^37:36The Lord’s messenger⁶³ went out and killed 185,000 troops⁶⁴ in the Assyrian camp. When they⁶⁵ got up early the next morning, there were all the corpses!⁶⁶^37:37So King Sennacherib of Assyria broke camp and went on his way. He went home and stayed in Nineveh.⁶⁷^37:38One day,⁶⁸ as he was worshiping⁶⁹ in the temple of his god Nisroch,⁷⁰ his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer struck him down with the sword.⁷¹ They ran away to the land of Ararat; his son Esarhaddon replaced him as king.

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Footnotes

60 Heb “there” (so , , ). In terms of English style “here” is expected in collocation with “this” in the previous line.
61 Heb “[with] a shield” (so , , ).
62 Heb “for my sake and for the sake of David my servant.”
63 Traditionally, “the angel of the Lord” (so , , , ).
64 The word “troops” is supplied in the translation for smoothness and clarity.
65 This refers to the Israelites and/or the rest of the Assyrian army.
66 Heb “look, all of them were dead bodies”; “they found corpses everywhere.”
67 Heb “and Sennacherib king of Assyria departed and went and returned and lived in Nineveh.”
68 The assassination of King Sennacherib probably took place in 681 b.c.
69 The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in .
70 No such Mesopotamian god is presently known. Perhaps the name Nisroch is a corruption of Nusku.
71 Extra-biblical sources also mention the assassination of Sennacherib, though they refer to only one assassin. See M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (), .

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

“Therefore thus says the Lord concerning the king of Assyria: He shall not come into this city or shoot an arrow there or come before it with a shield or cast up a siege mound against it. By the way that he came, by the same he shall return, and he shall not come into this city, declares the Lord. For I will defend this city to save it, for my own sake and for the sake of my servant David.”

And the angel of the Lord went out and struck down 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians. And when people arose early in the morning, behold, these were all dead bodies. Then Sennacherib king of Assyria departed and returned home and lived at Nineveh. And as he was worshiping in the house of Nisroch his god, Adrammelech and Sharezer, his sons, struck him down with the sword. And after they escaped into the land of Ararat, Esarhaddon his son reigned in his place.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

“Therefore this is what the Lord says concerning the king of Assyria:

“He will not enter this city

or shoot an arrow here.

He will not come before it with shield

or build a siege ramp against it.

By the way that he came he will return;

he will not enter this city,”

declares the Lord.

“I will defend this city and save it,

for my sake and for the sake of David my servant!”

Then the angel of the Lord went out and put to death a hundred and eighty-five thousand in the Assyrian camp. When the people got up the next morning—there were all the dead bodies! So Sennacherib king of Assyria broke camp and withdrew. He returned to Nineveh and stayed there.

One day, while he was worshiping in the temple of his god Nisrok, his sons Adrammelek and Sharezer killed him with the sword, and they escaped to the land of Ararat. And Esarhaddon his son succeeded him as king.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

“Therefore, this is what the Lord says about the king of Assyria:

He will not enter this city,

shoot an arrow here,

come before it with a shield,

or build up a siege ramp against it.

He will go back

the way he came,

and he will not enter this city.

This is the Lord’s declaration.

I will defend this city and rescue it

for my sake

and for the sake of my servant David.”

Then the angel of the Lord went out and struck down one hundred eighty-five thousand in the camp of the Assyrians. When the people got up the next morning, there were all the dead bodies! So King Sennacherib of Assyria broke camp and left. He returned home and lived in Nineveh.

One day, while he was worshiping in the temple of his god Nisroch, his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer struck him down with the sword and escaped to the land of Ararat. Then his son Esar-haddon became king in his place.

NLTNew Living Translation

“And this is what the Lord says about the king of Assyria:

“ ‘His armies will not enter Jerusalem.

They will not even shoot an arrow at it.

They will not march outside its gates with their shields

nor build banks of earth against its walls.

The king will return to his own country

by the same road on which he came.

He will not enter this city,’

says the Lord.

‘For my own honor and for the sake of my servant David,

I will defend this city and protect it.’ ”

That night the angel of the Lord went out to the Assyrian camp and killed 185,000 Assyrian soldiers. When the surviving Assyrians woke up the next morning, they found corpses everywhere. Then King Sennacherib of Assyria broke camp and returned to his own land. He went home to his capital of Nineveh and stayed there.

One day while he was worshiping in the temple of his god Nisroch, his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer killed him with their swords. They then escaped to the land of Ararat, and another son, Esarhaddon, became the next king of Assyria.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

Therefore thus says Yahweh concerning the king of Assyria:

‘He shall not come to this city,

and he shall not shoot an arrow there,

and he shall not meet it with a shield,

and he shall not heap a siege ramp up against her.

He shall return by the way that he came,

and he shall not come to this city,’

declares Yahweh.

‘And I will defend this city, to save it for my sake and for the sake of David, my servant.’ ”

And the angel of Yahweh set out and struck one hundred and eighty-five thousand in the camp of the Assyrians. When they rose in the morning, look! All of them were dead corpses. Then Sennacherib king of Assyria left, went, and returned and lived at Nineveh. And this happened: he was bowing in worship in the house of Nisroch his god, and Adrammelech and Sharezer, his sons, struck him with the sword. And they themselves escaped to the land of Ararat, and Esar-haddon his son reigned as king in his place.

KJV 1900King James Version

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 shields,

Nor cast a bank against it.

By the way that he came, by the same shall he return,

And shall not come into this city, saith the Lord.

For I will defend this city to save it

For mine own sake, and for my servant David’s sake.

Then the angel of the Lord went forth, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians a hundred and fourscore and five thousand: and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses. So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed, and went and returned, and dwelt at Nineveh. 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.

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