2 Kings 18:17-37

New International Version

Sennacherib Threatens Jerusalem^(A)^(B)

¹⁷The king of Assyria sent his supreme commander,^(C) his chief officer and his field commander with a large army, from Lachish to King Hezekiah at Jerusalem. They came up to Jerusalem and stopped at the aqueduct of the Upper Pool,^(D) on the road to the Washerman’s Field. ¹⁸They called for the king; and Eliakim^(E) son of Hilkiah the palace administrator, Shebna^(F) the secretary, and Joah son of Asaph the recorder went out to them.

¹⁹The field commander said to them, “Tell Hezekiah:

“‘This is what the great king, the king of Assyria, says: On what are you basing this confidence^(G) of yours? ²⁰You say you have the counsel and the might for war—but you speak only empty words. On whom are you depending, that you rebel against me? ²¹Look, I know you are depending on Egypt,^(H) that splintered reed of a staff,^(I) which pierces the hand of anyone who leans on it! Such is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who depend on him. ²²But if you say to me, “We are depending on the Lord our God”—isn’t he the one whose high places and altars Hezekiah removed, saying to Judah and Jerusalem, “You must worship before this altar in Jerusalem”?

²³“‘Come now, make a bargain with my master, the king of Assyria: I will give you two thousand horses—if you can put riders on them! ²⁴How can you repulse one officer^(J) of the least of my master’s officials, even though you are depending on Egypt for chariots and horsemen^[a]? ²⁵Furthermore, have I come to attack and destroy this place without word from the Lord?^(K) The Lord himself told me to march against this country and destroy it.’”

²⁶Then Eliakim son of Hilkiah, and Shebna and Joah said to the field commander, “Please speak to your servants in Aramaic,^(L) since we understand it. Don’t speak to us in Hebrew in the hearing of the people on the wall.”

²⁷But the commander replied, “Was it only to your master and you that my master sent me to say these things, and not to the people sitting on the wall—who, like you, will have to eat their own excrement and drink their own urine?”

²⁸Then the commander stood and called out in Hebrew, “Hear the word of the great king, the king of Assyria! ²⁹This is what the king says: Do not let Hezekiah deceive^(M) you. He cannot deliver you from my hand. ³⁰Do not let Hezekiah persuade you to trust in the Lord when he says, ‘The Lord will surely deliver us; this city will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.’

³¹“Do not listen to Hezekiah. This is what the king of Assyria says: Make peace with me and come out to me. Then each of you will eat fruit from your own vine and fig tree^(N) and drink water from your own cistern,^(O) ³²until I come and take you to a land like your own—a land of grain and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of olive trees and honey. Choose life^(P) and not death!

“Do not listen to Hezekiah, for he is misleading you when he says, ‘The Lord will deliver us.’ ³³Has the god^(Q) of any nation ever delivered his land from the hand of the king of Assyria? ³⁴Where are the gods of Hamath^(R) and Arpad?^(S) Where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena and Ivvah? Have they rescued Samaria from my hand? ³⁵Who of all the gods of these countries has been able to save his land from me? How then can the Lord deliver Jerusalem from my hand?”^(T)

³⁶But the people remained silent and said nothing in reply, because the king had commanded, “Do not answer him.”

³⁷Then Eliakim^(U) son of Hilkiah the palace administrator, Shebna the secretary, and Joah son of Asaph the recorder went to Hezekiah, with their clothes torn,^(V) and told him what the field commander had said.

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Footnotes

2 Kings 18:24 Or charioteers

Psalm 56-58

New International Version

Psalm 56^[a]

For the director of music. To the tune of “A Dove on Distant Oaks.” Of David. A miktam.^[b] When the Philistines had seized him in Gath.

¹Be merciful to me,^(A) my God,
    for my enemies are in hot pursuit;^(B)
    all day long they press their attack.^(C)
²My adversaries pursue me all day long;^(D)
    in their pride many are attacking me.^(E)

³When I am afraid,^(F) I put my trust in you.^(G)
⁴ In God, whose word I praise—^(H)
in God I trust and am not afraid.^(I)
What can mere mortals do to me?^(J)

⁵All day long they twist my words;^(K)
    all their schemes are for my ruin.
⁶They conspire,^(L) they lurk,
    they watch my steps,^(M)
    hoping to take my life.^(N)
⁷Because of their wickedness do not^[c] let them escape;^(O)
    in your anger, God, bring the nations down.^(P)

⁸Record my misery;
    list my tears on your scroll^[d]^(Q)—
    are they not in your record?^(R)
⁹Then my enemies will turn back^(S)
    when I call for help.^(T)
    By this I will know that God is for me.^(U)

¹⁰In God, whose word I praise,
in the Lord, whose word I praise—
¹¹in God I trust and am not afraid.
What can man do to me?

¹²I am under vows^(V) to you, my God;
    I will present my thank offerings to you.
¹³For you have delivered me from death^(W)
    and my feet from stumbling,
that I may walk before God
    in the light of life.^(X)

Psalm 57^[e]^(Y)

For the director of music. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” Of David. A miktam.^[f] When he had fled from Saul into the cave.^(Z)

¹Have mercy on me, my God, have mercy on me,
for in you I take refuge.^(AA)
I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings^(AB)
until the disaster has passed.^(AC)

²I cry out to God Most High,
    to God, who vindicates me.^(AD)
³He sends from heaven and saves me,^(AE)
    rebuking those who hotly pursue me—^[g]^(AF)
    God sends forth his love and his faithfulness.^(AG)

⁴I am in the midst of lions;^(AH)
I am forced to dwell among ravenous beasts—
men whose teeth are spears and arrows,
whose tongues are sharp swords.^(AI)

⁵Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
let your glory be over all the earth.^(AJ)

⁶They spread a net for my feet^(AK)—
I was bowed down^(AL) in distress.
They dug a pit^(AM) in my path—
but they have fallen into it themselves.^(AN)

⁷My heart, O God, is steadfast,
    my heart is steadfast;^(AO)
    I will sing and make music.
⁸Awake, my soul!
    Awake, harp and lyre!^(AP)
    I will awaken the dawn.

⁹I will praise you, Lord, among the nations;
I will sing of you among the peoples.
¹⁰For great is your love, reaching to the heavens;
your faithfulness reaches to the skies.^(AQ)

¹¹Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;^(AR)
let your glory be over all the earth.^(AS)

Psalm 58^[h]

For the director of music. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” Of David. A miktam.^[i]

¹Do you rulers indeed speak justly?^(AT)
Do you judge people with equity?
²No, in your heart you devise injustice,^(AU)
and your hands mete out violence on the earth.^(AV)

³Even from birth the wicked go astray;
    from the womb they are wayward, spreading lies.
⁴Their venom is like the venom of a snake,^(AW)
    like that of a cobra that has stopped its ears,
⁵that will not heed^(AX) the tune of the charmer,^(AY)
    however skillful the enchanter may be.

⁶Break the teeth in their mouths, O God;^(AZ)
    Lord, tear out the fangs of those lions!^(BA)
⁷Let them vanish like water that flows away;^(BB)
    when they draw the bow, let their arrows fall short.^(BC)
⁸May they be like a slug that melts away as it moves along,^(BD)
    like a stillborn child^(BE) that never sees the sun.

⁹Before your pots can feel the heat of the thorns^(BF)—
    whether they be green or dry—the wicked will be swept away.^[j]^(BG)
¹⁰The righteous will be glad^(BH) when they are avenged,^(BI)
    when they dip their feet in the blood of the wicked.^(BJ)
¹¹Then people will say,
    “Surely the righteous still are rewarded;^(BK)
    surely there is a God who judges the earth.”^(BL)

Footnotes

Psalm 56:1 In Hebrew texts 56:1-13 is numbered 56:2-14.
Psalm 56:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
Psalm 56:7 Probable reading of the original Hebrew text; Masoretic Text does not have do not.
Psalm 56:8 Or misery; / put my tears in your wineskin
Psalm 57:1 In Hebrew texts 57:1-11 is numbered 57:2-12.
Psalm 57:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
Psalm 57:3 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verse 6.
Psalm 58:1 In Hebrew texts 58:1-11 is numbered 58:2-12.
Psalm 58:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
Psalm 58:9 The meaning of the Hebrew for this verse is uncertain.

New International Version (NIV)

2 Kings 18:17-37

New International Version

Sennacherib Threatens Jerusalem^(A)^(B)

Footnotes

Cross references

Psalm 56-58

New International Version

Psalm 56^[a]

For the director of music. To the tune of “A Dove on Distant Oaks.” Of David. A miktam.^[b] When the Philistines had seized him in Gath.

Psalm 57^[e]^(Y)

For the director of music. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” Of David. A miktam.^[f] When he had fled from Saul into the cave.^(Z)

Psalm 58^[h]

For the director of music. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” Of David. A miktam.^[i]

Footnotes

Cross references

More on the NIV

Bible Gateway Recommends

2 Kings 18:17-37 New International Version

Sennacherib Threatens Jerusalem(A)(B)

Footnotes

Cross references

Psalm 56-58 New International Version

Psalm 56[a]

For the director of music. To the tune of “A Dove on Distant Oaks.” Of David. A miktam.[b] When the Philistines had seized him in Gath.

Psalm 57[e](Y)

For the director of music. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” Of David. A miktam.[f] When he had fled from Saul into the cave.(Z)

Psalm 58[h]

For the director of music. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” Of David. A miktam.[i]

Footnotes

Cross references

More on the NIV

Bible Gateway Recommends

2 Kings 18:17-37

New International Version

Sennacherib Threatens Jerusalem^(A)^(B)

Psalm 56-58

New International Version

Psalm 56^[a]

For the director of music. To the tune of “A Dove on Distant Oaks.” Of David. A miktam.^[b] When the Philistines had seized him in Gath.

Psalm 57^[e]^(Y)

For the director of music. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” Of David. A miktam.^[f] When he had fled from Saul into the cave.^(Z)

Psalm 58^[h]

For the director of music. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” Of David. A miktam.^[i]