

hearken not [unto him], nor consent; promising, no doubt, that they would stand by him.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

“The people” had no distinct place in the ordinary Jewish or Israelite constitution; but they were accustomed to signify their approbation or disapprobation of the decisions of the elders by acclamations or complaints (Joshua 9:18; Judges 11:11, etc.).

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Kings 20:8. Hearken not unto him — The elders had every thing at stake, and they chose rather to make a desperate defense than tamely to yield to such degrading and ruinous conditions.