Esias 36

1 Now it came to pass in the fourteenth year of the reign of Ezekias, [that] Sennacherim, king of the Assyrians, came up against the strong cities of Judea, and took them.

Now it happened in the fourteenth year of king Hezekiah, that Sennacherib king of Assyria attacked all of the fortified cities of Judah, and captured them.

2 And the king of the Assyrians sent Rabsaces out of Laches to Jerusalem to king Ezekias with a large force: and he stood by the conduit of the upper pool in the way of the fuller's field.

The king of Assyria sent Rabshakeh from Lachish to Jerusalem to king Hezekiah with a large army. He stood by the aqueduct from the upper pool on the highway to the Launderers' Field.

3 And there went forth to him Heliakim the steward, the [son] of Chelcias, and Somnas the scribe, and Joach the [son] of Asaph, the recorder.

Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah, the son of Asaph, the recorder came out to him.

4 And Rabsaces said to them, Say to Ezekias, Thus says the great king, the king of the Assyrians, Why are you secure?

Rabshakeh said to them, "Now tell Hezekiah, 'Thus says the great king, the king of Assyria, "What confidence is this in which you trust?

5 Is war carried on with counsel and [mere] words of the lips? and now on whom do you trust, that you rebel against me?

Do you think that empty words are strategy and power for war? Now in whom do you trust, that you have rebelled against me?

6 Behold, you trust on this bruised staff of reed, on Egypt: [as soon] as a man leans upon it, it shall go into his hand, and pierce it: so is Pharao king of Egypt and all that trust in him.

Look, you trust in the staff of this bruised reed, even in Egypt, which if a man leans on it, it will go into his hand and pierce it. So is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who trust in him.

7 But if you say, We trust in the Lord our God;

But if you tell me, 'We trust in the LORD our God,' isn't that he whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah has taken away, and has said to Judah and to Jerusalem, 'You shall worship before this altar?'"

8 yet now make an agreement with my lord the king of the Assyrians, and I will give you two thousand horses, if you shall be able to set riders upon them.

Now therefore, please make a pledge to my master the king of Assyria, and I will give you two thousand horses, if you are able on your part to set riders on them.

9 And how can you [then] turn to the face of the satraps? They that trust on the Egyptians for horse and rider, are [our] servants.

How then can you turn away the face of one captain of the least of my master's servants, and put your trust on Egypt for chariots and for horsemen?

10 And now, Have we come up against this land to fight against it without the Lord? The Lord said to me, Go up against this land, and destroy it.

Have I come up now without the LORD against this land to destroy it? The LORD said to me, "Go up against this land, and destroy it."'"

11 Then Eliakim and Somnas and Joach said to him, Speak to your servants in the Syrian tongue; for we understand [it]: and speak not to us in the Jewish tongue: and therefore speak you in the ears of the men on the wall?

Then Eliakim, Shebna and Joah said to Rabshakeh, "Please speak to your servants in Aramaic, for we understand it; and do not speak to us in the Jews' language in the hearing of the people who are on the wall."

12 And Rabsaces said to them, Has my lord sent me to your lord or to you, to speak these words? [has he] not [sent] me to the men that sit on the wall, that they may eat dung, and drink [their] water together with you?

But Rabshakeh said, "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, who will eat their own dung and drink their own urine with you?"

13 And Rabsaces stood and cried with a loud voice in the Jewish language, and said, Hear you the words of the great king, the king of the Assyrians:

Then Rabshakeh stood, and called out with a loud voice in the Jews' language, and said, "Hear the words of the great king, the king of Assyria.

14 thus says the king, Let not Ezekias deceive you with words: he will not be able to deliver you.

Thus says the king, 'Do not let Hezekiah deceive you; for he will not be able to deliver you.

15 And let not Ezekias say to you, That God will deliver you, and this city will not at all be delivered into the hand of the king of the Assyrians.

Do not let Hezekiah make you trust in the LORD, saying, "The LORD will surely deliver us. This city won't be given into the hand of the king of Assyria."'

16 Listen not to Ezekias: thus says the king of the Assyrians, If you wish to be blessed, come out to me: and you shall eat every one [of] his vine and his fig-trees, and you shall drink water out of your own cisterns:

Do not listen to Hezekiah, for thus says the king of Assyria, 'Make your peace with me, and come out to me; and each of you eat from his vine, and each one from his fig tree, and each one of you drink the waters of his own cistern;

17 until I come and take you to a land, like your own land, a land of corn and wine, and bread, and vineyards.

until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of grain and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards.

18 Let not Ezekias deceive you, saying, God will deliver you. Have the gods of the nations delivered each one his own land out of the hand of the king of the Assyrians?

Beware lest Hezekiah persuade you, saying, "The LORD will deliver us." Have any of the gods of the nations delivered their lands from the hand of the king of Assyria?

19 Where is the god of Emath, and Arphath? and where is the god of Eppharuaim? have they been able to deliver Samaria out of my hand?

Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Iwah? Have they delivered Samaria from my hand?

20 Which is the god of all these nations, that has delivered his land out of my hand, that God should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?

Who are they among all the gods of these countries that have delivered their country out of my hand, that the LORD should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?'"

21 And they were silent, and none answered him a word; because the king had commanded that none should answer.

But they remained silent, and said nothing in reply, for the king's commandment was, "Do not answer him."

22 And Heliakim the [son] of Chelcias, the steward, and Somnas the military scribe, and Joach the [son] of Asaph, the recorder, came in to Ezekias, having their garments tore, and they reported to him the words of Rabsaces.

Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah, the son of Asaph, the recorder, came to Hezekiah with their clothes torn, and told him the words of Rabshakeh.