열왕기하 18
Korean Bible: Easy-to-Read Version
유다 왕 히스기야
(대하 29:1-2; 31:1)
18 이스라엘 왕 엘라의 아들 호세아 제 삼년에 아하스의 아들 히스기야가 유다의 왕이 되었다. 2 히스기야는 스물다섯 살에 왕이 되어 예루살렘에서 이십구 년 동안 다스렸다. 그의 어머니는 스가랴의 딸 아비였다. 3 히스기야는 자기 조상 다윗이 한 것처럼 주께서 보시기에 옳은 일을 하였다. 4 그는 산당을 허물고 돌기둥[a]을 부수고 아세라 장대들을 찍어 버렸다. 또한 모세가 구리로 만든 뱀[b]도 산산조각 내었다. 이스라엘 사람들은 그때까지도 ‘느후스단’[c]이라고 부르는 그 구리 뱀에게 분향하고 있었다.
5 히스기야는 주 이스라엘의 하나님을 믿고 의지하였다. 유다 왕들 가운데서 전에도 후에도 그만한 왕이 없었다. 6 그는 주께 꼭 매달려 한 번도 그분에게서 돌아서지 않았다. 그는 주께서 모세에게 주신 명령들을 지켰다. 7 주께서 히스기야와 함께 하시니 그는 하는 일마다 성공하였다.
그는 앗시리아 왕에게 반기를 들고 일어나 그를 섬기지 않았다. 8 그는 멀리 가사에 이르기까지 블레셋 전 지역으로 쳐들어가 작은 감시 망대[d]에서 큰 요새 성읍에 이르기까지 모든 것을 부수었다.
앗시리아가 사마리아를 함락시키다
9 유다 왕 히스기야 제 사년, 곧 이스라엘 왕 엘라의 아들 호세아 제 칠년에 앗시리아 왕 살만에셀이 쳐들어와 사마리아를 에워싸고 10 삼 년 만에 사마리아를 무너뜨렸다. 그때가 유다 왕 히스기야 제 육년, 곧 이스라엘 왕 호세아 제 구년이었다. 11 앗시리아 왕은 이스라엘 백성들을 강제로 앗시리아로 끌고 가서, 그들을 할라와 하볼 강가에 있는 고산과 메대 사람의 여러 성읍에서 살게 하였다. 12 이렇게 된 것은 이스라엘 사람들이 주 그들의 하나님께 순종하지 않고 그분의 계약 조건, 곧 주의 종 모세가 명한 모든 것을 지키지 않았기 때문이다. 그들은 그 명령을 귀담아 듣지도 않고 실천하지도 않았다.
앗시리아가 유다에 쳐들어가다
(대하 32:1-19; 사 36:1-22)
13 히스기야 왕 제십사년에 앗시리아 왕 산헤립이 쳐들어와서 유다의 요새 성읍을 모두 점령하였다. 14 그리하여 유다 왕 히스기야는 라기스에 있는 앗시리아 왕에게 전갈을 보냈다. “내가 잘못하였습니다. 우리 땅에서 물러나 주신다면 임금님께서 요구하시는 것은 무엇이나 드리겠습니다.” 앗시리아 왕은 히스기야 왕에게 은 삼백 달란트[e]와 금 삼십 달란트[f]를 바치라고 요구하였다. 15 그리하여 히스기야는 주의 성전과 왕궁의 보물 창고에 있던 은을 다 바쳤다. 16 또 이때에 유다 왕 히스기야는 주의 성전 문과 기둥에 자신이 직접 입혔던 금을 벗겨서 앗시리아 왕에게 바쳤다.
17 그런데도 앗시리아 왕은 라기스에서 자신의 군대 총사령관과 야전사령관과 수석 고문관에게 많은 병력을 주어 히스기야 왕이 있는 예루살렘으로 보냈다. 그들은 예루살렘으로 올라와 빨래터로 가는 길에 있는 윗저수지의 물을 끌어 들이는 수로 옆에 와서 멈추어 섰다. 18 그들이 큰 소리로 왕을 부르니 궁내대신 힐기야의 아들 엘리야김과 서기관 셉나와 국무장관[g] 아삽의 아들 요아가 그들을 만나러 나갔다.
19 앗시리아 왕의 수석 고문관이 그들에게 말하였다. “위대하신 앗시리아의 왕께서 말씀하신다. 너희는 이 말씀을 히스기야에게 전하여라.
‘네가 무엇을 믿고 이렇게 자신만만하냐? 20 네가 전략과 군사력을 가졌다고 말하나 그것은 빈말일 뿐이다. 네가 누구를 믿고 나에게 반기를 드느냐? 21 자, 보라. 네가 부러진 갈대 지팡이 같은 이집트를 의지하고 있다만 그것에 몸을 의지하는 사람은 손이나 찔릴 것이다. 이집트의 파라오는 자기를 의지하는 모든 사람에게 그렇게 한다. 22 또 너희는 나에게 “우리는 주 우리의 하나님을 의지한다.”고 말하겠지. 그러나 유다와 예루살렘 사람들에게 “너희는 예루살렘에 있는 이 제단 앞에서만 예배를 드려야 한다.”라고 말하면서, 그 하나님의 산당과 제단을 히스기야가 헐어 버리지 않았느냐?
23 자, 나의 주인이신 앗시리아 왕과 흥정을 한번 해 보라. 네가 말 탈 사람만 내놓을 수 있다면 내가 너에게 말 이천 마리를 주겠다. 24 네가 전차와 마병을 얻어 보려고 이집트에 기대는 모양인데, 네가 내 상전의 부하 가운데 가장 하찮은 병사 하나라도 물리칠 수 있겠느냐? 25 더구나 내가 이곳을 치러 오면서 주께 아무 말씀도 듣지 않고 왔겠느냐? 주께서 나에게 친히 “그 땅을 치러 올라가서 그곳을 멸망시켜라.” 하고 말씀하셨다.’”
26 그러자 힐기야의 아들 엘리야김과 셉나와 요아가 앗시리아 왕의 수석 고문관에게 말하였다. “장군님의 종들인 저희에게 아람 말로 말씀하여 주십시오. 우리가 아람 말을 알아들을 수 있습니다. 백성들이 성벽 위에서 듣고 있으니 제발 히브리 말로 말씀하지 말아 주십시오.”
27 그러자 그 수석 고문관이 그들에게 말하였다. “나의 주인께서 너희와 너희 왕에게만 이 말을 전하라고 나를 보내신 줄 아느냐? 너희와 함께 자기 똥을 먹고 오줌을 마셔야 할 저 성벽 위에 앉아 있는 자들에게도 이 말을 전하라고 나를 보내셨다.”
28 그러고 나서 그는 히브리 말로 크게 말하였다.
“너희는 위대하신 앗시리아 왕께서 하시는 말씀을 들어라. 29 왕께서 말씀하신다. ‘히스기야에게 속지 마라. 그는 너희를 내 손에서 구해 낼 수 없다.’ 30 히스기야가 너희에게 ‘주께서 분명히 우리를 구원하시며, 이 성읍을 앗시리아 왕의 손에 넘겨주지 않으실 것이다.’라고 말하면서, 너희에게 주를 의지하라고 설득하겠지만, 너희는 그 말을 믿지 말아라.
31 너희는 히스기야의 말을 귀담아 듣지 말아라. 시리아 왕께서 말씀하신다. ‘나와 평화조약을 맺고 내게로 나오너라. 그러면 너희는 모두 자기의 포도나무와 무화과나무에서 열매를 따먹고, 자기 우물의 물을 마시게 될 것이다. 32 때가 되면 내가 와서 너희의 땅과 다름없는 땅으로 너희를 데려가겠다. 그곳은 곡식과 새 포도주가 나고, 빵과 포도원과 올리브나무가 있으며, 꿀이 있는 땅이다. 너희는 죽음을 택하지 말고 삶을 택하여라.’ 너희는 히스기야의 말을 듣지 말아라. 그는 ‘주께서 우리를 구해 주실 것이다.’라고 말하며, 너희를 잘못 이끌고 있다. 33 어느 민족의 신이 앗시리아 왕에게서 자기 나라를 구해 주더냐? 34 하맛과 아르밧의 신들은 어디에 있으며, 스발와임과 헤나와 이와의 신들은 어디에 있느냐? 그들이 내 손에서 사마리아를 구해 냈느냐? 35 이 신들 가운데 나에게서 자기 나라를 구해 낸 신이 하나라도 있었느냐? 그런데 어찌 너희의 주가 내 손에서 예루살렘을 구해 낼 수 있겠느냐?”
36 그러나 백성은 아무 대꾸도 하지 않고 조용히 있었다. 히스기야 왕이 “그에게 아무 대꾸도 하지 말아라.”라고 백성에게 명령을 내렸기 때문이었다.
37 궁내대신 힐기야의 아들 엘리야김과 서기관 셉나와 국무장관 아삽의 아들 요아는 옷을 찢은 채, 히스기야에게 돌아가서 앗시리아 왕의 수석 고문관이 한 말을 전하였다.
Footnotes
- 18:4 돌기둥 바알이나 다른 가나안 사람들의 신을 상징하기 위해 세운 돌
- 18:4 모세가 구리로 만든 뱀 민 21:9을 볼 것.
- 18:4 느후스단 이 말은 히브리어의 ‘구리 뱀’과 발음이 비슷하다.
- 18:8 감시 망대 국경 가까운 곳에 적의 접근 따위를 감시하기 위하여 소수의 병력을 배치한 망대
- 18:14 은 삼백 달란트 약 10,200킬로그램
- 18:14 금 삼십 달란트 약 10톤
- 18:18 국무장관 이 직책을 가진 사람이 정확히 어떤 일을 하였는지는 불분명하다. 그는 어쩌면 나라 안에서 일어나는 중요한 일들을 왕에게 알려 주는 왕의 고문이었을지 모른다. 또는 백성에게 왕의 칙령을 선포하는 임무를 맡았을 수도 있다. 37절
2 Kings 18
King James Version
18 Now it came to pass in the third year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, that Hezekiah the son of Ahaz king of Judah began to reign.
2 Twenty and five years old was he when he began to reign; and he reigned twenty and nine years in Jerusalem. His mother's name also was Abi, the daughter of Zachariah.
3 And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that David his father did.
4 He removed the high places, and brake the images, and cut down the groves, and brake in pieces the brasen serpent that Moses had made: for unto those days the children of Israel did burn 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 Judah, nor any that were before him.
6 For he clave to the Lord, and departed not from following him, but kept his commandments, which the Lord commanded Moses.
7 And the Lord was with him; and he prospered whithersoever he went forth: and he rebelled against the king of Assyria, and served him not.
8 He smote the Philistines, even unto Gaza, and the borders thereof, from the tower of the watchmen to the fenced city.
9 And it came to pass in the fourth year of king Hezekiah, which was the seventh year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, that Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up against Samaria, and besieged it.
10 And at the end of three years they took it: even in the sixth year of Hezekiah, that is in the ninth year of Hoshea king of Israel, Samaria was taken.
11 And the king of Assyria did carry away Israel unto Assyria, and put them in Halah and in Habor by the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes:
12 Because they obeyed not the voice of the Lord their God, but transgressed his covenant, and all that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded, and would not hear them, nor do them.
13 Now in the fourteenth year of king Hezekiah did Sennacherib king of Assyria come up against all the fenced cities of Judah, and took them.
14 And Hezekiah king of Judah sent to the king of Assyria to Lachish, saying, I have offended; return from me: that which thou puttest on me will I bear. And the king of Assyria appointed unto Hezekiah king of Judah three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold.
15 And Hezekiah gave him all the silver that was found in the house of the Lord, and in the treasures of the king's house.
16 At that time did Hezekiah cut off the gold from the doors of the temple of the Lord, and from the pillars which Hezekiah king of Judah had overlaid, and gave it to the king of Assyria.
17 And the king of Assyria sent Tartan and Rabsaris and Rabshakeh from Lachish to king Hezekiah with a great host against Jerusalem. And they went up and came to Jerusalem. And when they were 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 when they had called to the king, there came out to them Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, which was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph the recorder.
19 And Rabshakeh said unto them, Speak ye now to Hezekiah, Thus saith the great king, the king of Assyria, What confidence is this wherein thou trustest?
20 Thou sayest, (but they are but vain words,) I have counsel and strength for the war. Now on whom dost thou trust, that thou rebellest against me?
21 Now, behold, thou trustest upon the staff of this bruised reed, even upon Egypt, on which if a man lean, it will go into his hand, and pierce it: so is Pharaoh king of Egypt unto all that trust on him.
22 But if ye say unto me, We trust in the Lord our God: is not that he, whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah hath taken away, and hath said to Judah and Jerusalem, Ye shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem?
23 Now therefore, I pray thee, give pledges to my lord the king of Assyria, and I will deliver thee two thousand horses, if thou be able on thy part to set riders upon them.
24 How then wilt thou turn away the face of one captain of the least of my master's servants, and put thy trust on Egypt for chariots and for horsemen?
25 Am I now come up without the Lord against this place to destroy it? The Lord said to me, Go up against this land, and destroy it.
26 Then said Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, and Shebna, and Joah, unto Rabshakeh, Speak, I pray thee, to thy servants in the Syrian language; for we understand it: and talk not with us in the Jews' language in the ears of the people that are on the wall.
27 But Rabshakeh said unto them, Hath my master sent me to thy master, and to thee, to speak these words? hath he not sent me to the men which sit on the wall, that they may eat their own dung, and drink their own piss with you?
28 Then Rabshakeh stood and cried with a loud voice in the Jews' language, and spake, saying, Hear the word of the great king, the king of Assyria:
29 Thus saith the king, Let not Hezekiah deceive you: for he shall not be able to deliver you out of his hand:
30 Neither let Hezekiah make you trust in the Lord, saying, The Lord will surely deliver us, and this city shall not be delivered into the hand of the king of Assyria.
31 Hearken not to Hezekiah: for thus saith the king of Assyria, Make an agreement with me by a present, and come out to me, and then eat ye every man of his own vine, and every one of his fig tree, and drink ye every one the waters of his cistern:
32 Until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of corn and wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of oil olive and of honey, that ye may live, and not die: and hearken not unto Hezekiah, when he persuadeth you, saying, The Lord will deliver us.
33 Hath any of the gods of the nations delivered at all his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria?
34 Where are the gods of Hamath, and of Arpad? where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivah? have they delivered Samaria out of mine hand?
35 Who are they among all the gods of the countries, that have delivered their country out of mine hand, that the Lord should deliver Jerusalem out of mine hand?
36 But the people held their peace, and answered him not a word: for the king's commandment was, saying, Answer him not.
37 Then came Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, which was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph the recorder, to Hezekiah with their clothes rent, and told him the words of Rabshakeh.
2 Kings 18
New King James Version
Hezekiah Reigns in Judah(A)
18 Now it came to pass in the third year of (B)Hoshea the son of Elah, king of Israel, that (C)Hezekiah the son of Ahaz, king of Judah, began to reign. 2 He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was (D)Abi[a] the daughter of Zechariah. 3 And he did what was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his father David had done.
4 (E)He removed the [b]high places and broke the sacred pillars, cut down the [c]wooden image and broke in pieces the (F)bronze serpent that Moses had made; for until those days the children of Israel burned incense to it, and called it [d]Nehushtan. 5 He (G)trusted in the Lord God of Israel, (H)so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor who were before him. 6 For he (I)held fast to the Lord; he did not depart from following Him, but kept His commandments, which the Lord had commanded Moses. 7 The Lord (J)was with him; he (K)prospered wherever he went. And he (L)rebelled against the king of Assyria and did not serve him. 8 (M)He [e]subdued the Philistines, as far as Gaza and its territory, (N)from watchtower to fortified city.
9 Now (O)it came to pass in the fourth year of King Hezekiah, which was the seventh year of Hoshea the son of Elah, king of Israel, that Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up against Samaria and besieged it. 10 And at the end of three years they took it. In the sixth year of Hezekiah, that is, (P)the ninth year of Hoshea king of Israel, Samaria was taken. 11 (Q)Then the king of Assyria carried Israel away captive to Assyria, and put them (R)in Halah and by the Habor, the River of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes, 12 because they (S)did not obey the voice of the Lord their God, but transgressed His covenant and all that Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded; and they would neither hear nor do them.
13 And (T)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 Judah sent to the king of Assyria at Lachish, saying, “I have done wrong; turn away from me; whatever you impose on me I will pay.” And the king of Assyria assessed Hezekiah king of Judah three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold. 15 So Hezekiah (U)gave him all the silver that was found in the house of the Lord and in the treasuries of the king’s house. 16 At that time Hezekiah stripped the gold from the doors of the temple of the Lord, and from the pillars which Hezekiah king of Judah had overlaid, and gave [f]it to the king of Assyria.
Sennacherib Boasts Against the Lord(V)
17 Then the king of Assyria sent the [g]Tartan, the [h]Rabsaris, and the [i]Rabshakeh from Lachish, with a great army against Jerusalem, to King Hezekiah. And they went up and came to Jerusalem. When they had come up, they went and stood by the (W)aqueduct from the upper pool, (X)which was on the highway to the Fuller’s Field. 18 And when they had called to the king, (Y)Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, Shebna the [j]scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph, the recorder, came out to them. 19 Then the Rabshakeh said to them, “Say now to Hezekiah, ‘Thus says the great king, the king of Assyria: (Z)“What confidence is this in which you trust? 20 You speak of having plans and power for war; but they are [k]mere words. And in whom do you trust, that you rebel against me? 21 (AA)Now look! You are trusting in the staff of this broken reed, Egypt, on which if a man leans, it will go into his hand and pierce it. So is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who trust in him. 22 But if you say to me, ‘We trust in the Lord our God,’ is it not He (AB)whose [l]high places and whose altars Hezekiah has taken away, and said to Judah and Jerusalem, ‘You shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem’?” ’ 23 Now therefore, I urge you, give a pledge to my master the king of Assyria, and I will give you two thousand horses—if you are able on your part to put riders on them! 24 How then will you repel one captain of the least of my master’s servants, and put your trust in Egypt for chariots and horsemen? 25 Have I now come up without the Lord against this place to destroy it? The Lord said to me, ‘Go up against this land, and destroy it.’ ”
26 (AC)Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, Shebna, and Joah said to the Rabshakeh, “Please speak to your servants in (AD)Aramaic, for we understand it; and do not speak to us in [m]Hebrew in the hearing of the people who are on the wall.”
27 But the Rabshakeh said to them, “Has my master sent me to your master and to you to speak these words, and not to the men who sit on the wall, who will eat and drink their own waste with you?”
28 Then the Rabshakeh stood and called out with a loud voice in [n]Hebrew, and spoke, saying, “Hear the word of the great king, the king of Assyria! 29 Thus says the king: (AE)‘Do not let Hezekiah deceive you, for he shall not be able to deliver you from his hand; 30 nor let Hezekiah make you trust in the Lord, saying, “The Lord will surely deliver us; this city shall not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.” ’ 31 Do not listen to Hezekiah; for thus says the king of Assyria: ‘Make peace with me [o]by a present and come out to me; and every one of you eat from his own (AF)vine and every one from his own fig tree, and every one of you drink the waters of his own cistern; 32 until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, (AG)a land of grain and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of olive groves and honey, that you may live and not die. But do not listen to Hezekiah, lest he persuade you, saying, “The Lord will deliver us.” 33 (AH)Has any of the gods of the nations at all delivered its land from the hand of the king of Assyria? 34 Where are the gods of (AI)Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim and Hena and (AJ)Ivah? Indeed, have they delivered Samaria from my hand? 35 Who among all the gods of the lands have delivered their countries from my hand, (AK)that the Lord should deliver Jerusalem from my hand?’ ”
36 But the people held their peace and answered him not a word; for the king’s commandment was, “Do not answer him.” 37 Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, Shebna the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph, the recorder, came to Hezekiah (AL)with their clothes torn, and told him the words of the Rabshakeh.
Footnotes
- 2 Kings 18:2 Abijah, 2 Chr. 29:1ff.
- 2 Kings 18:4 Places for pagan worship
- 2 Kings 18:4 Heb. Asherah, a Canaanite goddess
- 2 Kings 18:4 Lit. Bronze Thing, also similar to Heb. nahash, serpent
- 2 Kings 18:8 Lit. struck
- 2 Kings 18:16 Lit. them
- 2 Kings 18:17 A title, probably Commander in Chief
- 2 Kings 18:17 A title, probably Chief Officer
- 2 Kings 18:17 A title, probably Chief of Staff or Governor
- 2 Kings 18:18 secretary
- 2 Kings 18:20 Lit. a word of the lips
- 2 Kings 18:22 Places for pagan worship
- 2 Kings 18:26 Lit. Judean
- 2 Kings 18:28 Lit. Judean
- 2 Kings 18:31 By paying tribute
2 Kings 18
English Standard Version
Hezekiah Reigns in Judah
18 (A)In the third year of Hoshea son of Elah, king of Israel, (B)Hezekiah the son of Ahaz, king of Judah, began to reign. 2 He was (C)twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was (D)Abi the daughter of Zechariah. 3 (E)And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, according to all that David his father had done. 4 (F)He removed the high places and broke the (G)pillars and cut down (H)the Asherah. And he broke in pieces (I)the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for until those days the people of Israel had made offerings to it (it was called Nehushtan).[a] 5 (J)He trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel, (K)so that there was none like him among all the kings of Judah after him, nor among those who were before him. 6 (L)For he held fast to the Lord. He did not depart from following him, but kept the commandments that the Lord commanded Moses. 7 (M)And the Lord was with him; wherever he went out, (N)he prospered. He rebelled against the king of Assyria and would not serve him. 8 (O)He struck down the Philistines as far as Gaza and its territory, (P)from watchtower to fortified city.
9 In the fourth year of King Hezekiah, which was the seventh year of Hoshea son of Elah, king of Israel, (Q)Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up against Samaria and besieged it, 10 and at the end of three years he took it. In the sixth year of Hezekiah, which was the ninth year of Hoshea king of Israel, Samaria was taken. 11 The king of Assyria carried the Israelites away to Assyria and put them in (R)Halah, and on the (S)Habor, (T)the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes, 12 because they did not obey the voice of the Lord their God but transgressed his covenant, even all that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded. They neither listened nor obeyed.
Sennacherib Attacks Judah
13 (U)In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of Assyria came up against all the fortified cities of Judah and took them. 14 And Hezekiah king of Judah sent to the king of Assyria at Lachish, saying, “I have done wrong; withdraw from me. Whatever you impose on me I will bear.” (V)And the king of Assyria required of Hezekiah king of Judah three hundred talents[b] of silver and thirty talents of gold. 15 And Hezekiah (W)gave him all the silver that was found in the house of the Lord and in the treasuries of the king's house. 16 At that time Hezekiah stripped the gold from the doors of the temple of the Lord and from the doorposts that Hezekiah king of Judah had overlaid and gave it to the king of Assyria. 17 And the king of Assyria sent the (X)Tartan, the Rab-saris, and the Rabshakeh with a great army from Lachish to King Hezekiah at Jerusalem. And they went up and came to Jerusalem. When they arrived, they came and stood by (Y)the conduit of the upper pool, which is on the highway to the Washer's Field. 18 And when they called for the king, there came out to them (Z)Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and (AA)Shebnah the secretary, and Joah the son of Asaph, the recorder.
19 And the Rabshakeh said to them, “Say to Hezekiah, ‘Thus says the great king, the king of Assyria: On what do you rest this trust of yours? 20 Do you think that mere words are strategy and power for war? In whom do you now trust, that you have rebelled against me? 21 Behold, you are trusting now in Egypt, that broken reed of (AB)a staff, which will pierce the hand of any man who leans on it. Such is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who trust in him. 22 But if you say to me, “We trust in the Lord our God,” is it not he (AC)whose high places and altars Hezekiah has removed, saying to Judah and to Jerusalem, “You shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem”? 23 Come now, make a wager with my master the king of Assyria: I will give you two thousand horses, if you are able on your part to set riders on them. 24 How then can you repulse a single captain among the least of my master's servants, when you trust in Egypt for chariots and for horsemen? 25 Moreover, is it without the Lord that I have come up against this place to destroy it? The Lord said to me, “Go up against this land and destroy it.”’”
26 Then (AD)Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, and (AE)Shebnah, and Joah, said to the Rabshakeh, “Please speak to your servants in (AF)Aramaic, for we understand it. Do not speak to us in the language of Judah within the hearing of the people who are on the wall.” 27 But the Rabshakeh said to them, “Has my master sent me to speak these words to your master and to you, and not to the men sitting on the wall, who are doomed with you to eat their own dung and to drink their own urine?”
28 Then the Rabshakeh stood and called out in a loud voice in the language of Judah: “Hear the word of the great king, the king of Assyria! 29 Thus says the king: ‘Do not let Hezekiah deceive you, for he will not be able to deliver you out of my[c] hand. 30 Do not let Hezekiah make you trust in the Lord by saying, The Lord will surely deliver us, and this city will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.’ 31 Do not listen to Hezekiah, for thus says the king of Assyria: ‘Make your peace with me[d] and come out to me. Then (AG)each one of you will eat of his own vine, and each one of his own fig tree, and each one of you will drink the water of his own cistern, 32 until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, (AH)a land of grain and wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of olive trees and (AI)honey, that you may live, and not die. And do not listen to Hezekiah when he misleads you by saying, “The Lord will deliver us.” 33 (AJ)Has any of the gods of the nations ever delivered his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria? 34 (AK)Where are the gods of (AL)Hamath and (AM)Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and (AN)Ivvah? Have they delivered Samaria out of my hand? 35 Who among all the gods of the lands have delivered their lands out of my hand, (AO)that the Lord should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?’”
36 But the people were silent and answered him not a word, for the king's command was, “Do not answer him.” 37 Then (AP)Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebna the secretary, and Joah the son of Asaph, the recorder, came to Hezekiah (AQ)with their clothes torn and told him the words of the Rabshakeh.
Footnotes
- 2 Kings 18:4 Nehushtan sounds like the Hebrew for both bronze and serpent
- 2 Kings 18:14 A talent was about 75 pounds or 34 kilograms
- 2 Kings 18:29 Hebrew his
- 2 Kings 18:31 Hebrew Make a blessing with me
Copyright © 2021 by Bible League International
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
