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Young's Literal Translation

2 Kings 19:3

and they say unto him, `Thus said Hezekiah -- A day of distress, and rebuke, and despising [is] this day; for come have sons unto the birth, and power there is not to bring forth.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Diplomacy;   Intercession;   Thompson Chain Reference - Hezekiah;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Jerusalem;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Arpad;   Isaiah;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Assyria;   Hezekiah;   Prophecy, prophet;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Mediator, Mediation;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Eliakim;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Kings, 1 and 2;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Hezekiah;   Isaiah, Book of;   Israel;   Philistines;   Prophecy, Prophets;   Text, Versions, and Languages of Ot;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Sennacherib ;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Hezekiah;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Interesting facts about the bible;   Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types - Birth;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Kingdom of Judah;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Blasphemy;   Bring;   Hezekiah (2);  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
They said to him, “This is what Hezekiah says: ‘Today is a day of distress, rebuke, and disgrace, for children have come to the point of birth, but there is no strength to deliver them.
Hebrew Names Version
They said to him, Thus says Hizkiyahu, This day is a day of trouble, and of rebuke, and of rejection; for the children are come to the birth, and there is not strength to bring forth.
King James Version
And they said unto him, Thus saith Hezekiah, This day is a day of trouble, and of rebuke, and blasphemy; for the children are come to the birth, and there is not strength to bring forth.
English Standard Version
They said to him, "Thus says Hezekiah, This day is a day of distress, of rebuke, and of disgrace; children have come to the point of birth, and there is no strength to bring them forth.
New Century Version
They told Isaiah, "This is what Hezekiah says: Today is a day of sorrow and punishment and disgrace, as when a child should be born, but the mother is not strong enough to give birth to it.
New English Translation
"This is what Hezekiah says: ‘This is a day of distress, insults, and humiliation, as when a baby is ready to leave the birth canal, but the mother lacks the strength to push it through.
Amplified Bible
They said to him, "Thus says Hezekiah, 'This is a day of distress and anxiety, of punishment and humiliation; for children have come to [the time of their] birth and there is no strength to rescue them.
New American Standard Bible
And they said to him, "This is what Hezekiah says: 'This day is a day of distress, rebuke, and humiliation; for children have come to the point of birth, and there is no strength to deliver them.
World English Bible
They said to him, Thus says Hezekiah, This day is a day of trouble, and of rebuke, and of rejection; for the children are come to the birth, and there is not strength to bring forth.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And they said vnto him, Thus saith Hezekiah, This day is a day of tribulation and of rebuke, & blasphemie: for the childre are come to the birth, and there is no strength to bring foorth.
Legacy Standard Bible
And they said to him, "Thus says Hezekiah, ‘This day is a day of distress, reproof, and rejection; for children have come to the point of breaking forth, but there is no strength to give birth.
Berean Standard Bible
to tell him, "This is what Hezekiah says: Today is a day of distress, rebuke, and disgrace; for the children have come to the point of birth, but there is no strength to deliver them.
Contemporary English Version
These are difficult and disgraceful times. Our nation is like a woman too weak to give birth, when it's time for her baby to be born.
Complete Jewish Bible
They said to him, "This is what Hizkiyahu says: ‘Today is a day of trouble, rebuke and disgrace. Children are ready to be born, but there is no strength to bring them to birth.
Darby Translation
And they said to him, Thus says Hezekiah: This day is a day of trouble and of rebuke and of reviling; for the children are come to the birth, and there is not strength to bring forth.
Easy-to-Read Version
They said to Isaiah, "King Hezekiah has commanded that today will be a special day for sorrow and sadness. It will be a very sad day, like the time a child should be born, but is not strong enough to come from its mother's womb.
George Lamsa Translation
And they said to him, Thus says Hezekiah: This day is a day of distress and of rebuke and of anger; for the children have come to the birth, and there is no strength in the mother to bring forth.
Good News Translation
This is the message which he told them to give Isaiah: "Today is a day of suffering; we are being punished and are in disgrace. We are like a woman who is ready to give birth, but is too weak to do it.
Lexham English Bible
They said to him, "Thus says Hezekiah, ‘A day of distress, rebuke, and disgrace is this day, for the children are about to be born, but there is no strength to bear them.
Literal Translation
And they said to him, So says Hezekiah, it is a day of distress, and of rebuke, and of contempt today; for the sons have come to the birth, and there is no power to bring forth.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
& they saide vnto him: Thus sayeth Ezechias: This is a daye of trouble, & of defiaunce & blasphemy. The childre are come to the byrth, & there is no strength to be delyuered of them.
American Standard Version
And they said unto him, Thus saith Hezekiah, This day is a day of trouble, and of rebuke, and of contumely; for the children are come to the birth, and there is not strength to bring forth.
Bible in Basic English
And they said to him, Hezekiah says, This day is a day of trouble and punishment and shame; for the children are ready to come to birth, but there is no strength to give birth to them.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And they sayd vnto him, thus sayth Hezekia: This day is a day of tribulation, & of rebuke and blasphemie: For the children are come to the byrth, and there is no strength to be deliuered.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And they said unto him: 'Thus saith Hezekiah: This day is a day of trouble, and of rebuke, and of contumely; for the children are come to the birth, and there is not strength to bring forth.
King James Version (1611)
And they sayd vnto him, Thus sayth Hezekiah, This day is a day of trouble, and of rebuke, and blasphemie: for the children are come to the birth, and there is not strength to bring foorth.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And they said to him, Thus says Ezekias, This day is a day of tribulation, and rebuke, and provocation: for the children are come to the travail-pangs, but the mother has no strength.
English Revised Version
And they said unto him, Thus saith Hezekiah, This day is a day of trouble, and of rebuke, and of contumely: for the children are come to the birth, and there is not strength to bring forth.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Whiche seiden, Ezechie seith these thingis, This dai is a dai of tribulacioun, and of blamyng, and of blasfemye; sones camen `til to the childberyng, and the `traueler of childe hath not strengthis.
Update Bible Version
And they said to him, Thus says Hezekiah, This day is a day of trouble, and of rebuke, and of disgrace; for the children have come to the birth, and there is not strength to bring forth.
Webster's Bible Translation
And they said to him, Thus saith Hezekiah, This day [is] a day of trouble, and of rebuke, and blasphemy: for the children have come to the birth, and [there is] not strength to bring forth.
New King James Version
And they said to him, "Thus says Hezekiah: "This day is a day of trouble, and rebuke, and blasphemy; for the children have come to birth, but there is no strength to bring them forth.
New Living Translation
They told him, "This is what King Hezekiah says: Today is a day of trouble, insults, and disgrace. It is like when a child is ready to be born, but the mother has no strength to deliver the baby.
New Life Bible
And they said to him, "Hezekiah says, ‘This day is a day of trouble, sharp words, and shame. For children have come to be born, but there is no strength to give birth to them.
New Revised Standard
They said to him, "Thus says Hezekiah, This day is a day of distress, of rebuke, and of disgrace; children have come to the birth, and there is no strength to bring them forth.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
and they said unto him - Thus, saith Hezekiah, A day of trouble, and rebuke, and reviling, is this day, - for children are come to the birth, and, strength, is there none to bring forth!
Douay-Rheims Bible
And they said to him: Thus saith Ezechias: This day is a day of tribulation, and of rebuke, and of blasphemy: the children are come to the birth, and the woman in travail hath not strength.
Revised Standard Version
They said to him, "Thus says Hezeki'ah, This day is a day of distress, of rebuke, and of disgrace; children have come to the birth, and there is no strength to bring them forth.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
They said to him, "Thus says Hezekiah, 'This day is a day of distress, rebuke, and rejection; for children have come to birth and there is no strength to deliver.

Contextual Overview

1 And it cometh to pass, at king Hezekiah's hearing, that he rendeth his garments, and covereth himself with sackcloth, and entereth the house of Jehovah, 2 and sendeth Eliakim, who [is] over the house, and Shebna the scribe, and the elders of the priests, covering themselves with sackcloth, unto Isaiah the prophet, son of Amoz, 3 and they say unto him, `Thus said Hezekiah -- A day of distress, and rebuke, and despising [is] this day; for come have sons unto the birth, and power there is not to bring forth. 4 `It may be Jehovah thy God doth hear all the words of the chief of the butlers with which the king of Asshur his lord hath sent him to reproach the living God, and hath decided concerning the words that Jehovah thy God hath heard, and thou hast lifted up prayer for the remnant that is found.' 5 And the servants of king Hezekiah come in unto Isaiah, 6 and Isaiah saith to them, `Thus do ye say unto your lord: Thus said Jehovah, Be not afraid because of the words that thou hast heard, with which the servants of the king of Asshur have reviled Me. 7 Lo, I am giving in him a spirit, and he hath heard a report, and hath turned back to his land, and I have caused him to fall by the sword in his land.'

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

This day: 2 Kings 18:29, Psalms 39:11, Psalms 123:3, Psalms 123:4, Jeremiah 30:5-7, Hosea 5:15, Hosea 6:1

blasphemy: or, provocation, Psalms 95:8, Hebrews 3:15, Hebrews 3:16

for the children: Isaiah 26:17, Isaiah 26:18, Isaiah 66:9, Hosea 13:13

Reciprocal: 2 Kings 22:12 - the king Esther 4:14 - for such a time Psalms 77:2 - In the Isaiah 17:14 - at eveningtide Isaiah 22:5 - a day Isaiah 37:3 - General

Cross-References

Genesis 19:6
And Lot goeth out unto them, to the opening, and the door hath shut behind him,
Genesis 19:8
lo, I pray you, I have two daughters, who have not known any one; let me, I pray you, bring them out unto you, and do to them as [is] good in your eyes; only to these men do not anything, for therefore have they come in within the shadow of my roof.'
Genesis 19:28
and he looketh on the face of Sodom and Gomorrah, and on all the face of the land of the circuit, and seeth, and lo, the smoke of the land went up as smoke of the furnace.
Genesis 19:29
And it cometh to pass, in God's destroying the cities of the circuit, that God remembereth Abraham, and sendeth Lot out of the midst of the overthrow in the overthrowing of the cities in which Lot dwelt.
Genesis 21:8
And the lad groweth, and is weaned, and Abraham maketh a great banquet in the day of Isaac's being weaned;
Exodus 12:15
Seven days ye eat unleavened things; only -- in the first day ye cause leaven to cease out of your houses; for any one eating anything fermented from the first day till the seventh day, even that person hath been cut off from Israel.
Exodus 12:39
And they bake with the dough which they have brought out from Egypt unleavened cakes, for it hath not fermented; for they have been cast out of Egypt, and have not been able to delay, and also provision they have not made for themselves.
Judges 6:19
And Gideon hath gone in, and prepareth a kid of the goats, and of an ephah of flour unleavened things; the flesh he hath put in a basket, and the broth he hath put in a pot, and he bringeth out unto Him, unto the place of the oak, and bringeth [it] nigh.
1 Samuel 28:24
And the woman hath a calf of the stall in the house, and she hasteth and slaughtereth it, and taketh flour, and kneadeth, and baketh it unleavened things,
2 Kings 4:8
And the day cometh that Elisha passeth over unto Shunem, and there [is] a great woman, and she layeth hold on him to eat bread, and it cometh to pass, at the time of his passing over, he turneth aside thither to eat bread,

Gill's Notes on the Bible

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Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The “trouble” consisted in rebuke” (rather, “chastisement,”) for sins at the hand of God, and “blasphemy” (rather, “reproach,”) at the hands of man.

The children ... - i. e., “we are in a fearful extremity - at the last gasp - and lack the strength that might carry us through the danger.”

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 2 Kings 19:3. The children are come to the birth — The Jewish state is here represented under the emblem of a woman in travail, who has been so long in the pangs of parturition, that her strength is now entirely exhausted, and her deliverance is hopeless, without a miracle. The image is very fine and highly appropriate.

A similar image is employed by Homer, when he represents the agonies which Agamemnon suffers from his wound: -


Οφρα οἱ αἱμ' ετι θερμον ανηνοθεν εξ ωτειλης·

Λυταρ επει το μεν ἑλκος ετερσετο παυσατο δ' αἱμα,

Οξειαι οδυναι δυνον μενος Ατρειδαο·

Ως δ' ὁταν ωδινουσαν εχῃ βελος οξυ γυναικα,

Δριμυ, το τε προΐεισι μογοστοκοι Ειλειθυιαι

Ἡρης θυγατερες πικ ρας ωδινας εχουσαι·

Ὡς οξει' οδυναι δυνον μενος Ατρειδαο.

Il. xi., ver. 266.

This, while yet warm, distill'd the purple flood;

But when the wound grew stiff with clotted blood,

Then grinding tortures his strong bosom rend.

Less keen those darts the fierce Ilythiae send,

The powers that cause the teeming matron's throes,

Sad mothers of unutterable woes.

POPE.


Better translated by Macpherson; but in neither well: "So long as from the gaping wound gushed forth, in its warmth, the blood; but when the wound became dry, when ceased the blood to flow amain, sharp pains pervade the strength of Atrides. Racking pangs glide through his frame; as when the Ilythiae, who preside over births, the daughters of white armed Juno, fierce dealers of bitter pains, throw all their darts on hapless women, that travail with child. Such pains pervade the strength of Atrides."


 
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