Note that "be content with your wages" tells you they were allowed to remain soldiers. BTW that was John the Baptist speaking.
Interersting variance between different translations there - KJV is an outlier:
New International Version
Then some soldiers asked him, "And what should we do?" He replied, "Don't extort money and don't accuse people falsely--be content with your pay."
New Living Translation
"What should we do?" asked some soldiers. John replied, "Don't extort money or make false accusations. And be content with your pay."
English Standard Version
Soldiers also asked him, “And we, what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Do not extort money from anyone by threats or by false accusation, and be content with your wages.”
Berean Study Bible
Then some soldiers asked him, "And what should we do?" "Do not take money by force or false accusation," he said. "Be content with your wages."
Berean Literal Bible
And those being soldiers also were asking him, saying, "And what shall we do?" And he said to them, "Oppress no one, nor accuse falsely, and be content with your wages."
New American Standard Bible
Some soldiers were questioning him, saying, "And what about us, what shall we do?" And he said to them, "Do not take money from anyone by force, or accuse anyone falsely, and be content with your wages."
King James Bible
And the soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, And what shall we do? And he said unto them, Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely; and be content with your wages.
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Some soldiers also questioned him: "What should we do?" He said to them, "Don't take money from anyone by force or false accusation; be satisfied with your wages."
International Standard Version
Even some soldiers were asking him, "And what should we do?" He told them, "Never extort money from anyone by threats or blackmail, and be satisfied with your pay."
NET Bible
Then some soldiers also asked him, "And as for us--what should we do?" He told them, "Take money from no one by violence or by false accusation, and be content with your pay."
Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And soldiers were asking him and they were saying, “What shall we do also?” He said to them, “Do harm to no man, do no injustice and let your wages be sufficient for you.”
GOD'S WORD® Translation
Some soldiers asked him, "And what should we do?" He told them, "Be satisfied with your pay, and never use threats or blackmail to get money from anyone."
New American Standard 1977
And some soldiers were questioning him, saying, “And what about us, what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Do not take money from anyone by force, or accuse anyone falsely, and be content with your wages.”
Jubilee Bible 2000
And the soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, And what shall we do? And he said unto them, Oppress no one, neither accuse anyone falsely; and be content with your wages.
King James 2000 Bible
And the soldiers likewise asked of him, saying, And what shall we do? And he said unto them, Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely; and be content with your wages.
American King James Version
And the soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, And what shall we do? And he said to them, Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely; and be content with your wages.
American Standard Version
And soldiers also asked him, saying, And we, what must we do? And he said unto them, Extort from no man by violence, neither accuse any one wrongfully; and be content with your wages.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And the soldiers also asked him, saying: And what shall we do? And he said to them: Do violence to no man; neither calumniate any man; and be content with your pay.
Darby Bible Translation
And persons engaged in military service also asked him saying, And we, what should we do? And he said to them, Oppress no one, nor accuse falsely, and be satisfied with your pay.
English Revised Version
And soldiers also asked him, saying, And we, what must we do? And he said unto them, Do violence to no man, neither exact anything wrongfully; and be content with your wages.
Webster's Bible Translation
And the soldiers likewise asked him, saying, And what shall we do? And he said to them, Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely, and be content with your wages.
Weymouth New Testament
The soldiers also once and again inquired of him, "And we, what are we to do?" His answer was, "Neither intimidate any one nor lay false charges; and be content with your pay."
World English Bible
Soldiers also asked him, saying, "What about us? What must we do?" He said to them, "Extort from no one by violence, neither accuse anyone wrongfully. Be content with your wages." |
