Now it came to pass in the fourteenth year
of king
Hezekiah
, that Sennacherib
king
of Assyria
came up
against all the defenced
cities
of Judah
, and took
them.
And the king of Assyria
sent
Rabshakeh
from Lachish
to Jerusalem
unto king
Hezekiah
with a great
army
. And he stood
by the conduit
of the upper
pool
in the highway
of the fuller's
field
.
Then came forth unto him Eliakim
, Hilkiah's
son
, which was over the house
, and Shebna
the scribe
, and Joah
, Asaph's
son
, the recorder
.
And Rabshakeh said
unto them, Say
ye now to Hezekiah
, Thus saith
the great
king
, the king
of Assyria
, What confidence
is this wherein thou trustest
?
I say, sayest thou , (but they are but vain
words
) I have counsel
and strength
for war
: now on whom dost thou trust
, that thou rebellest
against me?
Lo, thou trustest in the staff
of this broken
reed
, on Egypt
; whereon if a man
lean
, it will go
into his hand
, and pierce
it: so is Pharaoh
king
of Egypt
to all that trust
in him.
But if thou say to me, We trust
in the LORD
our God
: is it not he, whose high places
and whose altars
Hezekiah
hath taken away
, and said
to Judah
and to Jerusalem
, Ye shall worship
before
this altar
?
Now therefore give pledges, I pray thee, to my master
the king
of Assyria
, and I will give
thee two thousand
horses
, if thou be able
on thy part to set
riders
upon them.
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
?
And am I now come up without
the LORD
against this land
to destroy
it? the LORD
said
unto me, Go up
against this land
, and destroy
it.
Then said Eliakim
and Shebna
and Joah
unto Rabshakeh
, Speak
, I pray thee, unto thy servants
in the Syrian language
; for we understand
it : and speak
not to us in the Jews' language
, in the ears
of the people
that are on the wall
.
But Rabshakeh said
, 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
upon the wall
, that they may eat
their own dung
, and drink
their own piss
with you?
Then Rabshakeh stood
, and cried
with a loud
voice
in the Jews' language
, and said
, Hear
ye the words
of the great
king
, the king
of Assyria
.
Thus saith the king
, Let not Hezekiah
deceive
you: for he shall not be able
to deliver
you.
Neither let Hezekiah make you trust
in the LORD
, saying
, The LORD
will surely
deliver
us: this city
shall not be delivered
into the hand
of the king
of Assyria
.
Hearken not to Hezekiah
: for thus saith
the king
of Assyria
, Make
an agreement with me by a present
, and come out
to me: and eat
ye every one
of his vine
, and every one
of his fig tree
, and drink
ye every one
the waters
of his own cistern
;
Until I come and take you away
to a land
like your own land
, a land
of corn
and wine
, a land
of bread
and vineyards
.
Beware lest Hezekiah persuade
you, saying
, The LORD
will deliver
us. Hath any
of the gods
of the nations
delivered
his land
out of the hand
of the king
of Assyria
?
Where are the gods of Hamath
and Arphad
? where are the gods
of Sepharvaim
? and have they delivered
Samaria
out of my hand
?
Who are they among all the gods of these lands
, that have delivered
their land
out of my hand
, that the LORD
should deliver
Jerusalem
out of my hand
?
But they held their peace, and answered
him not a word
: for the king's
commandment
was, saying
, Answer
him not.
Then came Eliakim
, the son
of Hilkiah
, that was over the household
, and Shebna
the scribe
, and Joah
, the son
of Asaph
, the recorder
, to Hezekiah
with their clothes
rent
, and told
him the words
of Rabshakeh
.