2 Kings 18 Geneva Bible (1599)
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
Notes on this text (1)
- Original 16th-century spelling.
1 Now in the third yeere of Hoshea, sonne of Elah King of Israel, Hezekiah the sonne of Ahaz king of Iudah began to reigne.
1 Now in the third year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, Hezekiah the son of Ahaz king of Judah began to reign.
2 He was fiue and twentie yeere olde when he began to reigne, and reigned nine and twenty yeere in Ierusalem. His mothers name also was Abi the daughter of Zachariah,
2 He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Abi the daughter of Zechariah.
3 And he did vprightly in the sight of the Lord, according to all that Dauid his father had done.
3 He did that which was right in Yahweh’s eyes, according to all that David his father had done.
4 He tooke away the hie places, and brake the images, and cut downe the groues, and brake in pieces the brasen serpent that Moses had made: for vnto those dayes the children of Israel did burne incense to it, and hee called it Nehushtan.
4 He removed the high places, broke the pillars, and cut down the Asherah. He also broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made, because in those days the children of Israel burned incense to it; and he called it Nehushtan.
5 He trusted in the Lord God of Israel: so that after him was none like him among all the Kings of Iudah, neither were there any such before him.
5 He trusted in Yahweh, the God of Israel, so that after him was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, nor among them that were before him.
6 For he claue to the Lord, and departed not from him, but kept his commandements, which the Lord had commanded Moses.
6 For he joined with Yahweh. He didn’t depart from following him, but kept his commandments, which Yahweh commanded Moses.
7 So the Lord was with him, and he prospered in all thinges, which he tooke in hande: also he rebelled against the King of Asshur, and serued him not.
7 Yahweh was with him. Wherever he went, he prospered. He rebelled against the king of Assyria, and didn’t serve him.
8 He smote the Philistims vnto Azzah, and the coastes thereof, from the watch towre vnto the defensed citie.
8 He struck the Philistines to Gaza and its borders, from the tower of the watchmen to the fortified city.
9 And in the fourth yere of King Hezekiah, (which was the seuenth yeere of Hoshea sonne of Elah King of Israel) Shalmaneser King of Asshur came vp against Samaria, and besieged it.
9 In the fourth year of King Hezekiah, which was the seventh year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up against Samaria and besieged it.
10 And after three yeeres they tooke it, euen in the sixt yeere of Hezekiah: that is, the ninth yeere of Hoshea King of Israel was Samaria taken.
10 At the end of three years they took it. In the sixth year of Hezekiah, which was the ninth year of Hoshea king of Israel, Samaria was taken.
11 Then the King of Asshur did carry away Israel vnto Asshur, and put them in Halah and in Habor, by the riuer of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes,
11 The king of Assyria carried Israel away to Assyria, and put them in Halah, and on the Habor, the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes,
12 Because they woulde not obey the voyce of the Lord their God, but transgressed his couenant: that is, all that Moses the seruant of the Lord had commanded, and would neyther obey nor doe them.
12 because they didn’t obey Yahweh their God’s voice, but transgressed his covenant, even all that Moses the servant of Yahweh commanded, and would not hear it or do it.
13 Moreouer, in the fourteenth yeere of King Hezekiah, Saneherib King of Asshur came vp against all the strong cities of Iudah, and tooke them.
13 Now in the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of Assyria came up against all the fortified cities of Judah and took them.
14 Then Hezekiah King of Iudah sent vnto the King of Asshur to Lachish, saying, I haue offended: depart from me, and what thou layest vpon me, I wil beare it. And the King of Asshur appoynted vnto Hezekiah King of Iudah three hudreth talents of siluer, and thirty talets of golde.
14 Hezekiah king of Judah sent to the king of Assyria at Lachish, saying, “I have offended you. Withdraw from me. That which you put on me, I will bear.” The king of Assyria appointed to Hezekiah king of Judah three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold.
15 Therefore Hezekiah gaue all the siluer that was found in the house of the Lord, and in the treasures of the Kings house.
15 Hezekiah gave him all the silver that was found in Yahweh’s house and in the treasures of the king’s house.
16 At the same season did Hezekiah pul off the plates of the doores of the Temple of the Lord, and the pillars (which the sayd Hezekiah King of Iudah had couered ouer) and gaue them to the King of Asshur.
16 At that time, Hezekiah cut off the gold from the doors of Yahweh’s temple, and from the pillars which Hezekiah king of Judah had overlaid, and gave it to the king of Assyria.
17 And the King of Asshur sent Tartan, and Rab-saris, and Rabshakeh from Lachish to King Hezekiah with a great hoste against Ierusalem. And they went vp, and came to Ierusalem, and when they were come vp, they stood by the conduite of the vpper poole, which is by the path of the fullers fielde,
17 The king of Assyria sent Tartan, Rabsaris, and Rabshakeh from Lachish to King Hezekiah with a great army to Jerusalem. They went up and came to Jerusalem. When they had come up, they came and stood by the conduit of the upper pool, which is in the highway of the fuller’s field.
18 And called to the King. Then came out to them Eliakim the sonne of Hilkiah, which was steward of the house, and Shebnah the chanceller, and Ioah the sonne of Asaph the recorder.
18 When they had called to the king, Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebnah the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph the recorder came out to them.
19 And Rabshakeh sayde vnto them, Tell ye Hezekiah, I pray you, Thus saith the great King, euen the great King of Asshur, What confidence is this wherein thou trustest?
19 Rabshakeh said to them, “Say now to Hezekiah, ‘The great king, the king of Assyria, says, “What confidence is this in which you trust?
20 Thou thinkest, Surely I haue eloquence, but counsell and strength are for the warre. On whom then doest thou trust, that thou rebellest against me?
20 You say (but they are but vain words), ‘There is counsel and strength for war.’ Now on whom do you trust, that you have rebelled against me?
21 Lo, thou trustest now in this broken staffe of reede, to wit, on Egypt, on which if a man leane, it will goe into his hand, and pearce it: so is Pharaoh king of Egypt vnto all that trust on him.
21 Now, behold, you trust in the staff of this bruised reed, even in Egypt. If a man leans on it, it will go into his hand and pierce it. So is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who trust on him.
22 But if ye say vnto me, We trust in the Lord our God, is not that he whose hie places, and whose altars Hezekiah hath taken away, and hath sayd to Iudah and Ierusalem, Ye shall worship before this altar in Ierusalem?
22 But if you tell me, ‘We trust in Yahweh our God,’ isn’t that he whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah has taken away, and has said to Judah and to Jerusalem, ‘You shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem’?
23 Now therefore giue hostages to my lord the King of Asshur, and I will giue thee two thousand horses, if thou be able to set riders vpon them.
23 Now therefore, please give pledges to my master the king of Assyria, and I will give you two thousand horses if you are able on your part to set riders on them.
24 For how canst thou despise any captaine of the least of my masters seruants, and put thy trust on Egypt for charets and horsemen?
24 How then can you turn away the face of one captain of the least of my master’s servants, and put your trust on Egypt for chariots and for horsemen?
25 Am I now come vp without the Lord to this place, to destroy it? the Lord sayd to me, Goe vp against this land, and destroy it.
25 Have I now come up without Yahweh against this place to destroy it? Yahweh said to me, ‘Go up against this land, and destroy it.’”’”
26 Then Eliakim the sonne of Hilkiah, and Shebnah, and Ioah said vnto Rabshakeh, Speake I pray thee, to thy seruants in the Aramites language, for we vnderstand it, and talke not with vs in the Iewes tongue, in the audience of the people that are on the wall.
26 Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, Shebnah, and Joah, said to Rabshakeh, “Please speak to your servants in the Syrian language, for we understand it. Don’t speak with us in the Jews’ language, in the hearing of the people who are on the wall.”
27 But Rabshakeh saide vnto them, Hath my master sent me to thy master and to thee to speake these words, and not to the men which sit on the wall, that they may eate their owne doung, and drinke their owne pisse with you?
27 But Rabshakeh said to them, “Has my master sent me to your master and to you, to speak these words? Hasn’t he sent me to the men who sit on the wall, to eat their own dung, and to drink their own urine with you?”
28 So Rabshakeh stoode and cryed with a loude voyce in the Iewes language, and spake, saying, Heare the wordes of the great King, of the king of Asshur.
28 Then Rabshakeh stood and cried with a loud voice in the Jews’ language, and spoke, saying, “Hear the word of the great king, the king of Assyria.
29 Thus sayth the King, Let not Hezekiah deceiue you: for he shall not be able to deliuer you out of mine hand.
29 The king says, ‘Don’t let Hezekiah deceive you, for he will not be able to deliver you out of his hand.
30 Neither let Hezekiah make you to trust in the Lord, saying, The Lord will surely deliuer vs, and this citie shall not be giuen ouer into the hand of the king of Asshur.
30 Don’t let Hezekiah make you trust in Yahweh, saying, “Yahweh will surely deliver us, and this city shall not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.”
31 Hearken not vnto Hezekiah: for thus saith the king of Asshur, Make appointment with me, and come out to me, that euery man may eate of his owne vine, and euery man of his owne figge tree, and drinke euery man of the water of his owne well,
31 Don’t listen to Hezekiah.’ For the king of Assyria says, ‘Make your peace with me, and come out to me; and everyone of you eat from his own vine, and everyone from his own fig tree, and everyone drink water from his own cistern;
32 Till I come, and bring you to a land like your owne land, euen a land of wheate and wine, a land of bread and vineyardes, a lande of oliues oyle, and hony, that ye may liue and not die: and obey not Hezekiah, for he deceiueth you, saying, The Lord will deliuer vs.
32 until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of grain and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of olive trees and of honey, that you may live and not die. Don’t listen to Hezekiah when he persuades you, saying, “Yahweh will deliver us.”
33 Hath any of the gods of the nations deliuered his lande out of the hand of the King of Asshur?
33 Has any of the gods of the nations ever delivered his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria?
34 Where is the god of Hamah, and of Arpad? where is the god of Sepharuaim, Hena and Iuah? how haue they deliuered Samaria out of mine hand?
34 Where are the gods of Hamath and of Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim, of Hena, and Ivvah? Have they delivered Samaria out of my hand?
35 Who are they among all the gods of the nations, that haue deliuered their lande out of mine hand, that the Lord should deliuer Ierusalem out of mine hand?
35 Who are they among all the gods of the countries, that have delivered their country out of my hand, that Yahweh should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?’”
36 But the people helde their peace, and answered not him a worde: for the Kings commandement was, saying, Answere ye him not.
36 But the people stayed quiet, and answered him not a word; for the king’s commandment was, “Don’t answer him.”
37 Then Eliakim, the sonne of Hilkiah which was steward of the house, and Shebnah the chanceller, and Ioah the sonne of Asaph the recorder came to Hezekiah with their clothes rent, and tolde him the wordes of Rabshakeh.
37 Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, came with Shebna the scribe and Joah the son of Asaph the recorder to Hezekiah with their clothes torn, and told him Rabshakeh’s words.
People & places in this chapter
From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.
People
Abi
Daughter of Zechariah and mother of King Hezekiah of Judah.
Cited in the guide: 2 Kings 18:2; 2 Chronicles 29:1
Asaph
Named as the father of Joah, Hezekiah's recorder.
Cited in the guide: 2 Kings 18:18; 2 Kings 18:37; Isaiah 36:3
Elah
Named as the father of Hoshea, the last king of Israel.
Cited in the guide: 2 Kings 15:30; 2 Kings 17:1; 2 Kings 18:1
Eliakim
Son of Hilkiah and palace administrator, who with Shebnah and Joah met the Rabshakeh and carried his words to Hezekiah with torn clothes.
Cited in the guide: 2 Kings 18:18; 2 Kings 18:26; 2 Kings 18:37
Hezekiah
A great reformer who trusted God and saw Jerusalem delivered from Assyria.
Cited in the guide: 2 Kings 18-20; 2 Chron. 29-32; Isa. 36-39; Matt. 1:9-10
Hilkiah
Named as the father of Eliakim, Hezekiah's palace administrator.
Cited in the guide: 2 Kings 18:18; 2 Kings 18:26; 2 Kings 18:37
Rabshakeh
The Assyrian official who, with a great army from Lachish, taunted Hezekiah and the people of Jerusalem in Hebrew and urged them not to trust the LORD.
Cited in the guide: 2 Kings 18:17; 2 Kings 18:19; 2 Kings 18:28
Shalmaneser
King of Assyria who attacked Hoshea, made him a vassal, and besieged Samaria for three years until it fell.
Cited in the guide: 2 Kings 17:3; 2 Kings 18:9
Shebnah
The scribe who with Eliakim and Joah met the Rabshakeh and was sent with the leading priests to the prophet Isaiah. Isaiah 22:15 rebukes Shebna as steward over the palace.
Cited in the guide: 2 Kings 18:18; 2 Kings 18:37; 2 Kings 19:2
Cross references (37)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 2 Chronicles 28:27–29:1; 1 Chronicles 3:13; Matthew 1:9–10; 2 Kings 16:20–17:1; 2 Kings 15:30
- 2 2 Chronicles 29:1–2
- 3 2 Kings 20:3; 2 Kings 22:2; 1 Kings 15:11; Deuteronomy 6:18; Job 33:27
- 4 2 Chronicles 31:1; Numbers 21:8–9; 2 Kings 18:22; Judges 6:28; 1 Kings 15:12–14
- 5 2 Kings 23:25; 2 Kings 19:10; Matthew 27:43; Ephesians 1:12; Psalm 84:12
- 6 Deuteronomy 10:20; Joshua 23:8; John 14:15; Acts 11:23; John 15:14
- 7 Genesis 39:2–3; Romans 8:31; Psalm 60:12; 2 Kings 16:7; Matthew 28:20
- 8 2 Kings 17:9; Isaiah 14:29; 2 Chronicles 28:18; 1 Chronicles 4:41; 2 Chronicles 26:10
- 9 Hosea 10:14; 2 Kings 18:1; 2 Kings 17:3–23
- 10 Amos 6:7; Micah 6:16; Micah 1:6–9; Amos 3:11–4:3; Amos 9:1–4
- 11 1 Chronicles 5:26; 2 Kings 17:6; Isaiah 37:12; Isaiah 7:8; Hosea 9:3
- 12 Psalm 107:17; Nehemiah 9:26–27; Jeremiah 7:23; Nehemiah 9:17; Micah 3:4
- 13 Isaiah 36:1–22; Hosea 12:1–2; Isaiah 7:17–25; 2 Chronicles 32:1–23; Isaiah 10:5
- 14 2 Kings 18:7; Proverbs 29:25; Luke 14:32; 1 Kings 20:4
- 15 2 Kings 16:8; 1 Kings 15:18–19; 2 Kings 12:18; 2 Chronicles 16:2; 1 Kings 15:15
- 16 2 Chronicles 29:3; 1 Kings 6:31–35
- 17 Isaiah 7:3; 2 Kings 20:20; Isaiah 20:1; Isaiah 36:2; Isaiah 22:9–11
- 18 2 Kings 19:2; Isaiah 22:15–24; 2 Chronicles 34:8; Isaiah 36:3; 2 Samuel 20:24
- 19 Isaiah 36:4; Isaiah 10:8–14; 2 Kings 19:10; 2 Kings 18:29–30; 2 Chronicles 32:10–11
- 20 Proverbs 21:30–31
- 21 Isaiah 30:7; Ezekiel 29:6–7; Isaiah 30:2–3; 2 Kings 17:4; Isaiah 36:6
- 22 2 Chronicles 31:1; Daniel 3:15; Isaiah 36:7; 2 Chronicles 32:12; 2 Kings 18:4–5
- 23 1 Kings 20:10; 1 Kings 20:18; Isaiah 36:8–9; Isaiah 10:13–14; 1 Samuel 17:44
- 24 Isaiah 10:8; Daniel 2:37–38; Isaiah 36:9; Deuteronomy 17:16; Jeremiah 37:7
- 25 2 Kings 19:6; 2 Kings 19:22–37; Amos 3:6; 2 Chronicles 35:21; John 19:10–11
- 26 Ezra 4:7; Daniel 2:4; Isaiah 36:11–12; 2 Kings 18:18
- 27 2 Kings 6:25; Ezekiel 4:15; Psalm 73:8; Deuteronomy 28:53–57; Lamentations 4:5
- 28 Isaiah 36:13–18; 2 Chronicles 32:18; Ezekiel 29:3; Isaiah 10:8–13; Ezra 7:12
- 29 2 Chronicles 32:15; 2 Chronicles 32:11; John 19:10–11; Daniel 3:15–17; 2 Thessalonians 2:4
- 30 Matthew 27:43; 2 Kings 19:10; Luke 23:35; Psalm 4:2; Psalm 22:7–8
- 31 1 Kings 4:25; 1 Kings 4:20; Zechariah 3:10; Proverbs 18:16; Genesis 32:20
- 32 Deuteronomy 8:7–9; Exodus 3:8; Deuteronomy 11:12; 2 Kings 17:23; Numbers 13:26–27
- 33 Isaiah 10:10–11; 2 Chronicles 32:14–17; 2 Kings 19:17–18; 2 Chronicles 32:19; Isaiah 36:18–20
- 34 Isaiah 10:9; Jeremiah 49:23; Isaiah 37:18–19; Numbers 13:21; 2 Kings 17:6
- 35 Daniel 3:15; Isaiah 37:23–29; Psalm 2:1–2; Job 15:25–26; Isaiah 10:15
- 36 Matthew 7:6; Proverbs 26:4; Psalm 39:1; Psalm 38:13–14; Amos 5:13
- 37 Genesis 37:29; Jeremiah 36:24; 2 Kings 22:19; Isaiah 36:21–22; 2 Kings 5:7
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences