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 happened that, in the fourteenth year of king Hezekiah, Sennacherib, the king of the Assyrians, went up against all the fortified cities of Judah, and he seized 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 the Assyrians sent Rabshakeh from Lachish into Jerusalem, to king Hezekiah, with a great force, and he stood near the aqueduct of the upper pool, at the road to the fuller’s field.

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 those who went to him were Eliakim, son of Hilkiah, who was over the house, and Shebna, the scribe, and Joah, son of Asaph, the historian.

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 Rabshakeh said to them: “Tell Hezekiah: Thus says the great king, the king of the Assyrians: What is this faith in which you believe?

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?

And by what counsel or strength would you prepare to rebel? In whom do you have faith, so much so that you would withdraw from me?

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.

Behold, you are trusting in Egypt, in that broken staff of a reed. But if a man were to lean against it, it would enter his hand and pierce it. So is Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, to all who trust 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?

But if you answer me by saying: ‘We trust in the Lord our God.’ Is it not his high places and altars that Hezekiah has taken away? And he has said to Judah and to Jerusalem, ‘You shall worship 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, hand yourselves over to my lord, the king of the Assyrians, and I will give you two thousand horses, and you will not be able to find riders for them on your own.

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?

So how will you withstand the face of the ruler of even one place, of even the least of my lord’s subordinates? But if you trust in Egypt, in four-horse chariots and in 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.

do I intend to go up against this land to destroy it without the Lord? But the Lord said to me, ‘Go up against this land, and destroy it.’”

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.

And Eliakim, and Shebna, and Joah said to Rabshakeh: “Speak to your servants in the Syrian language. For we understand it. Do not speak to us in the Jewish language, in the hearing of the people, who are upon 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?

And Rabshakeh said to them: “Has my lord sent me to your lord and to you in order to speak all these words, and not even more so to the men who are sitting on the wall, so that they may eat their own dung and drink their own urine with you?”

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 Rabshakeh stood up, and he cried out with a loud voice in the Jewish language, and he said: “Listen to the words of the great king, the king of the Assyrians.

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

Thus says the king: Do not let Hezekiah deceive you. For he will not be able to rescue you.

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 cause you to trust in the Lord, saying: ‘The Lord will rescue and free us. This city will not be given into the hands of the king of the Assyrians.’

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 listen to Hezekiah. For the king of the Assyrians says this: Act with me to your own benefit, and come out to me. And let each one eat from his own vine, and each one from his own fig tree. And let each one drink water from his own well,

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,

until I arrive and take you away to a land which is like your own: a land of grain and of wine, a land of bread and of vineyards.

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?

But you should not let Hezekiah disturb you, saying, ‘The Lord will deliver us.’ Have any of the gods of each of the nations delivered their land from the hand of the king of the Assyrians?

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 is the god of Hamath and of Arpad? Where is the god of Sepharvaim? Have they freed Samaria from 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 is there, among all the gods of these lands, who has rescued his land from my hand, so that the Lord would rescue Jerusalem from my hand?”

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

And they remained silent and did not answer a word to him. For the king had commanded them, saying, “You shall not respond to him.”

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.

And Eliakim, son of Hilkiah, who was over the house, and Shebna, the scribe, and Joah, son of Asaph, the historian, entered to Hezekiah with their garments rent, and they reported to him the words of Rabshakeh.