2 Kings 18:36

King James Version

But the people held their peace, and answered him not a word: for the king's commandment was, saying, Answer him not.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
But the people kept silent; they did not answer him at all, for the king’s command was, “Don’t answer him.”

Hebrew Names Version
But the people held their shalom, and answered him not a word; for the king's mitzvah was, saying, Don't answer him.

English Standard Version
But the people were silent and answered him not a word, for the king's command was, "Do not answer him."

New Century Version
The people were silent. They didn't answer the commander at all, because King Hezekiah had ordered, "Don't answer him."

New English Translation
The people were silent and did not respond, for the king had ordered, "Don't respond to him."

Amplified Bible
But the people kept silent and did not answer him, for the king had commanded, "Do not answer him."

New American Standard Bible
But the people were silent and did not answer him with even a word, because it was the king's command: "Do not answer him."

World English Bible
But the people held their peace, and answered him not a word; for the king's commandment was, saying, Don't answer him.

Geneva Bible (1587)
But the people helde their peace, and answered not him a worde: for the Kings commandement was, saying, Answere ye him not.

Legacy Standard Bible
But the people were silent and answered him not a word, for the king's commandment was, "Do not answer him."

Berean Standard Bible
But the people remained silent and did not answer a word, for Hezekiah had commanded, "Do not answer him."

Contemporary English Version
Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah had been warned by King Hezekiah not to answer the Assyrian commander. So they tore their clothes in sorrow and reported to Hezekiah everything the commander had said.

Complete Jewish Bible
But the people kept still and didn't answer him so much as a word; for the king's order was, "Don't answer him."

Darby Translation
But the people were silent and answered him not a word; for the king's command was, saying, Answer him not.

Easy-to-Read Version
But the people were silent. They did not say a word to the commander, because King Hezekiah had commanded them, "Don't say anything to him."

George Lamsa Translation
But the people held their peace, and answered him not a word; for the king had commanded, saying, Do not answer him.

Good News Translation
The people kept quiet, just as King Hezekiah had told them to; they did not say a word.

Lexham English Bible
The people were silent, and they did not answer him a word, for the command of that king was saying, "You shall not answer him."

Literal Translation
But the people kept silent and did not answer him a word, for the command of the king was, saying, Do not answer him.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
As for the people, they helde their peace, and gaue him no answere: for the kynge had commaunded and sayde: Answere him nothinge.

American Standard Version
But the people held their peace, and answered him not a word; for the king's commandment was, saying, Answer him not.

Bible in Basic English
But the people kept quiet and gave him no answer: for the king's order was, Give him no answer.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
But the people held their peace, and aunswered not him a word: for the king had commaunded, saying: Aunswere hym not.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
But the people held their peace, and answered him not a word; for the king's commandment was, saying: 'Answer him not.'

King James Version (1611)
But the people helde their peace, and answered him not a word: for the kings commaundement was, saying, Answere him not.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
But the men were silent, and answered him not a word: for there was a commandment of the king, saying, Ye shall not answer him.

English Revised Version
But the people held their peace, and answered him not a word: for the king’s commandment was, saying, Answer him not.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Therfor the puple was stille, and answeride not ony thing to hym; for thei hadden take comaundement of the kyng, that thei schulden not answere to hym.

Young's Literal Translation
And the people have kept silent, and have not answered him a word, for the command of the king is, saying, `Do not answer him.'

Update Bible Version
But the people held their peace, and did not answer him a word; for the king's commandment was, saying, Don't answer him.

Webster's Bible Translation
But the people held their peace, and answered him not a word: for the king's commandment was, saying, Answer him not.

New King James Version
But the people held their peace and answered him not a word; for the king's commandment was, "Do not answer him."

New Living Translation
But the people were silent and did not utter a word because Hezekiah had commanded them, "Do not answer him."

New Life Bible
But the people were quiet. They did not answer him a word. For Hezekiah had told them, "Do not answer him."

New Revised Standard
But the people were silent and answered him not a word, for the king's command was, "Do not answer him."

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
But the people held their peace, and answered him not a word, - for, the command of the king, it was, saying - Ye must not answer him.

Douay-Rheims Bible
But the people held their peace, and answered him not a word: for they had received commandment from the king that they should not answer him.

Revised Standard Version
But the people were silent and answered him not a word, for the king's command was, "Do not answer him."

THE MESSAGE
The people were silent. No one spoke a word for the king had ordered, "Don't anyone say a word—not one word!"

New American Standard Bible (1995)
But the people were silent and answered him not a word, for the king's commandment was, "Do not answer him."

Contextual Overview

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.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

held their peace: Psalms 38:13, Psalms 38:14, Psalms 39:1, Proverbs 9:7, Proverbs 26:4, Amos 5:13, Matthew 7:6

Reciprocal: Proverbs 11:12 - a man

Gill's Notes on the Bible

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Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 36. Answer him not. — The blasphemy is too barefaced; Jehovah is insulted, not you; let him avenge his own quarrel. See the 2 Kings 19:0.