2 Kings · King James Version (with Apocrypha)
2 Kings 19 King James Version (with Apocrypha)
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
1 And it came to pass, when king Hezekiah heard [it], that he rent his clothes, and covered himself with sackcloth, and went into the house of the LORD.
1 When King Hezekiah heard it, he tore his clothes, covered himself with sackcloth, and went into Yahweh’s house.
2 And he sent Eliakim, which [was] over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and the elders of the priests, covered with sackcloth, to Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz.
2 He sent Eliakim, who was over the household, Shebna the scribe, and the elders of the priests, covered with sackcloth, to Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz.
3 And they said unto him, Thus saith Hezekiah, This day [is] a day of trouble, and of rebuke, and blasphemy: for the children are come to the birth, and [there is] not strength to bring forth.
3 They said to him, “Hezekiah says, ‘Today is a day of trouble, of rebuke, and of rejection; for the children have come to the point of birth, and there is no strength to deliver them.
4 It may be the LORD thy God will hear all the words of Rab-shakeh, whom the king of Assyria his master hath sent to reproach the living God; and will reprove the words which the LORD thy God hath heard: wherefore lift up [thy] prayer for the remnant that are left.
4 It may be Yahweh your God will hear all the words of Rabshakeh, whom the king of Assyria his master has sent to defy the living God, and will rebuke the words which Yahweh your God has heard. Therefore lift up your prayer for the remnant that is left.’”
5 So the servants of king Hezekiah came to Isaiah.
5 So the servants of King Hezekiah came to Isaiah.
6 ¶ And Isaiah said unto them, Thus shall ye say to your master, Thus saith the LORD, Be not afraid of the words which thou hast heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed me.
6 Isaiah said to them, “Tell your master this: ‘Yahweh says, “Don’t be afraid of the words that you have heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed me.
7 Behold, I will send a blast upon him, and he shall hear a rumour, and shall return to his own land; and I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land.
7 Behold, I will put a spirit in him, and he will hear news, and will return to his own land. I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land.”’”
8 ¶ So Rab-shakeh returned, and found the king of Assyria warring against Libnah: for he had heard that he was departed from Lachish.
8 So Rabshakeh returned and found the king of Assyria warring against Libnah; for he had heard that he had departed from Lachish.
9 And when he heard say of Tirhakah king of Ethiopia, Behold, he is come out to fight against thee: he sent messengers again unto Hezekiah, saying,
9 When he heard it said of Tirhakah king of Ethiopia, “Behold, he has come out to fight against you,” he sent messengers again to Hezekiah, saying,
10 Thus shall ye speak to Hezekiah king of Judah, saying, Let not thy God in whom thou trustest deceive thee, saying, Jerusalem shall not be delivered into the hand of the king of Assyria.
10 “Tell Hezekiah king of Judah this: ‘Don’t let your God in whom you trust deceive you, saying, Jerusalem will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.
11 Behold, thou hast heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands, by destroying them utterly: and shalt thou be delivered?
11 Behold, you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands, by destroying them utterly. Will you be delivered?
12 Have the gods of the nations delivered them which my fathers have destroyed; [as] Gozan, and Haran, and Rezeph, and the children of Eden which [were] in Thelasar?
12 Have the gods of the nations delivered them, which my fathers have destroyed—Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, and the children of Eden who were in Telassar?
13 Where [is] the king of Hamath, and the king of Arpad, and the king of the city of Sepharvaim, of Hena, and Ivah?
13 Where is the king of Hamath, the king of Arpad, and the king of the city of Sepharvaim, of Hena, and Ivvah?’”
14 ¶ And Hezekiah received the letter of the hand of the messengers, and read it: and Hezekiah went up into the house of the LORD, and spread it before the LORD.
14 Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers and read it. Then Hezekiah went up to Yahweh’s house, and spread it before Yahweh.
15 And Hezekiah prayed before the LORD, and said, O LORD God of Israel, which dwellest [between] the cherubims, thou art the God, [even] thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; thou hast made heaven and earth.
15 Hezekiah prayed before Yahweh, and said, “Yahweh, the God of Israel, enthroned above the cherubim, you are the God, even you alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth.
16 LORD, bow down thine ear, and hear: open, LORD, thine eyes, and see: and hear the words of Sennacherib, which hath sent him to reproach the living God.
16 Incline your ear, Yahweh, and hear. Open your eyes, Yahweh, and see. Hear the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to defy the living God.
17 Of a truth, LORD, the kings of Assyria have destroyed the nations and their lands,
17 Truly, Yahweh, the kings of Assyria have laid waste the nations and their lands,
18 And have cast their gods into the fire: for they [were] no gods, but the work of men’s hands, wood and stone: therefore they have destroyed them.
18 and have cast their gods into the fire; for they were no gods, but the work of men’s hands, wood and stone. Therefore they have destroyed them.
19 Now therefore, O LORD our God, I beseech thee, save thou us out of his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that thou [art] the LORD God, [even] thou only.
19 Now therefore, Yahweh our God, save us, I beg you, out of his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you, Yahweh, are God alone.”
20 ¶ Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent to Hezekiah, saying, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, [That] which thou hast prayed to me against Sennacherib king of Assyria I have heard.
20 Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent to Hezekiah, saying, “Yahweh, the God of Israel, says ‘You have prayed to me against Sennacherib king of Assyria, and I have heard you.
21 This [is] the word that the LORD hath spoken concerning him; The virgin the daughter of Zion hath despised thee, [and] laughed thee to scorn; the daughter of Jerusalem hath shaken her head at thee.
21 This is the word that Yahweh has spoken concerning him: ‘The virgin daughter of Zion has despised you and ridiculed you. The daughter of Jerusalem has shaken her head at you.
22 Whom hast thou reproached and blasphemed? and against whom hast thou exalted [thy] voice, and lifted up thine eyes on high? [even] against the Holy [One] of Israel.
22 Whom have you defied and blasphemed? Against whom have you exalted your voice and lifted up your eyes on high? Against the Holy One of Israel!
23 By thy messengers thou hast reproached the Lord, and hast said, With the multitude of my chariots I am come up to the height of the mountains, to the sides of Lebanon, and will cut down the tall cedar trees thereof, [and] the choice fir trees thereof: and I will enter into the lodgings of his borders, [and into] the forest of his Carmel.
23 By your messengers, you have defied the Lord, and have said, “With the multitude of my chariots, I have come up to the height of the mountains, to the innermost parts of Lebanon, and I will cut down its tall cedars and its choice cypress trees; and I will enter into his farthest lodging place, the forest of his fruitful field.
24 I have digged and drunk strange waters, and with the sole of my feet have I dried up all the rivers of besieged places.
24 I have dug and drunk strange waters, and I will dry up all the rivers of Egypt with the sole of my feet.”
25 Hast thou not heard long ago [how] I have done it, [and] of ancient times that I have formed it? now have I brought it to pass, that thou shouldest be to lay waste fenced cities [into] ruinous heaps.
25 Haven’t you heard how I have done it long ago, and formed it of ancient times? Now I have brought it to pass, that it should be yours to lay waste fortified cities into ruinous heaps.
26 Therefore their inhabitants were of small power, they were dismayed and confounded; they were [as] the grass of the field, and [as] the green herb, [as] the grass on the housetops, and [as corn] blasted before it be grown up.
26 Therefore their inhabitants had little power. They were dismayed and confounded. They were like the grass of the field and like the green herb, like the grass on the housetops and like grain blasted before it has grown up.
27 But I know thy abode, and thy going out, and thy coming in, and thy rage against me.
27 But I know your sitting down, your going out, your coming in, and your raging against me.
28 Because thy rage against me and thy tumult is come up into mine ears, therefore I will put my hook in thy nose, and my bridle in thy lips, and I will turn thee back by the way by which thou camest.
28 Because of your raging against me, and because your arrogance has come up into my ears, therefore I will put my hook in your nose, and my bridle in your lips, and I will turn you back by the way by which you came.’
29 And this [shall be] a sign unto thee, Ye shall eat this year such things as grow of themselves, and in the second year that which springeth of the same; and in the third year sow ye, and reap, and plant vineyards, and eat the fruits thereof.
29 “This will be the sign to you: This year, you will eat that which grows of itself, and in the second year that which springs from that; and in the third year sow and reap, and plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
30 And the remnant that is escaped of the house of Judah shall yet again take root downward, and bear fruit upward.
30 The remnant that has escaped of the house of Judah will again take root downward, and bear fruit upward.
31 For out of Jerusalem shall go forth a remnant, and they that escape out of mount Zion: the zeal of the LORD [ of hosts] shall do this.
31 For out of Jerusalem a remnant will go out, and out of Mount Zion those who shall escape. Yahweh’s zeal will perform this.
32 Therefore thus saith the LORD concerning the king of Assyria, He shall not come into this city, nor shoot an arrow there, nor come before it with shield, nor cast a bank against it.
32 “Therefore Yahweh says concerning the king of Assyria, ‘He will not come to this city, nor shoot an arrow there. He will not come before it with shield, nor cast up a mound against it.
33 By the way that he came, by the same shall he return, and shall not come into this city, saith the LORD.
33 He will return the same way that he came, and he will not come to this city,’ says Yahweh.
34 For I will defend this city, to save it, for mine own sake, and for my servant David’s sake.
34 ‘For I will defend this city to save it, for my own sake and for my servant David’s sake.’”
35 ¶ And it came to pass that night, that the angel of the LORD went out, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians an hundred fourscore and five thousand: and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they [were] all dead corpses.
35 That night, Yahweh’s angel went out and struck one hundred eighty-five thousand in the camp of the Assyrians. When men arose early in the morning, behold, these were all dead bodies.
36 So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed, and went and returned, and dwelt at Nineveh.
36 So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed, went home, and lived at Nineveh.
37 And it came to pass, as he was worshipping in the house of Nisroch his god, that Adrammelech and Sharezer his sons smote him with the sword: and they escaped into the land of Armenia. And Esar-haddon his son reigned in his stead.
37 As he was worshiping in the house of Nisroch his god, Adrammelech and Sharezer struck him with the sword; and they escaped into the land of Ararat. Esar Haddon his son reigned in his place.
People & places in this chapter
From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.
People
Adrammelech
A son of Sennacherib who with his brother Sharezer put their father to the sword in the temple of Nisroch and escaped to the land of Ararat.
Cited in the guide: 2 Kings 19:37; Isaiah 37:38
Amoz
Named as the father of the prophet Isaiah.
Cited in the guide: 2 Kings 19:2; 2 Kings 19:20; 2 Kings 20:1
Esar-haddon
Sennacherib's son, who reigned in his father's place after Adrammelech and Sharezer killed him.
Cited in the guide: 2 Kings 19:37; Ezra 4:2; Isaiah 37:38
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
Isaiah
The prophet, son of Amoz, who told Hezekiah that Sennacherib would not enter Jerusalem, foretold his illness and recovery, brought back the shadow ten steps, and warned of the…
Cited in the guide: 2 Kings 19:2; 2 Kings 19:20; 2 Kings 20:1
Sennacherib
King of Assyria who captured Judah's fortified cities in Hezekiah's fourteenth year, sent the Rabshakeh against Jerusalem, lost 185,000 men to the angel of the LORD, and was…
Cited in the guide: 2 Kings 18:13; 2 Kings 19:16; 2 Kings 19:20
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
Tirhakah
King of Cush about whom Sennacherib was warned that he had set out to fight him.
Cited in the guide: 2 Kings 19:9; Isaiah 37:9
Places
Nineveh
Capital of the brutal Assyrian Empire. Jonah's reluctant mission brought it to repentance; Nahum later prophesied its fall, which came in 612 BC.
Cited in the guide: Jonah 3:3; Nahum 1:1; 2 Kings 19:36
Cross references (36)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 2 Kings 18:37; 1 Kings 21:27; 2 Chronicles 32:20–22; Isaiah 37:1–7; Genesis 37:34
- 2 Isaiah 1:1; Isaiah 2:1; Matthew 4:14; Isaiah 37:2–5; 2 Chronicles 26:22
- 3 Jeremiah 30:5–7; Isaiah 66:9; Hebrews 3:15–16; Isaiah 26:17–18; Hosea 13:13
- 4 2 Samuel 16:12; James 5:16–17; Romans 9:27; Ezekiel 36:37; Joshua 14:12
- 6 2 Kings 18:35; 2 Kings 18:17; Isaiah 37:6–38; 2 Chronicles 20:15; Deuteronomy 20:1
- 7 2 Kings 7:6; Isaiah 10:16–18; Isaiah 11:4; Obadiah 1; 2 Chronicles 32:21
- 8 2 Kings 18:14; Joshua 10:29; Isaiah 37:8–9; Joshua 12:15; Joshua 12:11
- 9 1 Samuel 23:27; 2 Kings 18:17; Isaiah 37:9
- 10 2 Kings 18:5; 2 Kings 18:29–30; Isaiah 37:10–14; 2 Chronicles 32:15–19
- 11 Isaiah 10:8–11; 2 Chronicles 32:13–14; 2 Kings 19:17–18; 2 Kings 17:5–11
- 12 2 Kings 17:6; Ezekiel 27:23; Genesis 11:31; Isaiah 37:12; 1 Chronicles 5:26
- 13 2 Kings 18:34; 2 Kings 17:24; Isaiah 11:11; Isaiah 37:13–20; Numbers 13:21
- 14 Isaiah 37:14; Psalm 123:1–4; Psalm 91:1–2; Ezra 9:5; 1 Kings 8:28–30
- 15 Jeremiah 10:10–12; Isaiah 44:8; 2 Kings 5:15; Exodus 25:22; Daniel 4:34–35
- 16 Isaiah 37:17; Psalm 31:2; 2 Chronicles 6:40; 2 Kings 19:4; 1 Kings 8:29
- 17 Acts 4:27; 2 Kings 17:24; Isaiah 7:17–18; Jeremiah 26:15; Luke 22:59
- 18 Acts 17:29; Jeremiah 10:3–9; Isaiah 44:9–20; Jeremiah 10:14–16; 2 Samuel 5:21
- 19 Psalm 83:18; 1 Kings 8:43; Psalm 67:1–2; Exodus 9:15–16; Daniel 4:34–37
- 20 2 Kings 20:5; 2 Chronicles 32:20–21; Acts 10:31; Isaiah 65:24; Jeremiah 33:3
- 21 Lamentations 2:13; Job 16:4; Matthew 27:39; Jeremiah 14:17; Psalm 109:25
- 22 Isaiah 5:24; Psalm 71:22; 2 Thessalonians 2:4; Jeremiah 51:5; Isaiah 30:15
- 23 2 Kings 18:17; Psalm 20:7; Isaiah 10:18; 2 Chronicles 32:17; Isaiah 10:14
- 24 1 Kings 20:10; Exodus 15:9; Isaiah 19:6; 2 Samuel 17:13; Daniel 4:30
- 25 Isaiah 45:7; Isaiah 37:26–27; Isaiah 10:5–6; Isaiah 46:10–11; Psalm 76:10
- 26 Jeremiah 50:36–37; 1 Peter 1:24; Jeremiah 51:30; Psalm 48:4–7; Psalm 129:6–8
- 27 Jeremiah 23:23–24; Isaiah 37:28–29; Psalm 121:8; Deuteronomy 28:6; Psalm 139:1–11
- 28 Ezekiel 29:4; 2 Kings 19:33; Ezekiel 38:4; Amos 4:2; Isaiah 30:28
- 29 Leviticus 25:20–22; 2 Kings 20:8–9; Exodus 3:12; Isaiah 37:30; Luke 2:12
- 30 Isaiah 27:6; 2 Kings 19:4; Isaiah 10:20–22; 2 Chronicles 32:22–23; Isaiah 1:9
- 31 Isaiah 9:7; Romans 11:5; John 2:17; Isaiah 10:20; Romans 9:27
- 32 Isaiah 8:7–10; 2 Samuel 20:15; Luke 19:43–44; Isaiah 10:24–25; Ezekiel 21:22
- 33 2 Kings 19:28; 2 Kings 19:36
- 34 1 Kings 11:12–13; 2 Kings 20:6; 1 Kings 15:4; Isaiah 31:5; Jeremiah 33:26
- 35 2 Chronicles 32:21–22; 2 Samuel 24:16; Exodus 12:29–30; Isaiah 37:36; 1 Thessalonians 5:2–3
- 36 Jonah 1:2; 2 Kings 19:7; 2 Kings 19:33; 2 Kings 19:28; Matthew 12:41
- 37 Genesis 8:4; Ezra 4:2; Jeremiah 51:27; 2 Kings 19:7; 2 Chronicles 32:21
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
And to Hezekiah He saith, "I will defend this city, for mine own sake and for my servant David's sake." And to Solomon too He said, that for David's sake He rent not the kingdom during his lifetime.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)
… I cannot destroy them." Therefore He saith, "What, think ye that I cannot pray to my Father?" And again He speaks it humbly, in saying, "He will presently give me twelve legions of angels." For if one angel slew one hundred and eighty-five armed thousands, what need of twelve legions against a thousand men?
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)