2 Kings 19:21-28
King James Version
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 house tops, and as corn blasted before it be grown up.
27 But I know thy abode, and thy going out, and thy coming in, and thy rage 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.
Read full chapter
2 Kings 19:21-28
New King James Version
21 This is the word which the Lord has spoken concerning him:
‘The virgin, (A)the daughter of Zion,
Has despised you, laughed you to scorn;
The daughter of Jerusalem
(B)Has shaken her head behind your back!
22 ‘Whom have you reproached and blasphemed?
Against whom have you raised your voice,
And lifted up your eyes on high?
Against (C)the Holy One of Israel.
23 (D)By your messengers you have reproached the Lord,
And said: (E)“By the multitude of my chariots
I have come up to the height of the mountains,
To the limits of Lebanon;
I will cut down its tall cedars
And its choice cypress trees;
I will enter the extremity of its borders,
To its fruitful forest.
24 I have dug and drunk strange water,
And with the soles of my feet I have (F)dried up
All the brooks of defense.”
25 ‘Did you not hear long ago
How (G)I made it,
From ancient times that I formed it?
Now I have brought it to pass,
That (H)you should be
For crushing fortified cities into heaps of ruins.
26 Therefore their inhabitants had little power;
They were dismayed and confounded;
They were as the grass of the field
And the green herb,
As (I)the grass on the housetops
And grain blighted before it is grown.
27 ‘But (J)I know your dwelling place,
Your going out and your coming in,
And your rage against Me.
28 Because your rage against Me and your tumult
Have come up to My ears,
Therefore (K)I will put My hook in your nose
And My bridle in your lips,
And I will turn you back
(L)By the way which you came.
2 Kings 19:21-28
English Standard Version
21 This is the word that the Lord has spoken concerning him:
“She despises you, she scorns you—
(A)the virgin daughter of Zion;
she (B)wags her head behind you—
the daughter of Jerusalem.
22 “Whom have you (C)mocked and (D)reviled?
Against whom have you raised your voice
and lifted your eyes to the heights?
Against (E)the Holy One of Israel!
23 (F)By your messengers you have mocked the Lord,
and you have said, (G)‘With my many chariots
I have gone up the heights of the mountains,
to the far recesses of (H)Lebanon;
I felled its tallest cedars,
its choicest cypresses;
I entered its farthest lodging place,
its most (I)fruitful forest.
24 I dug wells
and drank foreign waters,
and I dried up with the sole of my foot
all the streams (J)of Egypt.’
25 “Have you not heard
that (K)I determined it long ago?
I planned from days of old
what (L)now I bring to pass,
that you should turn fortified cities
into heaps of ruins,
26 while their inhabitants, shorn of strength,
are dismayed and confounded,
and have become (M)like plants of the field
and like tender grass,
like grass on the housetops,
blighted before it is grown.
27 “But I know your sitting down
(N)and your going out and coming in,
and your raging against me.
28 Because you have raged against me
and your complacency has come into my ears,
I will (O)put my hook in your nose
and my bit in your mouth,
and (P)I will turn you back on the way
by which you came.
2 Kings 19:21-28
New American Standard Bible
21 This is the word that the Lord has spoken against him:
‘She, (A)the virgin daughter of Zion, has shown contempt for you and mocked you;
She, the daughter of Jerusalem, (B)has shaken her head behind you!
22 Whom have you (C)taunted and (D)blasphemed?
And against whom have you raised your voice,
And [a]haughtily raised your eyes?
Against the (E)Holy One of Israel!
23 (F)Through your messengers you have taunted the Lord,
And you have said, “With my many chariots
I went up to the heights of the mountains,
To the remotest parts of Lebanon;
And I cut down its tall cedars and its choicest junipers.
And I entered its farthest resting place, its (G)thickest forest.
24 I dug wells and drank foreign waters,
And with the soles of my feet I (H)dried up
All the streams of Egypt.”
25 ‘(I)Have you not heard?
Long ago I did it;
From ancient times I planned it.
(J)Now I have brought it about,
That you would turn fortified cities into ruined heaps.
26 Therefore their inhabitants were [b]powerless,
They were shattered and put to shame.
They were (K)like the vegetation of the field and the green grass,
Like grass on the housetops that is scorched before it has grown.
27 But (L)I know your sitting down,
Your going out, your coming in,
And your raging against Me.
28 Because of your raging against Me,
And because your complacency has come up to My ears,
I (M)will put My hook in your nose,
And My bridle in your lips,
And (N)I will turn you back by the way by which you came.
Footnotes
- 2 Kings 19:22 Lit on high
- 2 Kings 19:26 Lit short of hand
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.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.


