Isaiah 36

1 Nowe in the fourteenth yeere of King Hezekiah, Saneherib King of Asshur came vp against al the strong cities of Iudah, and tooke them.

And it came about in the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah that Sennacherib, king of Assyria, came up against all the walled towns of Judah and took them.

2 And the King of Asshur sent Rabshakeh from Lachish toward Ierusalem vnto King Hezekiah, with a great hoste, and he stood by ye conduite of the vpper poole in the path of the fullers fielde.

And the king of Assyria sent the Rab-shakeh from Lachish to Jerusalem to King Hezekiah with a strong force, and he took up his position by the stream of the higher pool, by the highway of the washerman's

3 Then came foorth vnto him Eliakim the sonne of Hilkiah the steward of the house, and Shebna the chanceler, and Ioah the sonne of Asaph the recorder.

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

4 And Rabshakeh sayde vnto them, Tell you Hezekiah, I pray you, Thus sayth the great King, the King of Asshur, What confidence is this, wherein thou trustest?

And the Rab-shakeh said to them, Say now to Hezekiah, These are the words of the great king, the king of Assyria: In what are you placing your hope?

5 I say, Surely I haue eloquence, but counsell and strength are for the warre: on whom then doest thou trust, that thou rebellest against me?

You say you have a design and strength for war, but these are only words: now to whom are you looking for support, that you have gone against my authority?

6 Loe, thou trustest in this broken staffe of reede on Egypt, whereupon if a man leane, it will goe into his hand, and pearce it: so is Pharaoh King of Egypt, vnto all that trust in him.

See, you are basing your hope on that broken rod of Egypt, which will go into a man's hand if he makes use of it for a support; for so is Pharaoh, king of Egypt, to all who put their faith in him.

7 But if thou say to me, We trust in the Lord our God. Is not that he, whose hie places and whose altars Hezekiah tooke downe, and said to Iudah and to Ierusalem, Ye shall worship before this altar?

And if you say to me, Our hope is in the Lord our God; is it not he whose high places and altars Hezekiah has taken away, saying to Judah and Jerusalem that worship may only be given before this altar?

8 Nowe therefore giue hostages to my lorde the King of Asshur, and I wil giue thee two thousand horses, if thou be able on thy part to set riders vpon them.

And now, take a chance with my master, the king of Assyria, and I will give you two thousand horses, if you are able to put horsemen on them.

9 For howe canst thou despise any captaine of the least of my lordes seruants? and put thy trust on Egypt for charets and for horsemen?

How then may you put to shame the least of my master's servants? and you have put your hope in Egypt for war-carriages and horsemen:

10 And am I now come vp without the Lord to this land to destroy it? The Lord sayd vnto me, Goe vp against this land and destroy it.

And have I now come to send destruction on this land without the Lord's authority? It was the Lord himself who said to me, Go up against this land and make it waste.

11 Then sayd Eliakim and Shebna and Ioah vnto Rabshakeh, Speake, I pray thee, to thy seruants in the Aramites language, (for we vnderstand it) and talke not with vs in the Iewes tongue, in the audience of the people that are on the wall.

Then Eliakim and Shebna and Joah said to the Rab-shakeh, Please make use of the Aramaean language in talking to your servants, for we are used to it, and do not make use of the Jews' language in the hearing of the people on the wall.

12 Then said Rabshakeh, Hath my master sent me to thy master, and to thee to speake these wordes, and not to the men that sit on the wall? that they may eate their owne doung, and drinke their owne pisse with you?

But the Rab-shakeh said, 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.

13 So Rabshakeh stood, and cryed with a loude voyce in the Iewes language, and sayd, Heare the wordes of the great King, of the King of Asshur.

Then the Rab-shakeh got up and said with a loud voice in the Jews' language, Give ear to the words of the great king, the king of Assyria:

14 Thus saith the King, Let not Hezekiah deceiue you: for he shall not be able to deliuer you.

This is what the king says: Do not be tricked by Hezekiah, for there is no salvation for you in him.

15 Neither let Hezekiah make you to trust in the Lord, saying, The Lord will surely deliuer vs: this citie shall not be giuen ouer into the hand of the King of Asshur.

And do not let Hezekiah make you put your faith in the Lord, saying, The Lord will certainly keep us safe, and this town will not be given into the hands of the king of Assyria.

16 Hearken not to Hezekiah: for thus sayth the King of Asshur, Make appointment with me, and come out to me, that euery man may eate of his owne vine, and euery man of his owne fig tree, and drinke euery man the water of his owne well,

Do not give ear to Hezekiah, for this is what the king of Assyria says, Make peace with me, and come out to me; and everyone will be free to take the fruit of his vine and of his fig-tree, and the water of his spring;

17 Till I come and bring you to a land like your owne land, euen a land of wheate, and wine, a land of bread and vineyardes,

Till I come and take you away to a land like yours, a land of grain and wine, a land of bread and vine-gardens.

18 Least Hezekiah deceiue you, saying, The Lord wil deliuer vs. Hath any of the gods of the nations deliuered his land out of the hand of the King of Asshur?

Give no attention to Hezekiah when he says to you, The Lord will keep us safe. Has any one of the gods of the nations kept his land from falling into the hands of the king of Assyria?

19 Where is the god of Hamath, and of Arpad? where is the god of Sepharuaim? or howe haue they deliuered Samaria out of mine hand?

Where are the gods of Hamath and of Arpad? where are the gods of Sepharvaim? where are the gods of Samaria? and have they kept Samaria out of my hand?

20 Who is hee among all the gods of these lands, that hath deliuered their countrey out of mine hand, that the Lord should deliuer Ierusalem out of mine hand?

Who among all the gods of these countries have kept their country from falling into my hand, to give cause for the thought that the Lord will keep Jerusalem from falling into my hand?

21 Then they kept silence, and answered him not a worde: for the Kings commandement was, saying, Answere him not.

But they kept quiet and gave him no answer: for the king's order was, Give him no answer.

22 Then came Eliakim the sonne of Hilkiah the steward of the house, and Shebna the chanceller, and Ioah the sonne of Asaph the recorder, vnto Hezekiah with rent clothes, and tolde him the wordes of Rabshakeh.

Then Eliakim, the son of Hilkiah, who was over the house, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah, the son of Asaph, the recorder, came to Hezekiah with their clothing parted as a sign of grief, and gave him an account of what the Rab-shakeh had said.