CHAPTER 36

1 It came to pass in the fourteenth year of king Hezekiah, that Sennacherib, king of Assyria, came up against all the defended cities of Judah, And took them.

2 Then the king of Assyria sent Rabshakch from Lachish, with a powerful army, to Jerusalem, to king Hezekiah, who stood at the conduit of the upper pool in the way of the fullers field.

3 And there came out to him Eliakim, son of Hilkiah, who was over the house, And Shebna the chancellor, And Joab, the son of Asaph, the secretary.

4 And Rabshakeh said to them: Say now to Hezekiah? Thus saith the great king, the king of Assyria, What confidence is this in which thou trustest? I have said, (only a word of the lips.)

5 Counsel And strength for war. Now in whom hast thou trusted, that thou hast rebelled against me?

6 Behold, thou hast rusted in that broken staff of reed, on Egypt, on which if one lean, it will go into his hand And pierce it. Such is Pharaoh, king of Egypt, to all who have confidence in him.

7 And if thou shalt say to me, We trust in Jehovah our God; is it not, he whose high places And altars Hezekiah hath taken away, And hath said to Judah And Jerusalem, Ye shall worship before this altar?

8 Now, come, give a hostage to my master, the king of Assyria. I will give thee two thousand horses; wilt thou have horsemen to set upon them?

9 And how dost thou despise the face of one captain of the least of my masters servants, And place thy confidence in Egypt for chariots And horsemen?

10 And have I now come up without Jehovah to this land, to destroy it? Jehovah said to me: Go up against this land, to destroy it.

11 Then said Eliakim, And Shebna, And Joah, to Rabshakeh: Speak, I pray, to thy servants, in the Syrian language, (for we understand it,) And speak not to us in the Jewish language, in the hearing of the people who are on the wall.

12 And Rabshakeh said: Hath my master sent me to thy master And to thee to speak those words? Is it not to the men who sit on the wall, that they may eat their own dung, And drink their own urine with you?

13 Therefore Rabshakeh stood, And cried with a loud voice in the Jewish language, And said: Hear the words of the great king, the king of Assyria.

14 Thus saith the king, Let not Hezekiah impose upon you, for he will not be able to deliver you.

15 And let not Hezekiah make you trust in Jehovah, saying, By delivering will Jehovah deliver us; this city shall not be given up into the hand of the king of Assyria.

16 Listen not to Hezekiah; for thus saith the king of Assyria, Make with me a blessing, And come out; And let every one eat of his own vine, And let every one eat of his own fig-tree, And let every one drink the waters of his own well.

17 Till I come And take you into a land like your own land, a land of corn And wine, a land of bread And vineyards.

18 Lest perhaps Hezekiah deceive you, saying, Jehovah will deliver us. Have any of the gods of the nations delivered their land out of the hand of the king of Assyria?

19 Where is the god of Hamath And Arpad? Where is the god of Sepharvaim? Have they delivered Samaria out of my hand?

20 Who is there among all the gods of those lands that hath delivered his land out of my hand; that Jehovah should rescue Jerusalem out of my hand?

21 They were silent, And did not answer him a word; for this was the commandment of the king, Do not answer him.

22 Then came Eliakim, who was over the house And Shebna the chancellor, And Joab, the son of Asaph, the secretary, to Hezekiah, with rent garments, And told him the words of Rabshakeh.