2 Kings 18:27

Green's Literal Translation

And the chief of the cupbearers said to them, Has my master sent me to speak these words to your master, and to you, and not to the men that sit on the wall, to eat their own dung, and to drink the water of their feet with you?

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
But the royal spokesman said to them, “Has my master sent me to speak these words only to your master and to you? Hasn’t he also sent me to the men who sit on the wall, destined with you to eat their own excrement and drink their own urine?”

Hebrew Names Version
But Ravshakeh said to them, Has my master sent me to your master, and to you, to speak these words? Hasn't he sent me to the men who sit on the wall, to eat their own dung, and to drink their own water with you?

King James Version
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?

English Standard Version
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?"

New Century Version
"No," the commander said, "my master did not send me to tell these things only to you and your king. He sent me to speak also to those people sitting on the wall who will have to eat their own dung and drink their own urine like you."

New English Translation
But the chief adviser said to them, "My master did not send me to speak these words only to your master and to you. His message is also for the men who sit on the wall, for they will eat their own excrement and drink their own urine along with you."

Amplified Bible
But the Rabshakeh said to them, "Has my master sent me only to your master and to you to say these things? Has he not sent me to the men who sit on the wall, [who are doomed by the siege] to eat their own excrement and drink their own urine along with you?"

New American Standard Bible
But Rabshakeh said to them, "Has my master sent me only to your master and to you to speak these words? Has he not also sent me to the men who sit on the wall, doomed to eat their own dung and drink their own urine with you?"

World English Bible
But Rabshakeh said to them, Has my master sent me to your master, and to you, to speak these words? Hasn't he sent me to the men who sit on the wall, to eat their own dung, and to drink their own water with you?

Geneva Bible (1587)
But Rabshakeh saide vnto them, Hath my master sent me to thy master & to thee to speake these words, and not to the men which sit on the wall, that they may eate their owne doung, and drinke their owne pisse with you?

Legacy Standard Bible
But Rabshakeh said to them, "Has my master sent me only to your master and to you to speak these words, and not to the men who sit on the wall, doomed to eat their own dung and drink their own urine with you?"

Berean Standard Bible
But the Rab-shakeh replied, "Has my master sent me to speak these words only to you and your master, and not to the men sitting on the wall, who are destined with you to eat their own dung and drink their own urine?"

Contemporary English Version
The Assyrian army commander answered, "My king sent me to speak to everyone, not just to you leaders. These people will soon have to eat their own body waste and drink their own urine! And so will the three of you."

Complete Jewish Bible
But Rav-Shakeh answered them, "Did my master send me to deliver my message just to your master and yourselves? Didn't he send me to address the men sitting on the wall, who, like you, are going to eat their own dung and drink their own urine?"

Darby Translation
And Rab-shakeh said to them, Is it to thy master and to thee that my master sent me to speak these words? Is it not to the men that sit on the wall, that they may eat their own dung and drink their own urine with you?

Easy-to-Read Version
But the commander said, "My master sent me to speak to everyone, not just to you and your master. I must also speak to those people sitting there on the wall. When we surround your city, they will suffer too. Like you, they will become so hungry they will eat their own waste and drink their own urine!"

George Lamsa Translation
But the Rab-shakeh said to them, It was not to you and to your master that my master has sent me to speak these words, but to the men who are sitting on the wall, that they may not eat their own dung and drink their own urine with you.

Good News Translation
He replied, "Do you think you and the king are the only ones the emperor sent me to say all these things to? No, I am also talking to the people who are sitting on the wall, who will have to eat their excrement and drink their urine, just as you will."

Lexham English Bible
The chief commander said to them, "Is it solely to your master and to you my master has sent me to speak these words? Is it not for the men who sit on the wall to eat their feces and to drink their urine with you?"

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Neuertheles ye chefe butler sayde vnto the: Hath my lorde then sent me vnto thy lorde, or to the, to speake these wordes? Yee euen vnto the men, which syt vpon the wall, that they maye eate their owne donge and drynke their owne stale wt you.

American Standard Version
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 that sit on the wall, to eat their own dung, and to drink their own water with you?

Bible in Basic English
But the Rab-shakeh said to them, Is it to your master or to you that my master has sent me to say these words? has he not sent me to the men seated on the wall? for they are the people who will be short of food with you when the town is shut in.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And Rabsakeh sayde vnto them: Hath my maister sent me to thy maister and thee, to speake these wordes? Hath he not sent me because of the men which sit on the wall, that they may eate their owne dongue, & drinke their owne pisse with you?

JPS Old Testament (1917)
But Rab-shakeh 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 that sit on the wall, to eat their own dung, and to drink their own water with you?'

King James Version (1611)
But Rabshakeh sayd vnto them, Hath my master sent me to thy master, and to thee, to speake these wordes? hath he not sent me to the men which sit on the wall, that they may eate their owne doung, and drinke their owne pisse with you?

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And Rapsakes said to them, Has my master sent me to thy master, and to thee, to speak these words? has he not sent me to the men who sit on the wall, that they may eat their own dung, and drink their own water together with you.

English Revised Version
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, to eat their own dung, and to drink their own water with you?

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And Rabsaces answeride, `and seide, Whethir my lord sente me to thi lord and to thee, that Y schulde speke these wordis, and not rather to the men `that sitten on the wal, that thei ete her toordis, and drynke her pisse with you?

Young's Literal Translation
And the chief of the butlers saith unto them, `For thy lord, and unto thee, hath my lord sent me to speak these words? is it not for the men, those sitting on the wall to eat their own dung and to drink their own water, with you?'

Update Bible Version
But Rabshakeh said to them, Has my master sent me to your master, and to you, to speak these words? [has he] not [sent me] to the men that sit on the wall, to eat their own feces, and to drink their own urine with you?

Webster's Bible Translation
But Rab-shakeh said to them, Hath my master sent me to thy master, and to thee, to speak these words? [hath he] not [sent me] to the men who sit on the wall, that they may feed on their vilest excretions with you?

New King James Version
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?"

New Living Translation
But Sennacherib's chief of staff replied, "Do you think my master sent this message only to you and your master? He wants all the people to hear it, for when we put this city under siege, they will suffer along with you. They will be so hungry and thirsty that they will eat their own dung and drink their own urine."

New Life Bible
But Rabshakeh said to them, "Has my ruler sent me to speak these words to your ruler and to you, and not to the men sitting on the wall? They are sure to suffer with you, eating and drinking their own body waste."

New Revised Standard
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 people sitting on the wall, who are doomed with you to eat their own dung and to drink their own urine?"

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
But Rab-shakeh said unto them - Is it, concerning thy lord, and concerning thee, that my lord hath sent me to speak these things? Is it not concerning the men who are tarrying upon the wall, that they may eat their own dung and drink their own water with you?

Douay-Rheims Bible
And Rabsaces answered them, saying: Hath my master sent me to thy master, and to thee, to speak these words, and not rather to the men that sit upon the wall, that they may eat their own dung, and drink their urine with you?

Revised Standard Version
But the Rab'shakeh 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?"

THE MESSAGE
But the Rabshakeh said, "We weren't sent with a private message to your master and you; this is public—a message to everyone within earshot. After all, they're involved in this as well as you; if you don't come to terms, they'll be eating their own turds and drinking their own pee right along with you."

New American Standard Bible (1995)
But Rabshakeh said to them, "Has my master sent me only to your master and to you to speak these words, and not to the men who sit on the wall, doomed to eat their own dung and drink their own urine with you?"

Contextual Overview

¹⁷ And the king of Assyria sent Tartan, and the chief of the eunuchs, and the chief of the cupbearers from Lachish, to King Hezekiah with a heavy force, to Jerusalem. And they went up and came to Jerusalem, and they went up and came in and stoodby the conduit of the upper pool that was in the highway of the Fuller's Field. ¹⁸ And they called to the king, and Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the house, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph the recorder went out to them. ¹⁹ And the chief of the cupbearers said to them, Now say to Hezekiah, So says the great king, the king of Assyria, What is this hope in which you have trusted? ²⁰ Do you say that a mere word of the lips is counsel and strength for battle; now, on whom have you trusted that you have rebelled against me? ²¹ Now, behold, you have trusted for yourself on the staff of this broken reed, on Egypt, which if a man lean on it, it will go into his hand and pierce it! So is Pharaoh the king of Egypt to all those who trust in him. ²² And when you say to me, We have trusted to Jehovah our God, is it not He whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah has removed, and has said to Judah and to Jerusalem, Before this altar you shall bow yourselves in Jerusalem? ²³ And, now, I ask you, exchange pledges for yourself to my lord the king of Assyria, and I will give to you two thousand horses if you are able to give for yourself riders on them. ²⁴ And how will you turn back the face of one prefect of the least of the servants of my lord, that you trust for yourself upon Egypt for chariots and for horsemen? ²⁵ Now, have I come up against this place to destroy it without Jehovah? Jehovah said to me, Go up against this land, and you shall destroy it. ²⁶ And Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, and Shebna, and Joah said to the chief of the cupbearers, Please speak Aramaic to your servants, for we understand; and do not speak with us in Jewish, in the ears of the people on the wall.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

eat: 2 Kings 6:25, Deuteronomy 28:53-57, Psalms 73:8, Lamentations 4:5, Ezekiel 4:13, Ezekiel 4:15

their own piss: Heb. the water of their feet

Reciprocal: 2 Chronicles 32:11 - to give over Isaiah 36:11 - in the Syrian Isaiah 36:12 - that they may Hosea 8:1 - the house Nahum 2:13 - the voice

Cross-References

Genesis 2:7
And Jehovah God formed the man out of dust from the ground, and blew into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

Genesis 3:19
By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread until your return to the ground. For you have been taken out of it; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.

Genesis 18:1
And Jehovah appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre. And he was sitting at the door of the tent in the heat of the day.

Genesis 18:2
And he lifted up his eyes and looked; and, behold, three men were standing by him. And he saw, and he ran to meet them from the entrance of the tent. And he bowed to the ground.

Genesis 18:6
And Abraham ran into the tent to Sarah and said, Hurry, prepare three measures of fine meal, knead it and make cakes.

Genesis 18:8
And he took curds and milk and the son of the herd which he had prepared, and he set before them. And he stood by them under the tree. And they ate.

Genesis 18:30
And he said, Please do not my Lord be angry, that I may speak; perhaps thirty will be found there. And He said, I will not do it if I find thirty there.

Genesis 18:32
And he said, I pray, let not my Lord be angry that I may speak only this time; perhaps ten will be found there. And He said, I will not destroy because of the ten.

Ezra 9:6
And I said, O my God, I am ashamed and wounded to lift up my face to You, O my God. For our iniquities have increased over our head, and our guiltiness has grown to the heavens.

Job 4:19
How much more those that dwell in houses of clay; whose foundation is in the dust; they crush them before the moth!

Gill's Notes on the Bible

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Barnes' Notes on the Bible

That they may eat ... - “My master hath sent me,” the Rab-shakeh seems to say, “to these men, whom I see stationed on the wall to defend the place and bear the last extremities of a prolonged siege - these men on whom its worst evils will fall, and who have therefore the greatest interest in avoiding it by a timely surrender.” He expresses the evils by a strong coarse phrase, suited to the rude soldiery, and well calculated to rouse their feelings. The author of Chronicles has softened down the words 2 Chronicles 32:11.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 27. That they may eat their own dung — That they may be duly apprised, if they hold on Hezekiah's side, Jerusalem shall be most straitly besieged, and they be reduced to such a state of famine as to be obliged to eat their own excrements.